The Bianchi Intenso Disc is a comfortable endurance bike that offers a well-balanced ride and consistent braking in all weathers.

Note: the 2017 version of this bike comes with Fulcrum Racing Sport Disc Brake wheels rather than the DT Swiss R24 Spline wheels fitted here, and it's priced £2,600.

> Find your nearest dealer here

The Intenso Disc is a good bike for racking up the miles whatever the conditions. The riding position is performance orientated but a couple of clicks back from full-on aggressive, the components score highly for reliability, and you get neutral, well-behaved handling here.

Bianchi Intenso Disc 105 - riding 2.jpg

To me, the Intenso Disc lacks the excitement of Bianchi's Oltre XR1 (the equivalent version built up with Shimano 105 components is priced £2,400), but maybe that's not a fair comparison because they're quite different bikes. Whereas the Oltre is aimed at all-out speed, the Intenso is billed as an 'Endurance Racing' bike.

What's the difference? The main thing is the riding position.

I won't go too deeply into the figures because, well, geometry talk is a bit boring to be honest, but our 59cm Intenso Disc has a 200mm head tube, a 598mm stack (the vertical distance from the centre of the bottom bracket to the top of the head tube) and a 391mm reach (the horizontal distance between those two points). That's exactly the same geometry as you get with Bianchi's Infinito CV bikes – both the rim brake and the disc brake versions.

Bianchi Intenso Disc 105.jpg

The Oltre XR1, for comparison, has a 180mm head tube, a 580mm stack and a 397mm reach.

That means that the Intenso Disc puts you into quite an upright riding position by road bike standards. Granted, many other endurance bikes are more upright – Italian brands tend to be conservative in this respect – but I did occasionally find myself wanting to get more tucked up and aero.

Bianchi Intenso Disc 105 - riding 3.jpg

That's not a criticism, by the way. A riding position that's slightly more relaxed than traditional is exactly what many people are after in order to maintain comfort for longer. It can definitely be a positive, depending on what you're after.

Built-in comfort

Bianchi has sought to provide more comfort by adding Kevlar inserts into the fork legs and seatstays. We've written loads on road.cc about the CounterVail (CV) technology that Bianchi adds to its higher end frames to reduce vibration and fatigue, and improve handling and control. The trouble is, CV drives prices super-high so Bianchi sticks with what it calls BAT - K-VID tech on the Intenso.

Bianchi Intenso Disc 105 - seat stay detail.jpg

BAT stands for Bianchi Active Technology and K-VID is short for Kevlar Vibration Isolating Device. The idea is that the shaping of the fork and the snaking rear triangle, along with Kevlar inserts in those areas, provide improved shock absorption and adherence to the road.

Bianchi Intenso Disc 105 - chain stay detail.jpg

I couldn't tell you exactly what mechanisms are at work but over the past few weeks I have found the Intenso Disc to be a comfortable bike. I mean, you don't find yourself sitting there thinking, 'Wow, those K-VID inserts are really working hard alongside the Bianchi Active Technology to keep road vibration down to a more than acceptable level', but you do notice that you're not getting a boot in the seatpad every time you hit a less than perfect road surface (which is nearly all the time).

I wouldn't say that the Selle San Marco Era Startup Power saddle is anything special but it's not offensive either, and one thing we know is that saddles are very much a matter of personal preference.

Bianchi Intenso Disc 105 - saddle.jpg

The Intenso Disc is stable at speed without any twitchiness, and it corners beautifully thanks to its well-balanced setup. If you do find that you've overdone the speed going into a bend, the Shimano BR-RS505 hydraulic disc brakes will get you out of trouble.

All-weather braking

I'm not an ambassador for disc brakes. Personally, I think they're a great addition to many bikes but not the perfect solution in all situations (at least not in their current form). Here, I think they make a lot of sense.

Bianchi Intenso Disc 105 - front disc.jpg

Take yesterday evening, for example, when I got caught in rain that was so hard it was hitting the tarmac and bouncing back upwards in a comedy fashion. These brakes carried on working almost as well as in dry conditions. Yes, before anyone says it, the weakness in the system is the grip of skinny tyres on the road surface – that's true – but these brakes start to bite immediately even when it's wet, unlike rim brakes that need to squeegee off the braking surface first. I just think that good disc brakes are an excellent choice on a bike like this.

> Buyer's Guide: 2017's hottest disc brake-equipped road bikes

The Intenso's disc brakes are Shimano flat mount standard and Bianchi uses 12mm x 100mm (front) and 130mm (rear) thru axles. They're not quick-release, as such. You get a single hex key that slots in place in one of the axles, which you can pull out when you need to remove a wheel. It sits in there securely and doesn't rattle.

The disc brakes do add some weight, though, and it has to be said that this isn't a particularly light bike. Although Bianchi claims a 1,100g (+/-5%) frame weight, our complete bike hit the road.cc Scales of Truth at a fairly portly 8.7kg (19.2lb) without pedals. Weight isn't the be all and end all on an endurance bike (or any other bike, come to that), but all other things being equal you'd rather it was a touch lighter.

Groupset, wheels & finishing kit

The RS505 brakes are essentially 105 level to match the derailleurs, 105 being Shimano's highly reliable mid-level groupset. The chainset is a downgrade to Shimano RS500, though, which is a shame because the 105 version is one of the best components in the groupset.

Bianchi Intenso Disc 105 - front mech.jpg

That RS500 chainset is a compact (50-tooth and 34-tooth chainrings) matched up to an 11-28-tooth cassette. Gearing is always going to be a matter of personal preference but a setup like that will probably suit most people on most terrains. Some of you might prefer a wider ranging cassette, depending on your fitness and the roads you ride.

Bianchi Intenso Disc 105 - drivetrain.jpg

The wheels on our review bike are DT Swiss R24 Spline but they've been changed to Fulcrum Racing Sports for 2017. The tyres are Vittoria Zaffiro Pro Slicks in a 25mm width – 25mm being the new black. Not so new anymore, come to think of it.

