Original listing photo. That is NOT my douug!
1982 Campagnolo NR mech and Gipiemme dropouts
Bianchi-branded Ofmega Strada crankset
Dia Compe hoods fit fine over Universal levers. I have since removed the top ferrules.
I've always loved Bianchi bikes; particularly the celeste ones from the early 1980s. I found one on eBay recently and the seller was local, so I contacted him. It is a 1982 Nuova Racing with original components and a well-preserved paint job. I took it apart, cleaned it up, and now it's ready to ride.
Actual photos of the Tipo Corsa frame.
Not my bike, but a close-enough vision of what it will look like.
UPDATED PHOTOS OF TIPO CORSA BUILD (sorry for yelling)
Red cable housing. Yes!
Three weeks later, fueled by my recent purchase and the fun I had bringing that Bianchi back to original condition, I searched for another. I quickly found a 1983 Tipo Corsa 28-T that was a repaint, but well-done and quite pristine. The buyer was, again, local, so I purchased it and that is now my Summer build project.
I've taken the parts from my Guerciotti and some other I had in stock to build this, and am having a blast.
So why the interest in Bianchis? In and around 1981 and 1982, I couldn't afford any other bike than my trusty Univega Viva Sport. It served me well and I put many miles on it. Still, I longed for a "real" racing bicycle. I cut apart Bianchi, Specialized, and other brochures and created a collage on the wall next to my bed. No poster purchased in any store could have been more inspirational or fun to look at. I memorized the bicycle specs from the charts in the catalogs and dreamed of the day I could finally one one of these fine, elegant machines.
Fast-forward 33 years and I finally purchased a 1981 Super Leggera in mint condition. Unfortunately, it was too small, and I decided to sell it after two years. The ones I recently found fit fine and the experience of wrenching on these and riding them is, in every sense of the term, a dream come true.
I have my eyes open for more and am saving my pennies. The thought has even crossed my mind to sell a Colnago or two to pay for another Bianchi, but I've, so far, talked myself out of that silly notion. :)
What about you - ever own a Bianchi?
That's a beautiful bike! Looks like it must be a 64cm frame. I recently bought a frame that I believe is the same model and year as yours—it will need painting and restoration and I'm just starting the project. Would you mind sharing the rear spacing and seat tube inner diameter measurements? Are they 126mm and 27.2?
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