# New bike - Bianchi Via Nirone



## VamP (13 May 2011)

Took delivery of my Via Nirone last night. A very exciting moment, as I have been pottering about on my Spesh Rockhopper (YOM 1995), which I thought was not too bad, but after my exploratory ride on the Bianchi last night, very quickly realised it's deffo a BSO now.

This is my first road bike since I was a teenager, and my God has the game moved on!

I had some apprehension about going clipless because EVERYONE I know has had a clipless moment at some (early) point in their acclimatisation phase. I reckon I got some kind of a record with mine though. After practicing for a few minutes while stationary, I reckoned it was pretty straightforward and took off on a little pootle down a quiet street around the back of my house. I got about a 100 yards in when at a narrow section, a very nice lady driveer came hammering down the lane the other way, overtaking parked cars and seemingly totally oblivious of my presence on the road aimed straight at me. My only way to avoid impact was to head for the pavement, pronto, but struggling as I was to unclip one foot, I also tried to brake at the same time - and lo and behold - the brakes on the Bianchi actually work, in rather stark contrast to my BSO - I only snatched at the front brake as the said car was approaching fast, with the same force that would have resulted in a small speed reduction on my BSO - and achieved a spectacular dismount over the handlebars, with the bike following behind me. Am not altogether sure what happened during my landing, but I ended up standing on my feet, with just the tiniest road rash on the palms of my hands, and no damage to my bare knees. Must have achieved pedal dismount in mid flight, as the bike was lying on the floor behind me, and some kind of a somersault, via my hands, and straight back onto my feet. As you can imagine I was horrified at the pottential damage to my beautiful bike, but upon inspection the only damage was a scrape to the handlebar tape. Miraculous. Kind lady made sure I was all right by driving off at full speed. I am actually not sure she even registered my presence.

The rest of my test ride went smoothly, I covered cca 15 miles in total, averaging about 16 mph. The bike is a total revelation, the acceleration, the smoothness, the manouvreability. Immense. I love the way this bike rides, and am really happy to have finally taken the plunge. Not to mention the fact that it is so very very beautiful. I knew I was onto a winner when I unloaded the bike and my GF exclaimed ''Sex on wheels!''

Big ride planned for tomorrow, 50 odd miles, and the Bianchi will become my primary commuter from next week, so it will be interesting how it shapes up against the BSO. I plan to revisit this thread with updates, and observations.

Clipless now holds no fears, all feels easy and smooth, and boy what a difference it makes to transition of power!


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## twozeronine (13 May 2011)

Fellow Via Nirone owner here, and I concur on its beauty.  Which groupset did you get (Tiagra, Voloce etc.)?

Not a nice way to start your first ride on it.  As you said, most people have moments when they first go clipless. After using them for a while it will become second nature to unclip when you need to stop, and you'll barely need to think about doing it.

Enjoy your bike!


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## VamP (13 May 2011)

twozeronine said:


> Fellow Via Nirone owner here, and I concur on its beauty.  Which groupset did you get (Tiagra, Voloce etc.)?
> 
> Not a nice way to start your first ride on it.  As you said, most people have moments when they first go clipless. After using them for a while it will become second nature to unclip when you need to stop, and you'll barely need to think about doing it.
> 
> Enjoy your bike!



It's got the Campagnolo Xenon. The frame is a keeper, the rest will get upgraded over time I suspect. Starting with the wheelset.

I kind of felt like I didn't need to think about unclipping by the end of my ride last night. I had not fallen off a bike in 15 years (not counting occasional MTB spill), so last night was a bit of a wake up call. And clipless were really only a minor contribution to the incident. 

Thanks for your well wishes, and likewise to yourself! What is yours equipped with, and are you planning any upgrades?


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## Rebel Ian (13 May 2011)

A beautiful bike and indeed it is "sex on wheels"! Don't worry about the clipless moment, I had one the day I got my Bianchi at home in the lounge straight into the Christmas tree!!

Re wheelset I had to upgrade mine (due to some numpty running me over) and now run Campag Sciroccos. Would definitely recommend them. If yours has Vittoria Zaffiro tyres I'd get them off straight away. I ran for 1200 miles without a flat but the new Contis I've got are so much faster.


