# Bianchi Project



## Richardnew (Jun 2, 2013)

I'm starting a new project. I found an old Bianchi that was complete. The bike is rough but all the parts are there. I'm going to guess it's a 1997 or 1998.

View attachment 281784


Here are the numbers I found:

B1056
397

Anyone know what these mean?

Richard Newton


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## Richardnew (Jun 2, 2013)

View attachment 282125


I love what they did here with the edge of the tubing. I'm not sure if it's original but I like it. How about doing the same thing in red?

Richard Newton


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## wim (Feb 28, 2005)

No idea what these numbers mean, and I can tell you that Bianchi will be of no help either. Don't even bother contacting them. They really don't know.

I guess by "edge of tubing" you mean the edges of the lugs. Think twice about re-doing the edging. You need an extremely steady hand, a perfectly-shaped professional-quality brush, the proper paint in the exact right consistency and lots of freehand painting experience. The reason you really do need all this is that striped lugs really, really look like crap unless they're done perfectly.


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## Richardnew (Jun 2, 2013)

I agree it only looks good if it's perfect. Perfect is not easy. 

It seems that the Binachi records are about the same as the Ferrari records. It has to be an Italian thing. I know Ferrari used to change the serial numbers on his cars to avoid taxes back in the 50's. 

Last wek I ended up having to drill the seat post out. We tried everything known to man. In the end only a big drill got the job done. 

Richard Newton


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## kbwh (May 28, 2010)

Could you show a picture of the complete tubing sticker? My guess is Columbus Nemo, which was a particularly thin walled steel, for light frames for light riders.


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## Richardnew (Jun 2, 2013)

Here are two of the tubing stickers. They're both original. I'm not sure what they mean.

View attachment 282340
View attachment 282341


Any help here is greatly appreciated. 

Richard


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## Richardnew (Jun 2, 2013)

View attachment 282346


This is more than just a restoration. It's art. It's a 1952 Bianchi Zaffiro single speed. The wood handle bar grips are not original to the bike.


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## paredown (Oct 18, 2006)

Richardnew said:


> View attachment 282346
> 
> 
> This is more than just a restoration. It's art. It's a 1952 Bianchi Zaffiro single speed. The wood handle bar grips are not original to the bike.


That's beautiful

The tubing on your project bike is Dedacciai Zero Tre--one of a series from them. Zero Tre was third down the line in Dedacciai's competition tubing sets - Zero was top, Zero Uno second and Zero Tre third--it is a good third generation CrMo steel. Good stuff!

Is the downtube slightly ovalized? If so it might be the Trofeo model....

Are your plans to put a modern group on it, or try to recreate the bike as it was?


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## Richardnew (Jun 2, 2013)

There's no question about it being a Trofeo.

View attachment 282357


It's rough but all the parts are there. That's why I'm going to restore it. At least restore it as much as possible. I've done a number of cars over the years. This bike is a little too rough to leave it as it currently exists. One the other hand I'm not sure I want to do a show quality restoration. It would be nice to have something like the '52 I posted earlier though.

One of the interesting things is that the bike is silver. That's the original color. Do I paint it silver or do the green thing? The good part is I don't have to decide that for a while. 

Richard


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## Richardnew (Jun 2, 2013)

There are a couple of rules when it comes to restoring a car. I think they may apply to bikes as well. First, before you start add up the cost of everything you might possibly need. Then multiply that amount by two. You’ll be close to what the ultimate cost might be.

Next you should try to estimate the amount of time this project is going to take. Again, be generous. Now multiply that number by four and you might be close. 

Up to this point I have about 4 hours in just getting the seat post out of the frame. I’ve also spent $245 on a bike that cost me $120. Oh well.

I've started a blog on this project that might interest some folks.


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## Richardnew (Jun 2, 2013)

My seat arrived. 
​It's a San Marco Rolls saddle. They call it black rhino leather. I got it from an Amazon.com affiliate called We Keep You Cycling. It was $67.32 with free shipping and no sales tax.

The interesting thing is if I had purchased this saddle from their own web side it would have cost $89.99. They sell things on Amazon.com cheaper than they do on their own web site. 

I thought about a Brooks saddle but it is a Bianchi bike. Best to keep it Italian. I like to stay with a theme.


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## Richardnew (Jun 2, 2013)

I actually rode this bike today. I have no gears but at least I managed to get the brakes adjusted. That's progress. 

