Is there something wrong with Bianchi road frames?

[fr188]

Ive been trawling through the internet trying to gain info on how to repair a 80sRaleigh frame, it may be just a fluke but a lot of image search the most cracked bike frames seem to be Bianchi road frames, it may be that owners want to save there expensive Italian bike, or are they a bit flimsy.

 

[bpsmith]

Have read a few posts about cracked welds around the BB area on Alu frames, but only a very small amount of their carbon frames.

I think you might be right about people being more vocal when they’ve spent more money though.

 

[bianchi1]

Only bike frame I've ever had break was an aluminium bianchi. Just broke in two by the rear drop out. Replaced no quibble on warranty so no problem.

Would buy another but seem expensive for what you get nowerdays.

 

[ianrauk]

Wrong with them? Their horrid celeste colour for a start

(Knowing full well Ian's partner rides one)

 

[Blue Hills]

Have always rather liked that colour. An original choice.

Kind of off topic for this OP, but the company by the by is no longer italian, though they still play on the heritage and kind of bury the current ownership.

 

[jowwy]

Yes.......the color is rank

 

[gbb]

My Via Nirone 7 cracked very badly round the bottom of the BB, as with bianchi1, they replaced it no problem. I did hammer that bike, out the saddle attacking inclines, I was fairly strong then and there was a warning I didn't take in, the frame flexed quite badly.
That was their entry level frame /bike. Perhaps the more expensive ones hold up better.

 

[bpsmith]

Have always rather liked that colour. An original choice.

Kind of off topic for this OP, but the company by the by is no longer italian, though they still play on the heritage and kind of bury the current ownership.

Swedish company I do believe. The heritage is the heritage, but I see the point you’re making. In saying that, there is certainly no shortage of companies out there who don’t advertise their actual ownership credentials and continue to trade as the original company they were created as.

 

[Blue Hills]

Yes, I was on their stand at spin a year or so ago. The stand as I recall gave every impression that they were actually Italian. I couldn't help but point out to the nice person on the stand that they weren't actually Italian (I think I first became aware of this when a chap in an Italian bike shop said that they no longer stocked Bianchi as they were no longer Italian) and he said that the current MD had an Italian grandparent, uncle or something . Not a racer as such and probably influenced by Brit and American fast city bikes but I always liked the look of some of the Camaleonte ones, ones no higher than 9 speed. I think one may even have been 8.

 

[bpsmith]

Yes, I was on their stand at spin a year or so ago. The stand as I recall gave every impression that they were actually Italian. I couldn't help but point out to the nice person on the stand that they weren't actually Italian (I think I first became aware of this when a chap in an Italian bike shop said that they no longer stocked Bianchi as they were no longer Italian) and he said that the current MD had an Italian grandparent, uncle or something . Not a racer as such and probably influenced by Brit and American fast city bikes but I always liked the look of some of the Camaleonte ones, ones no higher than 9 speed. I think one may even have been 8.

It was an Italian company originally and the brand itself didn’t change when ownership did over 20 years ago. The brand is the brand, irrespective of the overall ownership. Why would a Swedish company buy the oldest bicycle company in the world and then rebrand them as Swedish?

I don’t see other brands changing based on them being bought by another company, so why should Bianchi?

If they never were Italian, then your argument may hold a bit more weight.

Edit: Taken from their website a moment ago...

 

[Blue Hills]

To be honest bp, I think it is cheeky at best, bordering on something worse.

I well remember Karrimor, that great (ex) British company being branded with a union jack when the company was by then as I recall owned by a bunch of South African venture capitalists or the like. The Lancashire factory was history. The products weren't of anything like the same quality, in design, materials or manufacture. Now it's no more Italian than Costa coffee which proudly declared Cuore D'Italia on its signs, though it was actually owned by Whitbread! Not sure who owns it now.

What makes a brand can be a complex discussion but it is definitely true that it can be nowt but a shell.

 

[bpsmith]

If you really look hard at what we call British, then investigate actual ownership without even getting into the complex world of shareholders, etc, you won’t exoect to actual find much that is anymore.

Then what happens when something was British, was in foreign ownership for a while, but then moved back into British ownership? Are they expected to rebrand every single time?

I kind of follow your way of thinking, and that’s cool, but I don’t agree to the same level. My opinion it would be wrong if a company was created in Sweden but branded as if it was Italian but never actually had anything to do with Italy. I don’t agree that a company, that was founded in Italy in 1885 but was sold to a Swedish company in 1996, should be forced to rebrand as if it was Swedish all along. That’s just obvious to me.

 

[Moodyman]

I think the issue for many people is that Bianchi's unique selling point is its Italianness.

When you find out they're owned by the Swedes and produced in Asia, it kinda dilutes the brand catchet.

 

[Blue Hills]

If you really look hard at what we call British, then investigate actual ownership without even getting into the complex world of shareholders, etc, you won’t exoect to actual find much that is anymore.

Then what happens when something was British, was in foreign ownership for a while, but then moved back into British ownership? Are they expected to rebrand every single time?

I kind of follow your way of thinking, and that’s cool, but I don’t agree to the same level. My opinion it would be wrong if a company was created in Sweden but branded as if it was Italian but never actually had anything to do with Italy. I don’t agree that a company, that was founded in Italy in 1885 but was sold to a Swedish company in 1996, should be forced to rebrand as if it was Swedish all along. That’s just obvious to me.

depends what you mean by rebrand bp - I'm not suggesting a company should change its name.
Just praps not plaster that brand/name with a flag or lots of other national markers/images if the connection has gone.
by the by, thanks for educating me - I didn't realise that the Swedish thing had happened so long ago.

 

[Blue Hills]

I think the issue for many people is that Bianchi's unique selling point is its Italianness.

When you find out they're owned by the Swedes and produced in Asia, it kinda dilutes the brand catchet.

agree - brands and brand values have to be maintained.