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## VamP (13 May 2011)

Rebel Ian said:


> A beautiful bike and indeed it is "sex on wheels"! Don't worry about the clipless moment, I had one the day I got my Bianchi at home in the lounge straight into the Christmas tree!!
> 
> Re wheelset I had to upgrade mine (due to some numpty running me over) and now run Campag Sciroccos. Would definitely recommend them. If yours has Vittoria Zaffiro tyres I'd get them off straight away. I ran for 1200 miles without a flat but the new Contis I've got are so much faster.




Yup Zaffiros!

Am thinking about changing, but might feel wasteful changing straight away. I figure I need to get a few hundred miles on them first, and kinda think of it as a training process.

Well done on hitting the Christmas tree, that deffo beats my record!


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## Shadow (13 May 2011)

Rebel Ian said:


> If yours has Vittoria Zaffiro tyres I'd get them off straight away.



What do you find is the problem with these?

p.s. slightly envious, gorgeous bike!


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## VamP (13 May 2011)

Shadow said:


> What do you find is the problem with these?
> 
> p.s. slightly envious, gorgeous bike!



They are a low end tyre, so fairly mediocre in performance. Ian has just changed his, and reckons his average mph has shot up by a massive 1.5 mph. (there's another thread on it)

By extension I am gratefully accepting your envy  . It is indeed gorgeous, I LOVE it!

Mine is the 2011 model and has a different colour scheme to Ian's 

see here

I think both look lovely.


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## twozeronine (13 May 2011)

VamP said:


> Thanks for your well wishes, and likewise to yourself! What is yours equipped with, and are you planning any upgrades?



I've got the Shimano 105/Ultegra mix. Like yourself I'll probably do a wheel upgrade at some point, but I've been spending way too much on stuff lately that it can wait.


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## VamP (13 May 2011)

twozeronine said:


> I've got the Shimano 105/Ultegra mix. Like yourself I'll probably do a wheel upgrade at some point, but I've been spending way too much on stuff lately that it can wait.




Nice!

When/If I upgrade my gearset it will most likely be Campagnolo Veloce - much to my surprise being a Bianchi owner has turned me into bit of a Italian component nut. 

Totally feeling your point on the ''spending too much'' angle.


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## twozeronine (13 May 2011)

Haha yeah, for some reason you do feel like anything you buy for it must be Italian, otherwise it's like wearing odd socks or something.  Having said that, I'm very happy with my Shimano groupset. 

Nice colour scheme on your bike, by the way!


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## Mikeoupe (13 May 2011)

Another Nirone rider here, 2009, tremendous bike!


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## chris-s (13 May 2011)

I found the zaffiro tyres to be very good, never had a puncture, road all winter on all sorts of potholed surfaces. mind you I had nothing to compare them against when I got by Nirone last summer. I only changed them recently because I fancied something a bit lighter/sportier. I now have Schwalbe Ultremo R1's and there is a discernable difference between them, tho I don't think I would have noticed this if I'd changed them when i first got the bike.

I got the Tiagra gear option, can't fault it, love it, so much that I've decided to take it on a little tour to Paris in July as well (never been on a cycling tour before).

Chris


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## Rebel Ian (13 May 2011)

Shadow said:


> What do you find is the problem with these?
> 
> p.s. slightly envious, gorgeous bike!




No problem in terms of durability. Low end tyre they may be but I managed 1200 miles without a flat. I just find the tyres I have on there now are dramatically faster.


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## gbb (13 May 2011)

Well, if you're determined to spend, the wheels do make a difference. Having had 2 Via Nirones (my current ones a 2009 Xenon) i found the wheels bombproof, actually the only thing thats failed has been the Omega BB. I think mine had Contis on that were prone to punctures.
But anyway, wheels...i find new wheels (on a whim, not because there was anything wrong with the originals)are not particually free running, they take time to free up. Just fitted fulcrum racing 5s to mine...and they didnt run freely either. They need a little time. I got impatient and fitted low friction bearings...the difference is immediate.
What fork is fitted to yours VamP ?. The full carbon fork is extraordinarily light.