I've spent $462 on this bike at this point. I'm over the value of the bike but that happens with any restoration. No one ever said restorations are an investment. Here's a breakdown of my costs. 

Richard Newton


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## Richardnew (Jun 2, 2013)

This was sort of interesting. This happened with only 4 lbs. of air. It's a Vittoria latex tube. I haven't heard back from them at this point.
View attachment 283075

Anyone else ever seen this happen?

Richard Newton


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## tihsepa (Nov 27, 2008)

Richardnew said:


> This was sort of interesting. This happened with only 4 lbs. of air. It's a Vittoria latex tube. I haven't heard back from them at this point.
> View attachment 283075
> 
> Anyone else ever seen this happen?
> ...


It will probably be fine with a tire and rim.


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## wim (Feb 28, 2005)

tihsepa said:


> It will probably be fine with a tire and rim.


Agree. Don't inflate a latex tube past "just beginning to expand" unless it's safely inside the tire.


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## Richardnew (Jun 2, 2013)

I'm using MKS pedals. First, $25 the price was right. Secondly, they look like the old school Campagnolo pedals. They're definitely not Compangnolo quality but they're pretty decent. If you take them apart and add a little more grease they work nicely.

View attachment 283126


Richard Newton
Bianchi Blog


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## Richardnew (Jun 2, 2013)

I'm riding it. It has no gears but that's not a big deal right now. I live in Florida. 

View attachment 283171


I don't think I'll get the gears working until after the paint. btw - This is one of the rarer silver bikes. Bianchi only seems to have offered the silver in 1998. That means I'm going to keep the silver paint.

Richard Newton


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## Richardnew (Jun 2, 2013)

Here are the tires I bought for the bike. After 3 days of riding they still work fine. No flats.

View attachment 283206


Richard Newton


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## Oxtox (Aug 16, 2006)

not sure this is really a 'rare' bike, but if you like it, keep working on it.

you could improve things by adjusting the handlebars properly (they're over-rotated) and putting on some new bar tape.


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## Richardnew (Jun 2, 2013)

It's far from being rare. It's still fun though. 

I'll try moving the bars. The tape is sort of pathetic right now. I'm going to hold off on this for a while. I may try to get the gears working though. The next big step will be taking everything apart for painting. 

A friend of mine called Bianchi the Ferrari of bikes. If indeed that's the case I own the Bianchi 308 - the bottom of the product line. 

Richard Newton


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## DocRogers (Feb 16, 2006)

I've always though of Bianchi as more the Alfa-Romeo of bikes. Colnago is Ferrari. Nice bike, Richard.


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## High Gear (Mar 9, 2002)

Very nice choice!


Richardnew said:


> My seat arrived.
> ​It's a San Marco Rolls saddle. They call it black rhino leather. I got it from an Amazon.com affiliate called We Keep You Cycling. It was $67.32 with free shipping and no sales tax.
> 
> The interesting thing is if I had purchased this saddle from their own web side it would have cost $89.99. They sell things on Amazon.com cheaper than they do on their own web site.
> ...


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## Richardnew (Jun 2, 2013)

I own at least six sets of hex wrenches. The problem is I keep them in my shop. I keep my bike at home. I'm not very good at remembering to bring things home at the end of the day. Since the Bianchi requires a lot of hex head wrenches I decided to buy a set to keep at home. 

​

These are from Bondus. They might not be Snap-On quality but they're very close. A similar from Snap-On would have cost over $50. 

The best part was the set only cost $25.15. There were no shipping charges and no sales tax. That means I only paid $3.15 per wrench. That's about what you might pay for a Chinese wrench in a flea market. 


You already know I love Amazon.com. Now I also love Bondhus. Throw Park Tool into this mix and I'm all set.

Richard Newton


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## High Gear (Mar 9, 2002)

Bondhus is a quality Allen wrench. The ball end version is great for getting to the bolt from a angle. 



Richardnew said:


> I own at least six sets of hex wrenches. The problem is I keep them in my shop. I keep my bike at home. I'm not very good at remembering to bring things home at the end of the day. Since the Bianchi requires a lot of hex head wrenches I decided to buy a set to keep at home.
> 
> ​
> 
> ...


