# Bianchi Via Nirone 7 - Campognolo Xenon



## Moorie87 (30 Jul 2019)

I have offered the chance to purchase the above bike (see pictures) for £350. What are people's opinions/experience with the bike and is it a good deal? Said he bought it from Start Cycles in October 2016 for £980 and been kept inside when not being used. Frame size is 57mm and i am 6'1. This will be my first road bike.
Any advice welcome


----------



## vickster (30 Jul 2019)

I think Xenon is Campag entry level, so Tiagra or Sram Apex equivalent 

Go try it out, see what you think. Some people say low end campag can be a bit agricultural and parts are a bit harder to get than Shimano
Or Sram.


----------



## Cycleops (30 Jul 2019)

Hello and welcome to the forum.
Well it should at least be the correct size for you. You really need to check it out to see what condition it's in and what if anything need fixing.


----------



## Elybazza61 (30 Jul 2019)

As Vickster said Xenon is Campag entry level and the Nirone is Bianchi entry level.

However for £350 well worth it; make sure the fit is ok though most notably reach from saddle to bars.


----------



## boydj (30 Jul 2019)

There's nothing wrong with basic Campag kit - the gear changes might be a little clunkier than the Shimano equivalent, but it works well enough and I prefer the Campag shifting to the way Shimano works. After having a Campag-equipped bike on hire last year, I managed to get an older Chorus level bike from e-bay and I prefer it to my 105 bike.


----------



## wheresthetorch (30 Jul 2019)

I have this same bike - 2015 model - and am really pleased with it. Comfortable geometry, fairly light and the Campagnolo Xenon shifts well. The rear cassette (11-25) was a bit much for the Sussex Downs so I had it replaced with a 12-29, which necessitated a medium cage derailleur, so be aware you may need to make similar changes, unless the gearing already been changed.

The wheels are often criticised as being the main cost-cutting part of the bike - I replaced mine with some secondhand Scirocco 35s. Not sure they made much performance difference, but they look nice!


----------



## winjim (30 Jul 2019)

I had one too, nice bike and in some ways I regret selling it. The freehub did disintegrate but it was replacable. Mine was a 57cm, but was exactly the same dimensions as my 54cm Genesis so they do size them a bit strangely. It fit me well but I'm a bit shorter than you at 5'10". I do seem to remember swapping the stem for a slightly shorter one so you might be OK. I bought mine for £400 barely used, looked after it and sold it on for the same price, so £350 is a good price if it's in decent nick.

I would agree with @wheresthetorch about the gearing. I managed to ride all over the Peak District but was struggling a bit on the 25t sprocket. Depends on your fitness and the terrain how you get on with it and a cassette and mech swap is no big deal.


----------



## RegG (1 Aug 2019)

This may be the "entry level" Bianchi but the Via Nirone 7 is very well respected in Bianchi circles. It is said to be a very good, comfortable ride and a lot of owners prefer it to their more expensive carbon bikes. As others have said, I believe Campag Xenon to be their entry level groupset but this should not detract from the quality of the bike. If, assuming the frame is in good, straight condition, and it is the correct size for you, there is no reason not to get it at £350. If you wanted to, you could always upgrade the groupset to the latest Shimano 105 for around £400 which would make it a great bike. You could also take a look on the Bianchi owners club FB pages for more guidance - but you would have to join the group. 

Good luck!


----------



## vickster (1 Aug 2019)

RegG said:


> This may be the "entry level" Bianchi but the Via Nirone 7 is very well respected in Bianchi circles. It is said to be a very good, comfortable ride and a lot of owners prefer it to their more expensive carbon bikes. As others have said, I believe Campag Xenon to be their entry level groupset but this should not detract from the quality of the bike. If, assuming the frame is in good, straight condition, and it is the correct size for you, there is no reason not to get it at £350. If you wanted to, you could always upgrade the groupset to the latest Shimano 105 for around £400 which would make it a great bike. You could also take a look on the Bianchi owners club FB pages for more guidance - but you would have to join the group.
> 
> Good luck!


You'd maybe need new wheels too, if switching groupset from Campag to Shimano?


----------



## boydj (1 Aug 2019)

Why upgrade to Shimano, or at all? Ride the bike for a while to learn how it works, see how you like it and if there are any niggles which are potential upgrade needs. You can upgrade as things wear out, but changing to Shimano or moving to 9, 10 or 11 speed Campag is bound to be expensive - probably at least as much as the bike cost. At the end of the day, when you are out riding any upgrades won't make that much difference to the riding experience, which depends much more on the frame and wheels.


----------



## wheresthetorch (3 Aug 2019)

Did you buy it @Moorie87 ?


----------



## RegG (10 Aug 2019)

vickster said:


> You'd maybe need new wheels too, if switching groupset from Campag to Shimano?


