Another Road Bike Testing Adventure: Bianchi Titanium

Road bikes and I have a painful and somewhat traumatic history. I go through spans of time during which I want to be able to pick up speed a bit easier and find myself on a hunt for a lightweight road bike. Generally, after riding the road bike for a short amount of time, I realize that while I am faster on a lighter bike, I am also uncomfortable and end up riding something heavier/slower to not be in pain. At some point, I pretty much decided that I wasn't going to put myself through the agony of a thin-tired road bike anymore. While my body is pretty adaptable to this type of bike, injuries to my hands have made riding such a bike a chore and just generally unpleasant.

But, we all know how things can go. After a few frustrating rounds with various types of bikes and trying to find a happy point with speed, I had decided that I needed to give a dedicated, lightweight road bike a chance again. After a few rounds with bikes that I thought could be happy compromises between comfort and speed, I started to realize that if I genuinely desire a fast road bike, I needed to seek out that sort of bike and stop playing in the middle ground.

In short, I was on a hunt for something that typically doesn't appeal to me, though I still hoped to find the road bike in a steel version. There simply aren't a ton of these available and although there are custom options, goodness knows I have not had great luck with custom made frames, so I was doing everything I could think of to avoid this route. However, not having any luck finding what I wanted, I had given in to the notion that a custom frame was likely in my future yet again.

As stated though, I had no desire to go custom and after hours and hours of researching, I had decided on a stock titanium road frame. It wasn't steel, but it also was not a custom frame, which seemed to put my mind at ease. The one hiccup was that I'd have to wait about six weeks as the frames were still in production. I plunked down my deposit and decided to bide my time while waiting for the frame to arrive.

This frame was being funded with the sale of multiple other bikes, and the thought of spending so much money on something I couldn't test was not ideal nor was it settling well in my mind. After many back-and-forth conversations with the manufacturer, I was pretty convinced that the geometry would work for me. Still, the thought of spending so much on one bike - and not even the whole bike - was really eating at me. Surely, there must be something that would work that I wouldn't have to spend so much money on, I thought.

A few weeks into waiting for the frame, Sam sent a link to a frame that was for sale at a local bike re-seller with the question attached, "Do you think this would work for you?" After taking a peek at the geometry, I really wasn't sure. It had the potential to work, but knowing my history, I was hesitant to even consider it. However, the price alone was reason enough to give it a try. Plus, the company has a 30-day return policy so it seemed a no-brainer, particularly given that the new ti frame I'd planned to buy was going to run 7-8 times the cost.

To be honest, I was a little confused by the frame. I had no idea that Bianchi had ever made a titanium road bike, but here it was, sitting in front of me, clearly marked as such. The fork had been replaced with a new one - nothing special or out of the ordinary - but definitely not the original. So, a full-out internet search was done in an attempt to get any bit of information I could find. Sadly, there really wasn't much to be found.

This 2004 Bianchi EV Titanium frame was a bit of a mystery. There were a few random questions/posts I could find online, but nothing was giving me much information in regard to what to expect of this bike. Having a Bianchi dealer nearby, we went in to see if they could provide any information on the bike, but that was fruitless as well, as they could only share what I'd already been able to determine for myself. I was incredibly curious about this frame though and I just couldn't find answers.

So, I decided to just ride the thing and see how it went. On my first outing, I got a flat early on and didn't have the means to address it, so after a bit of grumbling, I ended up walking the bike home. It wasn't the best start (though I can only blame myself for not being prepared), but many first rides don't begin well for me.  After getting set up to deal with a flat if it should occur, I began riding the Bianchi for test purposes.

The stack of spacers on the fork is a little intense, but with the short headtube, it's necessary for me. It would likely have helped if I cut a bit off the top end, but I'm always hesitant to lose too much on the steerer too soon.

It was a little strange, I must admit. After not riding a true road bike for several years, my body was not used to the positioning and I couldn't determine whether the bike fit me or if I'd just forgotten what it's like to be more leaned over (read: sore neck muscles). The ride itself was smooth, as I'd expect from titanium, but it was going to take a bit of time and miles to see if this bike worked.