Bianchi Intenso Disc 105 - rim.jpg

The handlebar, stem and seatpost are all aluminium in-house options that are ripe for upgrading over time. There's nothing wrong with any of them, but if you want to save weight this would be a good place to start.

Bianchi Intenso Disc 105 - head tube.jpg

One other component that's worth a mention is the Shimano BBR60 bottom bracket. It's of the screw-in variety. Although pressed-in bottom brackets and oversized axles can add stiffness, threaded bottom brackets don't have nearly as many issues with creaking, and as long term sufferers will attest, that can be good news for your mental health.

Conclusion

The Bianchi Intenso Disc is a good endurance bike that offers comfort, reliability and exceptional braking in all conditions. It didn't get my pulse racing in the same way as other models in Bianchi's range – it lacks the excitement of the Oltre, for example – but it's not that kind of bike. If you want to get your head down and go flat out at everything, the Intenso Disc isn't for you. But if you want a bike that's stable, well behaved and suitable for racking up the big miles, it has plenty to offer.

Verdict

Comfortable, reliable endurance bike that provides excellent braking in all weathers

If you have £1,000 to £1,500 to spend on a road bike, you really do get a lot for you money. A benefit of spending this sort of money is that the bikes start to get much lighter than those costing half as much, which will have a significant impact on the ride quality and performance, and your times up your local hills.

Shimano 105 and Tiagra are the dominant groupsets in this price range. While there is a lot of own-brand kit for parts like wheels, handlebars and saddles, which is no bad thing (manufacturers have really raised their game with own label components), there is a lot more branded kit from the likes of Mavic and Fizik.

At the time of writing (October 2016) we're in the transition between 2016 and 2017 models, so our selection reflects that. There are some 2016 bargains here, as well as some of the best 2017 bikes in the category.​

Fuji Roubaix 1.3 — £1,149

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Fuji characterises its Roubaix as a race bike and has completely reworked the frame for 2017, putting it firmly in the category of Very Light Aluminium at a claimed weight of 1,100g.

The fork is all-carbon, as befits a lightweight bike, and there are Shiano 105 gears and brakes to make it stop and go. The Oval Concepts finishing kit includes a chainset with Praxis rings. It looks like an excellent package for the money if you're in the marker for a fast, light traditional road race bike.

Boardman Road Pro Carbon — £1,199.20

Boardman Road Pro Carbon.jpg

Boardman is making some great bikes this year – both in terms of performance and value – and the Road Pro Carbon is no exception. If you're after a disc brake road bike that's engaging to ride, you should certainly take a look at this. If you're looking for a more versatile all-rounder, it's not such a good fit.

Given that this bike comes from an endurance mould you might expect the ride to be more forgiving than it actually is. The Boardman doesn't have the surface-taming characteristics of something like a Cannondale Synapse or a Trek Domane, it's much more of a road bike feel. It's not uncomfortable, but it is firm. It's well balanced in that the front and the back give about the same level of feedback from the road.

Certainly the frame and fork are a package that's worthy of some upgrades here: it's a very well-balanced bike that responds well to pretty much every kind of road riding. The steering is very predictable and never nervous, and I had no issues with any wobbles, vagueness or lift-off descending at speed.

Find a Boardman dealer

Read our review of the Boardman Road Pro Carbon

Cannondale CAAD12 105 — £1,299

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Last year, the CAAD12 set a new benchmark for all-aluminium frames; it still puts a lot of carbon bikes to shame. With a frame weight under 1,100g for the disc brake and regular versions, it's not much heavier than carbon either. Cannondale package the frame with a full Shimano 105 groupset, carbon fibre fork with tapered steerer tube, 52/36 crank. Mavic Aksium wheels and a Selle Royal Seta S1 saddle. You can also have it with disc brakes for an extra £300.

Read our report from the CAAD12 launch
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Canyon Ultimate CF SL 7.0 — £1,349

Canyon ultimate-cf-sl-7.png

German company Canyon has made quite an impression in the UK with its direct-to-consumer business model meaning big savings for those prepared to bypass the bike shop for their next bike purchase. The Ultimate CF SL is produced using the same mould as that the Ultimate CF SLX we tested a while ago, it's just using a cheaper carbon fibre. That keeps the price lower. Although the weight does go up a bit, it's still light at a claimed 940g. This is the entry-level model built with a full Shimano 105 groupset, Mavic Aksium wheels, Continental GP 4000 25mm tyres, Canyon's own bars and stem and a Fizik Antares saddle. It's nominally a 2016 bike, but Canyon is still listing it at this price.

Focus Cayo Tiagra — £1,399

Focus Cayo Tiagra.jpg

The Focus Cayo Tiagra uses a race-proven carbon fibre frame and fork with a more relaxed fit and geometry than the German company's racier offerings. The frame is fitted with Shimano Tiagra brakes, gears and semi-compact crankset, along Continental Grand Sport tyres. Focus uses its own-brand Concept components for the wheels, handlebars, stem, and saddle.

Find a Focus dealer

Trek Émonda S 5 — £1,400

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With a lightweight carbon fibre frame and Shimano 105 group, this speedster from Trek's racing range is a good deal.

The Emonda line is Trek's take on making the lightest road bikes it can produce for a given price, which means the frame here is worth upgrading as the parts wear out; it wouldn't be shamed by a Shimano Ultegra group.

Find a Trek dealer

Bianchi Intrepida — £1,400

Bianchi Intrepida Veloce 2017.jpg

We bet most people will want a Bianchi on any new bike shortlist. Bianchi classifies the Intrepida as part of its endurance racing line-up which places an emphasis on comfort over long distances. That means a slightly more relaxed geometry and more upright position than a traditional race bike. Bolted to the frame is Campagnolo's Veloce groupset with an FSA Omega chainset and Bianchi's own label Reparto Corse for the wheels and all finishing kit.

