# Bianchi Oltre XR4 Disc build



## JhnBssll (25 Apr 2020)

I've mentioned in another thread already that I recently traded in my 2019 Oltre XR3 Disc frameset for the 2020 Oltre XR4 Disc  I was lucky enough to be in a position to put it on the cycle to work scheme which brought it within my grasp  I thought it was about time I started up a build thread for this bicycle, since most of my others seem to have one now 

My XR3 was Graphite and CK16 or Fluro Celeste as it's better known, the latest incarnation of Bianchi's trademark colour. Here's a photo of it just before it went off to the lbs for 'redistribution' 







The XR4 standard colours didn't excite me so I've gone for a Tavolozza paint scheme, which allows you to configure the colour combination from a number of options. I've decided to go for something similar to the XR3 but with a nod to the past; I've stuck with a matt finish and with Celeste and Graphite, but I've opted for the Classic Celeste in place of the CK16 and I've swapped them round so the frame will be Celeste with Graphite inserts and graphics  Here's the image generated by the Bianchi Tavolozza page before I ordered it 






I'll be transferring most of the components from the XR3 over to the new frame including the Dura-Ace Di2 groupset and Cosmic Pro Carbon wheels. All parts are relatively new but I'll give them all a good clean and touch up any bits that need it while they're on the bench. I'm also rather looking forward to seeing what my orange Hope brakes will look like against the classic Celeste - I thought they looked fab with the CK16 but some in the Bianchi Owner Club may have disagreed  Many still argue that an Italian bike should have Campag rather than Shimano but for me that argument holds no water when the 'Italian' frameset is made in Taiwan. I also realise there are a lot of people that dislike Celeste but I have to admit I've grown rather fond of it - perhaps I'm just wearing my Bianchi-blinkers 

Anyway, I should already be building the bike if it weren't for this pesky global pandemic and I'm getting restless  It was ordered back in early Feb with an estimated delivery date of mid April but with the Bianchi factory being situated in the heart of the Italian Covid-19 outbreak of course their plant was rightly closed. I'm told they're now coming out of a 5-week enforced shutdown and that my frameset is at least 3 weeks behind schedule, but I've basically told them not to sweat it and to stay safe and wash their hands - It will turn up when it wants to, like the Italian Diva it is 😊 In the meantime I'm going to start cleaning parts and laying them out on the workbench to decide if anything needs replacing or fixing. I've started stockpiling bits like hydraulic hose and fittings and need to purchase more Di2 wires as I used them on the wife's Bianchi Di2 install recently  This will be the first time I build a bike with fully internal cables and hoses - they run through the integrated bar and stem, through the steerer and in to the frame so I'll need to work out the routing and lengths.

I'm also looking to buy a CeramicSpeed oversize pulley for the rear mech - I've got an unbranded one currently fitted but it's a bit flimsy and I'd be gutted if it failed and damaged the frame so don't want to risk it!


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## JhnBssll (26 Apr 2020)

Writing the original post has given me some impetus to get cracking with cleaning some components up. I've just come in from the garage after a good few hours of cleaning and polishing and the parts are starting to come together nicely 😊

I started off with the bottom bracket. It was at the top of the pile, no other reason  A nice Wheels Mfg. unit with ceramic bearings, it cleaned up quickly with minimal effort. As with most of the components on this bike, it has only done around 1700 miles so should be good for some time yet 






Next in the pile were the brake levers. When stripping the bike down to trade in the frameset I had cut the hoses for expediency, knowing that I'd almost certainly need to replace them anyway with the new routing. First job was to remove the hose and any remaining brake fluid to prevent it making a mess during storage or later assembly. With all the oil gone and the insides cleaned I popped the hose bolt back in so I don't lose it and repeated for the second lever...






Both levers done, they came up really nicely 






Next up, rear mech. With a CeramicSpeed OSPW cage on the way I removed the existing one and gave the mech body a thorough clean and degrease - I'll regrease it all on reassembly. Again it's come up well despite being left dirty for a few months since it was last ridden - oops 
















So on to the front mech - again a bit of a state to begin with, but after some degreaser and plenty of time with a rag and a small allen key to get in to the tight spots it's come out shiny again 😊


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## JhnBssll (26 Apr 2020)

Next came the brakes - the first orange bits  Here they are before I started, a bit of a state - the photo doesn't really show how grimey they were but you'll have to take my word for it. Again I'd cut the hoses off to speed up the strip down and minimise the fluid leakage at the time as I'd just cleaned the frame ready to trade in.






Starting with the front caliper I removed the pads to clean up seperately then checked all 4 pistons moved freely, pushed them fully in and cleaned the remains of the fluid off. Then they were nicely degreased, rinsed and dried. They've come up rather nicely 











Same again for the rear caliper...











I also cleaned up and layed out a few other bits and pieces ready so I can work out more easily what's missing and/or needs replacing 






Whilst it looks like I'm almost done now with the prep there are a few outstanding jobs; the chain needs a thorough clean which will take a bit of time plus theres the small matter of painting the parts...

Wait, what? Painting?

It wouldn't be a proper project if I didn't paint some stuff now would it  I'm not going to go wild, but I'll be spraying a few small bits here and there as I did on my previous Oltre. For example the Di2 junction box surround will be getting painted, as will a few other small bits of Di2 trim. Nothing major, nothing large, and certainly nothing expensive  On that note I ordered some RAL metallic yellow orange paint last Monday along with some etch primer - should be here at some point next week 😊






This was the closest match I could find to the Hope orange in standard RAL colours, or at least it seemed to be in flat colour on a computer screen  I'll spray some test bits when it arrives and see how it compares and adjust my plans as needed 

That's all for now! I'll update as and when


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## Gunk (26 Apr 2020)

I’m looking forward to seeing this come together, makes me want to build up my ex Team Sky Dogma 2


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## JhnBssll (26 Apr 2020)

Gunk said:


> I’m looking forward to seeing this come together, makes me want to build up my ex Team Sky Dogma 2



Ooh, that would be a great project!  You have to dress up like Cavendish when you ride it though for maximum effect 

I've had another session in the garage this afternoon. I started by dunking the chain in a tub of degreaser to soak before moving on to wheels...

The Mavic Cosmic Pro Carbon SL UST wheelset (try saying that after a few drinks ) Is in good mechanical condition but was beginning to get a little scruffy.











It hadn't taken a lot to do any of the damage, the decals are fairly delicate  The bearings were changed at the end of last year so they spin well and have never gone out of true. I had contacted my local Mavic dealer with the serial numbers of the wheels to order a couple of decal sets at the same time as replacing the bearings, so I had these in an unopened envelope in the garage ready to go  On opening the envelope it seems I should have paid more attention at the time, as they're not the same decals 






Nevermind, since they hadn't cost me anything (Mavic had sent them out for free - now I guess we know why!) and the originals were damaged anyway I decided to give them a go to see how they look. I spent the next hour or so carefully peeling all the original decals off then cleaning the rims with degreaser and finally wiping them down with a clean cloth and some rubbing alcohol. As you can see above, the 'cos' and the 'mic' are seperate decals so there were 16 in total, 4 per wheel side. Here's the first set applied to see how it looks...






The original decals were slightly lighter in colour to the carbon whereas these are slightly darker - I really like them! Enough anyway to finish the front wheel off... Here's a before and after...











You can still slightly make out where the old vinyls were as the UV hasn't reacted with the carbon gelcoat, but I expect that to fade fairly quickly. I realised once I'd finished the front wheel that they hadn't provided me any 'Mavic' decals with the 'complete decal set' either, but I think I prefer them as they are without the red and yellow.

Here's the same wheel with the decals finished on both sides, the hub and spokes all cleaned up and the disc rotor reassembled.






Same again with the back wheel then!






Ready to roll! It was around this point that I realised the chain had been stewing in degreaser for about 3 hours so I decided to rescue it then give it a rinse and dry 






I cleaned the saddle up and found the 3 remaining Di2 cables I had from the old build to note down their lengths then bundled them up for storage. I've ordered some bar tape, and the CeramicSpeed oversize pulley arrives tomorrow so I can rebuild the rear mech. Once thats done I'll pack it all up safely in a box and put it out of harms way until the frame makes an appearance 😊 Except of course for the bits I'm going to paint, they'll stay out on the side as I'm expecting the rattle cans to arrive sometime in the week


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## Ridgeway (26 Apr 2020)

Looking lovely

It's going to look stunning once it's all together.


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## AndyRM (27 Apr 2020)

Nice! That chain is


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## JhnBssll (27 Apr 2020)

I had another play this morning 😊 The CeramicSpeed pulley arrived so I was quick to unbox and inspect it.






Pivot greased and fitted:






I've tidied the rest of the parts up in to a big bag, all individually wrapped in bubble wrap to keep them cosy until they're needed. The only parts left out now are the wheels hanging on the wall and these bits that I've masked up for painting...






Left bit is the Di2 wire cover for the front mech. Centre bit is the Di2 bar end junction box surround. Right bit is part of the chain catcher 😊 I'll start with these bits and see what else needs painting, if anything, once the build is underway  Still waiting on paint at the moment so that'll have to be another day


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## DSK (27 Apr 2020)

yep, that's an impressive bit of kit!! I like the detailing on the chain too.


