Bianchi Bicycles
Encyclopedia
F.I.V. Edoardo Bianchi S.p.A ' onMouseout='HidePop("91003")' href="/topics/Italian_language">Italian
) is the world's oldest bicycle
-making company still in existence, having pioneered the use of equal-sized wheels with pneumatic rubber tires in 1885. It was founded in Italy
in 1885. It produced car
s and commercial vehicles from 1900 to 1939; and motorcycle
s from 1897 to 1967. Bianchi has been associated for 50 years with the Italian Tour de France
winner, Fausto Coppi
.
in 1885. It has been part of Cycleurope Group, the Swedish
company of Grimaldi Industri AB, since May 1997. Bianchi pioneered the front wheel caliper brake. The British bicycle historian, Hilary Stone, said Bianchi "was not a small specialist manufacturer but rather a large industrial concern with most of their bicycle output being pretty run-of-the-mill models."
In the 1940s, Bianchi employed 4,500 people in two factories. Stone said: "Their road bikes did not really stand out from the crowd either. In all the catalogues of the period the tubing on the frames was not specified - it was just described as 'finest quality steel tubing' - though the British importers added that the tubing was double-butted. The frames are not especially light, nor are they particularly heavy.
s and 1,000 car
s a year. In 1935 Bianchi sponsored Costante Girardengo
, one of the first Italian stars on the road, and its bicycle sales rose to 70,000 a year. In 1950 Fausto Coppi
won the Paris–Roubaix on a Bianchi equipped with what was later named the Campagnolo
Paris–Roubaix derailleur gear, for which Bianchi bicycles featured the necessary special drop-outs
until 1954. He won the race by two and a half minutes on a bicycle equipped with Universal brakes, Bianchi steel handlebars and stem, a Regina chain and a four-speed freewheel
with shaped teeth. It also had Nisi rims, Campagnolo hubs and Pirelli
tyres. It was made for sale only in 57 and 59 cm, smaller than the bike that Coppi used. A variation known as the Campione Del Mondo followed Coppi's win in the 1953 world championship.
Riders of different eras have been associated with Bianchi including Felice Gimondi
, who continues his association with the company . Recent riders include Danilo Di Luca
, Mario Cipollini
, Marco Pantani
, Moreno Argentin
and Jan Ullrich
. Until 2007, Bianchi was a cosponsor of the UCI ProTour
team, Liquigas
. It did not supply teams from 1959 to 1964 nor from 1967 to 1972.
The most demanding rider was Pantani. Sara Mercante, head of Bianchi's research and development, said: "Pantani had very specific ideas about what he wanted. He had 30 different frames a year from us - with different angles and weights on each one. He changed his bike after every ride. I'd go and meet him during the Giro d'Italia
and the Tour and discuss improvements with him. He'd ask to have the geometry changed by, say, half a degree, just to make sure the bike was absolutely perfect. He'd want different angles for different races. He's ask us to tweak the length of the top tube by a millimetre or by half a degree. Pantani was quite obsessive."
Bianchi is currently headed up by CEO Bob Ippolito, who before joining Bianchi was the Vice President of Pacific Cycle, headquartered in Madison
, Wisconsin
.
, a turquoise
also known as Bianchi Green, (and sometimes, incorrectly Tiffany Blue
, a copyrighted colour). Contradictory myths say Celeste is the colour of the Milan sky, the eye colour of a former queen of Italy for whom Edoardo Bianchi made a bicycle (the crowned eagle of the company logo is an adaptation of the former royal crest) and that it was a mixture of surplus military paint. The shade has changed over the years, sometimes more blue, then more green.
]
division of Bianchi. In Hayward, California
, it produces bicycles built in Taiwan
and Italy only for the American market. In the USA, only the Reparto Corse range is still produced in Italy.
, whom Ferdinand Porsche
called "The greatest driver of the past, the present, and the future."
The company began making trucks in the 1930s and supplied the Italian army during the second world war. It was that that brought the end of production shortly after peace returned because the factory had been so heavily bombed.
Bianchi created a car brand, Autobianchi
, in 1955, working with Pirelli
and Fiat
. The three turned out only a handful of models, almost exclusively small cars, the biggest being the short-lived Autobianchi A111
. Autobianchis cost more than Fiats of similar size. Fiat used the brand to test concepts such as glass fibre and front-wheel drive. Fiat bought Autobianchi and integrated it into Lancia
. The marque survived in Italy 1995, but became extinct elsewhere when it was rebranded Lancia in 1989.
Bianchi continued with motorcycles, particularly the 125cc Bianchina and the Aquilotto, an auxiliary motor for a conventional bicycles. Bianchi took on Lino Tonti as its research engineer in 1959. It produced 250, 350 and 500cc machines and took part in grands prix in 1960. The company also produced a model for the Italian army
and a civilian scooter, the Orsetto 80. Bianchi Motorcycle production was taken over by Piaggio
in 1967.
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
) is the world's oldest bicycle
Bicycle
A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....