What I had determined is that I have become noticeably slower over the last few years, even though my mileage has actually increased. It was a little disappointing to make this realization, but the full build of the bike came in at just about 17 pounds (7.7kg), including my leather saddle and platform pedals, so I knew I certainly could not fault the weight of the bike for my slowness [insert frowny face].

After a few rides on the Bianchi, I was becoming frustrated. Sam followed behind me on one ride to see what was happening and to check my positioning to see if I looked "off." There had also been an annoying grinding sort of sound that I couldn't seem to get rid of over the rides, but I had shrugged it off thinking it had something to do with my bizarre road set up.

We had built this frame up with the same gearing I'd had on a previous bike, giving it a compact crank and 11-40 cassette in the rear. In order to do this, we have to use a special part and I had assumed that the grinding noises had something to do with that.

As it turned out, the chain was actually running through the derailleur incorrectly. In Sam's haste to reassemble after cleaning the chain after my first ride, he had inadvertently reassembled things wrong. Who knew the derailleur would even work like this? After making the change, the grinding noise went away, but the drag that had been created didn't seem to speed me up [insert another frowny face].

I did keep riding though. I was annoyed that I was slow, but I was also determined to figure out if the slowness was entirely me or if it was partially the bike. We did a couple of swaps on the stem to see if that would resolve some of the neck soreness and I would leave for rides determined to push as hard as I could.

The results were a mixed bag. I had days when I was faster and I had days when I was just as slow as I am on any other bike. Sam came along on a couple of rides with me, trying to help me understand if I just wasn't pushing as hard as I thought I was, if I've become slower, or if the bike had some part in it. To be honest, we both have our theories, but my suspicion is that there is a combination of factors at play.

One of the big realizations we made was that I have been comparing rides that are nearly identical to those I'd ridden several years ago and was seeing that I was at least 0.5-2 mph slower overall, which was angering me. What I hadn't calculated is that those rides didn't have a climb at the end of the ride (because we've moved since then). As Sam watched me virtually on one ride he noted that I had been averaging a faster speed, but as soon as I hit that steep climb back home, my average dropped dramatically. Not being a good climber, it started making sense to me and that the only way I'd be able to match prior speeds on the same route would be to go even faster on the ride before I hit the climb at the end. Whether or not that's possible for me remains a question mark.

I pretty well put the Bianchi aside from mid-January until mid-March. The roads were not ideal for this type of bike and I was spending more time on the Surly, so when the season started to have some nicer, sunnier days, it seemed appropriate to get back out and try riding the Bianchi again. I wondered if I'd want to ride it or if it would feel strange after spending so many hours on the Surly.

It surprised me a bit when I took the bike out and found myself happy to push my body. It was nice to have the lightweight option and my legs felt strong, capable even. I still wasn't hitting those average speeds of several years ago, but for some reason having a bit of a break from the bike seemed to let my brain settle and be okay with the fact that I may just be a slower version of myself today than I was 6-8 years ago.  I'll always fight that thought a bit (it's just who I am), but it seemed as though I wasn't as hung up on that piece of things as spring started rolling in. The bottom line is that I can be faster on this bike than any of the other bikes in my fold, I just may not be able to compete with my former self or speeds.

I've realized that the Bianchi is comfortable for what it is, which is not to say that it's "comfortable" in a traditional definition of the word, but rather that I have made peace with the reality that a road bike is a road bike and not a comfort/cruiser/city/all-road/mountain bike. It's just going to feel different than other types of bicycles. I know that I have to be in the right frame of mind (and body) to fully utilize this kind of bike and that's really okay as it was the point of this one.

There may always be a small part of me that will wonder if the newer titanium frame would've suited me better, but deep down, my gut sense is that it would not have been better-enough to justify the difference in cost. The Bianchi has been and continues to be a spirited, excellent ride and if it weren't for my hand/wrist issues, I doubt I'd question anything about this build/bike for its purpose. Even Sam returned from a test ride recently on it and said it's the nicest bike he's ever ridden.

