# Biciclissima Specialissima – Bianchi Specialissima Modern/Retro rebuild+Miele build



## mtnroadie (Jul 6, 2010)

*1984 Bianchi Specialissima*
Columbus SLX, Cinelli crown fork
2010 Campagnolo Athena 11 speed
Campagnolo Record chain
Chorus 12-27 cassette
Custom Wheel set - 1450 grams
-	Kinlin XR270 silver rims
-	Sapim CX Ray silver spokes 
-	White Industries H2/H3 silver hubs
-	Blue nipples
Salsa skewers 
3T Ergonova Pro handle bar 42cm
Deda Elementi Quattro stem silver 90mm
Profile Design stem adapter
Lizard Skins DSP 2.5mm tape
Selle Italia SLR XC gel flow saddle
Campagnolo Record vintage aero seat post
Vittoria Diamante Pro II tires
Keo Sprint pedals

I have been saving for and collecting parts for this build for many moons now. Finally all the pieces of the puzzle have been assembled, and I am in love with the result! 

Hopefully my experiences will aid others with similar projects…

Initially I wanted to build it up with a 9-10speed Campy group. However after doing some research it became clear that purchasing a modern 11-speed group would be a little more expensive and even cheaper in some cases. Thus I decided I was going to build this cost being no object (within reason), I was going to build it just the way I wanted it.










Athena 11 was a perfect for my needs; it was cheaper than the 10speed Record and Chorus groups I was seeing on eBay. Moreover it was an upgrade with the 11 speed and all the improvements Campy integrated into their 11speed groups. Most importantly it was silver so it matched the chrome on the bike beautifully. I was lucky to get one of the last 2010 Ultrashift groups, Campy downgraded Athena big time for 2011 in the shifter and cranks. This is total BS in my opinion, good job Campagnolo way to ruin your own product!:mad2:










For the wheels I looked everywhere for a cheap factory set in all silver, I found nothing. So I finally settled on the custom wheel set I have been hearing so many good things about. Needless to say I am extremely pleased with the set.

I got mine from Dave Letourneau of Rockland Cycle, great guy and super knoweledgible wrench. If your in the Boston/New England area and are looking for a great wheel builder that can compete with and even beat some of the online builders look no further. Granted state tax sux but I got my wheels in little more than a week and they were amazing.

The White Industries hubs in silver really are something to behold. And honestly they are the smoothest spinning hubs I have ever seen, superior to my Easton R4sl hubs with ceramic bearings.

Wheels came in at 1450 grams without skewers, not too bad. The blue Salsa skewers are heavy but fit the bike great, and actually hold the wheels in place.



















For the bars I wanted something with a small reach/drop and a flat top, the 3T Ergonova Pro was perfect. I just wish a flat top bar like this existed in silver/chrome. There is the Ritchey Classic series but I am not crazy about their stem design and overall brand image. I looked at the Thompson X2 stem, but for some reason they make a 10degree rise, when I wanted the typical 6 - 8 degree rise (even the 8 is a bit much). I was lucky enough to locate one of the few discontinued Deda Quattros in 90 mm silver in China on eBay. With the little blue logo in the front it fits the bike ideally.



















*The build…*

The frame was in decent shape, no major rust areas, some chips and scratches here and there. The only issue I was concerned with was rust on the chrome. Initially I was going to use an Oxalic acid bath to get it off. But I did not have a tub big enough nor did I trust Oxalic acid with this frame. I ended up using several polishes (Semi-chrome – not so good, Mothers Mag polish – amazing best polish ever!) along with the finest steel wool and baby oil for the heavier rust areas. 










I did not bother to touch up the paint, opting to give it a thorough cleaning and leave the imperfections for some character.
All the components installed without issue. The Italian BB went in without a hitch. The only thing that bugged me were the Torx wrenches I needed to install Campy. I cursed for quite a while when I realized this, Campagnolo really do think they are hot s#!t.

*Issues I ran into…*

I was very worried about the rear 126mm spacing accommodating a modern 130mm hub. I was initially going to get my favorite LBS spread it professionally. However after chatting with my wheel builder who has fit numerous modern wheels into vintage frames without spreading, so I opted not to. Also the brake bridge looks pretty delicate on this bike so I did not want to risk damaging it or the seat stays. The wheel basically just slides right in with a little bit of spreading by hand, its only 2mm on each side, and sits very centered in the frame. I did not even have to adjust the derailleur hanger.

