The guys in front seem to be on Ksyriums and Hincapie is on Bontragers – I’m betting Jan’s Lightweights are the lightest wheels in that picture!

Look at everyone else on their climbing wheels. Fuck yeah Yarny!

Yeah, you know the game. Downsize and stretch it out. I could always ride a bigger frame, but then I’d be riding a bigger frame. Shudders.

I like the amount of seatpost you’re showing, my good man.

My old faithful #1. 2008 928 T Cube frame. This model was good enough for Michael Matthews to win his U23 Road Worlds title in 2010, and still used by Continental teams in 2012. So obviously good enough for me…

It’s about time you got rid of that shitty seatpost though bro…

I spent 12 days riding in the Pyrenees this past July. Hot and hard but gorgeous.  The locals were friendly and encouraging, unlike local riding.  They shout ‘Allez allez’ instead of ‘douchebag’ for example.  I’d love to go back and do it all again.  I’ll send you a lot of no to some more photos if you like.

2004 Aluminum and carbon. Now it has gears. This version was an interesting ride, I’ll say. Again, let’s focus on the color.

I’m really enjoying the celeste in this thread, thanks!

My old faithful #1. 2008 928 T Cube frame. This model was good enough for Michael Matthews to win his U23 Road Worlds title in 2010, and still used by Continental teams in 2012. So obviously good enough for me…

Quoting just because we need to have more of this hotness on here. Fuck me.

I’ll have to go find my photos of portet d’aspet, because I’d place some money on that being the town! All told I’ve spent about 8 weeks riding those roads. Superbagniers is one of the best!

@frank

It feels like Bianchi and Colnago are the only two big players that have maintained an element of their heritage in the modern world of cycling. Many boutique brands can offer that chichi bike, but few large companies.

Notice you are at The Rouleur Classic event. I look forward to it.

I will be indeed and I’m looking forward to it! It will actually be my first trip to London!

@cognition

A proper TSX frame:

Is that real gold inlay or just paint?  Either way, it’s Class.

I’m quite sure it’s paint.  (Personally, I think gold inlay would be over the top, and more befitting something like a Colnago or a Tomassinni or Somec; your opinion may vary)

You are absolutely right.  That photo was taken this past summer during mid morning espresso at a tiny outdoor “cafe” in the square of a small town en route from Bagneres de Luchon to Saint Girons via Portet d’Aspet, Col de Menthe & Port de Bales.  I don’t remember the name of the town.

If you’ve ridden in the area you might also appreciate this photo taken the day before:

Superbagneres

It feels like Bianchi and Colnago are the only two big players that have maintained an element of their heritage in the modern world of cycling. Many boutique brands can offer that chichi bike, but few large companies.

Notice you are at The Rouleur Classic event. I look forward to it.

And you, Meh-cialized.

Felice Gimondi at L’eroica (picture by L’eroica)

@Stephen

Sorry about the double post above – just new to the website. This is what I was trying to post.

That’s a beauty and the photo reminds me of Portet d’Aspet in the South of France, just over the Col from Aspet. Stunning!

Sorry about the double post above – just new to the website. This is what I was trying to post.

Everyone loves the cactus! It’s about 40 years old, apparently…

@wiscot

Haha! Nope, it’s the garage for a house up the road.

The plate just before the first white truffles were served in Bianchi’s Milan flagship store. My hosts kindly organised a great business dinner in the store plus a tour. I heard both Celeste stories from their EU marketing manager – so it must be true then!

Wow, I must find this place if I’m ever in Milano again. God help me from putting the plate under my shirt on the way out the door. Outstanding.

https://picasaweb.google.com/101664482593222908911/September302015

A proper TSX frame:

Is that real gold inlay or just paint?  Either way, it’s Class.

@wilburrox

My name just happens to be Celeste. Really. So I can only love the color. And my bike is a Colnago, and it is pink. Tragic, no?

I bet you spend a lot of time in therapy.

@ChrisO

I have a funny thing about over-cooked vegetables. High heat, quick sear or go home, I say. Except potatoes and tomato assuming you’re making the tomato into a red or green sauce.

I find myself loving the colour one day and hating it on others. My local shop near my work is a Bianchi dealer and I will likely be buying a new bike about this time next year. The question for me is can I handle riding a celeste bike every day? Am I better off getting a black Oltre with celeste highlights? Given my opinion of the colour changes with my mood at the time this makes it a tough question. That and I do like the look of the Propels…

I think if you have a celeste Bianchi, you’d find yourself loving it every day.

