[grandemamou]

carbon one more time

 

[pan-fried oreos]

Nice

I've been looking at the same frame at my LBS. Can you give me a little review?

 

[grandemamou]

sure

I've been looking at the same frame at my LBS. Can you give me a little review?

I have had it for about a month. It was a warranty replacement upgrade for my EV2. It's a little heavier than the EV2. It's pretty much the same geometry as the EV2 I think the chainstays are a little shorter. To be honest I don't notice that it's any heavier.

It's just as stiff and much more comfortable. It's like riding on my couch. I couldn't believe the difference CF made. My old AL was just as comfy as my other two steel rigs so I was blissfully ignorant. Handles nice and quick. Hard to explain the handling. I can almost fall asleep on my Gios and it tracks straight. You must "ride" the Bianchi. I love it, in a pack a little body english is all it takes to change your line. Nice understated graphics. My last Bianchi had Bianchi on it 13 times!!!!

It's alot of bike for the money. Let me know if you have any specific questions.

 

[pan-fried oreos]

Appreciate your thoughts

My shop only has a frame, so I haven't had a chance to test ride one. Certainly the few reviews on it here are good. I agree it's one beautiful bike. One thing I have to watch for is that I'm a big guy, usually carrying 2 bills on a 6-foot frame. Do you mind me asking how big you are and your thoughts? Also, just curious, but what happened to your EV2 for the warranty replacement?

 

[grandemamou]

answers

My shop only has a frame, so I haven't had a chance to test ride one. Certainly the few reviews on it here are good. I agree it's one beautiful bike. One thing I have to watch for is that I'm a big guy, usually carrying 2 bills on a 6-foot frame. Do you mind me asking how big you are and your thoughts? Also, just curious, but what happened to your EV2 for the warranty replacement?

I am 5'8 150 lbs. I don't know how a larger rider would do on it. There are a few reviews on 03 which is the same bike. The only difference is 04 has a matte finish and celeste decals. One of those may be closer to your size.

My EV2 cracked from the shift bosses on the right side. I got a little over 3 yrs out of it which was about what I expected from a lightweight AL frame. The warranty on mine was 5 yrs. I think the current warranty is 3 yrs. At your size I would definitely steer clear of the EV2/EV3. They do make a stouter AL frame I think the model is SL, or at least it was. The carbon ride sure is sweet though.

 

[pan-fried oreos]

Visited again with my shop owner...

...this afternoon. He didn't think my size would be an issue at all and I went in initially last week with the idea of buying a ti Serrota, but fell in lust with this frame. Like you, I hadn't any real experience on a carbon frame, and I really wasn't looking to buy one. So he's basically leaving a thousand or two on the table by not steering me back to the ti frame (and he's not even trying). And, again like you, he said the ride was sweet and it was a whole lot of bike for the money. Clincher: he can get one into the shop in about three days. Damn, he's making this tough! I'm pretty well sold and now just down to dotting i(s) and crossing t(s) in my research.

Thanks again for sharing your thoughts.

 

[grandemamou]

great

...this afternoon. He didn't think my size would be an issue at all and I went in initially last week with the idea of buying a ti Serrota, but fell in lust with this frame. Like you, I hadn't any real experience on a carbon frame, and I really wasn't looking to buy one. So he's basically leaving a thousand or two on the table by not steering me back to the ti frame (and he's not even trying). And, again like you, he said the ride was sweet and it was a whole lot of bike for the money. Clincher: he can get one into the shop in about three days. Damn, he's making this tough! I'm pretty well sold and now just down to dotting i(s) and crossing t(s) in my research.

Thanks again for sharing your thoughts.

If you pull the trigger. Post a pic and a review

 

[pan-fried oreos]

Click

Trigger pulled. Frame comes in Monday. Going with Campy Chorus carbon throughout, Neutron wheelset, and Fizik Aliante. Should be picking it up Thursday. Will try to get photo sometime thereafter.

 

[grandemamou]

welcome

Trigger pulled. Frame comes in Monday. Going with Campy Chorus carbon throughout, Neutron wheelset, and Fizik Aliante. Should be picking it up Thursday. Will try to get photo sometime thereafter.

The only problem I had was that the Campy seatpost clamp would not keep the seatpost from slipping. I tightened it past specs and it still slipped. I put on the Bianchi one that came with the frame on it. Turned it backwards per Campy instructions and tightened to specs. Problem solved.

 

[pan-fried oreos]

Sorry about delay

Work and weather conspired to keep me from reporting back here.

If I can work this correctly, attached here is a picture of the new love in my life. Let me preface my remarks with noting that I'm 46, 6-0, and 220 (for the moment), and have been away from biking for awhile, so I don't have 10, or 20, bikes as a frame of reference. I do, however, love this bike. The ride is smooth and comfortable, yet responsive when need be. The bike is light enough for me (just under 18 lbs. in 58 cm), yet stiff. I like the flat black-carbon asthetics. Long story short: it's a better bicycle than I am rider, but it's an absolute joy trying to catch up with the bike.

 

[grandemamou]

welcome to the cult, I mean

club. I agree with you she is a joy to ride. While I only own 3 bikes I have test ridden dozens. You can spend alot more but you won't necessarily get a better bike.

I noticed the Britton's bag. Thats where I got mine from. Jim's a pretty good guy to work with. They kind of dropped the ball on my replacement but he made sure it got taken care of.

If you have a Campy carbon post you may want to flip the seat collar around. Campy suggests using their clamp but I could not get it to keep the seat post snug. I ended up using the Bianchi one. If you don't use their clamp they recommend flipping it around so that the clamping force is not over the split.

BTW what kind of bottle cages are those?

Enjoy

 

[pan-fried oreos]

Small world

Who'd've thunk? Are you in the Hill Country?

I did like dealing with Jim. He spent all the time I wanted answering questions, checking and double-checking fit. There's something comforting about having a nuclear engineer measuring you and building the bike.

Keeping with the black carbon motif, I had inquired about the carbon Chorus cages, but balked at the $70-$80 price tag. Jim had these Arundel carbon cages in stock with gold or silver accents for about $35 apiece, so opted for them.

I do love this bike.

 

[grandemamou]

I live in SW Lousiana

Near the Tx border. I used to go through SA pretty often on business and I took a few vacation trips there. It's a beautiful part of the country lots of rolling hills and wide open spaces. I always made it a point to stop in his shop on my way through. Very friendly folks. I started with him because at first I wanted to buy a Colnago and I knew he sold tons of them. He actualy talked me out of the Colnago Dream and onto my first Bianchi.

Do you do Hotter than Hell or Katy Flatland? He usually has a booth there and I meet lots of people from the SA area.

I thought they were Arundels. I felt the same way about the Campy cages, much too pricey. I think that is the way I will go when I replace my Tacx cages.

 

[pan-fried oreos]

A good friend (Colnago rider) insisted I needed to check out Jim's shop before buying a new bike. Like I said, walked in looking for Ti and had one of those love at first sight kind of things. Yeah, guess I'm in the cult now.