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## Richardnew (Jun 2, 2013)

I've been riding the bike for a few weeks now. One observation is about the tubes I've used. 
View attachment 283697​
The one on the left is from Specialized and was purchased from the local Trek store. It uses a threaded valve and was made in China. It leaks very little air. 

The one on the right is latex and has a non-threaded valve stem. It was made in Thailand. It leaks at least 4 lbs a day. I have to fill that one on a regular basis. 

No complaints about either really. Just an observation. 

btw - what are your feelings about threaded vs. non-threaded valve stems?

Richard Newton


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## paredown (Oct 18, 2006)

Richardnew said:


> I've been riding the bike for a few weeks now. One observation is about the tubes I've used.
> View attachment 283697​
> The one on the left is from Specialized and was purchased from the local Trek store. It uses a threaded valve and was made in China. It leaks very little air.
> 
> ...


It's probably the tube material rather than the stem--latex leaks, while ordinary man-made rubber does not. 

One of the things I don't miss about old-style racing tires?--having to pump them up every time you go out...

As far as valves--I like the smooth ones for use with most pumps, but not enough to make a thing out of it....


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## Richardnew (Jun 2, 2013)

I'm still riding the bike. I think I've just about made the decision to have it painted very soon. I found a bike shop I like. My only previous experience was with the local Trek store. I'm sure they were a very capable facility but I just couldn't connect with them. 


View attachment 283878


The best part of EA Bicycles is that they understand Italian bikes. They actually sell them. I feel a lot better about leaving my Bianchi in a store that sells Bianchi. 


Taking your Bianchi to a Trek dealer is like taking a Ducati to a Harley Davidson dealer. It's just not right. 


Keep in mind that when I say I'm going to get the bike painted that means everything has to come part. Everything. 


Then it all goes back together - properly. This could get very interesting.


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## paredown (Oct 18, 2006)

Richardnew said:


> Keep in mind that when I say I'm going to get the bike painted that means everything has to come part. Everything.
> 
> 
> Then it all goes back together - properly. This could get very interesting.


Fewer parts than a car. HTH


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## Richardnew (Jun 2, 2013)

Some other Bianchi projects. I'm really jealous of the 1973 bike. It's just stunning.

Richard Newton


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## Richardnew (Jun 2, 2013)

The bike is now in the shop getting all the little stuff taken care of. I'm going to hold off on the paint for at least six months. Right now I've spent $604 dollars on a bike that the Bicycle Blue Book is worth $217. All of the details are on my blog. 

Richard Newton


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## High Gear (Mar 9, 2002)

Yes, restoring a bike is usually always NOT cost effective. It's done for the enjoyment of the finished product.



Richardnew said:


> The bike is now in the shop getting all the little stuff taken care of. I'm going to hold off on the paint for at least six months. Right now I've spent $604 dollars on a bike that the Bicycle Blue Book is worth $217. All of the details are on my blog.
> 
> Richard Newton


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## Richardnew (Jun 2, 2013)

The good part about bike restoration is that even in the worst case you're only going to be out a few thousand dollars. In automotive restoration it's easy to be spend $50,000 to $75,000 over the value of the car.

Richard Newton


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## Richardnew (Jun 2, 2013)

It's always the little parts that make you crazy. While my bike came with most of the parts a few were missing. Like these crank dust covers. 

Bianchi isn't a lot of help with these parts. They're interested in selling new bikes. That means you have to go to Evil Bay. 


View attachment 284579


There are a lot of generic dust covers and a lot of plastic ones. It seems most bikes use a 22 mm dust cover. 

I found a lot of Campagnolo dust covers but very few Bianchi one. Prices are all over the place. People are selling the same dust covers for $10 and $30. Those are Campy covers. You can get an entire Bianchi crank are set complete with all the caps and dust covers for $24.95. Then just try to buy a pair of Bianchi dust caps. Prices go as high as $60.00 for a pair.

I ended up buying a pair from a guy in Canada for $37.99 They say Bianchi and they're made out of aluminum. They might even be original NOS. 

Richard Newton
Bianchi Restoration Project


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## High Gear (Mar 9, 2002)

Nice little touch. Even though I have a great bike, I marvel at my wifes Bianchi every time we ride together. That celeste paint really draws me in.



Richardnew said:


> It's always the little parts that make you crazy. While my bike came with most of the parts a few were missing. Like these crank dust covers.
> 
> Bianchi isn't a lot of help with these parts. They're interested in selling new bikes. That means you have to go to Evil Bay.
> 
> ...


