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FEATURES: BEING THERE: BIANCHI CELEBRATES 125 YEARS
Gregor Brown
June 15, 2011
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Last week Bianchi brought fifty journalists from around the world to
remind everyone of their 125 years in the bicycle business and launch their 2012
bicycle range in the Bergamo hills above its headquarters. For the special affair, Bianchi chose the lush gardens of the
Clanezzo Castle to roll out their slick new road machines. The castle functions mostly as a hotel for weddings and
events like
Bianchi's launch. It sits under the famous passes used by local pros for
training and just 30km kilometers up from Bianchi's factory in Treviglio
where Italian greats Fausto Coppi and Felice Gimondi once collected
their race bikes decades ago.
In Coppi's and Gimondi's days the bikes were steel and lugged, light
years
from the sleek, carbon bikes seen today. All the 2012 Bianch offerings
were there: the Oltre, the 928 SL, the Sempre...and coupled with
technologies ranging from carbon
nano to hydro-formed aluminum.
"The way I look at it, the bike is a personal thing. Consumers want a
bike with a heritage and with a true bicycle company organization, not
just a marketing company," said Bianchi CEO Bob Ippolito.
"Many of our employees have been with us for 20 to 30 years, and the
company's been around for 126 years. In the past, Bianchi has also made motorcycles and automobiles.
It has a deep and profound history."
Ippolito joined Bianchi four years ago and helped it make many leaps
forward. To be honest, there's not a great leap from the 2011 to the
2012 road range. Bigger steps ahead were made in the mountain bike
range, which includes the new Methanol 29" SL.
2012 Oltre
Bianchi has now added a 47cm size frame to the Oltre models which now makes for seven sizes.
The seat post clamp has been redesigned to grasp every saddle on
the market snugly and new color schemes are offered.
The Oltre frame just came to the market in the last year to replace the
previous top-end 928 SL frame. Instead of changing a good thing, Bianchi
decided
to celebrate the Oltre's successes: Its ultra-thin seat stays made
possible by nano carbon tube construction, its seat post that is so aero
it appears
integrated with the frame and its lighter weight. The 55cm model
weighs 930g versus 1020g for the 928SL.
Impulso
"The news is related to the Impulso and its triple hydro-formed tubes,"
said Angelo Lecchi, product manager. "Last year, we introduced the Oltre
and Sempre, they've only been on the market for a few months. The plan
was to develop a new aluminium frame for 2012."
The Impulso's tubes are hydro-formed, welded and, in some cases,
hydro-formed again. Bianchi hydro-forms the tubes for a second time at
the juncture of the top tube and head tube. The process gives a smooth
look that is similar to a carbon frame. "You have to look closely,"
continued Lecchi, "to see that it is in fact an aluminum frame and not a
carbon one." The frame is heavier than carbon, 1590g for the 55cm
model, but it
reaches out to many new riders with its price and sizes. It's available
in nine sizes, from 44 to 63cm.
The Dinner
Talk of Bianchi's new range continued through aperitivo and dinner. We
washed down Oltre's evolution with a bubbling Prosecco and accompanied
by cheese and honey. The carbon nano tubes technology was reviewed with a
seafood starter, the Impulso with risotto, the triple hydro-forming
with 'un piatto di carne'... When the gelato and cake were finished,
many guests had returned to the garden to size themselves on their
favorite frame.
Bianchi rider and five-time Giro d'Italia winner Fausto Coppi. Photo: AFP
For more info: Bianchi Bicycles. |
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