-making company still in existence, having pioneered the use of equal-sized wheels with pneumatic rubber tires in 1885. It was founded in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
in 1885. It produced car
Čar
Čar is a village in the municipality of Bujanovac, Serbia. According to the 2002 census, the town has a population of 296 people.-References:...
s and commercial vehicles from 1900 to 1939; and motorcycle
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
s from 1897 to 1967. Bianchi has been associated for 50 years with the Italian Tour de France
Tour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
winner, Fausto Coppi
Fausto Coppi
Angelo Fausto Coppi, , was the dominant international cyclist of the years each side of the Second World War. His successes earned him the title Il Campionissimo, or champion of champions...
.
Bianchi bicycles
Edoardo Bianchi, a 21-year-old medical instrument maker, started his bicycle-manufacturing business in a small shop at 7 Via Nirone, MilanMilan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
in 1885. It has been part of Cycleurope Group, the Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
company of Grimaldi Industri AB, since May 1997. Bianchi pioneered the front wheel caliper brake. The British bicycle historian, Hilary Stone, said Bianchi "was not a small specialist manufacturer but rather a large industrial concern with most of their bicycle output being pretty run-of-the-mill models."
In the 1940s, Bianchi employed 4,500 people in two factories. Stone said: "Their road bikes did not really stand out from the crowd either. In all the catalogues of the period the tubing on the frames was not specified - it was just described as 'finest quality steel tubing' - though the British importers added that the tubing was double-butted. The frames are not especially light, nor are they particularly heavy.
Sponsorship
The Bianchi reputation began when the company sponsored Giovanni Tommasello, the winner of the Grand Prix de Paris sprint competition in 1899. Fifteen years later it was making 45,000 bicycles, 1,500 motorcycleMotorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
s and 1,000 car
Čar
Čar is a village in the municipality of Bujanovac, Serbia. According to the 2002 census, the town has a population of 296 people.-References:...
s a year. In 1935 Bianchi sponsored Costante Girardengo
Costante Girardengo
Costante Girardengo was an Italian professional road bicycle racer, considered by many to be one of the finest riders in the history of the sport. He was the first rider to be declared a "Campionissimo" or "champion of champions" by the Italian media and fans...
, one of the first Italian stars on the road, and its bicycle sales rose to 70,000 a year. In 1950 Fausto Coppi
Fausto Coppi
Angelo Fausto Coppi, , was the dominant international cyclist of the years each side of the Second World War. His successes earned him the title Il Campionissimo, or champion of champions...
won the Paris–Roubaix on a Bianchi equipped with what was later named the Campagnolo
Campagnolo
Campagnolo is an Italian manufacturer of high-end bicycle components with headquarters in Vicenza, Italy. The components are organised as groupsets and are a near-complete collection of a bicycle's mechanical parts. Campagnolo's flagship components are the Super Record, Record, and Chorus...
Paris–Roubaix derailleur gear, for which Bianchi bicycles featured the necessary special drop-outs
Dropout (bicycle part)
A bicycle dropout is a type of fork end that allows the rear wheel to be removed without first derailing the chain. The more inclusive term fork end refers to a slot in a frame or fork where the axle of the wheel is attached....
until 1954. He won the race by two and a half minutes on a bicycle equipped with Universal brakes, Bianchi steel handlebars and stem, a Regina chain and a four-speed freewheel
Freewheel
thumb|Freewheel mechanismIn mechanical or automotive engineering, a freewheel or overrunning clutch is a device in a transmission that disengages the driveshaft from the driven shaft when the driven shaft rotates faster than the driveshaft...
with shaped teeth. It also had Nisi rims, Campagnolo hubs and Pirelli
Pirelli
Pirelli & C. SpA is a diverse multinational company based in Milan, Italy. The company, the world’s fifth largest tyre manufacturer, is present in over 160 countries, has 20 manufacturing sites around the world and a network of around 10,000 distributors and retailers.Founded in Milan in 1872,...
tyres. It was made for sale only in 57 and 59 cm, smaller than the bike that Coppi used. A variation known as the Campione Del Mondo followed Coppi's win in the 1953 world championship.
Riders of different eras have been associated with Bianchi including Felice Gimondi
Felice Gimondi
Felice Gimondi is an Italian former professional racing cyclist.With his 1968 victory at the Vuelta a España, only three years after becoming a professional cyclist, Gimondi, nicknamed "The Phoenix", was the second cyclist to win all three Grand Tours of road cycling: Tour de France , Giro...
, who continues his association with the company . Recent riders include Danilo Di Luca
Danilo Di Luca
Danilo Di Luca is an Italian professional road racing cyclist who rode for numerous UCI Professional Continental teams throughout his career including Liquigas-Bianchi and . He holds victories in the Giro di Lombardia in 2001, the 2005 UCI ProTour and won both the Giro d'Italia and the spring...
, Mario Cipollini
Mario Cipollini
Mario Cipollini , often abbreviated to "Cipo", is a retired Italian professional road cyclist most noted for his sprinting ability, the longevity of his dominance and his colourful personality. His nicknames include Il Re Leone and Super Mario...