Stem adapter was another issue, the Profile Design one is just what I wanted without too big of a lip from the area where the stem sits to where the adapter inserts into fork. The only thing was that the old Cinelli crowned fork had a steer tube that was tapered on the inside, so in order to fit the adapter all the way in I had to shave down the end of the adapter and the quill a bit, I got it to fit snug in the end.:thumbsup:










For old frames with horizontal drops like this, good sturdy skewers are a must, In fact the vintage skewers are often times superior to the new ones, I was told the internal mechanism is different. The Salsa skewers do a good job but I really have to crank them on extremely tight, a little Triflow or oil on the rubber bushing helps get it even tighter. A few times when really hammering out of the saddle I was able to pop the rear wheel out of position causing it to rub on the frame and chew up the tire’s sidewall. 

The goal was to get a sub 19 lb complete bike, but in the end it was 19.5 w/o the pedals. If I end up going with a carbon fork I think I can meet that goal, but I am happy with the original fork it feels and looks great.

*So how does she ride?...*

In one word… amazing!:yesnod:

I could not be happier with its performance. Honestly, I often prefer this to my full carbon bike. Carbon really does feel dead, numb even, and sometimes I like that. Yet this bike is one with the road and myself, extremely responsive, very stiff yet still providing superior comfort. Climbs very well, descends even better. The wheels are amazing, and I am totally sold on the aero Sapim Cx ray spokes and Vittoria Diamante tires, not to mention the WI hubs which just blew me away with their ride quality, soo buttery smooth and they just coast forever and ever!










As they say STEEL IS REAL! 

I feel it is just as fast as my Carbon bike in regular riding, though if I really hammer the carbon bike still has the edge. I can keep the Bianchi above 20mph with no problems at all.

Athena 11 works great, honestly I cant really tell the difference between it and my Record 11. The only thing is shifting in the middle of the cassette can be a little finicky if you don’t follow through with the shift until you hear the click, this goes for both Athena and Record 11. 










On this bike I made the switch from 172.5mm cranks to 170mm ones, and I must say I have noticed a huge difference in pedaling efficiency and above all comfort!










I don’t like the fact that Campy uses a single pivot brake in the rear, how this is justified by “better modulation” BS is beyond me! Seems like yet another attempt to pass off a downgrade as an upgrade. Campagnolo makes a great product and then ruins it by over thinking, over marketing and being greedy. :mad2:

However they are the only system that has the double dump feature, which I absolutely love and probably wont ride anything but Campy from now on, so all is forgiven. :wink:

*To compare the Bianchi with another Neo-retro build I recently built…*

I had a bunch of leftover parts for a rain bike. 1988 Miele Alba lx (Columbus Cromor), 105 5601 group, and a custom Dura Ace/Kinlin XR200/DT competition spokes wheel set I built myself -1650grams.










The difference in weight between these two bikes is about 1.5 lbs. But the difference in ride is immense. The Miele has a softer and plusher ride, but it is much less responsive, I feel like only 85% of my energy is being transferred on to the road, the rest sacrificed at the cost of a bit more comfort. It takes considerably more work to get it up to and keep it at speed. 

The Dura Ace hubs are super smooth and I love the sound of a Shimano rear hub. The only thing that bugs me about the Bianchi is the noise of the WI hub, I like my hubs dead silent or the subdued clicks of the Shimano hubs. I am considering greasing up the WI free hub to quite it down bit, though I am getting used to it as it is.










I think the difference in performance between the two is due to either or both the frame and the wheel set. With my carbon bike and Bianchi I have Sapim Cx Ray spokes which I would argue noticeably slice through the air, the Miele not at all, keeping it above 20mph gets laborious.

Could it be the difference between Columbus SLX and Cromor tubing?

I recall the frames weighed about the same.

Next on the to do list… I will fit some Celeste hoods, see if I can get some aluminum Athena levers, get some new Columbus SLX decals and get some custom decals for the wheel set that say…. Biciclissima Specialissima :idea:

Anyways hope y’all enjoy the pics and find this thread helpful.


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## seemana (Jul 1, 2009)

Nice work! My next project will be a Bianchi as well. I've wanted one since I was a kid watching my dad & one of his buddies who had one roll out on Saturday mornings. Enjoy the ride!


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## Dinosaur (Jan 29, 2004)

Nice! My very first road bike in 1962 (back in the dinosaur days) was a Bianchi. For some reason I think my last bike might be the same, but I have not come to the end of the road (yet)...


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

Beautiful job...... You can strip the black anodizing off the buldge of the bars so the exposed parts are polished silver.

I've done it many times.... Search "polishing old parts" in this forum and you will be able to see how I did it...


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## Richard (Feb 17, 2006)

Really nice, but I think it would be nicer still with a quill stem.