I feel fortunate to have happened across this frame (or rather to have had Sam come across it), and although the first few rides weren't necessarily entirely pleasant, the bike has grown on me as I've reacquainted myself with riding a road bike and I've slowly come to appreciate it for what it is. It is certainly excellent as a road bike.

It is said that titanium is a lifetime-bike material, and given that this frame is 15 years old as of this writing, I hope that those sentiments are in fact actuality. I hope to have this one stick around for many years to come. I may not always want to ride and push myself, but when I do, I think this is and will be a fantastic choice. I'm looking forward to some longer, faster rides on this Bianchi as the weather continues to improve and am glad to have this one among my bikes.

Carbon vs Steel Bikes: Test Ride of a Self-Professed Steel Lover

Through my adult bicycling years, I've often spoke about how much I love steel bikes. I love the feel, the ride, the comfort. However, every now and again I find myself eyeing a carbon bike, and can't help but wonder if it would be something that ultimately I would want to purchase. When I find myself riding more (and struggling up lengthy hills with those on carbon bikes whizzing past me), I find myself daydreaming about a lighter weight frame.  Over the last couple of months, I have found myself inching closer to the carbon bikes in shops to eye them closer. Recently, while wandering through a shop, I announced, "One day, I'm going to test ride one... just to see and feel for myself any differences." On one of our stops into a shop, Sam reminded me that we know someone who owns a carbon road bike who might also be so kind to let me borrow hers for a day or two to test it out. Ah, my brilliant Sam!

My somewhat timid (but hopeful) request was sent via e-mail to my friend, Joey. I'm always a bit hesitant to ask to borrow someone's bike because I know what mine mean to me, and how uncomfortable it can be when people start touching them, let alone wanting to ride them or take them home for a few days. She was more than gracious though, and said I was welcome to take her Specialized Ruby home for the weekend to test it out.  I was ecstatic. Finally, an opportunity for a test ride that extends longer than a few minutes around the block.

Specialized Ruby Elite

The first small road block is that Joey is a couple of inches taller than me, and has longer legs. I knew riding her frame would probably be a bit of a stretch, but I believed I could do my best to block out any sizing differences and just try to feel the actual variances in the frame itself.  In actuality, because my Hillborne has such a long top tube for its stand over, the stretch wasn't nearly what I anticipated. I promised not to disturb her set up other than lowering the seat post to allow proper pedaling, and I set out to do a few test rides to see what all the fuss is about carbon.

The first ride was just a quick couple of loops around the block. I wanted to be sure I could ride the bike without toppling over, and test out all the shifting, braking and so on. The "testing" went well, and it was time to take the Specialized out for a ride.

The initial "real" ride consisted of a comparison test. I wanted to physically feel the differences back to back between my A. Homer Hilsen (the steel road bike) and this carbon Specialized. I mentally mapped out a quick route that included hills and flats and took the Homer out on the road. After completing the ride, I immediately switched out and pedaled the same route on the Specialized. I intentionally rode the Specialized in second place to not give any favoritism to this bike. I didn't want a higher level of energy on the first ride to possibly increase the favorability of this bike. I realize that riding it after the steel bike could well have put it at a disadvantage, but this seemed to make the most sense for someone who is considering the pros/cons of something I don't currently own. I also threw in a third bicycle to the test: Sam's Bianchi Brava. He suggested that feeling the difference between my mid-20 lb steel bike, the carbon bike, and a lighter weight steel option might be an interesting juxtaposition as well. I agreed. So, after the Specialized was taken out on the road, the Bianchi followed in the third spot.

Several notes and observations were made while riding these bicycles back to back, but I definitely believed that the Specialized needed its own ride to truly test it out.  Keeping in mind that it wasn't set up for me, I didn't want to go too long a distance, but also wanted to give it more than a couple of miles to get a better feel for the material.

I should point out that my intention with these rides was never to specifically note the qualities or positioning of the Specialized Ruby, but rather to feel the differences of steel versus carbon, and I think this was a successful experiment. After each of the rides were completed, I was able to make several observations.