Find a Bianchi dealer

Vitus Bikes Zenium SL Pro Disc - Superlight Ultegra — £1,449

Vitus Bikes Zenium SL Pro Disc - Superlight Ultegra.jpeg

Recent price increases mean getting a full Shimano Ultegra group with disc brakes on any bike under £1,500 is unusual, making the offering from Chain Reaction's house brad excellent value with it spec on an aluminium frame. It comes with Michelin's fast Pro 4 tyres in 25mm width and there's room in the frame to go up to 28mm for versatility.

The frame is the same as the 2016 Zenium SL Disc, which our Stu Kerton really liked when he reviewed it. The SL tames the previous Zenium's harshness a bit, but this is still a fast bike. "I like it,"Stu wrote. "It feels purposeful, a kind of 'this is what I am, deal with it' type of thing. With a lot of bikes these days trying to be a bit of an 'everything' option, it's good to get on board something that can just be smashed about a bit and ridden hard."

Read our review of the Vitus Zenium SL

Giant Defy Advanced 3 — £1,499

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Giant’s Defy has long been a benchmark for bikes that combine comfort, endurance and value. Over the years the model range has developed from being purely a mid-price aluminium bike to where we are now with a range of carbon fibre-framed Defy Advanced bikes from £1,500 to £6,000; the previous aluminium Defy range is now badged Contend.

The range starts with three Defy Advanced models, of which the Defy Advanced 3 is the cheapest. It has Shimano's excellent-value Shimano Tiagra 10-speed transmission, including hydraulic brakes.

If the carbon fibre frame pushes the Defy Advanced 3 out of your price range, the Contend SL 1 has an aluminium frame, Shimano 105 components and hydraulic disc brakes for £1,149.

Find a Giant dealer

Specialized Tarmac Sport — £1,500

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If your tastes run to fast and sharp-handing road bikes, but your budget won't stretch to the astounding Specialized S-Works Tarmac Disc, this everyman race bike will provide a big chunk of the thrills without holing your bank account below the waterline. It has Specialized's light, nimble FACT 9r carbon frame with a Shimano 105 groupset providing the stop and go bits.

Find a Specialized dealer

The Infinito CV Potenza is Bianchi's take on the endurance genre of road bikes, being a little taller and a little longer than a typical race bike. Don't take that as being more sedate, though, because there is still plenty of racing pedigree hidden inside that frameset. The Infinito CV is a responsive, vibration-damping speed machine.

With more relaxed geometry than its Oltre and Specialissima race bikes, Bianchi has aimed the Infinito CV at those riders who like to get a move on but don't want to race or don't wish to be in a racer's low slung position. For the equivalent frame size, the Infinito has a 30mm longer head tube, which does make you feel a bit more upright, but not to the point where it affects you in terms of aerodynamics should you need to hunker down in the drops for a bit of speed work. I could certainly still achieve a decent saddle to handlebar drop.

> Find your nearest dealer here

> Buy this online here

One thing that hasn't been relaxed is the responsiveness of the frameset; when you really stamp on the pedals there is very little difference to be felt in performance between this bike and the Specialissima I tested before.

Bianchi Infinito CV Potenza - riding 2.jpg

The Infinito CV is rock solid around the bottom bracket junction and up front, where you'll find the commonly themed tapered oversized head tube – a 1 1/2in lower race diameter in this case.

Bianchi Infinito CV Potenza - head tube badge.jpg

All this makes for a very exciting ride if you find yourself having one of those 'feeling good' days or you just want to go out and have a bit of a smashfest. This bike just felt so much lighter than its 7.8kg (17.2lb) weight would have you believe, with acceleration and climbing becoming a joy.

Comfort is key

For this style of bike, comfort is a key consideration, especially if you want to start knocking out some serious long distance rides, and considering those high levels of stiffness, the Infinito CV doesn't disappoint.

Bianchi reckons it all comes down to that CV in its name, CounterVail technology, which is described as a viscoelastic material that's embedded within the layers of carbon fibre. It's designed to cancel out high frequency road vibration – you know, that buzzy stuff that makes your hands tingle.

Bianchi Infinito CV Potenza - top tube decal.jpg

It certainly seems to work because the Infinito CV is one very comfortable bike to ride. You still feel everything that is going on beneath you from the road, and you're still going to notice big impacts from a pothole or washboard-like piece of tarmac, but the CV just seems to take the edge off everything, all of that chatter.

Well balanced

Handling-wise, Bianchi has got the balance pretty much spot on, which it makes it very easy to ride quickly downhill even if you aren't a very confident descender. The steering has been slowed down a little compared with Bianchi's race bikes, thanks to a slacker 72-degree head angle among other things and this means a lot of the twitchiness has been taken out of it.

Bianchi Infinito CV Potenza - riding 4.jpg

I pushed things a little on one of my local descents and going into a tight, off-camber right-hander I grabbed too much rear brake (the test bike had the brakes set up European style, the 'wrong' way round), which seriously unsettled the bike, and by the time I'd adjusted the power I was putting through the brake levers I was in too deep, so it was more of a case of looking for somewhere soft to put myself and the bike down rather than make the bend.

Bianchi Infinito CV Potenza - rear brake.jpg

In the end, though, the Infinito CV stayed well under control and gave full feedback of what it was doing, and while I still took to the grass verge for a couple of feet I didn't need to unclip or even stop the bike before rejoining the carriageway.

With the braking layout situation now planted firmly in my mind, on the rest of my testing descents the Bianchi responded well, and I even picked up a Strava top ten on a notoriously technical one in the wet. 

Frame and fork

The Infinto CV is a stunning bike to look at, with its various tube profiles showing plenty of oversizing for stiffness, and slender sections for promoting flex.

Bianchi Infinito CV Potenza - frame detail 2.jpg

Up front the head tube is less of a tube than a section with the flared ends of the top tube and down tube practically blending into each other. This is there to create front end stiffness for steering and braking loads, and certainly gives the bike a very tight, direct feel up front.

Bianchi Infinito CV Potenza - head tube.jpg

Bianchi's own fork certainly doesn't let down on the stiffness front either. It has a large crown, accommodated by that oversized head tube, and the legs slim very little as they make their way down to the dropouts. It's a full carbon fibre construction, as you'd expect on a bike of this price.