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## Richardnew (Jun 2, 2013)

I've had my bike back from the shop for about a week now. I've been riding the bike every morning. EA Bicyles did a great job getting this bike working properly. The biggest problem was with the rear wheel. I knew the bearing was loose. I didn't realize the spokes were loose as well. EA took care of the whole mess and this bike is a lot nicer to ride. 

I really wonder though if anyone in Florida needs 24 speeds. I track my rides and in the course of ten miles there's a 43 foot elevation change. Yes, Florida is pretty flat. I only use about 6 of the speeds in a normal ride.

While my first inclination was to use a blue handlebar wrap when I thought about it a little more I decided to use the Bianchi green. Besides it says Bianchi on it. The blue wrap was just a generic handlebar wrap. I can't do that to a Binachi. Can I?

Richard Newton
Bianchi Blog


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## Richardnew (Jun 2, 2013)

I'm starting to think about paint. Actually I'm starting to think about removing all of the old paint. That's critical to a quality paint job. Painting is really all about what you do before you actually apply the paint.

I'm old enough to remember when we could buy real paint stripper. The kind that would eat your skin away if you go any on you. The stuff today is sissy stuff. The big problem is all the little crevices on a lugged frame. If you don't get them perfectly clean the final product will look really bad. 

Here's a perfect job. I love it. I also can't imagaine the amount of effort and skill this job took. 

View attachment 284948


Richard Newton
Bianchi Blog


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## High Gear (Mar 9, 2002)

You can always look into having it sandblasted, the less corrosive way



Richardnew said:


> I'm starting to think about paint. Actually I'm starting to think about removing all of the old paint. That's critical to a quality paint job. Painting is really all about what you do before you actually apply the paint.
> 
> I'm old enough to remember when we could buy real paint stripper. The kind that would eat your skin away if you go any on you. The stuff today is sissy stuff. The big problem is all the little crevices on a lugged frame. If you don't get them perfectly clean the final product will look really bad.
> 
> ...


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## Richardnew (Jun 2, 2013)

I've used sandblasting for years. The big problem is you'll never get all the sand out of the frame. Soda blasting does the same thing but without the heat factor. They used soda blasting on the Statue of Liberty back in the '80s. I i had an aluminum frame I would definitely use soda blasting. With a steel frame you have a choice.

Here's a basic discussion of the pros and cons of the two processes.

Richard Newton


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## Richardnew (Jun 2, 2013)

View attachment 285054


Here's the wheel. These are original to this bike. Anyone know what the numbers in the middle line mean?

_Richard Newton_
Bianchi Blog


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## paredown (Oct 18, 2006)

Richardnew said:


> View attachment 285054
> 
> 
> Here's the wheel. These are original to this bike. Anyone know what the numbers in the middle line mean?
> ...


First two might be rim depth and width in mm--last part might be a serial # or production date. No ideas for the middle number since the diameter would be 700 or so....


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## GRAVELBIKE (Sep 16, 2011)

622 is the ISO size for 700C wheels.


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## Richardnew (Jun 2, 2013)

Thanks,

Richard


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## paredown (Oct 18, 2006)

GRAVELBIKE said:


> 622 is the ISO size for 700C wheels.


I could not remember that for the life of me last night, read it this morning and it's like "Of course!'

So maybe 13x622x18.5 followed by some mystery numbers.


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## GRAVELBIKE (Sep 16, 2011)

paredown said:


> I could not remember that for the life of me last night, read it this morning and it's like "Of course!'
> 
> So maybe 13x622x18.5 followed by some mystery numbers.


13 is probably the rim's inner width in mm.


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## Richardnew (Jun 2, 2013)

I've been riding the bike for a while now. It was doing just fine until I noticed my rear wheel was a little wobbly. It seems that my rear hub is worn out. It's an old Campy. I can't believe the Campy prices. This is a 32-hole 8-speed cassette. They seem to range from $350 to $500 for a new one. 

My local shop says to avoid the eBay used ones since they're probably as bad as what's on my bike now. He also suggest that I avoid the off brands. He's a Campy fanatic and all of the claims that they're as good as a Campy just aren't true. 









btw - This picture is pre tune up. I have cleaned everything up. I even polished the bad hub. 