The rides taken allowed me to experience that there is definitely a difference in the feel of these bikes. While on flat land, each bike is capable (even under my unskilled pedal power) to get up to approximately the same speed; however, with the carbon bike there is an immediate sensation of "going fast." The effort being put into the pedals gets the bike up to speed much quicker as none of the energy is lost in the flex of the frame material (as seems to be the case on a steel bike). A similar reality became evident while climbing.  The effort to pedal uphill resulted in a slightly quicker speed (approximate 1.5-2 miles per hour), and beyond velocity itself it was as though the energy expended produced immediate results, rather than losing some of the effort in the climb.  It helped me understand in a more physical manner how and why the carbon roadies are able to speed past me, particularly when traveling up hills.

An old shot of the Bianchi Brava - it's seen several upgrades (including the wheels) since the time of this photo

One aspect I found rather interesting was feeling the physical differences among the carbon bike, my steel road bike, and Sam's Bianchi. I will note that there is little on his Brava that is from the original bike as he has upgraded 95% of this bike to make it a sub-20 lb steel road bike (I believe it currently comes in at about 18 lbs). I was amazed at how light his Bianchi feels even by comparison to my own steel ride. His lighter weight bike was seeing approximately the same speed increases on mild hills (about 1.5-2 mph) as the carbon bike.  So, is the speed difference based on the weight of the bike, or the material of the frame? Is it the sum of the parts, or is it the rider?  Did I simply expect that one would be quicker than the other and already have some kind of pre-conceived idea of the outcome?  I don't think there is any denying that the effort put into a carbon frame is more immediately evident, but I can also see that the weight of a bike must be playing a role in the overall speed as well.

All of this, in many ways, brought more questions than it resolved, but it also provided some personal answers I had been seeking. Even with my somewhat limited time riding the carbon, I can see that there is a time and a place for it, and I "get" why people choose this as an option for a road bike. Clearly, it has its benefits. However, even with that said, this experiment allowed me to re-affirm that my personal preference is still steel. I am a bit unsure if my fondness for this material has to do with what I am currently used to, or if there truly is better comfort for me on steel, but I found that I simply prefer the ride quality on the steel bikes. There are other reasons to love steel over carbon - such as recycling qualities and length of life - but, my preference has more to do with comfort over long distances than anything else.

I am not a racer, and even should I decide in the future that I'd like to achieve quicker speeds (which I can see happening), I think I would opt for a lighter weight steel choice... it is the material I personally like.  Could this change? Of course. Anything is possible, and I'm not willing to say that I would never own a carbon frame because I've already experienced changes in my style of riding over the last few years. However, if at this moment someone gave me the option to choose between the two, I would opt for steel. While I don't think this takes anything away from a carbon frame, and I better understand why there are folks who make this their material of choice, I have learned that I'm happy with what works for me. As has been said before, it doesn't matter what your preference... just get out there and ride.

*A very special thank you to Joey for allowing me to use her beloved Ruby. I appreciated having the opportunity to experience first hand why you love your bike so much! :O)

Post Script: We had another chat a couple years later that can be found here during which people chimed in about their thoughts on ride quality on various bicycle materials. 

The House Master Bicycle Mechanic: Random Thoughts

As I sit here, avoiding my training ride this afternoon, I thought it might be nice to hear a different voice for a post. Sam has been kind enough to provide his thoughts on becoming the house bicycle mechanic over the past few years, as well as some thoughts on riding in general. He has always been mechanically inclined (I am about as polar opposite as it comes for aptitude in that area), and took to fixing things as they needed repairs, adjustments, changes, and so on. In that time, he's gained wisdom from his experiences, so I thought it might be nice to share it with others.

For the better part of 3-4 years now, my better half and I have been deeply obsessed with bicycles of all kinds. In turn, I have become somewhat of a "mechanic," fix expert, know-it-all about bikes of all kinds. DISCLAIMER: I mostly work in a basement or dinning room.