Good rock solid, beautiful bike. I dont see me buying anything different.


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## VamP (16 May 2011)

gbb said:


> Well, if you're determined to spend, the wheels do make a difference. Having had 2 Via Nirones (my current ones a 2009 Xenon) i found the wheels bombproof, actually the only thing thats failed has been the Omega BB. I think mine had Contis on that were prone to punctures.
> But anyway, wheels...i find new wheels (on a whim, not because there was anything wrong with the originals)are not particually free running, they take time to free up. Just fitted fulcrum racing 5s to mine...and they didnt run freely either. They need a little time. I got impatient and fitted low friction bearings...the difference is immediate.
> What fork is fitted to yours VamP ?. The full carbon fork is extraordinarily light.
> 
> Good rock solid, beautiful bike. I dont see me buying anything different.




The fork is carbon with alu steerer. Not sure what weight it is, but it is exceedingly comfortable over rough roads.


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## VamP (16 May 2011)

Managed to get out for a 47 mile circuit throught the South Downs on Sunday. As it happens my lycra shorts and mitts showed up on Saturday so I had the full Sunday rider regalia on - and felt pretty comfortable, mainly as the South Downs were packed with riders of all shapes and colours.

Did the 47 miles in 3 hrs 1 min, which I have no idea whether that's a good time or not, but I did have a great time, and my Via Nirone was excellent. Reached max speed of 42mph on one of the downhills, and that was exhilarating, but the biggest revelation came on the climbs - very easy to get a good rhythm, and much more comfortable to get up in the pedals than my old ride.

I have no idea about the altitude climbed, bikemap reckons 2099 feet, bikehike over 3000 feet.  

My only concern was over a kind of noise from BB, when really pushing on or getting up in the pedals. Only from the left pedal, and the sound was kind of a metallic tightening - but subtle, not loud. Probably just the BB needs a good tightening.


Anyways, the odo now reads 85 miles, so should break the 100 mile mark on the ride home tonight. I still love my bike


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## Sonofpear (16 May 2011)

My mate just got the veloce spec one. Lovely lovely bike. Lovely colour aswell.


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## Judderz (16 May 2011)

Rebel Ian said:


> If yours has Vittoria Zaffiro tyres I'd get them off straight away. I ran for 1200 miles without a flat but the new Contis I've got are so much faster.



+1 I got my Orbea with Zaffiro's on, although never had a puncture in 12months, I replaced them also with Conti's, and found my avg speed had upped, found myself running on a higher gear, there really is less rolling resistance than the Zaffiro's


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## yello (16 May 2011)

It's the first time that I've heard of a Spec Rockhopper being referred to as a "BSO".  They were always a good bike imho. Have things changed?

Glad you're enjoying the new bike though. I still get a buzz out of my old alu framed Bianchi. It just seems to accelerate effortlessly - it's so incredibly light compared to my steel framed audax bike.


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## VamP (16 May 2011)

Haha! If anyone had referred to it as a BSO as recently as a week ago, there would have been words... or worse.

However, it is about 17 years old, and in need of some fettling. BSO by comparison to my new ride - can we settle on that?

I am not going to get rid, though, and a revitalization plan is on the cards for this winter. I love(d) that bike, want to love it again.


Luuuurve the new bike  Thanks for the kind words.


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## VamP (20 May 2011)

Now 150 miles on the clock, and loving her more than ever. Just gave her a loving wipe down before riding into work this morning. 

BB a little noisy, rear derailleur a touch imprecise, and chain fell off front small ring twice. I expect components to get a little out of true on a new bike, but is this a little too much? I am a little suspicious of the assembly process at Evans, and will get my LBS to check the bike over and adjust what is needed.

Planning to do a 50 miler this weekend, and want the bike to be *perfect* for that.


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## Sonofpear (20 May 2011)

Getting mine today. Planning a 30-40 miler with some friends on Sunday. Really looking forward to it.


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## VamP (20 May 2011)

Sonofpear said:


> Getting mine today. Planning a 30-40 miler with some friends on Sunday. Really looking forward to it.