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## Ridgeway (28 Apr 2020)

Curious about what paint and process you'll use on those parts ?


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## JhnBssll (28 Apr 2020)

Ridgeway said:


> Curious about what paint and process you'll use on those parts ?



I'll clean them with isopropyl alcohol then spray them with aerosol paints; probably a couple of coats each of etch primer, colour and satin semi-gloss lacquer  Paint is due today so should get a chance to get some done


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## Ridgeway (28 Apr 2020)

Sounds like that will give a nice result, interested to see them once they've been Tango'd


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## Duffy (28 Apr 2020)

Nice work (as usual)
What benefit does the ceramic pulley give?


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## Ridgeway (28 Apr 2020)

Duffy said:


> Nice work (as usual)
> What benefit does the ceramic pulley give?



Nothing until it's orange

Now there's a challenge.......

Keep thinking about getting my powder coating kit out on a few bits on my bike i'd probably f..k it up though


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## JhnBssll (28 Apr 2020)

Duffy said:


> Nice work (as usual)
> What benefit does the ceramic pulley give?



Thanks mate  The main benefit of the ceramic pulley is it looks cool  It also gives very small efficiency gains, equivalent of 6W apparently, which I immediately countered with an extra crumpet for breakfast this morning  I'm not even sorry... 



Ridgeway said:


> Nothing until it's orange
> 
> Now there's a challenge.......
> 
> Keep thinking about getting my powder coating kit out on a few bits on my bike i'd probably f..k it up though



I have considered spraying the pulley  I'm still tempted... I wondered about just spraying the inner surfaces, but then they'll be first to get damaged so it would look good until I pedalled for the first time  I'll continue to consider the options 

Paint arrived today! I've been on 'holiday' since last Wednesday, although have totalled about 15hrs of skype calls and meetings in that time  I managed to get in to the garage either end of a skype call this afternoon which has allowed me to prime, paint AND lacquer the 3 first bits 

Here they are after a clean and degrease, 2 coats of etch primer, 3 coats of colour and 4 coats of satin lacquer...






The big question was paint match. I'm never going to get it perfect as the parts I'm trying to match are anodised orange rather than painted. With that said, I think we're pretty close! Certainly close enough to get away with  Here they are next to an orange Hope stem cap:






They're a shade lighter than the original, but like I said - close enough!  Now I just need to resist the urge to paint other things... This always happens


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## Ridgeway (28 Apr 2020)

That's a great match on the colour, can't have been easy to get it that close.

Looks like a good quality finish as well.

But stop giving me ideas


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## JhnBssll (28 Apr 2020)

Ridgeway said:


> That's a great match on the colour, can't have been easy to get it that close.
> 
> Looks like a good quality finish as well.
> 
> But stop giving me ideas



Are you still here? Shouldn't you be out setting your powder coating kit up? 

Colour match wise I guess I got quite lucky. I held the stem cap up to the screen when going through RAL colours - none were perfect so I ended up making a judgement call on RAL 2000, metallic yellow orange  In reality the parts will be far enough away from each other to disguise any slight differences so should work well 😊


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## Ridgeway (28 Apr 2020)

Yes love that colour you achieved, matches parts of my frame 

Used my EasyCoat powder coater in the Winter for some projects with the children, it would be perfect for bike parts (ideally metal ones) but it's also pretty good on wood, just can't find any wood on my bike


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## JhnBssll (28 Apr 2020)

I just walked past the wheels and noticed the new decals are already peeling off  It would seem that they're the same high quality as the originals  I've just ordered new ones from Ink My Ride, hopefully they're better than the OEM sets! I've gone for the original design but in graphite grey, will see if I have longer lasting results this time


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## Duc gas (28 Apr 2020)

JhnBssll said:


> I just walked past the wheels and noticed the new decals are already peeling off  It would seem that they're the same high quality as the originals  I've just ordered new ones from Ink My Ride, hopefully they're better than the OEM sets! I've gone for the original design but in graphite grey, will see if I have longer lasting results this time


Really like the orange colour,surprised you weren't brace enough for matching wheel decals in place of the graphite? 👍😎


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## JhnBssll (28 Apr 2020)

Duc gas said:


> Really like the orange colour,surprised you weren't brace enough for matching wheel decals in place of the graphite? 👍😎



Thanks, I had a similar colour scheme on the XR3 and really liked it so am trying to reproduce it and improve on it where possible  I've ordered the same bar tape as below, and have painted a new Di2 bar end surround (above) as the one of the XR3 was damaged and didn't match all that well. I'll be losing the stem cap and spacer as the XR4 has the Vision Metron 5D ACR integrated bar and stem but I suspect there'll be bits of it I can tango  I wondered also about the seat clamp 🤔







I did think about orange wheel graphics, but only a few week's ago I removed the purple highlights from the wheels of another bike as it was a bit too much. Figured the Bianchi needs to retain some subtlety so I best keep my painting in check 😊


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## Ridgeway (28 Apr 2020)

Noticed you have a Cyckit, assume it will also go on the new bike ?

I specifically asked Pat when i ordered mine for an orange clip






More Tango


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## JhnBssll (28 Apr 2020)

Thats a great idea! I've got a couple of them, they're great aren't they. I might get around to painting one tomorrow now you've suggested it 

Beautiful bike by the way


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## JhnBssll (29 Apr 2020)

Always one to pinch good ideas quickly before anyone can remonstrate, I've started spraying the Cyckit 

I considered spraying the whole lower half, but it would have been too much orange so I've copied yours completely 

After a quick fiddle with the clips I decided I was unlikely to get the part removed and refitted without breaking it so I masked around it.






A quick clean down with the last drops of rubbing alcohol (more now ordered) and it was ready for etch primer...






Two coats of primer applied as before, then on to colour. First coat:






Second coat now drying...






I'm expecting it to need a third coat of colour but will check later then get the lacquer on and the masking off


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## Gunk (29 Apr 2020)

You’re as bored as I am John!


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## Ridgeway (29 Apr 2020)

I should of said earlier but I have a spare orange thingy I could of sent you.., Pat kindly sent me 2 with the clam

Think I’ll get my coat....


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## EltonFrog (29 Apr 2020)

Gunk said:


> You’re as bored as I am John!


What are you doing on this fred, get back to your own one.


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## JhnBssll (29 Apr 2020)

Gunk said:


> You’re as bored as I am John!



Surely it's not possible to be bored while there are things in the garage to paint or otherwise fettle 



Ridgeway said:


> I should of said earlier but I have a spare orange thingy I could of sent you.., Pat kindly sent me 2 with the clam
> 
> Think I’ll get my coat....



 It's all good, mine is painted now anyway  Useful to know there's a backup option it if all goes sour though 

I've got another coat of colour and three coats of lacquer on now. It's just drying before I try and carefully removed the masking tape 😄






Hmm... Pedal spindles 🤔


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## JhnBssll (29 Apr 2020)

The Cyckit has been unmasked and added to my growing collection of orange bits 






Quite pleased with that  After wondering about pedal spindles, I realised I hadn't cleaned and greased the bearings for a while - seemed like the perfect opportunity 





















I'll reassembled that one before I do the second for a couple of reasons; firstly I'm still not sure if it'll look any good, and one spindle is easier to clean up than two. Secondly, if I strip them both down I'm bound to get the spindles mixed up and end up with a pair of backwards pedals


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## Gunk (29 Apr 2020)

We like the same pedals, I've been using the Ultegra version for years, I've got a nice brand new old stock set in the box waiting for my current pair to wear out!


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## ianrauk (29 Apr 2020)

Loving the orange. The Bianchi green not so much.  Though my partner who has a similar coloured bike would disagree. 

Great thread @JhnBssll


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## SpokeyDokey (29 Apr 2020)

Lordy, that is going to look absolutely gorgeous.

Nice write-up too.


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## Ridgeway (29 Apr 2020)

This thread is sponsored by Tango

That clip looks excellent, well done on that.


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## JhnBssll (29 Apr 2020)

Gunk said:


> We like the same pedals, I've been using the Ultegra version for years, I've got a nice brand new old stock set in the box waiting for my current pair to wear out!



That's a great idea, I may have to look around to see if I can find a pair going cheap to squirrel away  They've replaced it with the PD-ES600 now apparently but it doesnt get such good reviews, I'd imagine they'll discontinue the PD-A600 at some point now 



ianrauk said:


> Loving the orange. The Bianchi green not so much.  Though my partner who has a similar coloured bike would disagree.
> 
> Great thread @JhnBssll



haha Celeste is certainly a marmite colour. I wasn't overly fond of it at first, but quickly warmed to it and now really like it. I wonder how much of that is due to the tradition and history behind it rather than the colour itself 🤔 I guess I've just been sucked in by their marketing 

Anyway I've built the pedal back up 😄 Lots of lovely fresh grease on the bearings and some copper slip on the threads so it's nice and easy to service next time around 







And the axle assembly refitted to the pedal...






I've stripped the right hand pedal down and sprayed the axle, now waiting for the final colour coat to dry before I lacquer it and reassemble it later this evening 😊


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## BianchiVirgin (29 Apr 2020)

JhnBssll said:


> Thanks mate  The main benefit of the ceramic pulley is it looks cool  It also gives very small efficiency gains, equivalent of 6W apparently, which I immediately countered with an extra crumpet for breakfast this morning  I'm not even sorry...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


You'll be going so fast no-one will notice.


