Bianchi Specialissima 1978
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This bike came from Felice Gimondi's old club, that he continued to support as a pro...and beyond? Not sure. Whatever the case, any association with Gentleman Felice is very good thing.
This frame represents a transition in style for Bianchi. Pantographing the seat cluster with the Bianchi name here complements the bold B engraved into the fork crown, something many models had already included for several years. Artistic chroming is explored and refined, as well, and, by 1981, on the Superleggera (see Timeline), reaches its aesthetic apex: fork crown, lugs, seat cluster, drop-outs front and rear, and right side chainstay, all in beautiful nickel-plating (a.k.a. chrome to other brands). The nickel-plating resists oxidation, so it remains beautiful for somewhere between decades and forever, depending on the climate, use, and care taken. Additional pantographing of brake levers (cut-outs and World Champion stripes), calipers (routered to "lighten" is preferable to the engraved Bianchi name), seat post (a bold capital B and "weight-saving" vertical flutes), and chainring (winged Bianchi!) complete the beatification. Indeed, the the Specialissima is the little saint of the peloton. (The Superleggera is il Papa.)
The Celeste color:
Best Ride: Lasne--Genappe--Villers la Ville--Genappe--Lasne
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| Resplendent |
Front view shows double-tape on the handlebars dampen the vibration from the Belgian cobblestone roads. The head tube is a comfortable 19 cm, with a Super Record headset and 3 mm spacer, for easy reach.
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Standard length, unmilled Record calipers. I
alsohave a pair of milled calipers to fit.
Decisions, decisions. |
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| B is for Bianchi. |
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Campagnolo green gummy shift
lever covers. |
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Record hubs with the loveliest skewers ever.
Silver Super Champion tubular rims.
(French, but that's alright.) |
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| The Record B pantographed seat post needs blue highlight paint, and then it will be ready. |
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| February 1978 |
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| Record standard reach |
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Campagnolo long-point drop-outs
This Pat78 rear derailleur came out in the
second half of 1978. It is the first version
Super Record with the iconic flat, etched, and
polished outer plate seen on many fine cycles back
then. It has an updated cage design that allows
larger cogs (officially up to 28 teeth) to be used.
This is good news for hilly Belgium.
Waiting in a box for this bike is a Pat78 first
version rear derailleur. It is similar to
Nuovo Record, with titanium bolts and black
anodizing....it's ultra-iconic. That makes
deciding which derailleur to use very dif-
faculty. For now, the topography decides.
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Large cogs of a Regina Pro freewheel.
Record hub and silver Super Champion
tubular rim. |
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The 1978 Record front derailleur is the first with the "safety lip." It is designed to prevent
nasty gashes (and painful lawsuits) in the event of a crash.
More Bianchi pantographing and a French TA 41-tooth chainring. Good for hilly Belgium. |
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| Riding tubular tires means carrying a couple spares strapped under the saddle. Unsightly and a lot of extra grams. I have considered placing concealed spares along my usual routes, so that I can carry just one spare. 300 grams spared in bike weight means 300 grams of additional pastry allowed at the end of the ride! |
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| #190 in the series |
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| Harmony |
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P for Patelli
Not quite B for Bianchi
But very nice |
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| Cinelli 1A Stem 125mm |
Someday, the proper Bianchi World Champion stripe pantographed levers will grace this Specialissima. It is only fitting. Bianchi produced these levers to commemorate Felice Gimondi's 1973 victory in the World Championships in Barcelona. Thereafter, they graced Bianchi's top models...until the C-Record Revolution. (That's another story, with a plot similar to the U.S. auto industry in the 1970's. Gremlin, Pinto, Zephyr, et al.)
Specialissima is Italian for "very special."
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