Oh you must be really excited.

What pedals are you going for BTW? Remember to post pics of your new bike, and let us know how your Sunday ride went.


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## Sonofpear (20 May 2011)

Yeah mate i'm really excited, like a kid at christmas 
They threw in some bog standard bontrager ones with straps. Unfortunately I can't afford clipless pedals and shoes at the minute. But they'll be next on my list. 
What pedal shoe combo have you got. Haven't really delved into looking at them yet so wouldn't know what to get.


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## Sonofpear (20 May 2011)

I'll post some pics up when I get sorted. And will let you know how my first real ride goes.


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## WychwoodTrev (20 May 2011)

Vamp sounds like a little service is what your new ride needs.cables sound like they have stretched a bit and the adjuster have bedded in.now the noise from the bb needs a mech to look at.good luck with she sounds like a great bike


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## VamP (20 May 2011)

WychwoodTrev said:


> Vamp sounds like a little service is what your new ride needs.cables sound like they have stretched a bit and the adjuster have bedded in.now the noise from the bb needs a mech to look at.good luck with she sounds like a great bike




Thanks, that's what I thought. She's a beaut.


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## VamP (20 May 2011)

Sonofpear said:


> Yeah mate i'm really excited, like a kid at christmas
> They threw in some bog standard bontrager ones with straps. Unfortunately I can't afford clipless pedals and shoes at the minute. But they'll be next on my list.
> What pedal shoe combo have you got. Haven't really delved into looking at them yet so wouldn't know what to get.



I have gone for Shimano SPD SL 105's. They come in black, so look great with the black chainset. I have to say that clipless are awesome, you WILL be wanting to look into that soon. The 105 get good reviews (apparently just as good as the more expensive Ultegra) so I went with those. Pedals get all the force that you generate riding transmitted through them, so I wanted ones with good quality bearings.

Shoes are Shimano something or other - went for a shoe that felt comfy and they had in the right size. IMO so long as the shoe is comfy it probably doesnt matter too much which you get.


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## VamP (25 May 2011)

Hahahahaha! Having got blase about clipless, I ended up falling off today. 

Approaching traffic lights, I dropped from big ring to little ring at walking speed on approach to the line - and my chain promptly fell off! I was so preoccuppied at trying to figure what made that happen and angry at it happening again, that I totally forgot to unclip while stopping, only realising something wasn't quite right when I started to approach a 45 degree angle  

Was surprisingly soft and painless fall - so there's another fear reduced to manageable proportions.


Anyway, bike now has 234.4 miles on the odo, so I'll book it into it's first (free) service with Evans, and get the front mech adjusted.

Did 57 miler around Surrey hills on Sunday - was perfect then, everything smooth as you like, noise from BB gone, and having mickled the chain, the rear mech was smooth as butter.


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## Rebel Ian (25 May 2011)

There are only two types of cyclist. Those who have fallen off and those who are going to.


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## VamP (25 May 2011)

Rebel Ian said:


> There are only two types of cyclist. Those who have fallen off and those who are going to.



I think I might be in both of those categories at the same time!


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## Sonofpear (25 May 2011)

Ahh so you've had your first fall aswell vamp, good to get it outta the way eh. Good to see your pounding the miles since you got your new bike aswell. 
I'm going for a little ride tonight after work. Gonna really push myself and try a couple of small hills along the way.


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## VamP (25 May 2011)

Yeah Sonofpear - little rides after work are almost as much fun as big rides at the weekend!  this was actually my second fall  


Surrey Hills

This is the route from last Sunday. Absolutely brilliant, the North Downs are superb for cycling. I am finding hills particularly enjoyable - in a perverse kind of way.

I have also signed up for a research project, where I commit to 5 evenings of testing in lab conditions, and in return get all the performance data to keep. Not just heartrate, but lactate levels at different workloads as well as VO2Max measurements. Very interesting, and shaping my thoughts on training and nutrition. I will post on that separately once I have the data to hand.


I am also now committed to doing my first Sportive, July the 3rd, again in the North Downs. It's one of the Ride It! events organised by Evans. I am going to stick to the 60 mile distance for this first one, see how I get on.