Richard Newton


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## High Gear (Mar 9, 2002)

It's probably just a matter of replacing the bearings...and maybe cones. Don't go chucking that wheel out until you have a mechanic open her up.


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## Richardnew (Jun 2, 2013)

It' not just the bearings. We've opened everything up and I need the whole rear hub. I was hoping it was just the bearings. Actually I was hoping the bearing just needed tightening. I don't have that kind of luck. 

Actually I think what happened was I bought an old Raleigh from the 70's and the Bianchi got mad at me. 

Richard Newton
Bianchi Project


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## Richardnew (Jun 2, 2013)

Here's the bad hub.









This hub is just one reason why it makes no economic sense to restore a bike. I paid $120 for the bike. I've got over $500 (at least) in the bike at this point. When I'm done with the hub I'll have at least $1,000 in the bike. And it's still not painted.

None of this is a surprise. I've done this with cars. When you watch the Barrett-Jackson auction keep in mind that most of those cars are selling for less than the owners have in them. Ninety percent of the owners are taking a loss.

Why should bike restoration be any different?

Richard Newton


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## Richardnew (Jun 2, 2013)

I stopped at a shop here in the Portland area to look at some older restored bikes. They had a couple of nice older Bianchi bikes. I did get a chance to compare decals and stickers. Some of their bikes had stickers applied on top of the paint. Others had the stickers placed between the color coat and the clear coat. 

I really like the way the clear coat gets rid of the edges on the lettering. I'm leaning more and more towards paint. It seems to be a lot more money than paint but it's still nicer for a restoration. Maybe.

Richard Newton
Bianchi Restoration Blog


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## Richardnew (Jun 2, 2013)

I spent some time today talking to the folks at Elliott Bay Bikes. They do beautiful paint. It seems that to have someone strip and paint a bike is now close to $1,000. That includes decals and a clear coat over everything. 



Powder coating is going to be a lot cheaper but I have to see some of the new powder coat. This is a situation where things are getting better all the time. Maybe we're approaching the point where it looks as good as paint. Maybe.

Richard Newton


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## High Gear (Mar 9, 2002)

I can see a Joe Bell paint job going for that, but is way on the high side for most. Joe's bicycle painting (not Joe Bell) did a super job on my carbon LOOK. Also look here: Pricing 
And here: Airglow : Pricing



Richardnew said:


> I spent some time today talking to the folks at Elliott Bay Bikes. They do beautiful paint. It seems that to have someone strip and paint a bike is now close to $1,000. That includes decals and a clear coat over everything.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## Richardnew (Jun 2, 2013)

Thanks. I like Joe's prices. I'm still looking into all of this. The good part is I have a lot of time to look at all the options. I suspect I can save a lot on shipping since he's in GA.

I did learn about bikeflights.com for shipping. Just shipping a frame really isn't all that bad.

Richard Newton
Bianchi Restoration Blog


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## Richardnew (Jun 2, 2013)

My new hubs were on my doorstep when I arrived home for the Seattle trip.









I'm only concerned about the rear hub but I had to buy them as a pair. I dropped them off at EA Bicycles this morning. 

Richard Newton
Bianchi Restoration Blog


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## High Gear (Mar 9, 2002)

Nice find. Why can't they make anything that looks like this these days?? 



Richardnew said:


> My new hubs were on my doorstep when I arrived home for the Seattle trip.
> 
> View attachment 287591
> 
> ...


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## Richardnew (Jun 2, 2013)

*Expense Report*

It's time to talk about something your should never talk about when you restore a bike or car. Money. The smart people never keep receipts nor do they ever total the bills. I'm not that smart. Here's here I am right now. 

Bike *120.00*
New Seat Post *21.00*
Remove old 
Seat Post *30.00*
Tire Lever *4.00*
2 Tires *105.00*
Tire Pump *43.00*
Bike Stand *40.00*
Brake Pads *32.0*0
MKS Pedals *30.00*
Major tune-up *141.98*
Front &Rear hubs *250.00*

*TOTAL $817.00 *

I'm almost exactly at what the first owner paid for this bike. There's also a very nice one currently for sale *here*. The asking price is $950.00. I'm very close to being upside down and I haven't painted the bike yet. 

I suspect that when I'm done I will have twice as much money into the bike as it's worth. One problem is that I have a lower end Bianchi. The cost of restoring a rare Bianchi and a low end Bianchi are pretty similar. The variable here is that your initial cost for a high end Bianchi will be greater. 