Bianchi Infinito CV Potenza - fork.jpg

The bottom bracket junction is large, though not as chunky as you see on some carbon fibre machines. It still allows for a large-section down tube and chainstays to be joined together to deliver all of that stiffness and power transfer. Press-Fit BB30 bearing cups are used to help the chainset spin smoothly.

Bianchi Infinito CV Potenza - bottom bracket.jpg

The full carbon fibre frame is designed for use with both mechanical and electronic groupsets from all three of the major manufacturers thanks to full internal cable/wire routing and various battery attachment options.

It's good to see such a large range of sizes for a carbon fibre machine too, with the Infinto CV coming in eight from 47cm to 63cm – although that is effective seat tube length, as in if the frame didn't have a compact sloping top tube. A maximum top tube length of 595mm means if you are very tall you might struggle to get one to fit.

Potenza group

The Potenza groupset this Infinito CV is wearing is Campagnolo's newest and this is only the second bike we've tested that has it. There is a full review of the groupset coming, but I'll give you a quick run-down of what's on offer.

Potenza is the Italian company's fourth tier groupset and is pitched at around the same level as Shimano's Ultegra. It's an 11-speed setup and uses mainly aluminium in its construction rather than the carbon fibre found on Campagnolo Chorus and above, and is available in the black you see here or silver should you fancy a bit of a retro theme.

Bianchi Infinito CV Potenza - front mech.jpg

Our test model came with a compact 50/34 chainset and 11-29 cassette, which certainly provided me with a large enough spread of gears for every eventuality.

Bianchi Infinito CV Potenza - rear mech.jpg

If you are a previous user of Campagnolo shifters you'll notice that on these newer mechanical levers the thumbshifter now mimics the sloping shape of the electronic EPS models rather than sitting horizontal. It's a welcome change as it makes your hand sit much more naturally when resting on the hoods; you can keep your thumb just resting against the button ready for a quick shift if you need it.

Bianchi Infinito CV Potenza - bars.jpg

Gear changes are snappy with a more defined clunk than that of the lighter feeling Shimano Ultegra 6800, but in terms of shifting there is very little to separate the two. The throw of the paddle on the Potenza is longer, which can become telling on a long ride until you get used to it.

I'm a big fan of the shape and feel of the hoods on Campag's levers, too.

Bianchi Infinito CV Potenza - bars and shifter.jpg

The chainset offers plenty of stiffness, and the chain just skips across the chainrings and cassette sprockets even when under load like on a steep climb.

Bianchi Infinito CV Potenza - drive train.jpg

I've long been a fan of the Skeleton brake callipers, having used them right across Campag's range. They've always offered excellent power and modulation, and it's no different with the Potenza versions.

Bianchi Infinito CV Potenza - front brake.jpg

It really is a very good groupset.

Finishing kit

The Reparto Corse finishing kit is Bianchi's in-house brand and offers cool looks and decent quality for a decent budget.

The seatpost is carbon fibre with an alloy clamp and, oddly in a frame of this kind, is 31.6mm in diameter. It's often thought that a narrow 27.2mm post promotes a little more flex for added comfort and that's something I'd like to have seen here. The larger diameter post is quite stiff, so even though the CV frame is damping the small vibrations you still get some fatigue from the bigger bumps. If it was my bike I'd probably use a shim to allow a 27.2mm seatpost to fit.

Bianchi Infinito CV Potenza - saddle and post.jpg

Keeping things Italian, the Infinito CV comes fitted with a Fizik Aliante R7 saddle, which is one that I get on with very well, and with its matching Celeste detailing it looks like a saddle that befits a bike of this price. It is quite firm, but it seems to be that if the shape suits you then comfort will be fine.

Bianchi Infinito CV Potenza - stem.jpg

The handlebar and stem are both alloy and come in varying sizes depending on frame size. Stiffness at the front end is also high, with neither having very little in the way of give.

Wheels and tyres

The Fulcrum Racing 5 LG wheels may look a bit of a cheap setup for a three-grand-plus bike, but we've seen them specced on quite a few models around this price, especially where the majority of the rrp is being absorbed by such a high quality frameset.

Bianchi Infinito CV Potenza - rim.jpg

We tested a version here a while back and were suitably impressed by what is basically a set of training wheels. Obviously if you stick some more expensive hoops on with less weight you do notice the difference, and it makes the Bianchi feel a little more perky, but as an all-round package the Fulcrums don't really have a negative impact on the way the Infinito CV rides.

Bianchi Infinito CV Potenza - riding 3.jpg

The wheels stayed true throughout testing and the bearings have remained smooth and trouble-free too over the cold, wet months of December and January.

Bianchi Infinito CV Potenza - rear hub.jpg

The Vittoria Rubino Pro G+ Isotech graphene tyres are great performers, offering loads of grip in both the wet and dry. They feel as though they roll quickly too and are quite supple, giving a smooth ride on the road. They seem hardwearing too. I have yet to see any damage to the tyres from cuts or punctures, so I'd happily run them through the winter and only change them in the summer if I wanted something super-lightweight.

Those fitted on the test bike are 25mm wide, but the Infinito CV will take up to 28mm tyres should you want to go bigger.

Value

On paper the Infinito CV Potenza might not look so appealing at its 2017 price of £3,300 (when it first arrived at road.cc HQ it was £3,000) when you take into account the finishing kit and especially those wheels, but you are getting an absolute stunner of a frameset which costs over two and a half grand on its own.

Bianchi Infinito CV Potenza.jpg

One of its rivals we mentioned in the Just In piece was the NeilPryde Bura SL, a very similar machine with an Ultegra groupset and the same wheels, and now £300 cheaper than the Bianchi.

The Bianchi has a much more fun and exciting ride, just from the sheer amount of feedback and comfort that gets sent to you from that frame, and that is worth paying for – but I'm not sure how much more.