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## JhnBssll (29 Apr 2020)

BianchiVirgin said:


> You'll be going so fast no-one will notice.



Thats the plan  Actually thats a good point, I should really get in shape ready for the bike to be finished 

I've finished the second spindle but the paint isn't hard enough to assemble the seal on to yet. I'll pop it together later once I'm done on the turbo 






I need to get it back together tonight so I can clean the workbench down again as I need it for work tomorrow  This working from home malarky has got a lot to answer for


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## JhnBssll (30 Apr 2020)

70 mins on the turbo gave the lacquer long enough to harden a bit. Seal on and pedal assembled 






Looking forward to popping them back on the crank arms tomorrow to see how they look - the orange should really pop against the black


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## JhnBssll (30 Apr 2020)

I fitted the pedals to the cranks at lunchtime. Also test fitted the orange bits to the front mech 😊 Pretty pleased with it so far


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## ianrauk (30 Apr 2020)

Looks really smart


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## Duc gas (1 May 2020)

So when you finally get this thing nailed together can you give us a report on how it rides compared to the xr3 please? Genuinely interested as I have an xr3 (rim braked) ,I couldn't justify one to myself as I'm too old and slow 😂 Loving your work 👍


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## JhnBssll (1 May 2020)

Duc gas said:


> So when you finally get this thing nailed together can you give us a report on how it rides compared to the xr3 please? Genuinely interested as I have an xr3 (rim braked) ,I couldn't justify one to myself as I'm too old and slow 😂 Loving your work 👍



Thanks 😊 My trick is I stopped trying to justify things  Interest rates have dropped to nothing so there's little point having much more than rainy day savings at the moment. You only live once 

I will certainly give some thought to comparisons when it arrives and goes together  My XR3 is the nicest bike I've ever ridden so I have high hopes  I'm expecting it to be a little lighter and a little stiffer but time will tell 😊

I'm still waiting to hear back from Bianchi UK about their production plan and therefore an ETA for the frameset but I've noticed a few people posting pictures of brand new Tavolozza framesets in the owners club so that must be a good sign


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## Duc gas (1 May 2020)

JhnBssll said:


> Thanks 😊 My trick is I stopped trying to justify things  Interest rates have dropped to nothing so there's little point having much more than rainy day savings at the moment. You only live once
> 
> I will certainly give some thought to comparisons when it arrives and goes together  My XR3 is the nicest bike I've ever ridden so I have high hopes  I'm expecting it to be a little lighter and a little stiffer but time will tell 😊
> 
> I'm still waiting to hear back from Bianchi UK about their production plan and therefore an ETA for the frameset but I've noticed a few people posting pictures of brand new Tavolozza framesets in the owners club so that must be a good sign


Keep up the good work 👍


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## JhnBssll (3 May 2020)

The replacements for the replacement wheel decals arrived yesterday. This evening I had a couple of hours spare so I set about removing the replacements and fitting the replacements for the replacements 

This peeling was the reason for the new set:






Here are the replacements for the replacements:






I planned to do the same prep as last time - peel the old vinyl off, clean with rubbing alcohol, dry thoroughly then apply the new decals. What I hadn't planned on, was how well stuck down 95% of the decals were 🤔 There were 3 or 4 corners that wouldn't stick at all, but the rest was stuck fast so I had to get the heat gun out and gently warm the vinyl and adhesive to get them to budge  Once they were all removed from the first wheel I applied the first set of new ones. This took a while, as I decided to cut the decal sets in to individual letters so I could align them all as best I could with the slight discolouration in the gelcoat. This worked pretty well, it's still possible to see in some places but is generally pretty well hidden now, following the lines of the new vinyl 






Looks good, so went ahead and did the other side. Here's the back wheel finished hung up next to the front wheel with the previous set still fitted...






I can't tell which I prefer, but it doesnt matter as I don't intend to fit a third set anytime soon if I can help it, so I took the front wheel down and got to work with the heatgun  A little while (hour) later and both wheels had been returned to standard(ish) decals...






Job's a goodun 😊 I hope to hear from Bianchi this week with an ETA for the frameset as there's not a great deal more I can do until it arrives


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## JhnBssll (4 May 2020)

I had word from Bianchi today that my frameset will be painted between the 15th and 18th and should be with me by the end of the month  Pretty exciting to have a timeline again


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## MrGrumpy (9 May 2020)

Looking forward to seeing the final build, much prefer an understated look rather than bling but each to our own!


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## wheresthetorch (9 May 2020)

This has been a great thread to read through - I've only just come across it. Can't wait to see the finished bike!


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## DSK (12 May 2020)

Its this thread that has me looking at the Bianchi Oltre XR4 more and more when I should be working........... I can't justify it but I'm thinking of putting the TCR di2 up for sale to make room for a Bianchi.


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## tom73 (12 May 2020)

@DSK your not alone Mrs would kill me


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## BianchiVirgin (12 May 2020)

That's what happened to me and I ended up with a di2 upgrade


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## JhnBssll (15 May 2020)

DSK said:


> Its this thread that has me looking at the Bianchi Oltre XR4 more and more when I should be working........... I can't justify it but I'm thinking of putting the TCR di2 up for sale to make room for a Bianchi.





tom73 said:


> @DSK your not alone Mrs would kill me




 excellent work chaps  I don't know what it is about; they're not technically superior to other brands and on paper are terrible value for money, but having owned four once this one arrives I can't imagine having a 'best' bike of any other brand 🤔



BianchiVirgin said:


> That's what happened to me and I ended up with a di2 upgrade



How are you getting on with it? Its no secret that I love my Di2  Once the XR4 is built up there'll be 5 Di2 bikes in the garage, although one of them belongs to my darling wife so I'm not hogging _all_ the Di2 goodness 

Today should be the day the Bianchi gets its Celeste  I'm hoping for an update on its progress, it may even get shipped next week  I'm not holding my breath though, I must maintain the illusion of patience for a little longer 😄

I've been looking in to the Vision Metron 5D ACR integrated bar/stem setup that it comes with, looks like it's going to be fun to build


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## BianchiVirgin (15 May 2020)

_How are you getting on with it? Its no secret that I love my Di2  Once the XR4 is built up there'll be 5 Di2 bikes in the garage, although one of them belongs to my darling wife so I'm not hogging all the Di2 goodness _

All done and working. Still getting used to the difference in shifter feel. Liking the semi-sync shifting.


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## JhnBssll (18 May 2020)

Seems I was right to maintain patience as I was informed of a further delay today  Looking like mid June now, hopefully it won't creep out much further than that. There are bigger problems in the world at present so I'm not going to get too upset about it


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## JhnBssll (30 May 2020)

I spoke to Bianchi UK again yesterday, they confirmed all is still on schedule for a mid June delivery  I strip cleaned the Veturi this morning ready for a 50 mile ride down to the coast this afternoon but received a message from my friend at the lbs as I was getting ready to set out - Seems it's all a bit confused at Bianchi as my frameset arrived today 😊

Of course it didn't take me long to scrap the planned ride and jump in the car  At the lbs I was confronted with this lovely looking box...






I've just had time to unpack and inspect the contents, assembly will start shortly. So far I very much like what I see 

The integrated bars were in the top of the box






and then out popped the frame, along with a lot of fixtures and fittings 











Everything looks spot on so far, the paintwork is fabulous and I keep finding neat details in the design - the latest I've spotted is the funky through axles, where the lever folds away in to the axle 
















Anyway, enough typing, I'm gonna go start bolting things to it  It's so pretty


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## Gunk (30 May 2020)

That’s bloody gorgeous


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## ianrauk (30 May 2020)

I can feel your excitement and joy.


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## avsd (30 May 2020)

My day is complete - let the build begin


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## DSK (30 May 2020)

He will be up all night building it


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## Grant Fondo (30 May 2020)

Great thread


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## JhnBssll (30 May 2020)

I've just come in for a breather - it's pretty warm in the garage still, even with the fan on 

Good progress, the ACR integrated stem is a real bugger to route hoses and cables through though 

Before I moved the frame in to the garage I checked all the bits were present and correct and everything had survived its journey from Italy unscathed 😊






With it all looking rather lovely I marked the steerer length and set to work 






Measure measure measure! You don't want to sod this bit up  I decided to use all the spacers for now, I'll cut it down further in future if needed but it's a bit of a pig as the hoses and cables run through it once it's fitted 






Next I bolted the rear mech on then cut some helicopter tape to size to use as a chainstay protector...


















And then on with the front mech, for the first splash of orange


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## JhnBssll (30 May 2020)

I fed the front mech cable through first - its easiest, and it allowed me to fit the second orange bit, the cable trim piece that I'd sprayed 






Next I decided to run the brake hoses. The front goes through the bars and out at the top of the stem, before plunging down the inside of the steerer tube, down inside the lefthand fork leg and reappearing by the brake caliper... It's a tight bend to get down in to the steerer but it went in with a bit of encouragement 











The rear brake hose and Di2 cables take a different path, out of the bottom of the stem and then down channels in the spacers, but they were no less of a pig to route...
