Evolution: We started with mountain bikes that we did not ride in the mountains (prior to the obsession starting 3-4 years ago). Like most SoCal exports, we used our bikes for everything. Why can't I just ride my flatbar, fully suspended mountain bike everywhere, on 50 mile rides, and to a coffee shop? The answer? You can, but it will suck! This led us, over the course of 3 years (our formidable biking years), to adopt 3 bikes each (mostly): One road bike, one "city bike", and one mountain. This is not all-inclusive, not perfect, and sometimes there are crossovers.

Today: All 3 of my bikes are essentially custom built:  a fast sub 20 pound road bike, a 29er franken-mountain bike 1x9 with no suspension, and a 1994 Specialized Crossroads commuter/cross bike that I converted to drop bars. 

G.E. (aka Master Blaster), has a Riv Sam Hillborne for in between stuff (Long, slow rides), a Riv A. Homer Hilsen for faster "road" rides, a Public C7 city bike for tooling around, and a 1994 Bridgestone MBS for the mountains (someday, she'll do it).

All of our bikes are steel, with the exception of my 29er, which is aluminum with a steel fork. We both like the feedback of steel better; I just went with Alu on the mountain bike to save weight.

What I have learned as a rider and mechanic:

1. SIZE: Being short is difficult, but you adapt. (In life and with bikes)

The world is made for men who are around 6 feet tall, and women who are about 6 inches shorter. I can search craigslist, ebay, and walk into a bike shop, and both of us will have the same problem:  our bikes have to be ordered, or custom made. We never get to test ride the "right size.”

2. MAINTENANCE: Bike maintenance is a continual learning process:

I know 10x more today about derailleurs, than I did even 1 year ago:  it's all about cable tension.

-Don't discount good tires; patching sucks.

-SRAM chains with the "master link" are the best things ever; I can remove the chain to clean it.

-Build or buy a chain "whip", you will need this; cassettes get changed.

-Bar tape get's worn out quick, not from use, but from swapping bars!

-Furniture Polish cleans/protects amazingly well.

-Buy ferrules (cable ends) in bulk.

-Double tighten/check everything (some bike shops don't do this) {G.E.'s note: and some house mechanics forget to re-connect brakes! :O)}

-Noisy usually means DIRTY.

-10k other things.......

3. EXPENSE: Don't get me started, and don't walk me into a bike shop. Some bikes are great, some suck, and most bike shop employees are confused (Apologies to the ones who are not). An expensive shiny bike, may not be for you. You must go by feel, with a close 2nd in aesthetics. 

-Sometimes it's not worth it to source/build you own bike, and vice versa. There are no hard rules for this. You will learn the HARD way; it's a law of nature.

4. CLOTHING: I tried to fight it for a long time, but what the masses sell, works. Lycra and wool wick sweat, and tend to stink less. Cotton sucks and hurts; it's great for sitting here, or even going to the gym, but smooth, light things are excellent on a bike.

-Underwear is not your friend. Spandex and/or chamois are.

-Old jerseys from unknown rides are cool.

NEXT: We are both doing larger rides; Master Blaster is doing the Venus ride in the next couple of weeks, and is probably fretting about it right now : ). {G.E.'s note: He knows me well!!} I'm going to attempt to qualify for the Leadville 100 by racing in the Apine Odyssey 100k on September 15th. I have never ridden over 53 miles on any bike, and I have never ridden that far on a Mountain bike, so this should be interesting. As a supplement to training/stress relief, I’m carpooling to work, and riding home. Ole blue is sitting with me today, being dirty.

Bianchi is waiting to ride home

What is the point of this post? I'm not sure, maybe to type it out, and imagine that the other things I need to do like a firing of pottery, or building a set of stairs for our house is getting done.

While Sam may not know the "point" of this post, I think he shared a lot of information that is interesting - generally, just the evolution of riding, and how everyone will have different experiences, likes, and dislikes, so I think it does have purpose and is certainly worth sharing. 

Thanks for taking the time to share, Sam!

Revived and Refreshed: The Return of the Bianchi Brava

As recently mentioned, Sam's Bianchi Brava has made it back into the house after receiving some pampering at JD's Cycle Shack. Since I haven't said much about his bike, I thought it would be nice to get a little glimpse into this bicycle and how it is ridden by its owner. Following is our impromptu interview, which I prefaced only with, "So, are you ready for a mini-interview about the Bianchi?"