> Buyer's Guide: The best bikes for long days in the saddle

There is also the likes of Canyon's Endurace, with an Ultegra Di2 model being available for £2,469. The Endurace is a firm favourite of ours here at road.cc, mostly because of what it delivers as a package, but the Bianchi again offers the more superior frame and ride.

Overall, I have to say I reckon the Infinito CV Potenza was right on the money in terms of value at three grand, but that 10 per cent increase in RRP for 2017 – which Bianchi puts down to the value of the pound against the euro – just nudges it a little out of reach.

That said, if you're after a bike that is comfortable, very quick, easy to ride for miles and miles and you're prepared to pay for it, then you definitely need to give one of these a test ride.

Verdict

An exceptional bike if you want to go fast in plenty of comfort, but you have to pay for it

A rare Bianchi Pista track bike given to a former professional cyclist who rode alongside Marco Pantani when the Italian became the last man to win the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France in the same season is up for sale on eBay– but it has a hefty price tag.

The bike is one of a very limited run given to members of Pantani’s Mercatone Uno team, including four-time Giro d’Italia stage winner Fabiano Fontanelli, and is painted in its iconic celeste and yellow colours.

Rare bikes attract a premium when sold online, and all the more so when there is a link to one of the biggest names in cycling over the past quarter century, as there is here with Pantani – Fontanelli, nicknamed Mortadella, rode alongside il Pirata in both the Giro and Tour in 1998.

Even if you don’t have the Buy It Now price of $6,799 burning a hole in your pocket – to which, according to the seller, you’ll face an additional 22 per cent fees for taxes and import duties to the European Union, though we’d recommend you check with HMRC first – the pictures are worth ogling.

Here are the details of the bike from eBay.

The Bianchi Mercatone Uno Pista has been made only for the team and it wasn't available for private consumers. So there are only a few of them in the world.

Size 53 seat tube x 54,5 top tube (centre to centre), 12,4 cm headtube and 79,8 cm standover, used but in very good conditions. The tubes are Dedacciai steel tubing.

Some scuffs and missed points of paint, but No rust and No dents.

The groupset is a Campagnolo Record Pista in very good conditions and fully operational with New Old Stock (NOS) crankset.

Frame: 

- Bianchi Mercatone Uno 1998 Pista/Track, Dedacciai steel tubing

Groupset and components:

- Campagnolo Record Pista New Old Stock crankset (165mm arms)

- Campagnolo Record Headset 1"

- Campagnolo C-Record Sheriff Pista hubs

- Campagnolo Record seat tube

- Campagnolo Barcelona 92 Pista tubular rims

- Gipiemme Bianchi saddle

- 3TTT Pista steel handlebar

- 3TTT steel stem

- Vittoria Atlanta 3D compound yellow track tubular

This is a unique piece for real collectors!

At 80g for a very compact tool, the Bianchi 8x1 is a slim, fairly light option for very basic roadside work, but the omission of T25 Torx and Phillips #2 drivers is odd.

Cycling multitools present a quandary: how much is too much? You don't want to be carrying around excess weight and taking up space in a tool roll or seatpack with a feature you'll likely never use. And of course you need to be sure the tool has the required bits to suit the bike you're riding and the repairs you're likely to make on the road: this will almost certainly differ from bike to bike. Fortunately at around £10-15 for most tools, you can easily find one specific to each bike and leave it attached or labelled on your pre-ride gear shelf, so you don't get caught out.

Buy Bianchi Minitool 8x1

The all-steel Bianchi 8x1 features 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6mm hexes, a small (PH1) Phillips and a flat blade too. To my mind, a 2.5 or an 8mm would have been more useful than a 2mm, but it's very specific to what's on your bike and what you are likely to need to fettle on the road. A 2mm hex is indeed handy for swapping out rim brake shoes and making adjustments to caliper brakes, for example, and some pedal spindles take 8mm bits.

I'm okay with the omission of a chain breaker. In the last decade of cycling about 5,000 miles a year, I've only had to repair a chain once out on the road, and it wasn't mine either. Modern chains, correctly installed, simply don't fail within the statistical bounds of justifying carrying a tool to re-join them.

Read more: The best multi tools — get the right bits to fix your bike's bits

The omission of a Torx T25 in favour of a T20 is just odd though. With many disc rotors being held on by T25 bolts, and very few T20 bolts to be seen on bikes, dedicating a space to a T20 at the cost of a T25 is questionable. An online meta-analysis of minimalist multitools followed by a conversation with Sean Lally of Cycle Systems Academy and bike-tech podcast partner John Galloway of Velocast shows apparently no-one of note thinks a T20 is worth having, almost everyone going for a T10, most-often a T25 and occasionally a T30.

The Bianchi 8x1 is pretty slim, slipping down the side of a tool roll or seatbag easily with no protrusions to catch, and the short bits are held in place firmly. I'm not a fan of long bits on multitools, as if you need to apply pressure they easily slip out of vertical relative to the bolt you're adjusting. Also if you need to, you can easily get shorter bits inside a bottlecage or under a brake bridge, bent at ninety degrees.

The PH1 Phillips head does an OK job of shifting friction-free derailleur adjustment bolts, but a PH2 would have been a much better choice. If the bolt is welded fast (as mech screws often are) a PH1 will simply not be up to the job of cracking it free. As with the Torx T20, the PH1 is an odd decision to include. Likewise there are very few (if any) reasons to carry a flat-blade screwdriver on a modern bike, so its inclusion here at the cost of a PH2 or T25 is again odd.

For two quid more, Shaun liked the Topeak Mini 9 tool and I'm inclined to agree. The inclusion of an 8mm hex, T25 instead of T20 Torx and Phillips #2 instead of #1 make for a much more sensible collection, for my bikes, anyway. Know your bike, and the logical tool for you will follow.

Verdict

Functional yet strange selection of tools, so check your bike's needs before buying

1. Michal Kwiatkowski averaged 443 watts for 5:47mins when climbing the Poggio at the end of last weekend’s Milan-San Remo.
Find out more here. 