I couldn't resist popping the wheels in at the point to have a look 






I've had the Di2 battery charging for a while now, time to pop back in and carry on 



DSK said:


> He will be up all night building it



Quite possibly


----------



## BianchiVirgin (30 May 2020)

Don't tell me you have Bianchi scissors as well?


----------



## Racing roadkill (30 May 2020)

JhnBssll said:


> I spoke to Bianchi UK again yesterday, they confirmed all is still on schedule for a mid June delivery  I strip cleaned the Veturi this morning ready for a 50 mile ride down to the coast this afternoon but received a message from my friend at the lbs as I was getting ready to set out - Seems it's all a bit confused at Bianchi as my frameset arrived today 😊
> 
> Of course it didn't take me long to scrap the planned ride and jump in the car  At the lbs I was confronted with this lovely looking box...
> 
> ...


Be careful with those fold around levers on the thru axles, they aren’t very strong. Strong enough to get 8-10Nm, but don’t swing on them.


----------



## JhnBssll (31 May 2020)

BianchiVirgin said:


> View attachment 526374
> 
> Don't tell me you have Bianchi scissors as well?



Of course, what discerning Bianchi owner doesnt have Bianchi scissors?  I'd actually never noticed that before, brilliant 



Racing roadkill said:


> Be careful with those fold around levers on the thru axles, they aren’t very strong. Strong enough to get 8-10Nm, but don’t swing on them.



Good info, thanks! I imagine it would be a bit of a nuisance if one of the snazzy little folding levers fell off 

I'm tired so I've called it quits for the night (morning) and will go again first thing tomorrow  Theres not a lot left to do build wise, but the setup and tinkering at the end will take some time.

I got the final wires routed which meant I could fit the battery in the seatpost and connect it up






Which in turn meant I was done in the bb area, so could fit the bottom bracket...






And then the chainset and pedals - more orange 😄






I also finished off the hydraulics and have filled both brakes with fluid. They're functional but need a bleed, I'll let them settle over night and bleed them through tomorrow 

I've also put the chain back on, but the mechs aren't yet adjusted. Once it's functional I'll tidy the bars up and fit the bar tape and think about a test ride 😄

If nothing else, it's nice to have a Bianchi back on my Bianchi hooks


----------



## Gunk (31 May 2020)

Crikey John, you don’t hang about!

That poor old Brompton is looking a bit abandoned, I hope you’re using it!


----------



## Racing roadkill (31 May 2020)

Very nice. Except for the heresy of using fishing reels.


----------



## JhnBssll (31 May 2020)

Gunk said:


> Crikey John, you don’t hang about!
> 
> That poor old Brompton is looking a bit abandoned, I hope you’re using it!



The Brompton is still getting some attention - just yesterday I fitted the front luggage bracket and am on the look out for something suitable to adapt as a basket  I gave it another spin the other day and it's developed a creak from the bottom hinge, I think I'll look again at getting it replaced in the near future.



Racing roadkill said:


> Very nice. Except for the heresy of using fishing reels.



I fully expect to take lots of flack about not fitting Campag within the owners club  Truth be told I don't really like EPS, Shimano is functionally excellent and by keeping to the same brand as my other bikes I can quickly swap components out if I ever need to. That's worth far more to me than compliance with certain 'norms'  I touched on it earlier, but the frame isn't even made in Italy so the necessity to fit 'Italian' parts to it seems a little daft 

Right, I'm off out to the garage to bleed some brakes and wrap some bars  I may even be tempted to spray more bits orange at some point


----------



## JhnBssll (31 May 2020)

I've just finished tinkering, now getting changed for a test ride  I'm sure there'll be some niggles to sort so I'll probably make it a short one today, but if the ride is anywhere near as good as it looks I think I'm in for a treat  Really pleased with how it's come together, and I'm loving the orange touches 😄

I spent a bit of time taking measurements from the Pilot, as I based that setup on the XR3 before it. It will be a good starting point, although I expect to have to make some tweaks due to the slightly lower and longer front end.


----------



## avsd (31 May 2020)

Looks fabulous - health to enjoy 👍


----------



## DSK (31 May 2020)

That was completed quickly! Enjoy the ride.


----------



## tom73 (31 May 2020)

nice one 
I'm not convinced about the bar tape though


----------



## Tenacious Sloth (31 May 2020)

tom73 said:


> nice one
> I'm not convicted about the bar tape though


No. But someone should be.


----------



## tom73 (31 May 2020)

Auto correct at it again sorted now


----------



## Domus (31 May 2020)

How does the head unit fit?


----------



## tom73 (31 May 2020)

it's done with magic Bianchi dust


----------



## Racing roadkill (31 May 2020)

Domus said:


> How does the head unit fit?












I’ve got a brilliant little bracket that attaches to the underside of the bars. However, you can’t fit the external battery adaptor, or the camera mount, because the underside is solid.


----------



## Domus (31 May 2020)

Very neat 👍


----------



## JhnBssll (31 May 2020)

Yeah it's a great solution, necessary too as no standard brackets would fit the integrated bars 

Went for a 27 mile shake down this afternoon - it's bloody ace  I mean I expected it to be, but still - the stiffness of the frame is unreal but it's so smooth, even over rough tarmac  Just a real peach of a bike  I'm looking forward to getting to know it much better over the coming weeks, months and years 

A few tweaks are needed - the front disc is squealing a little just as you come to a stop, I havent cleaned them since they were last used so they've probably got contaminated during storage. I'll give them another few rides to improve as it did seem better towards home, otherwise a quick wash down with rubbing alcohol and lightly sand the pads should solve it. Saddle position still isn't perfect, but it normally takes me a hundred miles or so to dial that in. Front mech cage just catches the chain in one gear under load so a tiny tweak of the Di2 trimming is needed, but overall a very successful maiden voyage 😄


----------



## Ridgeway (31 May 2020)

By GCN (or anyones standards) "a Super Nice"


----------



## avsd (31 May 2020)

You need better water bottles


----------



## JhnBssll (31 May 2020)

Ridgeway said:


> By GCN (or anyones standards) "a Super Nice"



Yeah, that sums it up pretty well 



avsd said:


> You need better water bottles



 yeah I gave up on those, despite my best efforts to prevent it they always end up in the dishwasher and getting ruined. I just use cheapo or freebies now so when I have to throw them in the recycling I don't get too upset


----------



## Racing roadkill (31 May 2020)

I tried to source the proper Bianch bottles for mine, but they’re not easy to come by at the moment.


----------



## Tenacious Sloth (31 May 2020)

Racing roadkill said:


> I tried to source the proper Bianch bottles for mine, but they’re not easy to come by at the moment.


Apparently, the proper Bianchi ones make your drinks taste nicer.


----------



## Racing roadkill (31 May 2020)

Tenacious Sloth said:


> Apparently, the proper Bianchi ones make your drinks taste nicer.


That wouldn’t surprise me


----------



## avsd (31 May 2020)

Can you not finish them with clearcoat - a man of your skills


----------



## DSK (1 Jun 2020)

Squeaky brakes are cool, its annoys people and reminds them there's other humans in the area and to get out of the way!

BTW how stiff are those wheels when giving large ones out of the saddle?


----------



## JhnBssll (1 Jun 2020)

I went out on her again at lunchtime, a quick 15 mile spin taking advantage of a rare break in skype meetings 😄

The saddle position seemed better today so perhaps I will leave it for now and see how it develops. I did however fit a little upgrade that someone alerted me to in the Bianchi owners club facebook group - a seatpost clamp cover for a 2016 Giant TCR Advanced Pro  They happen to fit Aria's, XR3's and XR4's rather nicely 










DSK said:


> Squeaky brakes are cool, its annoys people and reminds them there's other humans in the area and to get out of the way!
> 
> BTW how stiff are those wheels when giving large ones out of the saddle?



 I don't mind the noise so much, but it upsets me when things aren't working as well as they can be. The wheels are plenty stiff, they've done about 1800 miles and I rate them pretty highly - I'm about a hundred kilos so I've tested them well  I noticed a slight rumble from the front end so I had a look while I had the disc rotor off to clean. I found a bit of play in the bearings so tightened the preload aduster up slightly before putting the now clean disc rotor back on 

While the bike was down I also adjusted the front mech trim, hopefully it will be in clearance in all gears now but simple enough to tweak if not.






With that I put her back to bed for the evening 






Whilst clearing up some of the packing I found these nifty little bottle cage bolts - they'll be going on the wife's Dama VN7 next time I get a chance 😄


----------



## Ridgeway (2 Jun 2020)

That's a serious Bianchi lock, needs Cerising


----------



## Gunk (2 Jun 2020)

Ridgeway said:


> That's a serious Bianchi lock, needs Cerising



Motorcycle chain, I use one on the bikes which are locked up under our front porch.


----------



## Racing roadkill (2 Jun 2020)

JhnBssll said:


> I went out on her again at lunchtime, a quick 15 mile spin taking advantage of a rare break in skype meetings 😄
> 
> The saddle position seemed better today so perhaps I will leave it for now and see how it develops. I did however fit a little upgrade that someone alerted me to in the Bianchi owners club facebook group - a seatpost clamp cover for a 2016 Giant TCR Advanced Pro  They happen to fit Aria's, XR3's and XR4's rather nicely
> 
> ...