@Bee-An-Key

Have 4 Bianchi, Steel celeste, Carbon Celeste, Carbon black with Celeste markings and Aluminum with no celeste but at least has classic panels.  In a world that was Titanium grey for years and now is Black or Flat Black it still stands out even when unpopular.  Ferarri Red, Mercedes Silver, Belgian Blue, Merckx Orange, Wilier Copper, etc.  Who will remember Specialized black, BMC Black w/red, Trek USPS Blue?

Think Ulrich in that classic Bianchi retro jersey.  Maybe not the best, cutting edge bike, but they handle great and everyone who buys a non-celeste always regrets it.

Team Bianchi 2003, such class. The VMH has the XLEV4 of that year, which Jan rode for part of the season but it was a bit light for him so he preferred the XLEV3. The line of bikes from the EV2-EV4 were probably the best-handling bikes I’ve ever ridden, and many of the Pros who raced them echoed the same thing.

Here are my Bianchis, both built with identical 1997 Columbus TSX-UL frames.

Damn Oli, is that your garage door with all the tags on it?

@wiscot

Out of respect, no other bike manufacturer should use celeste. I’m looking at you, Condor.

Or, worse, Trek Factory Racing 2013:

Yes, it’s a shade more blue than true celeste, but sweet Merckx, Coppi, and Gimondi — have some respect.

That’s turquoise not celeste, but I agree; a non-Bianchi brand doing a celest-ish color is similar to one of us tools riding around in the rainbow jersey.

@1860

… I love the fact that there is a debate how the color now is not a true celeste (which I agree but it still looks awesome)…

It’s true, though — or at least in a way.  The hue of celeste has changed over the years.  In some years it’s more blue, in some closer to a true green, in some more vivid and in some more pastel.  Perhaps it depends when you first fell in love with a Bianchi, although I’ll still claim that the 1980’s celeste (it of the semi-infamous 1983 ad campaign) is the truest!

A proper TSX frame:

@frank,

If you do end up looking for a repaint on either frame, Allan Wanta does gorgeous work (although I’d argue that the Bianchi he shows is a little too blue…).

I will need to find a crowned fork as well; I have the fork @Oli has on the Bianchi photographed on the top above. I love how the one you’re showing has the chromed crown. Beauty.

pardon my Shamal-bone.  More awesome steeds!

This is all a plot to remind me how stupid I was to sell mine before I found The Way.

that´s exactly what I thought. i had a nice steel lugged one from probably the 70-es, but was way to young to appreciate it. then swapped it for another steel one in celeste but with the yellow fading paint scheme like il pirata had on his one after he won the giro and the tour.

i´ll have to give the new owner a call these days…

@Michael Arant

@frank

An Aubergine is what North Americans call “eggplant” and is edible in the strict sense that it may be chewed and swallowed.  Nasty business, these.

Fucking disgusting, as I’ve had the pleasure of saying three times now. FFS.

Besides, you’re likely to be bitten by a black snake if you try to pick one up at the grocery store. That’s one of nature’s little warning systems right there.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2913463/Fruit-vegetable-store-worker-bitten-snake-unpacking-box-eggplants.html

Ah but the Italians call it melanzane (mel-uhn-ZAR-nay) and it just sounds delicious. Properly prepared they have a beautiful creamy texture and can soak up flavours.

Aubergine is the essential ingredient of moussaka, which is an authentic classic so if you think you have more culinary nous than two thousand years of Greek and Italian grandmothers then you go right ahead and tell them.

As for being bitten by snakes, in Australia you can suffer multiple deadly injuries from snakes, spiders and crazy birds just walking to the bus stop. Fucking attention-seeker.

My name just happens to be Celeste. Really. So I can only love the color. And my bike is a Colnago, and it is pink. Tragic, no?

Think Ulrich in that classic Bianchi retro jersey.  Maybe not the best, cutting edge bike, but they handle great and everyone who buys a non-celeste always regrets it.

… you have options there. Eg;

Out of respect, no other bike manufacturer should use celeste. I’m looking at you, Condor.

Or, worse, Trek Factory Racing 2013:

Yes, it’s a shade more blue than true celeste, but sweet Merckx, Coppi, and Gimondi — have some respect.

@frank

An Aubergine is what North Americans call “eggplant” and is edible in the strict sense that it may be chewed and swallowed.  Nasty business, these.

Fucking disgusting, as I’ve had the pleasure of saying three times now. FFS.

Besides, you’re likely to be bitten by a black snake if you try to pick one up at the grocery store. That’s one of nature’s little warning systems right there.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2913463/Fruit-vegetable-store-worker-bitten-snake-unpacking-box-eggplants.html

I have had my Bianchi for two years now, had some assistance from a friend when selecting as it was my first road bike, amongst his technical advice was ‘also it is cool, 100% cool’ he was right as the predominant Celeste colour made it so and still does. Soon Rule #12 will come into play and my second bike will also be Celeste.