2. A rider taking on soft sand could be the funniest video you’ll see this week. 
Find out more here. 

3. There’s such a thing as a full-suspension gravel bike.
Find out more here. 

4. A new sign at the top of Mont Ventoux in Provence, France, will show a height of 1,897 metres rather than the 1,911 metres shown on the previous sign.
Find out more here. 

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5. The Guinness World Record for circumnavigating the world by tandem will probably be broken this weekend when George Agate and John Whybrow arrive back at Canterbury Cathedral.
Find out more here. 

6. Injuries caused by Edinburgh tram tracks over the last seven years have resulted in a bill for the NHS of more than £1m, and the vast majority happened to cyclists.
Find out more here. 

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7. A pair of Mavic’s new Comete shoes will cost you £900.
Find out more here. 

8. You can buy a Bianchi Oltre XR4 in more than 2,000 colour combinations.
Find out more here.

9. London’s North-South Cycle Superhighway has been nominated for a top civil engineering award.
Find out more here. 

10. There are a hell of a lot of indicators for bikes being launched these days.
Find out more here. 

11. You can take ride on a £2,899 Giant Defy Advanced Pro 1 at Bike LIVE Cannock.
Find out more here. 

Bianchi's Oltre XR3 is nimble and sharp handling, and it offers a ride that's smooth by aero road bike standards.

One of Bianchi's key selling points for the Oltre XR3 is the use of Countervail technology, so let's deal with that up top.

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We've covered Countervail many times before here on road.cc because it's something that's included in several other bikes in Bianchi's range. According to Materials Sciences Corporation, the company behind it, 'Countervail is an innovative composite material system that combines traditional vibration damping layer concepts and a patented fibre preform. Unparalleled vibration damping is derived from the fibre preform itself, where the fibre pattern maximises the vibrational energy dissipation by a viscoelastic damping layer.'

Bianchi Oltre XR3 - riding 2.jpg

The technology has been used to deal with vibration in applications as diverse as helicopters and tennis rackets, although it's exclusive to Bianchi in the bike world.

Bianchi argues that because your body accounts for about 80% of the aerodynamic drag that works against you as you cycle, it's vital that you're able to stay in your most efficient riding position for as long as possible. The Countervail technology is designed to help you remain in an aero position by cancelling vibration and thereby increasing your control, reducing muscle fatigue, and keeping you comfortable.

Bianchi Oltre XR3 - seat stay detail.jpg

It's a good argument... as long as the Countervail delivers on its promises. You'd have to say that the Oltre XR3 does provide a smooth ride by race bike standards. It feels like some of the high-frequency vibration is being damped here, but the tyres you use and the pressure at which you run them, the wheels, the saddle, the seatpost, the handlebar, the bar tape... they all have a major effect on how the bike feels too.

Bianchi Oltre XR3 - saddle.jpg

As far as I can tell without taking it to the lab, the Countervail does have a positive influence on the way the bike feels, but don't expect miracles here. You're going to get a little less buzz than you'd otherwise get, not a totally different ride experience. Don't expect the Countervail to do anything to soften the blow if you rattle through a pothole or hit a big bump in the road. It might dissipate vibration but it can't smooth over major irregularities.

While we're covering comfort, it seems nuts to me that Bianchi has invested so much in Countervail technology over several years and then wrapped the Oltre XR3's handlebar in tape that is, to put it bluntly, horrible. Thin and not very grippy, it wouldn't last a week if this was my bike. Still, swapping bar tape is cheap and simple so I wouldn't let it alter my buying decision.

Bianchi Oltre XR3 - bars and shifter.jpg

The other factor that's going to influence comfort greatly is the geometry and whether or not it suits you. The Oltre XR3 is available in seven sizes from 47cm to 61cm. The top tubes of the various sizes are exactly the same lengths as those of the top-level Oltre XR4 models, while the head tubes are 5mm longer across the board.

To take a 55cm model as an example, the head tube is 145mm, the effective top tube is 550mm and the seat tube is 495mm. The stack height (the vertical distance between the centre of the bottom bracket and the top of the head tube) is 545mm and the reach (the horizontal distance between those points) is 388mm.

Bianchi Oltre XR3.jpg

The corresponding figures for the Oltre XR4 are 541mm and 390mm respectively, so the Oltre XR3 is a touch more relaxed but the difference is minor. It's very much a race bike setup.

The Oltre XR3 feels super-stiff when you dish out the watts. There's little flex either through the centre or the front end of the frame, and that's always a good start for a performance-focused bike. You get the feeling that your effort is getting turned efficiently into forward movement rather than flexing the various parts of the frameset around.

Bianchi Oltre XR3 - riding 3.jpg

The fork is a full-carbon integrated design (the shape of the crown flows into that of the frame's head tube and down tube) with a tapered steerer (1 1/8in upper bearing, 1 1/2in lower bearing) and wide legs. It takes you exactly where you want to go no matter how hard you lean the bike into a corner.

Bianchi Oltre XR3 - head tube.jpg

Bianchi took the Oltre XR2 as its starting point for the XR3's design and then altered many of the tubes and features, resulting in a very different bike. Although the down tube and chainstays are the same, pretty much everything else has been tweaked or completely changed.

The head tube is new, for example, the aero design fairly similar to that of the XR4, and the seat tube is new too, although it is still cut away around the leading edge of the rear wheel.

Bianchi Oltre XR3 - rear.jpg

The seatstays are beefier than the XR2's. Brands often use super-skinny seatstays to reduce vibration, but Bianchi says that Countervail does that job so well that it can afford to make the stays stronger to reduce flex. The idea is that this boosts the performance of the brakes which, unlike those of the Oltre XR4, are dual pivot rather than direct mount. I can't say that I noticed any difference on that front, to be honest.

Bianchi Oltre XR3 - rear brake.jpg

The seatpost is aero profiled with a wedge-type clamp that's hidden within the top tube. It has an adjustable head clamp offset (the amount the head clamp is set back from the centre of the post) of 25mm or 10mm, which means you get a lot of scope for altering your riding position.