Ah yes, The Celeste anodised Titanium cage bolts, they are a nice touch aren’t they?


----------



## Johnno260 (2 Jun 2020)

Bianchi have some stunning frames, really nice!

I think my fund that I save a little each month will go towards a Bianchi, I really like the look of the Aria and it's affordable for me.


----------



## JhnBssll (2 Jun 2020)

Johnno260 said:


> Bianchi have some stunning frames, really nice!
> 
> I think my fund that I save a little each month will go towards a Bianchi, I really like the look of the Aria and it's affordable for me.



Good choice! I've owned an Aria disc, it was a lovely bike 😎


----------



## MrGrumpy (2 Jun 2020)

They do look nice but as I dont`t do much cycling outside of commuting, its not quite justifiable for leaving locked up !


----------



## JhnBssll (2 Jun 2020)

MrGrumpy said:


> They do look nice but as I dont`t do much cycling outside of commuting, its not quite justifiable for leaving locked up !



Yeah, theres no way I'll be leaving this unattended


----------



## AndyRM (2 Jun 2020)

Man, that's seriously good looking. Love the little flashes of orange.


----------



## Nigelnightmare (3 Jun 2020)

You need to change the saddle!


For one with "orange" flashing on it instead of the blue.

Lovely build, just too damned fast with not enough pictures (to drool over).


----------



## JhnBssll (12 Jun 2020)

The Bianchi rep said I had to name her so she's now known as 'Olive', because she's an Oltre  I've also now named my Veturi 'Vera', seemed to fit  I think I'll leave the others anonymous for now 

I had a nightmare a few days ago about stone chips, and since I had some excellent matt protection tape left over from covering the chainstay I decided to put some more on the downtube. It went on really nicely, I'm pretty pleased with it. I cut it to shape and stuck it on down the middle first before gently squeezing it out to the sides until it was fully stuck down. You can barely see it as soon as you're a few feet away and it should keep the paint happy 












I also decided to cut a small piece to size to place on the non drive-side chainstay where the lock chain passes through. I'm bound to knock it one day no-matter how careful I am so it makes sense to add a little protection.











With that done, I pumped the tyres up a bit as they're still losing a little air and then admired her for a good ten minutes  Here are a few more shameless closeups


----------



## AndyRM (13 Jun 2020)

That chain looks even better on.


----------



## JhnBssll (20 Jun 2020)

AndyRM said:


> That chain looks even better on.



It is very pretty, _almost_ worth the money it cost 

Irritatingly the Bianchi is out of service for a short while now. I noticed a fairly big wobble in the front wheel first time I rode it. Thought this was a bit odd as I hadn't hit anything but went to true it this evening to find the rim is dead straight and the tyre itself is deformed  I've tried the messy job of popping the beads off and reseating it with some fresh sealant, but it went straight back to the same shape with a big wobble. I suspect there's a fault in the carcass so will not be riding on it again - it's an almost brand new GP 5000TL, first time I've had any problems with them and I've been running them on a few bikes for a while now since they came out last year. This particular one has done only a few hundred miles and hasn't been abused by any means so hopefully I'll get it replaced, but will buy a new one in the short term to minimise downtime  I've popped Wiggle a message to enquire about a warranty replacement.

Oh well, at least I noticed before I face planted on the new bike


----------



## AndyRM (20 Jun 2020)

JhnBssll said:


> It is very pretty, _almost_ worth the money it cost
> 
> Irritatingly the Bianchi is out of service for a short while now. I noticed a fairly big wobble in the front wheel first time I rode it. Thought this was a bit odd as I hadn't hit anything but went to true it this evening to find the rim is dead straight and the tyre itself is deformed  I've tried the messy job of popping the beads off and reseating it with some fresh sealant, but it went straight back to the same shape with a big wobble. I suspect there's a fault in the carcass so will not be riding on it again - it's an almost brand new GP 5000TL, first time I've had any problems with them and I've been running them on a few bikes for a while now since they came out last year. This particular one has done only a few hundred miles and hasn't been abused by any means so hopefully I'll get it replaced, but will buy a new one in the short term to minimise downtime  I've popped Wiggle a message to enquire about a warranty replacement.
> 
> Oh well, at least I noticed before I face planted on the new bike



I've just looked it up.

The "How much..." thread is >>>


----------



## JhnBssll (30 Jul 2020)

Minor upgrade today. I discovered by chance that CeramicSpeed had launched a limited edition orange version of their OSPW 






The black one will be going on the pilot later today  Its a slightly darker orange to the Hope parts, but the same orange as the valve caps and the spoke nipples that are going in to the new wheel build ive got going on 😊


----------



## JhnBssll (12 Aug 2020)

With my new wheel build paused while I wait for the rims to arrive I have been getting a bit impatient  Since I had no plans this evening I decided to pop the new hubs on for a little sneak peak 😊
















So pretty


----------



## SpokeyDokey (27 Oct 2020)

Any more updates on this rather magnificent beauty?


----------



## JhnBssll (27 Oct 2020)

SpokeyDokey said:


> Any more updates on this rather magnificent beauty?



I built the new wheels up a while back so shes back on the road, if the road is dry of course 











Very pleased with the outcome, she's a real beauty. Now working on my fitness to make the most of her in the coming months and years


----------



## Tonybanham13 (18 Nov 2020)

Hi 
I am about to embark on a XR4 Disc build but with a Record groupset, do you know what length of bolts I will require for the rear caliper?
Many Thanks


----------



## JhnBssll (18 Nov 2020)

Tonybanham13 said:


> Hi
> I am about to embark on a XR4 Disc build but with a Record groupset, do you know what length of bolts I will require for the rear caliper?
> Many Thanks



Hi Tony, not the best photo I'm afraid but the rear caliper mounting holes in the frame are 20mm deep, so your bolts will need to be long enough to pass through these plus however deep the caliper threads are.


----------



## Tonybanham13 (18 Nov 2020)

Many thanks, I will check on what depth of thread Campag require to go into the caliper and that will give me the bolt length.
Also where did you get the chainstay protector from looks very neat?


----------



## JhnBssll (18 Nov 2020)

I cut the chainstay protector from a length of helicopter tape and trimmed it to fit


----------



## Tonybanham13 (18 Nov 2020)

Many thanks, thought it was an off the shelf product. I have used helocopter tape in the past but never get as neat as you have done!


----------



## BianchiVirgin (18 Nov 2020)

JhnBssll said:


> Hi Tony, not the best photo I'm afraid but the rear caliper mounting holes in the frame are 20mm deep, so your bolts will need to be long enough to pass through these plus however deep the caliper threads are.
> 
> View attachment 558738


What's the thread on these Jon as I'll be needing some for my gravel bike build too?


----------



## JhnBssll (18 Nov 2020)

BianchiVirgin said:


> What's the thread on these Jon as I'll be needing some for my gravel bike build too?



For the Hope RX4's flatmount are M5 and post mount are M6 I believe. The instructions require ~8mm thread engagement for flat mount.


----------



## Tonybanham13 (12 Dec 2020)

Hi
Just started my XR4 build and having a probel with the Metron bars, I cannot find any instructions for them and I appear to have a gap betwen the cover and the frame. In your photos you have no gap. I have used the wavy washer suppiled with the bars, is this causing the gap?







Many thanks, I might have a few more questions soon.


----------



## JhnBssll (12 Dec 2020)

Hi Tony,

That gap doesn't look too far off what I'd expect, it'll close up a bit once you've cut the steerer and tightened the stem down as this compresses the assembly. I just took a few photos of the gaps on mine for reference:











I still haven't braved taking the spacers out and trimming the steerer further, need to get a few more miles on it first to judge how much lower I can go


----------



## Tonybanham13 (12 Dec 2020)

Many thanks, looks like all is OK and comression should help. I have measured up my old bike to replicate the bar height but might add a small a spacer extra just in case, if I am brave enough the plan is to cut it tomorrow. Small mistake today got the hydraulic cables the wrong way round, rear was to go through the top tube. Will swap these over tomorrow.


----------



## JhnBssll (3 Sep 2021)

I thought I'd documented my custom 3D printed gps mount for the Bianchi somewhere but can't find it... Anyway, I've been playing with the design a little and had a new engineering resin to try out so figured it was the perfect time to print a replacement  Here's the current design, printed in the only resin I had available at the time which happened to be light grey...











Its designed to fit a Hammerhead Karoo 2 head unit and a Bontrager Ion 200 front light. It's worked really well so I'm hoping with some tweaks the new one will continue to serve me well. I've made it slightly stiffer by extending the central rib underneath all the way to the front, then made all of the ribs thinner to make it look a little less chunky  I've also tweaked the overall silhouette, especially where it meets the underside of the bars to make it look a little more streamlined. Here is the old grey one and the new black one sat next to each other before I fitted the new one...






Similar, but different 😄 Here is the new one fitted 











It looks better just for being black, but I think the outline suits the bars better too. It's all for nought really anyway as once the computer is fitted you can't see it


----------



## BianchiVirgin (3 Sep 2021)

Too much time on your hands dude!


