# Reparto Corse mtb Bianchi... need advice.



## top_ring (Feb 9, 2004)

This is a Craigslist find. The seller said it was a 97, but I question that because it has a fully lugged BB area, semi-lugged seat post and head tube, and a 1" head tube. As you can see by the pics it was made in Italy. Tubing is Zero Uno Dedaccia, ovalized at the BB down tube.

*What I need to know is...*
_What year would this frame be?
What is the seat post size?
What rigid fork/s would be ideal for this frame? (axle to crown length)_

Thanks for your help.


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## hollister (Sep 16, 2005)

top_ring said:


> *What I need to know is...*
> _What year would this frame be?
> What is the seat post size?
> What rigid fork/s would be ideal for this frame?_
> ...


1)no idea
2)take it to the LBS and have it measured?
3)anything celeste colored

really cool looking frame!


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## floibex (Feb 7, 2004)

... in 96/97 they look like this one










but maybe sky yaeger from swobo might give you the answer, as she was with bianchi usa for 2 decades I think.

ciao
flo


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## top_ring (Feb 9, 2004)

floibex said:


> ... in 96/97 they look like this one
> 
> ciao
> flo


Yeah - that's what I thought. I'm thinking this frame may be early 90's.


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## alasa (Jan 28, 2004)

*bianchi*

Hi,
it's an old frame repainted.
In the mid '90 all Bianchi reparto corse was tig welded!!


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## top_ring (Feb 9, 2004)

This is tig welded at the head tube and set tube. I doubt you are correct. The "Bianchi" on the BB is embossed/ stamped right into the metal and all the decals are factory. If it was repainted it was done by Bianchi. You need more evidence for your claim.


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## alasa (Jan 28, 2004)

*bianchi*

I am from Italy and I remeber well Binachi frames!!
The only "reparto corse" was full tig welded, with Colunbus tubeset.
Your frame may be a cheaper replica or an old Bianchi frame repainted,
sure.


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## top_ring (Feb 9, 2004)

alasa said:


> I am from Italy and I remeber well Binachi frames!!
> The only "reparto corse" was full tig welded, with Colunbus tubeset.
> Your frame may be a cheaper replica or an old Bianchi frame repainted,
> sure.


So how do you explain _factory_ Celeste paint? Not to mention factory decals that are UNDER the clear coat.


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## alasa (Jan 28, 2004)

*bianchi*

It'is a Bianchi frame, sure,
but a cheaper replica of "reparto corse" 
or a cheaper frame rapinted from Bianchi.


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## floibex (Feb 7, 2004)

... hmm, columbus tubing maybe in the early times. but as far as I know, bianchi was the first big customer of dedacciai (which where former columbus employes who want to make a better product). 
dedacciai was founded in '93, so the frame could be from this date. lettering of decals would match also.

and i personally think nobody would invest this much effort for a fake. the color, decals etc. are original.

ciao
flo


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## top_ring (Feb 9, 2004)

Yeah, talk about a major effort in redundancy. I have emailed several Reparto Corse dealers. Hopefully I will have answers.


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## Boy named SSue (Jan 7, 2004)

floibex said:


> ... hmm, columbus tubing maybe in the early times. but as far as I know, bianchi was the first big customer of dedacciai (which where former columbus employes who want to make a better product).
> dedacciai was founded in '93, so the frame could be from this date. lettering of decals would match also.
> 
> and i personally think nobody would invest this much effort for a fake. the color, decals etc. are original.
> ...


I think the suggestion was that reparto corse stickers were put on an older bianchi. If that is the case, the dedacchi stickers would also likely be newer. The tubing might be something else entirely. Arguing that the tubeset matches a reparto corse is circular. We already know those are reparto corse stickers on the bike. There is no additional information to be learned from the stickers themselves especially when their authenticity has been called into question.

Until you can come up with images of other reparto corses that match yours, assume it is an older bianchi dressed up nice. Getting the stickers from bianchi and applying them and a clearcoat over them is not tough.

Why wouldn't someone invest that much in it? The stickers were likely free to $10 from bianchi. The clearcoat probably set them back another $5. The celeste basecoat was probably on the bike already. He probably made his money back selling it to the guy you bought it from. He may have done it just to have a nice looking bike which he then sold.