Bianchi Oltre XR3 - seat tube junction.jpg

One feature that I did find a bit odd is that you still get bolts on the underside of the down tube to take an external battery for electronic shifting. Surely that could have been safely ditched.

Bianchi Oltre XR3 - down tube.jpg

Bianchi claims a fork weight of 370g and a frame weight of 1,110g (+/-5%, 55cm model). For comparison, the Oltre XR4 has a claimed frame weight of 980g (-/-5%, size 55cm) and a 370g fork. The complete 59cm bike I rode, built up with a Campagnolo Potenza groupset and Fulcrum Racing 7 LG wheels, was 8.06kg (17.8lb).

Bianchi Oltre XR3 - fork.jpg

That's by no means superlight for a bike of this price, but the Oltre XR3 isn't designed to be. If your main priority is a light weight, check out Bianchi's Specialissima. The Oltre is designed as an aero road bike and Bianchi says that although it doesn't match the more expensive XR4 in the wind tunnel, it still puts in an efficient performance (no comparative figures have been published and we're not in a position to conduct wind tunnel testing).

Build options

The Oltre XR3 is available in various different builds:

* Shimano Dura-Ace Mix, with Fulcrum Racing Quattro wheels – £4,599.99

* Full Campagnolo Chorus, with Fulcrum Racing Quattro wheels – £4,199.99

* Full Shimano 105, with Fulcrum Racing Sport wheels – £2,799.99

* Full Campagnolo Potenza, with Fulcrum Racing 7 wheels – £3,299.99

I've been riding the last of these. If you want to know all about the Campagnolo Potenza groupset, head over to Stu's review. I'd agree that it's really impressive stuff and I especially like the Ergopower shifters. The hoods are super-comfy and the thumb lever is easy to push whether your hands are up there or down on the drops. Plus, of course, Potenza will please those people who believe you have to fit Campag components on a bike from an Italian brand.

Bianchi Oltre XR3 - bar and shifter 2.jpg

The Fulcrum Racing 7 LG alloy wheels will be treated as place holders by most people. I mean, they're fine but they're entry level and this is a three grand bike. Don't get me wrong, they do a decent enough job for everyday use but they're not competition wheels and they don't have aero credentials so, in those senses, they don't suit the Oltre XR3's character.

Bianchi Oltre XR3 - rim.jpg

If you intend racing you might well have your own favourite race wheels anyway, which is probably what Bianchi figured when it came to speccing this bike.

Overall

If I'd not ridden the Bianchi Oltre XR4 Super Record last year, I'd probably be raving more about the XR3... but that's not fair because this bike, in this build, is a third of the price! Just about anything is going to be overshadowed by that XR4 which was, after all, the road.cc Superbike of the Year 2016-17.

> Buyer's Guide: 16 of the best & fastest aero road bikes for 2017

The XR3 isn't quite as light or as sparky, naturally enough, but it's still a very able performance-orientated bike. It's lively, quick to react and the ride is unusually good for a bike of this kind.

Verdict

Fast-reacting aero road bike with a very good ride quality

Bianchi has issued an urgent product recall due to a defect in the forks in some of its 2017 bikes including the Infinito CV and Intenso models. The recall only relates to bikes with calliper brakes, and disc brake models are unaffected.

In a post published on Facebook yesterday, the Italy-based brand said:

Bianchi’s internal test laboratory has recently detected a possible defect in the forks of a limited quantity of 2017 model year: Infinito CV, Infinito CV Dama Bianca, Intenso and Intenso Dama Bianca (non disc version) bikes and framesets. The failure could result in serious injury.

For this reason, we are recalling and replacing forks from model year 2017.It’s advised that you immediately stop using the bike and contact your Bianchi Dealer to arrange for a replacement.

Forks affected can be identified from the photos below. If you have a model that is not the same as appears in the photos below [see them at this link], then you can continue to use the bicycle without any problem. This affects only 2017 season calliper brake models.

Wholesalers, distributors and dealers have been asked to stop selling all bicycles that are affected and contact their customers of sold bicycles to inform them and schedule to replace their forks with new forks we will provide as soon as possible.

Due to the volume of these popular models, the end of August is the earliest we can hope to have all replacements. We realise this a lot to ask and hope that you can bear with us while we resolve the problem.

Safety and reliability are equal to the performance we design into every Bianchi bicycle and we apologize for your inconvenience. We are conducting continuous testing to ensure your safety and the intended performance of our products.

The product recall coincides with Merida issuing one for the forks of certain of its 2017 Scultura models.

The new Bianchi Aria is an efficient aero road bike that's more accessible than any of the brand's Oltres. It's responsive and direct and handles sharply.

Bianchi's Oltres have always done really well in road.cc reviews. The only issue is that the cheapest complete Oltre XR1 is £2,699.99, the Oltre XR3s start at £2,799.99 and you won't get an Oltre XR4 for less than £5,200. The Aria is hardly a budget option but it does bring Bianchi's aero bike range down to a more affordable (yes, it's all relative) level.

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The first thing you notice when riding the Aria is just how punchy it is and how ready to respond to increased effort. I went back and double-checked the weight of our 57cm model – 8.25kg (18.19lb) – because in use it feels a lot lighter and more chuck-aroundable than that.

Bianchia Aria riding -4.jpg

The oversized bottom bracket shell (it's home to a press-fit 86.5 x 41 BB) holds everything in check well when you crank up the power, while the tapered head tube (1 1/8in upper bearing, 1 1/4in lower bearing) and full-carbon fork prove similarly solid at the front end. I couldn't detect any flex either when cornering hard or throwing the bike around on steep climbs.

Bianchia Aria riding -6.jpg

One of the Aria's other attributes is easy manoeuvrability. Some aero bikes are good for straight-line speed but they're single minded and don't much like to deviate from that. The Aria is more than happy to flick from one line to another to navigate through a group or avoid something unexpected in the road.