----------



## HankSc0rpi0 (4 Sep 2021)

JhnBssll said:


> I went out on her again at lunchtime, a quick 15 mile spin taking advantage of a rare break in skype meetings 😄
> 
> The saddle position seemed better today so perhaps I will leave it for now and see how it develops. I did however fit a little upgrade that someone alerted me to in the Bianchi owners club facebook group - a seatpost clamp cover for a 2016 Giant TCR Advanced Pro  They happen to fit Aria's, XR3's and XR4's rather nicely
> 
> View attachment 526910



Hi,
Just built up an XR4 and have noticed the paint tends to be very thin around the seat post clamp area. Do you happen to have a link where you bought the Giant cover ?

I wonder would the 2021 cover do the job.
https://www.giantbikespares.com/Gia...over--1724-G21SPV-0001/product_detail/3-46651


Thanks


----------



## SpokeyDokey (4 Sep 2021)

Still the best looking bike I have ever seen on CC. 👍


----------



## Johnno260 (4 Sep 2021)

SpokeyDokey said:


> Still the best looking bike I have ever seen on CC. 👍



I know, I had my heart set on going Ti but these Bianchi’s are sure hard to ignore they look stunning.


----------



## JhnBssll (4 Sep 2021)

HankSc0rpi0 said:


> Hi,
> Just built up an XR4 and have noticed the paint tends to be very thin around the seat post clamp area. Do you happen to have a link where you bought the Giant cover ?
> 
> I wonder would the 2021 cover do the job.
> ...



The 2021 seems to have a different profile seatpost - mine came from the same website as your link but is for a 2016+ TCR Advanced Pro. I just had a look and it doesn't seem to be listed anymore, which is a nuisance as mine is starting to perish already  I might look in to 3d printing a replacement at some point if I can find a suitable flexible black resin.


----------



## HankSc0rpi0 (5 Sep 2021)

JhnBssll said:


> The 2021 seems to have a different profile seatpost - mine came from the same website as your link but is for a 2016+ TCR Advanced Pro. I just had a look and it doesn't seem to be listed anymore, which is a nuisance as mine is starting to perish already  I might look in to 3d printing a replacement at some point if I can find a suitable flexible black resin.



Thanks for that. I ended up putting a Fizik 33mm seatpost ring on mine. I mainly wanted it because the paint is so thin along the edges it tends to have imperfections. My LBS had the Celeste CK16 paint and touched it in. The ring just covers and seals it though obviously does not cover the bolt. Also my saddle is a Fizik too.


----------



## HankSc0rpi0 (11 Sep 2021)

JhnBssll said:


> The 2021 seems to have a different profile seatpost - mine came from the same website as your link but is for a 2016+ TCR Advanced Pro. I just had a look and it doesn't seem to be listed anymore, which is a nuisance as mine is starting to perish already  I might look in to 3d printing a replacement at some point if I can find a suitable flexible black resin.



Giant seat post clamp cover arrived and as you said not the correct fit as the 2021 is a d-shaped post. But went to local bike shop and they happened to have the correct cover in their spares. Only one though. Is a perfect fit. Just waiting on my Supacaz Sticky Kush Galaxy Celeste tape to arrive and that will be matchy matchy enough for me.


----------



## HankSc0rpi0 (10 Oct 2021)

Bike finally finished.


----------



## HankSc0rpi0 (18 Oct 2021)

I want to remove the 10mm spacer from headset on my metron 5d acr but still have top cap flush with stem.
I assume LBS are going to have to cut the steerer, which means removing bars/stem and a re-cabling job ?

Thx


----------



## JhnBssll (18 Oct 2021)

HankSc0rpi0 said:


> I want to remove the 10mm spacer from headset on my metron 5d acr but still have top cap flush with stem.
> I assume LBS are going to have to cut the steerer, which means removing bars/stem and a re-cabling job ?
> 
> Thx



I'm afraid so, it's a pig of a job for something that is normally so simple. The spacers are split in half so they can be removed but the steerer will need shortening. To do this properly you need to remove the fork, which means removing the hydraulic hoses. It's possible to work around it, but mistakes would be extremely costly so it's just not worth it IMO.


----------



## JhnBssll (21 Feb 2022)

Not sure if I ever mentioned it in this thread, but my beautiful Oltre has one frustrating flaw; the downtube bottle cage mounts are wonky  I tried to ignore it when I built it up, and considered making some wedge shaped spacers to straighten it up, but eventually I caved to my OCD and spoke to Bianchi. They quickly accepted it was wrong and agreed to replace the frame in January last year. Today I got the call to say the new frame has arrived so I'll be heading over to collect it later 😄 It's taken a long time but should be worth the wait ; the bike has been ridden while I've been waiting so its basically just getting a refresh  Assuming this one is all straight of course 🤞😋


----------



## BianchiVirgin (21 Feb 2022)

That's good but not good that it made it out of a factory and a paint shop without anyone noticing. Suspect QC.


----------



## jowwy (21 Feb 2022)

JhnBssll said:


> Not sure if I ever mentioned it in this thread, but my beautiful Oltre has one frustrating flaw; the downtube bottle cage mounts are wonky  I tried to ignore it when I built it up, and considered making some wedge shaped spacers to straighten it up, but eventually I caved to my OCD and spoke to Bianchi. They quickly accepted it was wrong and agreed to replace the frame in January last year. Today I got the call to say the new frame has arrived so I'll be heading over to collect it later 😄 It's taken a long time but should be worth the wait ; the bike has been ridden while I've been waiting so its basically just getting a refresh  Assuming this one is all straight of course 🤞😋


are you keeping the defective frame or do they want it back??


----------



## Rusty Nails (21 Feb 2022)

jowwy said:


> are you keeping the defective frame or do they want it back??


I'll do him a favour and take it off his hands for a fiver if he gets it back. Win-win.


----------



## jowwy (21 Feb 2022)

Rusty Nails said:


> I'll do him a favour and take it off his hands for a fiver if he gets it back. Win-win.


£6.50 here


----------



## bikingdad90 (21 Feb 2022)

£10 here!


----------



## JhnBssll (21 Feb 2022)

The old frame has to go back. Bianchi invoice the dealer full price for warranty replacements and only refund it on receipt of the old frame, or after receiving proof of destruction. Sorry chaps 😋


----------



## JhnBssll (21 Feb 2022)

I just put the bottle cage on the new frame and it's just as wonky as the original  Nightmare. Back in the box it goes...


----------



## BianchiVirgin (21 Feb 2022)

Jeez. That's a bummer. I'd be having words.


----------



## bikingdad90 (21 Feb 2022)

Just a thought, have you tried another cage to rule out the cage as wonky and tried a conical washer, is it going off straight on tightening.


----------



## JhnBssll (21 Feb 2022)

I checked several cages before I made the original warranty claim as I felt a bit silly at the time. This one actually seems better than the original; it's still not straight but I'm going to try and make some washers to bond to the bottle cage to square it all up. It won't take long to print them as they'll only be a mm or so thick


----------



## BianchiVirgin (21 Feb 2022)

JhnBssll said:


> I checked several cages before I made the original warranty claim as I felt a bit silly at the time. This one actually seems better than the original; it's still not straight but I'm going to try and make some washers to bond to the bottle cage to square it all up. It won't take long to print them as they'll only be a mm or so thick


Still disappointing from the brand to clearly have QC/ QA issues by the sound of it.


----------



## Johnno260 (22 Feb 2022)

Could it be a machining or mold error? 
Our machine shop has jigs setup for high count machined items, could they have a drilling jig that has an alignment issue.


----------



## T4tomo (22 Feb 2022)

JhnBssll said:


> I'm afraid so, it's a pig of a job for something that is normally so simple. The spacers are split in half so they can be removed but the steerer will need shortening. To do this properly you need to remove the fork, which means removing the hydraulic hoses. It's possible to work around it, but mistakes would be extremely costly so it's just not worth it IMO.


Whilst this fully internal cable malarkey looks very sleek, it does mean thing like that are so massively complicated and moreover you can't lower the bars without cutting the steerer, as there is no longer an option to park a spacer or two above the stem. So a 5 minute job becomes a trip to the LBS & ££ and also your bike becomes a bit less adaptable for either selling on or if you stiffen up later in life.

Lovely bikes by the way, I have the Infinito CV.


----------



## BianchiVirgin (22 Feb 2022)

T4tomo said:


> Whilst this fully internal cable malarkey looks very sleek, it does mean thing like that are so massively complicated and moreover you can't lower the bars without cutting the steerer, as there is no longer an option to park a spacer or two above the stem. So a 5 minute job becomes a trip to the LBS & ££ and also your bike becomes a bit less adaptable for either selling on or if you stiffen up later in life.
> 
> Lovely bikes by the way, I have the Infinito CV.


On my fully concealed system spacers can be put up top if required so I don't see why not in this instance. It just looks a bit off.


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## T4tomo (22 Feb 2022)

BianchiVirgin said:


> On my fully concealed system spacers can be put up top if required so I don't see why not in this instance. It just looks a bit off.


on the ones shown you would have to bodge it with a non proprietary top cap, as top cap is shaped on 2 levels to fit flush with the bars


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## JhnBssll (22 Feb 2022)

BianchiVirgin said:


> Still disappointing from the brand to clearly have QC/ QA issues by the sound of it.



Agreed, it shouldn't happen.



