# 2009 bianchi vigorelli!!



## cannypanny (Mar 6, 2009)

First post... originally thought i was gonna go cannondale... hence the name =/


anyway, went to go check out the cannondales and they were all just... ehhhhh...

then went to some random whole in the wall bike shop... and saw a bike i had to ride.. the vig!

well, turns out it wasn't my size... so I asked if I could get one shipped from the warehouse... response? all out of stock... there won't be ANY vigorellis until end of april!!!

That came straight from the Bianchi dealers mouth =/

any of you roadbikereviewforumers have the 2009 version? if so, how do you like it?


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## curriergroh (Jan 11, 2009)

I don't know about the stock everywhere but I just ordered one 2 hours ago from Ben's Cycle in Milwaukee and it will be here in 2 weeks. I can't wait.


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## poorasdirt (Apr 3, 2009)

curriergroh said:


> I don't know about the stock everywhere but I just ordered one 2 hours ago from Ben's Cycle in Milwaukee and it will be here in 2 weeks. I can't wait.


It's been two weeks 

how is it? I'm interested in this bike myself. 

cheers


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## cannypanny (Mar 6, 2009)

well, bought the bike about 2 weeks ago... don't have much experience with road bikes, but this bike is gorgeous!

anyway, this bike had problems with the carbon fiber seat post... the mechanic at my local bike shop had to explain that i couldn't use a carbon seat post with the type of clamp that the vigorelli had =/ oh well...

need more time on the bike to see how much i really feel about it... need more sun and less rain!


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## curriergroh (Jan 11, 2009)

I've had mine for almost two weeks. And I love it.

I have a 57 cm frame, I'm 6' with 32" inseam and short torso (For those looking for the wrong way to fit themselves.). I ride 9-18 mi a day, most days. Very comfortable, even the saddle, which I read some poor reviews of. I guess saddles just come down to individual fit though. The handlebars are a tiny bit wide for my taste but I'm not going to change them now. I replaced the pedals with Shimano MT540? mountain pedals so that I have the same pedal on both my bikes. The color is black pearl and looks great in the sun. I thought it was going to be flat black. I'm not sure how to properly review a bike's characteristics but I'll try. The turn-in is quick and it responds well to leaning which I didn't expect from a bike that rides so smoothly, even soft.

I ordered through a LBS because Bianchi has pissed off all of the dealers in Milwaukee so they don't carry much if any stock. The shop was great the day I ordered and then shady the rest of the time. The bike came in 4 weeks after they said it would. I couldn't pick it up when they said because they forgot to frame save it after agreeing to. They did replace the pedals, which I provided, for free. But then they tried to keep the ones that came with the bike. When I picked it up they told me I had to schedule and pay for a fit if I wanted their help setting the bike up. None of that is what I expected from this shop. They didn't tell me anything about the seatpost clamp. Can you share what you were told? They did get frame saver all over the seat post and I thought carbon reacted with that stuff.


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## cannypanny (Mar 6, 2009)

From what the owner of my bike shop told me, since the seatpost is carbon fiber, it needs to have equal pressure everywhere when clamped... the way the vigorelli 09 clamp tightens onto the seat post is not even (i.e. you tighten up a bolt that "pinches" the seatpost resulting in unequal pressure around the seatpost rather than having a free-swiveling clamp that applies equal pressure throughout the seatpost). So, the reason this is bad is because carbon fiber is really sensitive to these "pinches" which could result in the seatpost failing (although not catastrophically).


I asked how long it would take to fail and the shop owner couldn't tell me exactly, but wouldn't sell me a bike with that problem because it's a danger to me and could result in the seller getting in some legal troubles.


The local bike shop owner also deals with the bianchi sales agent... and the sales agent was very perplexed about why the Italians would design something like that.... the sales agent knew it was a bad design also... 

it's okay though, he replaced mine free of charge AND the seatpost looks and feels great!

hope that helps.


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## curriergroh (Jan 11, 2009)

Thanks for the seatpost info. I have another question. I haven't had the bike retuned since purchase. I'm waiting another 100 miles or so. Have you had any derailuer rubbing? I get rubbing at both ends with big/little and little/big. This shouldn't be happening. Any thoughts?


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## cannypanny (Mar 6, 2009)

I have exactly the same derailleur rubbing problem on both ends also. I figured I'd do more riding on both those extremes and then go back to my local bike shop and see what they have to say.

Another oddity I'm noticing is when I start sprinting... it feels like the chain is being stretched because I hear this weird metal creaking-like noise. I feel more comfortable with this problem as the local bike shop owner said that I may need to come back into the shop after 30-60 days or so of riding to get my chain adjusted.

When I go in to get my chain adjusted, I'll inquire about the derailleur rubbing as well.


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## lwkwafi (Jan 21, 2006)

It sounds like the front derailleur isn't set properly. Could be just a matter of adjusting the limit screws (to let it move a hair further inside when in low, and outside when in high), but you may be better just leaving that to the LBS when you go back after your cables have stretched a bit. 
I just got hit while riding (i am ok, wheels are not), but i was hoping for an estimate to say the bike was totaled. I only hoped for this because the shop I've worked at the last two summers had some sexy 06 Veloce I believe in my size. 








But estimates do put the Ultegra wheel set near $600 brand new, so maybe I can find some extra monies to put down on it. I have a San Jose (single speed cross), but have been itching for the celeste for some time.


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## Jessy (Jun 4, 2009)

Hello fellow riders,

I got my Vig about 3 weeks ago and found the same rubbing problem between chain ring and the inside face of the larger front sprocket (as described above). I took it back to the shop and the repair staff told me usually the 2 smallest rear gears should go with the larger at the front. I am thinking if it will help if I report this issue to Bianchi USA. So far my seat post works well.


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## curriergroh (Jan 11, 2009)

I have started getting the creaking sound too. Usually only when pedalling hard. If I make a point to pull up while spinning it happens too. I've read enough posts to know what it is I just wish I didn't - Gossamer crankset is flawed. I'm going to ask the shop to apply locktite to the non drive side crank arm bolts and hope that works.

Aside from what we've been talking about I'm having a great time on the bike. Coincidentally riding this bike more has also gotten me back out on the XC trails.

I'm taking the bike back to the shop next week just to get everything tightened up. I'll report back if any of the problem are fixed or continue.


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## SamShelton (Mar 20, 2010)

why in the 2010 did they not replace the crankset with something that didn't have this problem? doesn't seem cool at all. and does anyone know if they fixed the seatpost problem?


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## curriergroh (Jan 11, 2009)

I don't have any info on the 2010 changes, but my bike is working fine. The chain rub was fixed by adjustments at the shop. The crank arms were tightened and don't seem to be loosening but the creaking still happens when going full power. And my carbon seat post is still in one piece.


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## padawan716 (Mar 22, 2008)

ignore this, I was easily confused.


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## curriergroh (Jan 11, 2009)

The issue with this bike was not cross-chaining. Cross-chaining would be big/big and little/little, which would almost always cause rubbing. However, with this setup, big/little and little/big caused rubbing. There is a very narrow window of positions for the limit screws, but it can be done.


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## SamShelton (Mar 20, 2010)

So basically everyone who buys this bike just has to deal with creaking every time they want to go fast? Can the crank just be replaced?


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## padawan716 (Mar 22, 2008)

d'oh, i feel smrt.


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