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## pash (25 May 2011)

I have a 2008 Xenon equipped with the vittoria tires. Have had no problems at all with the bike apart from a broken spoke which was quickly sorted by local Bianchi dealer in Benfleet Essex. He is superb and going into the shop is like Bianchi heaven. I love the Campag gears and shifters but its a pain that they arent compatible with Shimano hubs. Means I cant swap my race wheels from the TT bike to the Bianchi or vice versa for training rides. They have gone up a lot in price since I got mine as well but would always recommend them.
Enjoy your new ride and keep practicing with the clipless pedals!!


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## Sonofpear (25 May 2011)

That looks like a great ride vamp. I know what you mean about the hills. I've always loved the climbing aspect of riding although I have a long way to go haha

Managed a short ride tonight. Only 13 miles @ 16mph average. Was into a strong headwind but I felt like I really puahed myself. 

Do you use a bike computer or smartphone app to record your rides?


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## Nuno Woolmez (26 May 2011)

Hey, just seen this thread & as a fellow Nirone owner i felt compelled to add to it. I have upgraded everything on the bike save the excellent frame & fork combo, the Ultegra STI's & the rear derailleur. That's not to say i was unhappy with it, it is a super entry bike. Mine was a 2009 edition & has a lovely red & white frame with black & white forks & seatstays! 

I have upgraded all components to make up the full Ultegra groupaet save for the Fulcrum chainset i have put on. Pair of Bontrager Rl wheels & Conti GP 4000 tyres. I had a bike fitting at Sigma Sport after experiencing neck & back pain & ended up having to replace saddle, stem, seat post, & bars. No problems now tho. Rides like a dream & looks wicked! If you do want to upgrade wheels & tyres are first up.

I had lots of clipless mishaps first out too so you are not alone! Worst was probably saturday lunch time in Camden High St in the market! 

Enjoy your Nirone!


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## Sonofpear (26 May 2011)

I had a little look at those Evans ride it events. None anywhere near me. My friend was telling me about a few events here in the north east which sounded good. He also did the coast to coast which I like the sound of. Need to get a bit fitter before I would tackle that tho.


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## threebikesmcginty (26 May 2011)

VamP said:


> ...I have been pottering about on my Spesh Rockhopper (YOM 1995), which I thought was not too bad, but after my exploratory ride on the Bianchi last night, very quickly realised it's deffo a BSO now.



Oi, I've got a 1987 Rockhopper and it's no BSO!


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## VamP (26 May 2011)

Sonofpear said:


> That looks like a great ride vamp. I know what you mean about the hills. I've always loved the climbing aspect of riding although I have a long way to go haha
> 
> Managed a short ride tonight. Only 13 miles @ 16mph average. Was into a strong headwind but I felt like I really puahed myself.
> 
> Do you use a bike computer or smartphone app to record your rides?



I cycle to work on odd days, 31 miles round trip, so that keeps me ticking over during the week. I keep getting faster on that, so it feels quite motivating, and the 15.5 mile one way is short enough to basically push the whole way. My best home run (less climbing) is 19.3 mph, but last night with headwind only managed 18.5 mph.

Into work is slower, and my best is 17.5 mph, which I guess was wind assisted as it was also yesterday  

At the moment I am just using a basic computer to keep track of my mileage and time, and record all in bikemaps manually. But am saving up for a Garmin


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## VamP (26 May 2011)

Nuno Woolmez said:


> Hey, just seen this thread & as a fellow Nirone owner i felt compelled to add to it. I have upgraded everything on the bike save the excellent frame & fork combo, the Ultegra STI's & the rear derailleur. That's not to say i was unhappy with it, it is a super entry bike. Mine was a 2009 edition & has a lovely red & white frame with black & white forks & seatstays!
> 
> I have upgraded all components to make up the full Ultegra groupaet save for the Fulcrum chainset i have put on. Pair of Bontrager Rl wheels & Conti GP 4000 tyres. I had a bike fitting at Sigma Sport after experiencing neck & back pain & ended up having to replace saddle, stem, seat post, & bars. No problems now tho. Rides like a dream & looks wicked! If you do want to upgrade wheels & tyres are first up.
> 
> ...