Johnno260 said:


> Could it be a machining or mold error?
> Our machine shop has jigs setup for high count machined items, could they have a drilling jig that has an alignment issue.



I suspect it's a mold error; the threaded inserts are part of the layup, they don't appear to be drilled and inserted later. I suspect the part of the tooling that holds the inserts in place has seen better days and has some play.

I had a quick play in CAD last night; I took a photo and overlaid it with a sketch to get a rough idea of the angle to aim for.







I used this to print some quick spacers to see if it would do the trick...






I bolted it up and it's almost square now, I've got an adjusted set of spacers printing as I type and will neaten it up a bit before installing them, hopefully it'll be spot on this time and I can strip the bike down and think about rebuilding it 😊



T4tomo said:


> on the ones shown you would have to bodge it with a non proprietary top cap, as top cap is shaped on 2 levels to fit flush with the bars



The integrated stem allows 10mm of adjustment without cutting the steerer - theres enough space under the top cap for this movement. The spacers are split in half; once you lift the stem you can pop them apart and remove them (or add them) without having to remove the stem or disconnect any brake hoses. If you want to add/remove more than a couple of 5mm spacers you're out of luck though and the carbon cutting equipment has to make an appearance


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## Milkfloat (22 Feb 2022)

Even if you do bodge it with a pretty elegant solution I would be reporting it to Bianchi so they can at a minimum fix it on future frames, but also ideally compensate you the pretty crappy service.


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## JhnBssll (22 Feb 2022)

I've got the cages fairly straight now with my patented wonky washers  They're not perfect, but I know all it will take is a quick tweak of the CAD geometry and an equally quick print to improve them at a later date so I'm happy with that.






I have made contact with Bianchi UK to let them know I'm not overly impressed, will wait to see what they have to say but wouldn't be surprised if it was chalked down to 'Italian flare' or other such sentiment, I've heard a lot of it recently. In my book its either straight or its wrong and they need to pull their socks up but if they've been getting away with it I can see the temptation to let it ride... On the other hand if I'd rejected this one too that would have been a pretty hefty chunk of warranty cost that you'd think they'd try and avoid... Who knows 

I've resisted the strong urge to start stripping down the original frameset so far; I won't be able to start building the new one until a few bits arrive so makes sense to keep it in one piece for another day or two.

The internal routing means I'll have to cut the olives off the ends of the brake hoses to remove them which means they won't be long enough to re-fit. I've ordered a new length of hose for the rear brake and will trim the existing rear hose down further to use it up front. I'll need a new barb and olive for the Hope caliper so have ordered a few of those but have the shimano ones ready to go for the lever end. I've ordered new bar tape as generally it's a pig to get looking nice again after complete removal plus it gives me a chance to try something slightly different whilst maintaining the orange theme...






Might look nice, might not. Only time will tell 

I will measure the seatpost insertion length, steerer length, saddle position etc etc before the teardown so I can set it all up exactly as it is now when I swap it over. It's riding so nicely it would be a pain to have to dial it in again 

I'm also half tempted to revisit my bike computer mount, see if I can improve on the design again, but that may be a project for another day 😊


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## T4tomo (23 Feb 2022)

JhnBssll said:


> I've ordered new bar tape as generally it's a pig to get looking nice again after complete removal plus it gives me a chance to try something slightly different whilst maintaining the orange theme...


I have the celeste version of that on my Bianchi, it looks good on.


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## JhnBssll (23 Feb 2022)

I couldn't resist a play in CAD... Something like this might be nice for the GPS mount.


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## JhnBssll (23 Feb 2022)

I stripped the bike down this evening, hoping the brake hose arrived in the next few days so I can get to rebuilding it 






Am I going to regret putting them next to each other without labelling them


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## BianchiVirgin (23 Feb 2022)

No because the brainy part of you will realise the new one is the one with the boxed rear axle. 👍


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## BianchiVirgin (23 Feb 2022)

Curious why a new game came with new forks as well. The was nothing wrong with the old ones. Presumably it was just easier from an admin perspective to just ship a whole new box of stuff.


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## JhnBssll (23 Feb 2022)

BianchiVirgin said:


> Curious why a new game came with new forks as well. The was nothing wrong with the old ones. Presumably it was just easier from an admin perspective to just ship a whole new box of stuff.



Exactly this. New frame, new forks, new bars, new seatpost, new headset etc etc. They basically replace the whole kit as originally ordered. I'm keeping the old mech hanger as a sneaky spare 😋


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## JhnBssll (24 Feb 2022)

I ran some Di2 wires this evening






I also cleaned up the two mech's and refitted them, a job I always find strangely soothing 











Theres a trapdoor under the BB for running the brake hose so with the Di2 wires in place I could fit the Wheels Mfg. ceramic bottom bracket, after giving it a nice clean and checking the bearings of course 😊






I'm rather hoping the new rear brake hose arrives tomorrow so I can crack on and get the rear brake fitted then move on to the front end 

I also need to box up the old frame and pop it back to the dealer 😊

I _really_ need to tidy the garage too


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## jowwy (24 Feb 2022)

JhnBssll said:


> I ran some Di2 wires this evening
> 
> View attachment 632469
> 
> ...



That was supposed to be your winter project John.....god your slacking these days lol


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## JhnBssll (25 Feb 2022)

jowwy said:


> That was supposed to be your winter project John.....god your slacking these days lol



The depressing truth is I've tidied it 3 or 4 times recently, but there's so little space in there at the moment with all the timber and plasterboard that it gets messy super quick. Half the cupboards are blocked off so I can't put things away again without moving 12 sheets of plasterboard twice... Hopefully once the electrician has been in a few weeks I can get the plasterboard up and regain some garage space 

Anyway, bicycles! I received a brake hose in the post so could continue this evening 😊 I was witness to a minor miracle - I poked the new brake hose through the hole in the chainstay then kept feeding with no resistance until it popped out of the top of the headset where it was supposed to  I think I've only managed that once before  Anyway,next job was to mark and cut the steerer, expensive if you make a mistake here! I was going to cut it the same length as the original forks but decided to dry fit everything and mark it up in case anything was slightly different, I'm pretty sure it isn't but wasnt going to risk it 






With the steerer cut to length I thought I'd take some photos of the order the integrated headset goes together in case its useful to anyone in future as it's a fiddly job  In the first picture you can see the top bearing sitting inside the frame and the preload ring above it. Normally both bearing and preload ring would be smaller in diameter but with these ACR headsets both upper and lower bearings are inch and a half to allow space for the cables. You can see the preload ring also has a section missing to allow the rear brake hose and Di2 cable to pass through; with a mechanical groupset you'd have the two gear cables instead of the single Di2 wire.






Here the spacers have been assembled on to the now neatly cut steerer 😊 You can also see I've now run the front brake hose up the middle of the steerer tube.






Next the steerer expanding wedge goes in. As with the preload ring there is a section missing to allow the front brake hose to pass through. I tend to position it such that the brake hose is in the 9 o'clock position when viewed from the saddle as it seems to give the best hose curvature on a right hand front brake setup. I'd reverse it and put it in the 3 o'clock position if I was laying it out for a left hand front brake.






Next you have to cable up the bars. I do the Di2 cables first then run the rear brake hose up and through to the lever. I cant remember when I realised that inner gear cables fit inside hydraulic hoses but it was a good day; I tend to now run a gear inner through the route the hose needs to take, then poke the inner in to the hose and use it as a guide. It works pretty nicely and helps to quickly get round tight internal bends that would otherwise be a pig to cable up. Here's the trick about to be put into action for the front brake hose...






And here's the hose in position...






With the hoses run it was time to trim them to length then add the end fittings.






With the hoses and wires all connected I connected the battery up and popped it on charge ready to play again another day.






The last thing I did before closing up the garage was to check the Di2 was working by connecting the phone app. All was fine and there was new firmware available for a couple of the modules so I updated that and left it charging 






First job when I next get a moment will be to bleed the brakes, then I'll get the chainset, chain and rear wheel on to check the indexing.

The matte clear protection tape I ordered arrived today, except it was gloss  So that'll be going back and more matte tape sourced  I had wanted to get it protected before I built it up but that has clearly not happened  So long as I get it protected in the critical areas before I take it for a spin I'll be happy 😊


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## Tenacious Sloth (25 Feb 2022)

JhnBssll said:


> The depressing truth is I've tidied it 3 or 4 times recently, but there's so little space in there at the moment with all the timber and plasterboard that it gets messy super quick. Half the cupboards are blocked off so I can't put things away again without moving 12 sheets of plasterboard twice... Hopefully once the electrician has been in a few weeks I can get the plasterboard up and regain some garage space
> 
> Anyway, bicycles! I received a brake hose in the post so could continue this evening 😊 I was witness to a minor miracle - I poked the new brake hose through the hole in the chainstay then kept feeding with no resistance until it popped out of the top of the headset where it was supposed to  I think I've only managed that once before  Anyway,next job was to mark and cut the steerer, expensive if you make a mistake here! I was going to cut it the same length as the original forks but decided to dry fit everything and mark it up in case anything was slightly different, I'm pretty sure it isn't but wasnt going to risk it
> 
> ...



Wow! What a palarver.