Drag reducing

The Aria boasts many features designed to reduce drag, the most obvious being the fork legs and frame tubes that are slim and deep-section. The fork crown is integrated into the frame, the down tube is dropped with a slight cutaway around the front wheel, and the seat tube is cutaway around the rear wheel.

Bianchi Aria - head tube.jpg

Bianchi says that the design of the slim seatstays was inspired by that of its Aquila time trial bike. These meet the seat tube low down to reduce the frontal area and manage the airflow in the rear brake area. The seatpost has an aero profile and comes with a wedge-type clamp that's recessed into the top tube.

Bianchi Aria - seat tube junction.jpg

Bianchi says that the bike 'has been heavily inspired by our extensive wind-tunnel testing and cooperation with pro riders', although it doesn't say whether the Aria itself has been subject to CFD (computational fluid dynamics) analysis or taken to the wind tunnel, and doesn't put any specific figures on the bike's aero performance.

Bianchi Aria - fork.jpg

We don't have access to a wind tunnel and we're not in the business of guessing, so the furthest I'll go is to say that lots of tried and tested aero features are present and correct here.

Bianchi Aria - frame detail.jpg

With most of the drag when riding coming from you, the rider, rather than the bike, it's important that you get into an efficient riding position, and the Aria is designed to help you do that. Clearly, there wouldn't be much point going to the trouble of developing aero tube shapes and then having the rider sit bolt upright in the saddle.

Bianchia Aria riding -3.jpg

The Aria is available in eight different sizes from itty bitty 44cm right up to a big ol' 61cm. I've been riding the 57cm model (I'm actually between Bianchi sizes; I could do with a 58cm Aria but there's no such thing) which has a 570mm effective seat tube (it would be 570mm if the top tube was horizontal) and a 560mm effective top tube. The head tube on this model is 155mm, which is certainly short.

Bianchi Aria.jpg

The stack on this model is 557mm and the reach is 395mm. To save you the trouble of translating all those figures into something that actually makes sense, the bottom line is that the Aria puts you into a low, flat backed riding position when you're down on the drops, which is exactly what you'd expect.

Bianchia Aria riding -2.jpg

All of the Aria's figures are the same as those of Bianchi's top-level Oltre XR4, as ridden by Team LottoNL-Jumbo in the world's biggest races, so you know what you're going to get here. This is a racing geometry aimed at riders with a need for speed. If you want a high front end for comfort, well, you can run a few spacers underneath the stem but, really, this isn't the best setup for you.

> 10 of the best £2,000-£3,000 road bikes

The Aria provides quite a firm ride, which isn't a euphemism for harsh – it's certainly not that. There's not a whole lot of up/down frame flex but the 25mm Vittoria Zaffiro Pro tyres offer a decent level of road buzz damping while the flat San Marco Quadra saddle comes with a generous amount (by race bike standards) of Biofoam padding. There's a lot of flex in the glass-fibre-reinforced shell too. Taken as a whole, though, the Aria feels more solid and sturdy than soft and yielding. I didn't feel the ride was as smooth as that of the (much more expensive) Bianchi Oltre XR4, for example.

Centaur back

We told you back in May that Campagnolo was bringing its Centaur groupset back from beyond the grave and this is the first bike we've had in for review with the new version fitted. It's now 11-speed and features technology that has trickled down from the brand's higher level groupsets.

Bianchi Aria - drivetrain.jpg

We'll run a complete review on the groupset separately so I won't go into massive depth here, but it's worth saying that the Ergopower controls provide all the comfort of Campag's top-level levers and the Vari-Cushion natural silicone hoods are grippy even when rain or sweat has made them wet.

Bianchi Aria - bars.jpg

The other key feature, as far as I'm concerned, is that the dual pivot brakes (front and rear) are good. Really good. I rode a bike fitted with the Centaur groupset when Campag took me out to the launch earlier in the year and I've ridden the Aria with a couple of different wheelsets fitted, and the brakes have bitten hard on all of them. Seriously, you'll be surprised. It's particularly impressive given that Centaur is Campag's fifth-tier groupset.

Bianchi Aria - rear brake.jpg

The one groupset component choice I had an issue with was the compact chainset (50/34-tooth chainrings). An aero bike necessarily has an emphasis on speed – that's in its DNA – so I'd rather have a 52/36-tooth chainset (Centaur isn't available in a 53/39-tooth option) to keep piling on the power that little bit longer on the descents. That's an individual preference, obviously.

Bianchi Aria - crank.jpg

The Aria is available in two other builds: Shimano 105 (£2,299.99) and Shimano Ultegra (£2,649.99), although it's a 50/34-tooth chainset whichever option you choose.

The Vision Team 35 Comp alloy clinchers (the 35 refers to the millimetres of rim depth) aren't especially lightweight but they're competent and strong. The hubs are CNC machined and fitted with sealed cartridge bearings. Despite some wet miles, no water or grit has got in and that bodes well for their durability. Personally, I'd go with something offering a higher level of performance for racing, but these should see you right for training rides in all weathers.

Bianchi Aria - rim.jpg

Speaking of racing, Bianchi bills up the Aria as being suitable for triathlon if you fit some clip-on aero bars. Of course, you could fit aero bars to any road bike with a suitable handlebar, but I guess the point Bianchi is making is that an aero frame with a short head tube has better tri credentials than most. Fair enough. That said, the seat angle on our 57cm review bike is 73.5 degrees which is well short of what you'll find on a dedicated time trial/triathlon bike, so getting into a full aero tuck will always be more of a strain.

Bianchi Aria - bars 2.jpg

Overall

The Bianchi Aria might not have quite the glamour of the Oltres, but it's still a solid proposition. It comes equipped with tried and tested aero features, handles sharply and reacts fast. If you're after something relaxed for getting in the big miles in comfort then this isn't the best choice for you, but if you're performance-driven and you're looking for a like-minded bike, the Aria is definitely worth checking out.

Verdict

A fast-reacting aero road bike in a race geometry for those with a need for speed