Keep in mind that you can't make money restoring bikes. Maybe you can make a little if you buy them at a police auction and just fix them up. What fun would that be though?

I added a few Bianchi projects to my blog. You're going to have to scroll down the page to find them.

Richard Newton


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## Richardnew (Jun 2, 2013)

I'm going to have to ship my bike for painting. Anyone have experience doing this? I'm just sending the bar frame and front forks. That way the box can be a lot smaller.

Here are two companies that handle shipping. I'm sure there are more. 

ShipBikes.com

BikeFlights.com

Richard Newton


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## High Gear (Mar 9, 2002)

I always use FedEx, about the lowest price every time I checked. When sending a big frame, Granger has a nice frame box that is under the LXWXH price jump size



Richardnew said:


> I'm going to have to ship my bike for painting. Anyone have experience doing this? I'm just sending the bar frame and front forks. That way the box can be a lot smaller.
> 
> Here are two companies that handle shipping. I'm sure there are more.
> 
> ...


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## Richardnew (Jun 2, 2013)

*Bianchi Eros*

I just added an Eros to my Other Projects page. As usual, you're going to have to scroll down. Here's the link.


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## Richardnew (Jun 2, 2013)

It took about five weeks to replace the rear hub. That was no fault of EA Bicycles. I spent a week trying to find an original Campy hub. Then I spent a few weeks roaming around Seattle and Portland while the new hub sat in my mailbox. 



Here's the latest blog entry.

Richard Newton


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## Richardnew (Jun 2, 2013)

I now have $952 into this project. This bike cost $819 when is was new. 

Here's what appears to be a nice one on eBay right now with a $975 Buy It Now price.









Here are all the financial details on my blog.

Richard Newton


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## High Gear (Mar 9, 2002)

Yes, that is a very nice example of what Bianchi can do. My favorite, and what I consider the Holy Grail of modern Bianchi is the Reparto Corse Columbus EL Nivacrom frame below. Nice detail, and built with probably the best tubeset columbus ever made.










Richardnew said:


> I now have $952 into this project. This bike cost $819 when is was new.
> 
> Here's what appears to be a nice one on eBay right now with a $975 Buy It Now price.
> 
> ...


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## Richardnew (Jun 2, 2013)

The decals looks great.

Richard Newton


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## Richardnew (Jun 2, 2013)

Our old bikes have a lot of aluminum. That means we have to keep polishing. Actually in my case I had to start polishing since no one polished anything in the last several decades. I've restored enough vintage race cars to know a little bit about polishing. the main thing is to remember that it can't be rushed. it's going to take some time. 







This is really from my Raleigh. I'm having too much fun riding the Bianchi to start taking it apart again. Since the Raleigh is all apart right now I decide to start working on the aluminum. Italian aluminum is pretty much the same as English aluminum. At least you polish it the same way.

I've outlined some of the steps on my Bianchi blog. It's really just a matter of moving to progressively finer sandpaper and polishes.Here's what I started with.







Richard Newton


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## Richardnew (Jun 2, 2013)

I added another Bianchi motorcycle to my blog. Did Bianchi ever sell motorcycles in the United States?

Richard Newton


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## Richardnew (Jun 2, 2013)

*Paing*

I'm on a quest to find a painter. I decided to go with paint rather than powder coating. I could give you a lot of reasons but it all comes down to paint just looks nicer. I'm not talking any old paint job though. I want Pebble Beach quality. I want a clear coat over the proper decals. I want perfection. 


This is what I call the Ralph Lauren approach. Ralph has never really restored a car. He's always brought his cars to perfection. Perfection in the sense that they were never that good prior to entering the Lauren collection. I want a paint job that's better then the original factory paint.









Rather than doing the Bianchi I'm going to start with the Raleigh. Here's the fame. 

At this point I've sent pictures out to Airglow in GA. I asked for an estimate and an approximate date. I haven't heard back from them at this point. 


Have any of you found a painter that can do exceptional quality? Let's see who's out there doing really high end paint.


Richard Newton
Bianchi Restoration Blog


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## Richardnew (Jun 2, 2013)

Here's a beautiful Bianchi restoration.