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## Peanya (Jun 12, 2008)

I do agree a true quill would be perfect, but that conversion you did looks fantastic and was a brilliant idea! If you do want a true quill, Velo Orange makes a positive rise stem, although it's very heavy. You'll see a pic of it on my retro build in about a week. 
Just replace the tires with gumwalls and white cabling, and that'd be my idea of a perfect retro look. Sticking to silver wheels was the right idea too.:thumbsup:


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## mtnroadie (Jul 6, 2010)

Thanks for all the compliments guys. 

I will definitely explore striping the handlebar, try it in Photoshop first see if I like it. I just replaced the bar tape with the obnoxiously expensive Lizard Skin DSP, so I will probably wait until that’s good and worn out to actually try it. 

I agree the right quill stem would look great.

I initially wanted to build it up with a quill stem, more specifically a Bianchi pantographed stem in 90 mm. seen here on Ray Dobbins’s Bianchi Specialissma… 
84 Bianchi Specialissima

I looked and waited for months but proved impossible to find.


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## Bones1 (Jul 23, 2010)

I think you did a great job. A bike to be extremely proud of.It's a great feeling when a plan comes together.


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## Ride-Fly (Mar 27, 2002)

Beautifully done!! Now just sell it to me for $500!! 

I'm in the minority here but I hate quill stems. Skinny, flexy, awkward looking things IMO. Inconvenient as heck too. 

The paint looks like it's in great shape. What kind of bartape is that? You may have mentioned it.


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## mtnroadie (Jul 6, 2010)

Update and some more pics…










I have since installed the Celeste hoods, replaced the Columbus SLX sticker and unfortunately had to replace the Campy seat post with a Thomson.

The Hoods are Far and Near, I have used Hudz Shimano hoods before and I have to say I like the Far and Near ones much more. They stay clean and do not attract dirt, not to mention they are almost an exact replica of the Campy stock hoods. I do like the rubber of the stock hoods better - its more supple.










The campy seat post had to go I was riding with about 1.5 inches inserted into the frame, it held up fine for a ride or two but I did not feel safe riding like that, plus I really needed the zero set back for a better fit. I should probably be riding a frame with a shorter top tube.










I have noticed that my distance between my Athena crank and BB on the non-drive side has about a 1-2mm space. It the Athena group and crank rides fine better than my Record, which creaks like crazy. The distance between the stays and the crank arms is the same on both sides, which is good. Still waiting (3weeks) to hear back from Campy on both issues, their Customer Service leaves a lot to be desired…

Basically if you don’t like dealing with the LBS you are SOL. 

My two main steeds…










Speciallissima’s lighter and faster brother…










Now weighing in at 16lbs, soon I will be upgrading the brakes, I am thinking TRP 960 or 970, after which it should come well under 16lbs. The Camillos look good but I can’t justify going with a single pivot brake, with the carbon wheels I need all the power I can get.



















There is no denying that the Scott is faster, and perhaps a bit more comfortable (better fit, saddle etc). However all too often I choose the Bianchi over the Scott. The Bianchi can still move and climb, its all in the wheels, they are lighter than the Easton’s and the hubs are far superior. It is much more stable on the road perhaps due to it being 4 lbs heavier. The best way to describe the difference in ride feel is that on the steel bike I am one with the road, I ride with more finesse, whereas with he carbon bike I feel comfortably numb.

When riding the Scott I feel like a Storm Trooper with one mission ... to seek and destroy.










When riding the Bianchi I am driven by a higher power...


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## PRB (Jun 15, 2002)

Beautiful bike and the Athena bits look perfect on it. 

And you can put me in the quill stem camp.


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## cmg (Oct 27, 2004)

Beautiful builds all of them. The difference between the Bianchi and the Miele is in tire selection. Have you swapped wheels to see/feel the difference?


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## mtnroadie (Jul 6, 2010)

Thanks :thumbsup:

Honestly the quill stem idea has really been growing on me lately, that modern stem just looks out of place, making for a very top/front heavy look. The Deda Murex stem looks good, and a Panto Bianchi stem in 90mm seems to be impossible to find. Plus I would have to part with the Ergonova bar, not sure yet if I want to do that. If/When i do find a 90mm pantographed Bianchi stem i will go with it in a heart beat.

I dont think I can switch wheels (?), as one is Campy 11 the other Shimano 10. However I can see it being the tires for sure. I remember the huge difference I felt between the stock Hutchinson tires I had on the Scott and the Diamanate Pros i ride now. Once winter rolls around I will probably throw on a set of Rubinos and fenders on there and actually ride the bike, right now its just sitting in the corner while the stars of the show get to come out and play on a daily basis.


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## charlox5 (Jan 31, 2011)

very pretty!

my only nitpicking comments is that i wish the brifters weren't black and could match the cranks/chrome better, and i think a quill stem would've looked cleaner, but i can understand wanting to update it.

i'm working on a similar project, 83 nuovo alloro with 7800 and some shimano RS-20's. i'd prefer to go campy, but 7800 matches the color theme iv'e got mapped and i also have it in hand vs. having to find a deal on a campy group + wheels. currently awaiting paint, which is held up by the other #$%#^%$* projects in my garage.