Sounds like a great bike! Yep saving up for wheels and tyres as well as the Garmin  But I want to get at least a thousand miles out of the wheels and tyres I have on now, so as to feel I got my monies worth  


Interesting regarding your comments on a proper fitting, as I do get a fairly stiff neck on longer (3hrs+) rides. I will look into that as well.


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## VamP (26 May 2011)

Sonofpear said:


> I had a little look at those Evans ride it events. None anywhere near me. My friend was telling me about a few events here in the north east which sounded good. He also did the coast to coast which I like the sound of. Need to get a bit fitter before I would tackle that tho.



I find the fact that I am signed up for an event hugely motivating, so I guess I will always be looking to have something in the pipeline. I also reckon that it's best to do something while relatively unfit, as it gives you a kick up the arse, and gives a you a stake in the sand to compare gainst as you get fitter going forward. 

I used that approach in running, and plan to use in cycling too.

The coast to coast sounds great, maybe something to aim for in future years.


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## VamP (26 May 2011)

threebikesmcginty said:


> Oi, I've got a 1987 Rockhopper and it's no BSO!




You are absolutely right. I have come to the same conclusion, and have already apologised to Edmund (that's my Rockhopper's name).

It's totally not his fault that I have allowed him to get a little out of shape. He is now booked in for a service, and will get his brakes etc. fixed ASAP.

I have also been told that retro rigid mountainbikes are going to be the next thing in cool - so am planning to ride that wave big stylee.


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## VamP (26 May 2011)

pash said:


> I have a 2008 Xenon equipped with the vittoria tires. Have had no problems at all with the bike apart from a broken spoke which was quickly sorted by local Bianchi dealer in Benfleet Essex. He is superb and going into the shop is like Bianchi heaven. I love the Campag gears and shifters but its a pain that they arent compatible with Shimano hubs. Means I cant swap my race wheels from the TT bike to the Bianchi or vice versa for training rides. They have gone up a lot in price since I got mine as well but would always recommend them.
> Enjoy your new ride and keep practicing with the clipless pedals!!




 

I also love the Campag kit. I was initially thinking of upgrading to Veloce in fairly short order, but now see no reason to - the Xenon kit is excellent.

I feel totally at home with the clipless pedals - so much so I forgot I had them


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## nightoff (26 May 2011)

Another Via Nirone owner here. I have the 2010 version with a Tiagra group set. 

I too love my bike. It has carried me about 2500 miles in the last 10 months with not too many problems.
I do feel a little guilty about spoiling its lines with commuter gear all over it though. It's currently covered in lights, Crud Road Racer guards and has a great big saddle bag hanging off the back which I tend to keep on, even when going on my weekend blasts.

Upgrades so far is the saddle to a Spesh Alias, Michelin Krylion Carbon tyres, Shimano R500 wheels, Swiss Stop Green brake blocks.
Planned upgrades are Fulcrum 5s, Shimano M540 pedals and a new stem to tweak the fit for more comfort on longer rides. Can't really fault the Tiagra group set so than will stay until it dies.

I am fitting a new chain this weekend and giving her an over due service. 

I rode all through the cold winter on the salty roads and she still looks like new. What a bike


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## threebikesmcginty (26 May 2011)

VamP said:


> You are absolutely right. I have come to the same conclusion, and have already apologised to Edmund (that's my Rockhopper's name).



Ok then, you're forgiven.

Edmund, name of kings and princes


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## Sonofpear (27 May 2011)

VamP said:


> I cycle to work on odd days, 31 miles round trip, so that keeps me ticking over during the week. I keep getting faster on that, so it feels quite motivating, and the 15.5 mile one way is short enough to basically push the whole way. My best home run (less climbing) is 19.3 mph, but last night with headwind only managed 18.5 mph.
> 
> Into work is slower, and my best is 17.5 mph, which I guess was wind assisted as it was also yesterday
> 
> At the moment I am just using a basic computer to keep track of my mileage and time, and record all in bikemaps manually. But am saving up for a Garmin



Yeah I'll defo look at doing some organised rides in the future, like I say just wanna get used to my bike and work on my fitness. Will probably use the route I did as my little night time training ride. Work on getting quicker round it. Maybe extend it a little as I thought it was further than 13 miles. 
I've just started using an app on my phone to log my rides. Just to give me a basic idea of distance and time. Seems alright. 
Somebody on here has also given me some info on a local club which I think is another thing I'll look to for the future.