Richard Newton
Bianchi Restoration Project


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## Richardnew (Jun 2, 2013)

*Painting*

I'm on a quest to find a painter. I decided to go with paint rather than powder coating. I could give you a lot of reasons but it all comes down to paint just looks nicer. I'm not talking any old paint job though. I want Pebble Beach quality. I want a clear coat over the proper decals. I want perfection. 

This is what I call the Ralph Lauren approach. Ralph has never really restored a car. He's always brought his cars to perfection. Perfection in the sense that they were never that good prior to entering the Lauren collection. I want a paint job that's better then the original factory paint.

Rather than doing the Bianchi I'm going to start with the Raleigh. Here's the fame. 









At this point I've sent pictures out to Airglow in GA. I asked for an estimate and an approximate date. I haven't heard back from them at this point. 

Have any of you found a painter that can do exceptional quality? Let's see who's out there doing really high end paint.

Richard Newton
Bianchi Restoration Blog


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## Cpt000 (Jun 16, 2012)

VéloColour is the preferred paint shop for Cervelo restorations. I haven't used them personally though.


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## Richardnew (Jun 2, 2013)

This is an interesting project. It's you basic low budget project. You don't always have to spend thousands of dollars on your bike. 

I'm still waiting to hear back from Airglow about painting my bike. They don't seem to be very interested. I'll give them a few more days to respond and then I move on to another shop.

Richard Newton
Bianchi Restoration Project


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## Richardnew (Jun 2, 2013)

Getting a bike pained is turning out to be harder than I thought.

Airglow turned out to have a nice web site and not much else. No one bothered to return my calls or my emails. Obviously not the sort of place you want working on your bike. 

I'm going to try a place up in Jacksonville Fl called the Bicycle Clinic. If they don't work out I'm probably going to try one of the places in Seattle I know. First, let's see how this new place works out. They can't do worse than Airglow.

Richard Newton


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## Richardnew (Jun 2, 2013)

I'm impressed with The Bicycle Clinic. They got back to me with a price quote in less than an hour. They'll paint, decal and then clear coat the bike. They'll even redo the chrome on the front forks. The total will be $500.

Richard Newton
Bianchi Blog​


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## Richardnew (Jun 2, 2013)

I have a plan. The bike is going to the Bicycle Clinic in Jacksonville FL. Also, Airglow finally got back to me. He apologized and all but I still have questions.

Now to the price. I gave Bicycle Clinic and Airglow the same specifications. I asked that the bike be painted in the original style and colors. I want them to apply the decals and then shoot clear coat over the entire frame and fork. The front fork will be get new chrome. Everything must be show quality. 

Airglow quoted me a price of $1,200 for this job. Bicycle Clinic quoted me $500. That's a huge difference. I'm going to use the Bicycle Clinic because they got back to me very quickly with a quote. It's not a matter of price as much as it is of customer service. 

Richard Newton
The Bianchi Project


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## Richardnew (Jun 2, 2013)

The VeloColour site is pretty impressive. Another company that has been suggested is Cycl Art. The Cycl Art prices are pretty much in line with the Bicycle Clinic. Velo Colour seems to be a little higher but not significantly. I suspect though they may be in Canadian dollars - which are worth more than US dollars.

Richard Newton


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## Richardnew (Jun 2, 2013)

It's been a while. I'm riding the Bianchi every day with no problems. This has allowed me to work on the Raleigh. It's been powder coated and I'm in the process of replacing some parts. I think of the Raleigh project as practice for the Bianchi. Here's my latest blog post. 

Richard Newton


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## Quattro_Assi_07 (Jan 13, 2006)

Who do your powder coating? I restored a Zullo and Tesch and used Spectrum in Colorado Springs. They did an outstanding job. Just looking for another project frame to send them.


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## Richardnew (Jun 2, 2013)

I used the Bicycle Clinic in Jacksonville Florida. They did a great job and I'm very pleased. The good part is that the owner (Alex) is really dedicated to restoration. It's not something they do once in a while. He matched all the different colors perfectly and the decals are original - which he found at Raleigh.









Richard Newton


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## paredown (Oct 18, 2006)

Richardnew said:


> I used the Bicycle Clinic in Jacksonville Florida. They did a great job and I'm very pleased. The good part is that the owner (Alex) is really dedicated to restoration. It's not something they do once in a while. He matched all the different colors perfectly and the decals are original - which he found at Raleigh.
> 
> View attachment 293370
> 
> ...


That looks pretty great!


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