Bianchi USA Inc. SL Aluminum Centaur

Price Paid:  $800.00 at Ebay

Favorite Ride:
Depends on where I am

Bike Setup:
Straight stock, except for a selle saddle.

Summary:
I had been looking for the steel version of this model with no luck. A bikeshop out east found an unbuilt (unboxed) aluminum model and listed it on ebay. I was the only bidder.

Seriously, luck me. Very solid bike.

As I don't have a ton of money invested this became my travel bike; I send it to where I am going and then back home.

I have several bikes that cost much more. Having said that, I am always surprised how much I enjoy riding this bike.

Please understand that I have evaluated this bike in light of what I got at its price and its use as a traveller.

Strengths:
Smooth. Pretty fast. Stable. Surprisingly comfortable for an aluminum team bike. A very solid Centaur group with the ability to dump multiple gears in a throw.

Believe it or not, it has carbon hubs. Yes, really, carbon hubs.

I find the Levitation wheelset to be well put together, responsive, of decent weight, and comfortable.

I love celeste and subtle graphics. This has both.

Weaknesses:
Its 5 years old aluminum technology. Therefore it is not the lightest aluminum ride on the market.

Similar Products Used:
Bianchi Veloce (Reparto Corse and non), Bianchi Virata (this bike is better), Merlin Extralight, Bianchi fg lite (that bike is better, but compare the costs).

Price Paid:  $1600.00 at cycle shop

Favorite Ride:
alps

Bike Setup:
mavic open pro on chorus hubs, chorus

Summary:
don't get me wrong,I love this bike for all its problems. The first day I rode 4 spokes unwound themselves and even after adjustment there was a massive amount of flex in the wheels. The paint chips and wears where the cables rub on the frame. The campag chain snapped after 2000 miles and poor finishing around the bottom bracket left me struggling for 2 days to remove it. Having said that with new wheels this bike was a joy to ride, responsive frame, great stylish components then it snapped! The frame just broke above the replacable dropout. I am now waiting for a replacement on the waranty but all of bianchi is shut for august so it could be months.

Strengths:
looks, ride quality

Weaknesses:
paint finish, frame strength, wheels

Price Paid:  $1300.00 at ebay new never used

Favorite Ride:
1 w/o cars

Bike Setup:
full dura ace, mavie helemu wheels, speedplay peds

Summary:
I got the bike w/ full dura ace, bianchi carbon fork and mavic wheels for 1300$. the bike has no flex(im 130lbs). the frame will take some out the vibratins our of the road.

Strengths:
light
no flex
a deal and 1/2

Weaknesses:
pant chips very ez
cables rub on down tube

Similar Products Used:
1st road bike

Price Paid:  $1550.00 at Boulevard Sports

Favorite Ride:
Fast and hard.

Bike Setup:
Stock with Sidi Genius shoes.

Summary:
This bike is pretty sweet. It's got one of the best stock setups of any bike on the market. The Campy Centaur gruppo is amazingly good. The 10-speed cogset allows for a 23-tooth gear helping to smooth out some of the bigger hills. This stuff feels more solid than the Shimanos any day. The frame is ultra-light and ultra-stiff with a nice geometry. Bianchi's stock EVOlution wheels are as light as anything out there.

Strengths:
Lightness, Campy, wheelset, Celeste paintjob.

Weaknesses:
The gruppo isn't Chorus or Record, the geometry is more cramped then, say, a Lemmond.

Similar Products Used:
Giant TCR-1, Giant TCR-2, Giant TCR-3, Trek 2300, Trek 5200 (icky carbon), Cannondale Caad-5.