# My apologies to all non-Celeste Bianchi owners...



## bottecchia_eja

I think that an apology from me might be in order.

It is possible that I may have been a tad overzealous in my praise of the use of Celeste green for Bianchi bikes.

While there is a great deal to said in favor of tradition, such as the use of Celeste for Bianchi bikes, the fact remains that regardless of color schemes, our Bianchis are truly beautiful bikes. The red, blue and black Infinitos are as beautiful, in their own right, as the Celeste.

I guess that there is nothing worse than for a new bike owner to come here, and proudly post pictures of his shiny new bike, to have someone (like me) get on a soapbox and wax poetic about how Celeste IS the Bianchi color. Well, there may be one or two things that are worse, but you get the idea.

There are tons of reasons to choose one color scheme over another: price, availability or personal preferences. All of those reasons are valid and should not be criticized. If a certain color scheme makes you happy, then be happy with it. I should not be the one to harsh your mellow. (One of my college-aged daughters told me about that phrase, I am still not sure exactly what it means.)

So, if I offended any new (or old) non-Celeste Bianchi owners, please accept my apologies. I did not mean to be a jerk, I am just overly overenthusiastic about all-things Celeste.

Thanks for reading this!

Now go and ride your bikes!
:thumbsup:


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## Corsaire

Well put. To quote H.G. Wells: 
"Every time I see an adult on a bicycle I no longer despair for the future of the human race." To me that says it all.


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## Kodi Crescent

I really wanted a blue one, but they didn't make it anymore. Or that Tri-colore one, but that wasn't available in the US.


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## Lhorn

Agree, that blue they made a few years ago was stunning.


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## Iwannapodiumgirl

bottecchia_eja said:


> ... I am just overly overenthusiastic about all-things Celeste.


whilst i strongly believe you should never ruin an apology with an excuse, this is more a reason!

i too was once a "Bianchi must be celeste" type of guy, until I discovered the 928L Centroventi and the 928 Luna.

i'm also leaning towards a NOS 928SL that is black with celeste highlights...

yet i always smile when i see a Bianchi, regardless of colour.


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## jr59

Life would be rather dull if everyone liked the same thing. There is a reason Baskin Robbins has all those different types of ice cream. Not one is the best to everyone, in fact we all have our favs.

Bianchi makes some very nice bikes. Paint is only paint. Somebody could paint a Huffy celeste and it would not be a nice bike. It would be celeste.

As my eyes see things, Bianchis should be celeste. But this is just me. There is no right or wrong, just opinion.

If you like your Bianchi blue, red, black, or whatever other color they have made them in, GREAT.

But mine will always be a blue-green color that is named celeste, with a dash or two of chrome.
But then again, it's mine!


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## scorchedearth

I have a 2012 Volpe. It is not celeste but has a great, vintage colour scheme and I am very happy with the bike's performance.

No complaints here.


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## spade2you

Bare minimum celeste on my TT bike. Almost none on my road bike. I'll race anyone who has a problem with that!


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## bottecchia_eja

spade2you said:


> Bare minimum celeste on my TT bike. Almost none on my road bike. I'll race anyone who has a problem with that!


Easy there cowboy, I may have to sign up for that TT that you are doing and show you a thing or two. LOL :thumbsup:


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## bottecchia_eja

scorchedearth said:


> I have a 2012 Volpe. It is not celeste but has a great, vintage colour scheme and I am very happy with the bike's performance.
> 
> No complaints here.


But you know, Celeste goes faster, right? :idea:

It is ALL good man...ALL good!


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## Bianchi-67

I have a white and red VN7 and I love it.
View attachment 259002


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## bottecchia_eja

Bianchi-67 said:


> I have a white and red VN7 and I love it.
> View attachment 259002


Very nice...they also say that red is faster! :idea:


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## Bianchi-67

You bet, lol


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## mackgoo

Ahhh, but it was the color of her eyes. Maybe.


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## RideAddict

*No apologies necessary Bottecchia...*

I certainly wasn't offended. In fact I would love to have a celeste frame but the deal was on a gray one so I got the gray one. Some of you however, did suggest getting some more celeste on there so I put on the Bianchi bar tape recently. Less than a month to the JDRF century in Vermont! Anyone going?