For a long time, all I could ever imagine buying were Bianchi’s. It might be time to start thinking about trying them out again; they are doing some interesting stuff that seems to be serving Sep pretty well on the rough stuff.

I just came across this picture too! *spooge*

An Aubergine is what North Americans call “eggplant” and is edible in the strict sense that it may be chewed and swallowed.  Nasty business, these.

*Yawn.

@frank

@ChrisO

@frank And Aubergine is a gourd and is disgusting. Both not colors.

I don’t think it is a gourd – it’s actually a fruit.

Well, it’s still fucking gross.

Hey hey, I won’t hear a bad word against egg plant!

said every veggie…

@ChrisO

@frank And Aubergine is a gourd and is disgusting. Both not colors.

I don’t think it is a gourd – it’s actually a fruit.

Well, it’s still fucking gross.

Hey hey, I won’t hear a bad word against egg plant!

@frank And Aubergine is a gourd and is disgusting. Both not colors.

I don’t think it is a gourd – it’s actually a fruit.

Well, it’s still fucking gross.

This just came across our tumblr.

Keepers should do a “Requiem” series article on pantographing.  So fucking rad.

Is it just me or has anyone else ever noticed how uninteresting it is to walk into a bike shop nowadays and find there is nothing to see ,seems bikes now are devoid of character unless of course on a rare occasion you come across a nice shiny new lugged steel frame built up with campy sitting all lonely in a corner ,ya just want to give it a big hug and take it home.

This just came across our tumblr.

It’s a good think that frames from back then had a completely different geometry as that short stumpy thing on the left would be completely useless for you in this day and age.

@1860

… I love the fact that there is a debate how the color now is not a true celeste (which I agree but it still looks awesome)…

It’s true, though — or at least in a way.  The hue of celeste has changed over the years.  In some years it’s more blue, in some closer to a true green, in some more vivid and in some more pastel.  Perhaps it depends when you first fell in love with a Bianchi, although I’ll still claim that the 1980’s celeste (it of the semi-infamous 1983 ad campaign) is the truest!

A proper TSX frame:

Sweet baby jeebus… now i gotta wipe the drool off my keyboard.

@Dom

Rad Picture but it’s not coppi, it’s piet van kempen in 1936!

Ahahaha, double-classic!

Crap!

@Dom, thanks for the clarification! I thought it didn’t look like Coppi, but the various photo captions I was seeing all said it was him.

It’s probably not true, but I liked that version.

That Gimondi pic? 100% Italian perfection.

Out of respect, no other bike manufacturer should use celeste. I’m looking at you, Condor.

Today is Felice Gimondi’s birthday, so great timing !

Felice looking the part

Rad Picture but it’s not coppi, it’s piet van kempen in 1936!

Ahahaha, double-classic!

Oh, I noted your caveat – that’s why I gave it the “classic” rating.

Named Fausto of course.

Great article Frank

I bought her a celeste Bianchi cap and our friendly local mechanic gave her some celeste Bianchi bidons.

There’s something special about that brand and that colour, that’s for sure. Not sure I could ride one.

… I love the fact that there is a debate how the color now is not a true celeste (which I agree but it still looks awesome)…

It’s true, though — or at least in a way.  The hue of celeste has changed over the years.  In some years it’s more blue, in some closer to a true green, in some more vivid and in some more pastel.  Perhaps it depends when you first fell in love with a Bianchi, although I’ll still claim that the 1980’s celeste (it of the semi-infamous 1983 ad campaign) is the truest!

A proper TSX frame:

The color itself:

That ad:

@frank,

If you do end up looking for a repaint on either frame, Allan Wanta does gorgeous work (although I’d argue that the Bianchi he shows is a little too blue…).

@frank And Aubergine is a gourd and is disgusting. Both not colors.

I don’t think it is a gourd – it’s actually a fruit.

Over the years, my wife would talk about “stucco” and “aubergine” as being colours. I would protest saying that there are only 6 colours; red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violate. I then dicovered cycling, and that there are actually 7 colours. Add celeste. “stucco” and “aubergine” are still not colours.

Stucco is a material and can be died to be any color you like. And Aubergine is a gourd and is disgusting. Both not colors.

How cool to have imprinted a color on your product. Ferraris – red. Kleenex – white. Bianchi celeste stands out and is never confused with imposters and once one has been initiated it becomes the most beautiful of colors!

I love how you’ve used a picture of Coppi NOT riding a Bianchi. Classic.

I knew you would catch on to that, but the picture is too rad not to use. And I ne’er said he was actually riding a Bianchi…just that he was an icon of the iconic color, which is almost the same as being right.