Bill Burcham
Restored 69 cm Bianchi Sport SS 12-speed from 1983. 27" wheels.
Price reduced to $649 -- SW Portland
Contact: bill.burcham@gmail.com
Are you supertall? Do you have style? Do you want style? This is your bike.
This model was manufactured in Japan for Bianchi. Ishiwata "Magny"
manganese-molybdenum alloy double butted tubing throughout (tubes, forks,
and stays.) The inimitable Sheldon Brown, a.k.a. Saint Sheldon says of this
bike:
While Bianchi is best known as an Italian brand,
> it was having bicycles built in Japan
> to its specifications for several years in the late 1980s.
> These were particularly nice bikes,
> with better workmanship than the Italian models.
Shifting is rock solid with the original Shimano 105 "Golden Arrow"
groupset. Downtube shifters are de rigueur.
I completely overhauled this bike last summer, maintaining the sweet
original equipment where possible. There was very little rust on this bike
to begin with but I am a perfectionist:
- frame professionally stripped and de-rusted by American Metal Stripping
- Weigle Frame Saver applied to keep the inside of the frame rust free
- new powder coat in Dumpster Brown color by Class Act Powder Coat
- Shimano SP-150 pedals, bottom bracket, head set, front and rear
Shimano hubs deep cleaned and repacked with brand new bearings
- freewheel deep cleaned and lubed
- all chrome, especially the straight-wall Araya rims, cleaned and
hand-polished with Simichrome
- every other piece of metal removed, deep-cleaned with mineral spirits,
de-rusted, and polished
brand new:
- tubes and sweet Armadillo tires
- chrome Soma toe clips
- modern 26.6 mm aluminum seat post
- chain
- black cables
- black Cinelli cork bar tape
As the crowning glory, I chose to leave in place the venerable saddle by
Wrights of Birmingham England. It is worn but it feels and looks so darn
good it just belongs on this bike.
And did I mention this bike is tall? Well it is. I am 6' 5" tall with long
legs and this thing feels great. If you're tired of soul-less aluminum crap
bikes and want to ride a piece of history this The One.
* For fixie fetishists: this frame has horizontal dropouts so it would make
an elegant fixie platform.
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