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## bottecchia_eja

RideAddict said:


> I certainly wasn't offended. In fact I would love to have a celeste frame but the deal was on a gray one so I got the gray one. Some of you however, did suggest getting some more celeste on there so I put on the Bianchi bar tape recently. Less than a month to the JDRF century in Vermont! Anyone going?


I like the Celeste touches in your bike. Good job!

Good luck with your ride!


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## BianchiTyler

*Wrong color green!*

I just recently added some green to my sempre (wrong color green) but I love it. Also just put some Dura ace pedals on it have K-force carbon handlebars on the way…should be here Thursday. 

Also, I just purchased another identical sempre frame (one size smaller but same color scheme) because the bike shop where I purchased didn't fit me correctly for my bike. If you look at the picture I am having to run a zero setback seat post and an super small stem (80 mm) just to be comfortable. 

I think that the other frame will be here towards the end of the week too and then hopefully I can at least put my 100mm stem back on.


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## bottecchia_eja

BianchiTyler said:


> I just recently added some green to my sempre (wrong color green) but I love it. Also just put some Dura ace pedals on it have K-force carbon handlebars on the way…should be here Thursday.
> 
> Also, I just purchased another identical sempre frame (one size smaller but same color scheme) because the bike shop where I purchased didn't fit me correctly for my bike. If you look at the picture I am having to run a zero setback seat post and an super small stem (80 mm) just to be comfortable.
> 
> I think that the other frame will be here towards the end of the week too and then hopefully I can at least put my 100mm stem back on.


Eye-catching. I would say that your bike is now very Italian! 

BTW, have you noticed how well riders on Sempre frames are doing at all the pre-Tour races. I never thought you could get a race-ready frame at such a great price.

Enjoy the ride bro! (And ride safe)


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## Corsaire

BianchiTyler, your frame looks a bit too large for you, perhaps one size smaller would've done it. How do I know? Your saddle is pushed too far forward and the stem seems too short. I made the same mistake with my first Bianchi bike, bought a 55cm size, but I learned later my correct size was a 53.


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## BianchiTyler

Corsaire said:


> BianchiTyler, your frame looks a bit too large for you, perhaps one size smaller would've done it. How do I know? Your saddle is pushed too far forward and the stem seems too short. I made the same mistake with my first Bianchi bike, bought a 55cm size, but I learned later my correct size was a 53.


Yep exact same problem. That's why I have a 53 on the way!


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## BianchiTyler

bottecchia_eja said:


> Eye-catching. I would say that your bike is now very Italian!
> 
> BTW, have you noticed how well riders on Sempre frames are doing at all the pre-Tour races. I never thought you could get a race-ready frame at such a great price.
> 
> Enjoy the ride bro! (And ride safe)


Yeah I have noticed that. Velo magazine has it rated as one of the best race ready bikes you can buy at an affordable price. They say its due to it being super rigid and not really a super comfortable bike. Built for speed not for touring.


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## rpdugan

With all due respect...Celeste all the way!!!!


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## mackgoo

The marque is the marque but,,,,,,

View attachment 260104


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## bottecchia_eja

mackgoo said:


> The marque is the marque but,,,,,,
> 
> View attachment 260104


Lovely, simply lovely! :thumbsup:


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## RichM76

Very nice Bianchi-67 I have the same bike, but with a white seat and white handlebar tape.


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## T K

I do think that older steel Bianchis are best in Celeste. But as far as the new carbon bikes, any of the colors are fine with me. If every Bianchi on the road was Celeste, every Specialized was red, every Cannondale was green, every Trek was blue ect., that would be pretty lame and boring.
If Bianchi themselves felt as strongly about it as some here do, they wouldn't make bikes in any other color. And they wouldn't sell half as many bikes either.
I have an old steel Celeste ELOS that I wouldn't want in any other color, but red is my favorite color and those red sempres look pretty sweet!


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## qatarbhoy

It's important that some Bianchis are not celeste. That way not everyone has the best ones.


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## bottecchia_eja

qatarbhoy said:


> It's important that some Bianchis are not celeste. That way not everyone has the best ones.


That's funny...I like it.


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## spade2you

qatarbhoy said:


> It's important that some Bianchis are not celeste. That way not everyone has the best ones.


Does this mean I need to turn in my medals?


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## jr59

qatarbhoy said:


> It's important that some Bianchis are not celeste. That way not everyone has the best ones.



Good point!