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## VamP (22 Jun 2011)

A quick update.


Beverley (named after beautiful but ditzy friend from distant past) has now just under 600 miles on the clock. She has had her first service (freebie from Evans) where as far as I can tell they fiddled a little with the rear mech indexing. Great  .

Last weekend had a rear wheel puncture (great big jag of a flint slashed right across the tyre) so that was the perfect excuse to move from the factory fit Zaffiros to Schwalbe Ultremo DD (which had been sitting around on my garage shelf impatiently). Big, big big difference in rolling resistance, and Bev is now significantly faster.

I have been in an upgrading mood, so there are new wheels on order (Mavic Ksyrium Elite) as well as a Centaur rear mech. I guess over the years I will uprade the whole groupset to Centaur level (ish).

60 mile sportive in 10 days time, so will update again after that. 

Still


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## Sonofpear (22 Jun 2011)

Starting the upgrades already eh vamp. My mate had a shoot load of probs with his zaffiros. I have the same tyres but haven't had any probs yet touch wood. Think I'll go for ultremos when I do upgrade. So is the deference in tyres really noticeable?


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## VamP (22 Jun 2011)

Sonofpear said:


> Starting the upgrades already eh vamp. My mate had a shoot load of probs with his zaffiros. I have the same tyres but haven't had any probs yet touch wood. Think I'll go for ultremos when I do upgrade. So is the deference in tyres really noticeable?




Heheh. I think the scope for tinkering and toys is one of the great reasons why cycling is so succesful as an industry  

On Ultremo's - I have only had the opportunity to test on my work commute thus far - four legs. The in - leg has resulted in the fastest two times I have yet posted (by 3 minutes!), while the home - leg runs have resulted in 2 of top 3 times.

More impressively (as usually one of the two legs is into headwind) the aggregate time for both legs on Monday was a full 7 minutes faster than my previous best one day aggregate time. That's a 7.3% improvement which can be attributed 99% to the tyres. 

I look forward to further significant improvements with the new wheels, as the factory fitted ones are gash.


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## gbb (22 Jun 2011)

VamP said:


> Managed to get out for a 47 mile circuit throught the South Downs on Sunday. As it happens my lycra shorts and mitts showed up on Saturday so I had the full Sunday rider regalia on - and felt pretty comfortable, mainly as the South Downs were packed with riders of all shapes and colours.
> 
> Did the 47 miles in 3 hrs 1 min, which I have no idea whether that's a good time or not, but I did have a great time, and my Via Nirone was excellent. Reached max speed of 42mph on one of the downhills, and that was exhilarating, but the biggest revelation came on the climbs - very easy to get a good rhythm, and much more comfortable to get up in the pedals than my old ride.
> 
> ...



Hiya VamP, another Via Nirone Xenon here.
Had mine 2 and a half years, its all worked flawlessly barring the BB. That failed (or started to fail) around 6 months ago. If its got the Omega BB, the bearings inside the shells are 'basic' quality and the shields are only plastic, worse still the axle runs directly on that plastic, so its a far from perfect design and probably acknowledged as the only shortcoming on the bike (actually its the BBs fault, not the bike  )

I know the post above goes back some time, but for any other users out there, dont overtighten the end screw on the cranks, its to pre-tension the cranks 'float' then you use the two pinch bolts to tighten the cranks onto the axle. If you tighten the end bolt too much, it WILL damage the BB.

I was only thinking the other day...i still love the Bianchi, i never get bored with looking at it even though with over two years riding and commuting, the frames showing quite a few light scratches which is a shame.
I saw the fork mentioned somewhere regarding its weight...mine has a full carbon fork and funnily enough,i weighed it the other day while doing some maintenance on the bike...400g and that included the bung. I did wonder what an alu/carbon fork weighed.