Fair play to you for taking the trouble to document the process for others. 👍


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## SpokeyDokey (25 Feb 2022)

An opportunity might exist to sell anti-wonky printed spacers to existing owners. 🙂


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## JhnBssll (26 Feb 2022)

I finished her off today 😊

The brakes refilled quickly and were easy to bleed; I'd kept the calipers the right way up so minimal oil was lost and no air would get in. Seems Hope have admitted that the RX4's are a bit of a pig to bleed because they brought our the RX4+ with a different bleed layout 






With the calipers cleaned of fluid drips and the pads reinstalled I popped the wheels in and took it out of the stand to finish the headset which had only been loosely assembled up to this point. I've run the Di2 cables back under the stem top cap and fitted the D-Fly wireless unit there as before. This position gives optimum signal to the gps computer which is only 100mm in front of it, keeps it hidden from the elements and yet easily accessible in case of issues.






Chainset, chain, seatpost and saddle all refitted so I could scoot about on it and check the brakes felt ok before taping the bars - its pretty upsetting having to go near fresh bartape with brake fluid so I try and avoid it if possible  The new Deda bar tape looks fab, I'm pleased with the change from the previous Supacaz Galaxy 😊











So there we are, another job done and Olive the Oltre is back in one piece, not to mention super clean again 😄


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## JhnBssll (26 Feb 2022)

I hinted in an earlier post that I was working on a new GPS and front light mount for this build and I've now got something printing in the garage, should be ready by morning. When I looked back on the last screenshot I shared I realised it looked a lot like a pipe and that I needed to have a re-think  This is what I've come up with now;


















It's completely hollow with a central rib down the middle to stiffen it up and should only weigh ~30g. The resin I'm printing it with is pretty durable, it's a fairly expensive engineering resin called eSun Hard Tough, about £100/litre  Fortunately this will only use about 40ml, so around a fiver's worth of resin assuming I get it right first time  This reminds me, I've been using my personal stash to print things for work so they probably owe me a bottle by now, I best get some more ordered!

I'm looking forward to seeing how it's come out first thing tomorrow then getting it cleaned up and cured 😊


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## SpokeyDokey (27 Feb 2022)

JhnBssll said:


> I hinted in an earlier post that I was working on a new GPS and front light mount for this build and I've now got something printing in the garage, should be ready by morning. When I looked back on the last screenshot I shared I realised it looked a lot like a pipe and that I needed to have a re-think  This is what I've come up with now;
> 
> View attachment 632903
> 
> ...



Clever stuff JB. 

For the life of me I just cannot get my head around printing 'stuff'. 😁


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## JhnBssll (27 Feb 2022)

SpokeyDokey said:


> Clever stuff JB.
> 
> For the life of me I just cannot get my head around printing 'stuff'. 😁



Thanks Spokey, it is a weird concept for most yeah 😄 I've been doing it for a while though so its pretty routine for me, I started using them when I started my current job 15 years ago but it has certainly become more mainstream in recent years - a decade ago you would have needed tens of thousands of pounds to buy what you can have now at home for a few hundred. Most home users seem to buy them and then buy 3d models to print; thats the bit I find confusing  Why not just buy the finished part if you're not going to design it yourself, or even tweak it a little... But I digress 😄

The part came off the printer this morning, here it is all washed and cured 






It fits nicely, pretty happy with it so I'll see how it performs on a ride. I've had a few 'prototypes' in the past where they've bounced around a lot but I think I've just been unlucky with natural frequencies, the last few have been ok so hopefully this will be too 😄 Here it is fitted...















And here with the Ion 200 attached to the front...





And with the Karoo 2...











Job's a goodun 😄 I'm quickly running out of projects before I have to get up on the roof and sort the lead flashing out


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## AndyRM (27 Feb 2022)

That's really, really neat. I'm impressed by your skills!


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## T4tomo (27 Feb 2022)

Yes very very neat and by combining the light mount it keeps the bars looking very uncluttered.

It may me answered in the previous pages, but what brand is the little under seat tool box?


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## chriswoody (27 Feb 2022)

That does look lovely, I must admit I'm a sucker for the lovely sheen that a matt paint job has. My Kona has a lovely matt blue paint, sadly it's a little rough around the edges these days because of all the mud it gets plastered in. 

Can I ask though about those Hope calipers? I've been eyeing up a set for a while and now my rear brake caliper has decided to spring a leak, now might be the ideal time to upgrade. 

I was primarily wondering about the initial set up, particularly the attachment of the Hope fittings to the hose and then the caliper. Is it all fairly straight forward and within the scope of a competent home mechanic? The bleed process doesn't seem to be much more onerous than the normal SRAM process, just a little curious about bolting them together. Thanks in advance.


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## JhnBssll (27 Feb 2022)

chriswoody said:


> That does look lovely, I must admit I'm a sucker for the lovely sheen that a matt paint job has. My Kona has a lovely matt blue paint, sadly it's a little rough around the edges these days because of all the mud it gets plastered in.
> 
> Can I ask though about those Hope calipers? I've been eyeing up a set for a while and now my rear brake caliper has decided to spring a leak, now might be the ideal time to upgrade.
> 
> I was primarily wondering about the initial set up, particularly the attachment of the Hope fittings to the hose and then the caliper. Is it all fairly straight forward and within the scope of a competent home mechanic? The bleed process doesn't seem to be much more onerous than the normal SRAM process, just a little curious about bolting them together. Thanks in advance.



Hi Chris, theyre very simple to put together. You'll need to cut the end of the hose off then slide the Hope nut and olive on to the hose. There's then a new barb to insert in the end of the hose which can be the fiddliest bit of the job. Once that's in place you put it all together with a little copper washer between the barb and caliper and tighten.

Bleeding was hit and miss, I've got these calipers on 3 bikes and have fitted a 4th pair to another and of those 8 I think 2 have put up a fight  I believe the new updated RX4+ calipers have been tweaked to make bleeding easier so I'd expect them to be fine for the average home mechanic. They're great calipers, I'd certainly recommend them


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## Elybazza61 (27 Feb 2022)

JhnBssll said:


> Hi Chris, theyre very simple to put together. You'll need to cut the end of the hose off then slide the Hope nut and olive on to the hose. There's then a new barb to insert in the end of the hose which can be the fiddliest bit of the job. Once that's in place you put it all together with a little copper washer between the barb and caliper and tighten.
> 
> Bleeding was hit and miss, I've got these calipers on 3 bikes and have fitted a 4th pair to another and of those 8 I think 2 have put up a fight  I believe the new updated RX4+ calipers have been tweaked to make bleeding easier so I'd expect them to be fine for the average home mechanic. They're great calipers, I'd certainly recommend them



Another RX4 fan here
Will have the fun of fitting them to the new Stayer (when it arrives).

Oh and top work sir on that Bianchi and the printing.


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## chriswoody (27 Feb 2022)

Thanks @JhnBssll that's reassuring, sounds like I will be getting my wallet out. I just need to decide which colour now.


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## JhnBssll (27 Feb 2022)

@chriswoody dont forget you can buy the piston caps separately in all colours too 😋


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## chriswoody (27 Feb 2022)

Nooo don't go telling me that, I'll never make my mind up!


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## Simple Simon (27 Feb 2022)

@JhnBssll What a great thread and a stunning XR4 you have built up.
I picked up my new Oltre last Sunday and due to weather and work I haven’t been out on my maiden ride yet.

The video of my bike being built is here 

View: https://youtu.be/2D5OHoqmuM4
.

Can’t wait to see what this beast is capable of.

cheers, 
Si


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## JhnBssll (2 Apr 2022)

After the success of the new printed GPS mount I decided it was a bit naff to then have the varia mounted to the seatpost with rubber bands so I've started a mini project this evening to come up with a better way of mounting it. I hope also to cover the seatpost clamp bolt - I had used a Giant TCR seatpost cover before which worked well at first but perished pretty quickly so I'm looking for an alternative solution.

First stage was to 3D scan the seatpost and clamp area...





This took a bit of doing as my scanner doesnt like dark colours very much but I eventually got enough detail captured to work with 

I then started playing in CAD and quickly lost several hours, which is why I'm posting this past bedtime  Here's where I've gotten to...















The garmin quarter turn adapter will screw in the end there for the varia to attach to. I haven't decided yet whether to make the fit snug on the seatpost so it's just held in place with friction or whether it will need some sort of clamp, I'll sleep on it and think about printing a prototype at some point 

I've also ordered a "forged carbon fibre development kit" that looks a lot like this...




This will arrive on Monday so thats quite exciting, whether this part will end up suitable to trial the process with I'm not yet sure but I'll no doubt have fun finding out


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## Milkfloat (2 Apr 2022)

That looks like fun, but I would be worried that the mount could damage both the seat post and the frame as the seat post flexes. Maybe you could rubberise the inside of the mount which could also mean you can get away with just an interference fit.


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## JhnBssll (2 Apr 2022)

Milkfloat said:


> That looks like fun, but I would be worried that the mount could damage both the seat post and the frame as the seat post flexes. Maybe you could rubberise the inside of the mount which could also mean you can get away with just an interference fit.



Yeah, totally agree. I've put an offset all around the mating surfaces for now and was intending to apply some paint protection film to the bike where the new mount will be  I might try and print one later for a test fit but I've got some house stuff to do first while MrsBssll is out


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