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## qatarbhoy

spade2you said:


> Does this mean I need to turn in my medals?


Medals: another example of objects whose colour really does matter. 

Compare and contrast:


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## bottecchia_eja

spade2you said:


> Does this mean I need to turn in my medals?


I think that Qutar was just being funny.

But just in case, send me ALL your medals.


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## bottecchia_eja

qatarbhoy said:


> Medals: another example of objects whose colour really does matter.
> 
> Compare and contrast:


You are in a roll bro!


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## spade2you

bottecchia_eja said:


> I think that Qutar was just being funny.
> 
> But just in case, send me ALL your medals.


If I start getting too many, will do. 

I had to miss the state time trial and my gut tells me I could have done quite well. The state games (not the same as state...which is confusing) was poorly attended, but I managed to put time into the guys who normally beat me since the course was nice and lumpy. I was actually kinda surprised since I rarely do well in ITTs shorter than 15 miles.


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## Dubcat

Hi, I am looking to join the Bianchi club. I have been torn between the Infinito and the Sempre. Now, after reading this thread I am torn on colours too lol  Good grief - this is not going to be straightforward at all. This makes sense. After all we are dealing with something Italian here 
Dub


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## Bilgewater Billy

My complaint is that they don't make enough models available in celeste. For the most part, only the more expensive ones come in that color. In the frames, the $1,000 Tipo Corsa comes in celeste, but the $399 San Jose only comes in "gang green." It actually costs more to switch colors when painting (guns have to be cleaned out, etc.), so the only reason I can see to paint the less expensive frame a different color is snob appeal.


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## qatarbhoy

Bilgewater Billy said:


> My complaint is that they don't make enough models available in celeste. For the most part, only the more expensive ones come in that color.


Yes, it's true.

Solution: Save up.


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## kbwh

qb is so correct.


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## portinho6

Here is my non-celeste. I love the color. Today during my lunch hour run, someone passed me on one just like mine (minus the red tape on center of the bars). Funny that I actually noticed that small difference. Pretty cool to see someone have the same one as mine. Was wondering if I was one of the few to choose the white.


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## bottecchia_eja

portinho6 said:


> Here is my non-celeste. I love the color. Today during my lunch hour run, someone passed me on one just like mine (minus the red tape on center of the bars). Funny that I actually noticed that small difference. Pretty cool to see someone have the same one as mine. Was wondering if I was one of the few to choose the white.


Very nice bike...yes it is interesting how we begin to notice people with bikes just like ours.

Ride safely.


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## Tantivious Todd

Since we're on the topic, I was recently corrected on the proper pronunciation of "celeste" by a good friend of mine that lived in Italy for 11 years. I thought it was SUH-lest. It's actually chuh-LESS-teh.

As long as we're being pedantic about it ...


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## nick.m.rose

I just got a celeste megatube and there's something so RIGHT about it.


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## bottecchia_eja

Tantivious Todd said:


> Since we're on the topic, I was recently corrected on the proper pronunciation of "celeste" by a good friend of mine that lived in Italy for 11 years. I thought it was SUH-lest. It's actually chuh-LESS-teh.
> 
> As long as we're being pedantic about it ...


Actually I think it is more che-less-teh.

But what do I know, lo no parlo Italiano!


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## Sparkyscott

bottecchia_eja said:


> Actually I think it is more che-less-teh.
> 
> But what do I know, lo no parlo Italiano!


Bravo amico - infatti, lo parli benissimo. :thumbsup:

Gotta love a Bianchi, no matter the color - what's important is the passion shown by owners towards their pride and joy machines.


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## SolarSmudge

Tantivious Todd said:


> Since we're on the topic, I was recently corrected on the proper pronunciation of "celeste" by a good friend of mine that lived in Italy for 11 years. I thought it was SUH-lest. It's actually chuh-LESS-teh.
> 
> As long as we're being pedantic about it ...


_"Celeste (pronounced che-les-te in Italian, se-les-te in Spanish and Se-lest in English) is the colloquial name for the pale turquoise blue colour associated with the Italian Bianchi Bicycle Company and sometimes known as Bianchi Green. In Italian, as the name indicates (Celestial), it is an attempt to reproduce the colour of clear skies. In English, this colour is may be also be referred to as Italian sky blue."_


It just depends which language you're using?! :thumbsup:


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