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## jimborello (Aug 24, 2010)

Beautiful bike! I love the Celeste color from Bianchi. I have a pink de Rosa super prestige that I want to build the exact same way as you did. At first I also wanted a modern stem but I found a NOS de rosa pantographed quill stem on Ebay that matched perfectly the frameset, it was really expensive (190 usd) but I couldnt let it pass.
I also had the same problem finding a silver campy compatible classic wheelset, so I will build one just like yours, but with Velocity Espace tubular rims. 

Great job!


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## donkikon (Nov 28, 2011)

Very nice!!!


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## txzen (Apr 6, 2005)

Record + 105? Pray tell.


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## mtnroadie (Jul 6, 2010)

Are you looking for a comparison?

Honestly more than anything it really comes down to personal preference. I am not too crazy about the brake lever throw on Shimano. I am crazy about the thumb shifters on Campy, especially the double dump. Ergonomically Campy wins

Having said that I love the smooth feel of the Shimano shift. My 105 never miss shift, very crisp. Campy 11 is not as smooth but damn close, and it does miss shift rarely (in the middle of the cassette). Shift feel (smoothness) Shimano wins just barely.

FD shifting, I don’t notice a huge difference.

For me nothing beats the sound of a Dura Ace/Shimano hub. 

Weight, 105 is very porky. Athena smokes 105 in nearly all categories: price, weight, ergonomics, looks, its very smooth. That Campy “click” really grew on me, at first I thought it sounded cheap, now I love it. I like my Athena a just a bit more than my Record. 

Now I am building a Campy 8 speed bike, I like the shifter feel already, its going to be interesting...


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## txzen (Apr 6, 2005)

Actually, I was trying to figure out why you were running 105 brakes on a Record drivetrain.


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## mtnroadie (Jul 6, 2010)

Oh ok, I bough the partial Record group, so i ran what i had.

It has since been upgraded to TRP 970sl brakes in white.


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## triumph.1 (Jun 21, 2011)

mtnroadie said:


> Update and some more pics…


I just bought an 85 campione, not nearly as sweet as your bike, but I hope I am happy with it. I've wanted a Bianchi since 1979


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## mtnroadie (Jul 6, 2010)

*Specialissima Un-makeover*










I have decided to return the Specialissima to its quill stem, and more period correct Campy 8 speed state. The Athena 11 now graces my Merckx Ti AX. The Specialissima has a 53.5cm tt which was a hair too long for me even with the 90mm stem and short reach bars. 

I found the Merckx frame with a 52.5cm tt, thinking this would remedy my fit issue. Unfortunately I forgot to take into consideration the seat tube angle and relaxed Merckx geometry which in the end made for the same if not slightly longer saddle to hoods length.:mad2:

Ironically the Speciallissima has become a hair lighter with the older components. It’s the wheels, I found a great set of Campy Record 8speed sew up wheels with a 13-26 Ti cassette!!!:thumbsup:

The 8 speed Record hubs are arguably the most beautiful hubs ever made.



















I usually don’t like handlebars without a flat hood transition, but these Cinellis with the 85 mm Cinelli xa stem feel great. I was more than happy to loose that ridiculous stem adapter. Now I am trying to fit quills on all of my neo retro builds.

Still incomplete though, need a 170mm compact square tapered crank. Currently running an Ofmega Mistral standard crank with a White Industries Ti BB (butter smooth!). Then some decent Campy brakes are in order the Victory brakes just don’t cut it on this build.


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## aingeru (Aug 29, 2010)

*skewer*



mtnroadie said:


> I have decided to return the Specialissima to its quill stem, and more period correct Campy 8 speed state. The Athena 11 now graces my Merckx Ti AX. The Specialissima has a 53.5cm tt which was a hair too long for me even with the 90mm stem and short reach bars.
> 
> I found the Merckx frame with a 52.5cm tt, thinking this would remedy my fit issue. Unfortunately I forgot to take into consideration the seat tube angle and relaxed Merckx geometry which in the end made for the same if not slightly longer saddle to hoods length.:mad2:
> 
> ...




Your front wheel skewer in in the wrong side...


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## BacDoc (Aug 1, 2011)

Wow! Damn! Nice!

That is a beautiful bicycle and the pics are excellent! Thanks for sharing such a cool build.

Like the quill stem and those wheels are awesome. Bianchi Celeste is amazing, and I agree with your observations. I have a nice carbon bike but these Italian steel frames have a special ride that delivers a satisfaction that stimulates the soul. Ride on brother!


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