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## top_ring (Feb 9, 2004)

Well, the clincher in all this talk about authenticity is this... all Reparto Corse Italian made frames had a "stamped" bottom bracket. _How do you replicate that?_

I wish someone would just answer my initial questions.


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## Boy named SSue (Jan 7, 2004)

top_ring said:


> Well, the clincher in all this talk about authenticity is this... all Reparto Corse Italian made frames had a "stamped" bottom bracket. _How do you replicate that?_
> 
> I wish someone would just answer my initial questions.


Were those the only Bianchis with stamped BBs? Does that say Reparto Corse or just Bainchi?


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## colker1 (Jan 6, 2004)

zero uno tubing is used on lugged construction. it could be 93/4/5 vintage judging from the canti cable hanger. if so even a ritchey logic fork would ride nice.


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## grawbass (Aug 23, 2004)

Looks like a rebadged Trek to me. The "stamping" on the BB looks sloppy and was probably done by hand. The "King" headset looks fake too.


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## top_ring (Feb 9, 2004)

grawbass said:


> Looks like a rebadged Trek to me. The "stamping" on the BB looks sloppy and was probably done by hand. The "King" headset looks fake too.


Hey dude... "Bring in the Logic Probe". You make me laugh.

I can see there isn't too many with Bianchi savvy here.

Recent email from Bianchi rep... " It's a 1995 maybe early 1996. It's always hard to nail down some of the frame years because Bianchi was always making changes from month to month at that time. The lug is called Super Set. They phased it out at the end of 1995...., but it may be a 1996 because Bianchi used Columbus tubing in 1995 and switched to Deda in 1996. So my best guess is late 1995. "

Not trying to establish it's authenticity but it's lineage. .A rebadged Trek... LOL!

Yeah brother, the King headset is a Chinese knock off!


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## grawbass (Aug 23, 2004)

top_ring said:


> Hey dude... "Bring on the Logic Probe". You make me laugh.
> 
> I can see there isn't too many with Bianchi savvy here.
> 
> ...


That was meant to be a joke btw.


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## top_ring (Feb 9, 2004)

grawbass said:


> That was meant to be a joke btw.


I know. Just having some fun.


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## ndbike (Jun 18, 2005)

floibex said:


> ... hmm, columbus tubing maybe in the early times. but as far as I know, bianchi was the first big customer of dedacciai (which where former columbus employes who want to make a better product).
> dedacciai was founded in '93,


The high end steel Bianchi frames were made from Columbus tubing through the 1996 season. In 1997 they switched to Dedacciai. I worked at a Bianchi dealer for a few years and bought a leftover '96 frame in the summer of 1997.

Based on the catalogs I have laying around, the photo you (floibex) posted is a 1998 frame.

The photos of top_ring's frame look exactly like my '96 frame, except for the tubing decal. The lugs and the 1' headtube are all characteristic of 1996. Hmmm....


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## milehi (Nov 2, 1997)

ndbike said:


> The high end steel Bianchi frames were made from Columbus tubing through the 1996 season. In 1997 they switched to Dedacciai. I worked at a Bianchi dealer for a few years and bought a leftover '96 frame in the summer of 1997.
> 
> Based on the catalogs I have laying around, the photo you (floibex) posted is a 1998 frame.
> 
> The photos of top_ring's frame look exactly like my '96 frame, except for the tubing decal. The lugs and the 1' headtube are all characteristic of 1996. Hmmm....


The June 1997 issue of" "Bike Magazine" confirms this, in a Grizzly RC write up:

"The frame is a TIG-welded conglomeration of Dedacciai Zero tubing , with a modestly ovalized top tube and a massive, progressively ovalized down tube...."


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## dirtrocksandtrees (2 mo ago)

duplicate?


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## dirtrocksandtrees (2 mo ago)

Man, reliving a little here.. I had a 1996 Columbus frame'd bike.. built with that old slippery finished XTR kit. It broke in half after about a month but it was the best riding hardtail I ever owned. Couldn't get another one as the tubing had changed. And Bianchi didn't like that I broke it being only 140 lbs...


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