Bianchi Brava pre-powder coating. The pictures don't actually show how bad the rust was - trust me, it was bad.

G.E.: Why did you buy the Bianchi Brava, especially knowing it was so rusty?
Sam: Size and price. Primarily because it was the right size. That is always the first consideration for me because it's difficult to find a bike that fits right, especially for a shorter guy. (G.E. would like to say, this is not only a problem for short guys, but for short gals as well)

Pre-powder coating of Bianchi Brava

G.E.: What year was the Bianchi made and what size is it? Also, what intrigued you (besides its size and price) before you were able to ride it?
Sam:  2007 and 49cm. Basically, the name, Bianchi, even though it's made in China, not Italy.

Newly powder coated Bianchi frame

G.E. What's wrong with Chinese bikes?
Sam: Nothing. Sam likes Chinese... bikes and food. But, you get what you pay for. There's a difference between a box store Chinese bike and one that is made properly.

G.E. Uh, it says on the frame that it was made in Taiwan.
Sam: Whatever. Taiwan. China. It's still not made in Italy.

G.E.: {changing subject - even though I desperately want to point out that China and Taiwan are different countries} What do you like best about the Bianchi?
Sam: Its weight.... and it's steel.

G.E.: What have you changed from the original version of the Bianchi?
Sam: It has a different carbon fork (Easton), a Tiagra crankset, a new chain, new tires, bottle cages, and a Chris King headset.

G.E.: You changed quite a bit on this bike, virtually everything but the frame, brakes, shifters and pedals. Was it worth it?
Sam: That remains to be seen, but, I think so, yes. Most of the changes were done after the paint job, so I haven't had an opportunity to really ride it much yet.

G.E.: Why did you choose a similar Bianchi color, but not replace the Bianchi stickers?
Sam: Mm.. just don't like the way the Bianchi stickers looked, and there are other items that say Bianchi on the bike, so I didn't feel the need to replace the decals.

G.E.: And what about the color?
Sam: I just like the color. I like it on a bunch of different things. Initially, I was trying to replicate the color, but I actually like this better than the original.

G.E.: Is there anything else on it you'd like to change?
Sam: The wheels.

G.E.: What kind of wheels would you get?
Sam: Probably Ultegra based, Ultegra hubs with Mavic rims... I mean, you know me, whatever the deal is.

G.E.: Have any other bikes you've ridden compared to the Bianchi?
Sam: Yes. {long pause} Oh, you want to know what bike? The Kline Quantum. It was carbon and a little lighter. Not much though, and I didn't ride it nearly as much as the Bianchi, but it was the "other one."

G.E. If given the choice would you want to trade for that bike?
Sam: No. I like the steel frame better.

G.E.: Anything else you'd like to add about the Bianchi or bicycles in general?
Sam: Uh, Nib-high rules. (followed by) It's an inside joke. No, I don't think there is anything else.

From my personal observations, I have to say that Sam really seems to enjoy this bike, even before it was powder coated and had the new parts. JD's did a fabulous job with the paint, and while Sam was quite impatient with the nearly three week turnover time, I thought it was perfectly reasonable for a good powder coating. For anyone in the Denver area looking for a good place to powder coat a bike, I would definitely recommend JD's. The bike looks so much better than it did, but beyond looking better, it will last longer because the rust was removed from the prior owner leaving it (apparently) sitting outdoors in rain/snow/etc. I've honestly never seen a bike in such condition that wasn't decades old.

I will also add that the Bianchi is pretty fast. Now, I don't know if I'm the best judge of this quality in a bike since I am a slower rider by nature, but every time we're both on a road bike, Sam easily takes off and leaves me in the dust without much effort. I am also glad that he decided to go with a used bike that wasn't being treated properly, and take the time to get it looking decent again. If anyone has specific questions, please feel free to ask, and I'm sure he'll chime in with answers in the comments.