True... you would need new wheels too but an ideal time to upgrade to a decent set!


----------



## Globalti (11 Aug 2019)

Via Nirone 7 is a very nice bike, designed for smooth and comfortable all day cruising. It handles securely and you won't regret buying it.


----------



## Apollonius (11 Aug 2019)

"Upgrade to Shimano"???? Some mistake surely!


----------



## vickster (11 Aug 2019)

Apollonius said:


> "Upgrade to Shimano"???? Some mistake surely!


Quite...now if he'd said SRAM ...


----------



## DCBassman (11 Aug 2019)

Oh, come on everyone. By this stage of the game, I seriously doubt any of these three makes are more than microscopically different in terms of quality of operation.
Personal preference only. Otherwise that stuff would be on every professional bike, without exception.


----------



## vickster (11 Aug 2019)

DCBassman said:


> Oh, come on everyone. By this stage of the game, I seriously doubt any of these three makes are more than microscopically different in terms of quality of operation.
> Personal preference only. Otherwise that stuff would be on every professional bike, without exception.


I find Sram and Shimano completely different in look, feel and operation (if comparing the same ‘level’). Not solely a preference between two systems that according to you are the same


----------



## DCBassman (12 Aug 2019)

I don't doubt that they _are_ different, just that this difference is not technical superiority, level for level. Having never experienced anything bar Shimano*, I'm certain I too would notice some difference between systems.
Edit: not true, the Simplex 5er on the rescued Peugeot is, erm, how shall I put it, agricultural?


----------



## vickster (12 Aug 2019)

DCBassman said:


> I don't doubt that they _are_ different, just that this difference is not technical superiority, level for level. Having never experienced anything bar Shimano*, I'm certain I too would notice some difference between systems.
> Edit: not true, the Simplex 5er on the rescued Peugeot is, erm, how shall I put it, agricultural?


I don’t give a cr@p about technical superiority 

Usability, feel, size, shape and look of the shifters on the bike


----------



## DCBassman (12 Aug 2019)

vickster said:


> I don’t give a cr@p about technical superiority
> 
> Usability, feel, size, shape and look of the shifters on the bike


Exactly my point. There ARE differences, just not technically-speaking. On the old saw of 'original is always best', Campagnolo should nail it every time, but they don't. And one person's usability is another's fumbling awkwardness. My personal example of this is drop-bar brifters. Horrible. Flat bar EZ-fires are, to me, superior in every way. I might otherwise actually possess a drop bar bike...


----------



## RegG (12 Aug 2019)

Apollonius said:


> "Upgrade to Shimano"???? Some mistake surely!



If Shimano is good enough for Team Jumbo-Visma its good enough for me!!


----------



## fair weather cyclist (23 Apr 2021)

I'm digging up this thread as I have a question related to the sizing of Bianchi bikes.

I'm seeing for sale online a Bianchi via nirone 7 frame size 50cm. It's 5 year old model. I've read here that Bianchi bikes measure a bit strange. Could anyone let me know what rider's height would this 50cm bike suit?


----------



## T4tomo (23 Apr 2021)

They size up marginally smaller than average I.e. mine is 57cm but if I hire a bike on hols etc then i'd hire a 56cm and its about the same size, below may or may not be your year model, but the dimensions have barely changed. Nice bikes I had one (maybe a 2009 model) before I bought my Infinito CV, I sold the Via Nirone to my mate so i still see it most weekends


----------



## winjim (23 Apr 2021)

I'm 5'10" and my 57cm VN7 fit me perfectly. It was the same dimensions as my 54cm Genesis CdF.


----------



## fair weather cyclist (23 Apr 2021)

T4tomo said:


> They size up marginally smaller than average I.e. mine is 57cm but if I hire a bike on hols etc then i'd hire a 56cm and its about the same size, below may or may not be your year model, but the dimensions have barely changed. Nice bikes I had one (maybe a 2009 model) before I bought my Infinito CV, I sold the Via Nirone to my mate so i still see it most weekends
> View attachment 585318



Thanks for this one.

I'm interested to hear your opinion: the person the bike would be for is 5'5-5'6 so kind of in between sizes. In line of principle, when in between sizes would you go for the smaller bike with saddle moved up or the larger bike with saddle moved down.


----------



## T4tomo (23 Apr 2021)

Its best to try for size, although not always possible. 

general advice is always smaller, you can fit a longer stem if needed, and flip the stem so handle bars sit a touch higher if they have a lot of seat post showing, getting the reach right from saddle to bars is key to being comfortable. saddle also adjusts back and forth. However if they have a long reach to leg length, they may want to go larger, its not an exact science unfortunately.

It is harder to make a big bike smaller.

so barring them being an orangutan, I'd err on side of smaller.


----------



## fair weather cyclist (23 Apr 2021)

Cheers, just what I thought


----------

