Hi all, for a long time I have had this 80s Bianchi Alloro, but haven’t been able to part with it due to sentimental reasons. The only issue with this bike is that it is too small for me – I am 5’ 9”, but the bike is 53cm. Not long ago, I found a 56cm frame on eBay & knew I had to have it, even though it’s red and not celeste. Now that I have both, I have noticed some differences:
– The 53cm celeste is a Tre Tubi frame
– The 56cm red is a Bianchi Special frame
– The 53cm celeste has the serial # on the seat tube: “O41 / E.3”
– The 56cm red has the serial # on the bottom bracket: “A5098D.5”
Not pictured:
– The 53cm celeste has Gipiemme rear dropouts
– The 56cm red has Bianchi rear dropouts
– The 53cm celeste has a simple rear brake bridge
– The 56cm red has a more elegant lugged rear brake bridge
Can anyone please help me to date either of these frames & help explain the differences between the two?
Thank you!
PS: considering having the red frame repainted in celeste before I switch the parts over. Is this a good or bad idea?
PPS: sorry for the sacrilegious SPD pedals
PJ48N on
I think the decision to paint or leave as ‘original’ depends on who you are trying to please: yourself or someone else. It also depends on the quality of the new paint job. I’m guessing you’re going the higher quality route – a professional job. (If you think hiring a professional is expensive, try hiring an amateur) one of my favorite quotes.
[deleted] on
The new Celeste is a different color than the new Celeste. I’ve heard that it’s hard to match because the pigments are different nowadays
3 Comments
Hi all, for a long time I have had this 80s Bianchi Alloro, but haven’t been able to part with it due to sentimental reasons. The only issue with this bike is that it is too small for me – I am 5’ 9”, but the bike is 53cm. Not long ago, I found a 56cm frame on eBay & knew I had to have it, even though it’s red and not celeste. Now that I have both, I have noticed some differences:
– The 53cm celeste is a Tre Tubi frame
– The 56cm red is a Bianchi Special frame
– The 53cm celeste has the serial # on the seat tube: “O41 / E.3”
– The 56cm red has the serial # on the bottom bracket: “A5098D.5”
Not pictured:
– The 53cm celeste has Gipiemme rear dropouts
– The 56cm red has Bianchi rear dropouts
– The 53cm celeste has a simple rear brake bridge
– The 56cm red has a more elegant lugged rear brake bridge
Can anyone please help me to date either of these frames & help explain the differences between the two?
Thank you!
PS: considering having the red frame repainted in celeste before I switch the parts over. Is this a good or bad idea?
PPS: sorry for the sacrilegious SPD pedals
I think the decision to paint or leave as ‘original’ depends on who you are trying to please: yourself or someone else. It also depends on the quality of the new paint job. I’m guessing you’re going the higher quality route – a professional job. (If you think hiring a professional is expensive, try hiring an amateur) one of my favorite quotes.
The new Celeste is a different color than the new Celeste. I’ve heard that it’s hard to match because the pigments are different nowadays
Why not sell them both and buy one that fits?