The only other thing ive found that may be of interest, and this applies to most bikes anyway, is while i was checking the forks, i had the bearing cartridges out of the headset...they were showing surface rust. Quick clean and re-grease, all's well. I dont really use it much in the wet or winter, so it pays to check after a while.


I keep thinking...if i get another bike, i cant see myself buying anything other than a Bianchi.


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## Sonofpear (23 Jun 2011)

That's a pretty decent gain with the new tyres. I didn't think it would be that much. Like I said i think I'll be getting some


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## VamP (27 Jun 2011)

gbb said:


> Hiya VamP, another Via Nirone Xenon here.
> Had mine 2 and a half years, its all worked flawlessly barring the BB. That failed (or started to fail) around 6 months ago. If its got the Omega BB, the bearings inside the shells are 'basic' quality and the shields are only plastic, worse still the axle runs directly on that plastic, so its a far from perfect design and probably acknowledged as the only shortcoming on the bike (actually its the BBs fault, not the bike  )
> 
> I know the post above goes back some time, but for any other users out there, dont overtighten the end screw on the cranks, its to pre-tension the cranks 'float' then you use the two pinch bolts to tighten the cranks onto the axle. If you tighten the end bolt too much, it WILL damage the BB.
> ...



Thanks for the heads up. I am not sure what BB the bike has, as it's not described in any blurb. I have untightened the end bolts again


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## VamP (27 Jun 2011)

Sonofpear said:


> That's a pretty decent gain with the new tyres. I didn't think it would be that much. Like I said i think I'll be getting some



Yes, I was surprised too.

New wheels arrived today, so once those are fitted, I will update how much difference they have made. Going with Ultremos R1 on these.


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## Sonofpear (27 Jun 2011)

Awesome mate. Let me know how you get on with them.


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## Mark_Robson (27 Jun 2011)

Sonofpear said:


> Awesome mate. Let me know how you get on with them.


If your thinking of buying them you can have a look at mine before you make your mind up. If your bike is geared up for Shimano I can put my wheels onto your bike and we can have a blast up the coast so that you can try them.
https://www.cyclechat.net/


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## Sonofpear (27 Jun 2011)

Thanks for the offer mark. There's no chance of me getting new wheelset anytime soon. No money for extravagances like that the mrs would say. Maybe some new tyres if I'm lucky.


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## Sonofpear (27 Jun 2011)

Your bike looks great aswell mark. Really nice.


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## Mark_Robson (27 Jun 2011)

TBH the offer was so that you could see what you thought of the tyres rather than the wheels.


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## Sonofpear (27 Jun 2011)

Sorry I got a bit mixed up there mark. Because I was asking vamp to let me know about his new wheels I assumed you thought I was after new wheels haha. 
Thanks for the offer though mate. Might take you up on that. You live near the north east coast yeah?


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## Mark_Robson (27 Jun 2011)

Yep West Boldon.


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## Sonofpear (27 Jun 2011)

Only a couple of miles away. Im in shields, the lawe top if you know it


Sorry for hijacking your post there vamp.


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## VamP (28 Jun 2011)

Sonofpear said:


> Only a couple of miles away. Im in shields, the lawe top if you know it
> 
> 
> Sorry for hijacking your post there vamp.




No worries. If it helps you get tyres you are happy with, then RESULT!

Spent last night fitting cassette to wheels, and tyres etc. Got a grumpy GF this morning moaning about keeping her up too late  

I am definitely enjoying this tinkering aspect. I have a day off work on Friday, so that's going to be my *learn how to fit a rear derailleur, new chain and adjust indexing day*. Better be on it, as Sunday is my first Sportive, and don't want to end up with bike falling apart half way round.


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## Sonofpear (29 Jun 2011)

Yeah I know what you mean about the grumpy girlfriend thing. Mine says she is becoming a bike widow. It's hard juggling time between family work and riding. Just not enough hours in the day. 
Hope you get the bike in tip top shape for the sportive. What kinda distance is it? Me and a couple of friends have just decided were gonna do the coast to coast in a couple of weeks time, I can't wait.


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