, Marco Pantani
Marco Pantani
Marco Pantani was an Italian road racing cyclist, widely considered one of the best climbers in professional road bicycle racing...
, Moreno Argentin
Moreno Argentin
Moreno Argentin is an Italian former professional cyclist .Born in San Donà di Piave , he won stages in the Tour de France, the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de Suisse. Known as Il Capo , he won Liège–Bastogne–Liège four times, the La Flèche Wallonne three times and the Ronde van Vlaanderen and Giro...
and Jan Ullrich
Jan Ullrich
Jan Ullrich is a German former professional road bicycle racer. In 1997, he was the first German to win the Tour de France. He went on to take five second places and a fourth in 2004 and third in 2005. He is considered one of the best time-trialists in the history of the sport...
. Until 2007, Bianchi was a cosponsor of the UCI ProTour
UCI ProTour
The UCI ProTour was a series of road bicycle races in Europe, Australia and Canada organised by the UCI . Created by Hein Verbruggen, former president of the UCI, it comprises a number of 'ProTour' cycling teams, each of whom are required to compete in every round of the series...
team, Liquigas
Liquigas
Liquigas-Cannondale is an Italian professional road bicycle racing team in the UCI ProTour. The current title sponsor is Liquigas, a provider of liquified gas products in Italy. The second sponsor, Cannondale, is an American bicycle manufacturing company, whose sponsorship has led to a small...
. It did not supply teams from 1959 to 1964 nor from 1967 to 1972.
The most demanding rider was Pantani. Sara Mercante, head of Bianchi's research and development, said: "Pantani had very specific ideas about what he wanted. He had 30 different frames a year from us - with different angles and weights on each one. He changed his bike after every ride. I'd go and meet him during the Giro d'Italia
Giro d'Italia
The Giro d'Italia , also simply known as The Giro, is a long distance road bicycle racing stage race for professional cyclists held over three weeks in May/early June in and around Italy. The Giro is one of the three Grand Tours , and is part of the UCI World Ranking calendar...
and the Tour and discuss improvements with him. He'd ask to have the geometry changed by, say, half a degree, just to make sure the bike was absolutely perfect. He'd want different angles for different races. He's ask us to tweak the length of the top tube by a millimetre or by half a degree. Pantani was quite obsessive."
Bianchi is currently headed up by CEO Bob Ippolito, who before joining Bianchi was the Vice President of Pacific Cycle, headquartered in Madison
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
.
Color
Bianchi bicycles are traditionally painted CelesteCeleste (colour)
Celeste is the colloquial name for the turquoise blue colour associated with the Italian Bianchi Bicycle Company and sometimes known as Bianchi Green...
, a turquoise
Turquoise
Turquoise is an opaque, blue-to-green mineral that is a hydrous phosphate of copper and aluminium, with the chemical formula CuAl648·4. It is rare and valuable in finer grades and has been prized as a gem and ornamental stone for thousands of years owing to its unique hue...
also known as Bianchi Green, (and sometimes, incorrectly Tiffany Blue
Tiffany Blue
Tiffany Blue is the colloquial name for the light medium robin egg blue color associated with Tiffany & Co., the New York City jewelry company.The Tiffany Blue color is protected as a color trademark by Tiffany & Co...
, a copyrighted colour). Contradictory myths say Celeste is the colour of the Milan sky, the eye colour of a former queen of Italy for whom Edoardo Bianchi made a bicycle (the crowned eagle of the company logo is an adaptation of the former royal crest) and that it was a mixture of surplus military paint. The shade has changed over the years, sometimes more blue, then more green.
]
USA
Bianchi USA is the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
division of Bianchi. In Hayward, California
Hayward, California
Hayward is a city located in the East Bay in Alameda County, California. With a population of 144,186, Hayward is the sixth largest city in the San Francisco Bay Area and the third largest in Alameda County. Hayward was ranked as the 37th most populous municipality in California. It is included in...
, it produces bicycles built in Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
and Italy only for the American market. In the USA, only the Reparto Corse range is still produced in Italy.
Motor production
Bianchi also took part in motorcycle races, where one of its first riders was Tazio NuvolariTazio Nuvolari
Tazio Giorgio Nuvolari was an Italian motorcycle and racecar driver, known as Il Mantovano Volante or Nivola. He was the 1932 European Champion in Grand Prix motor racing...
, whom Ferdinand Porsche
Ferdinand Porsche
Ferdinand Porsche was an Austrian automotive engineer and honorary Doctor of Engineering. He is best known for creating the first hybrid vehicle , the Volkswagen Beetle, and the Mercedes-Benz SS/SSK, as well as the first of many Porsche automobiles...
called "The greatest driver of the past, the present, and the future."
The company began making trucks in the 1930s and supplied the Italian army during the second world war. It was that that brought the end of production shortly after peace returned because the factory had been so heavily bombed.
Bianchi created a car brand, Autobianchi
Autobianchi
Autobianchi was an Italian automobile manufacturer, created jointly by Bianchi, Pirelli and Fiat in 1955. Autobianchi produced only a handful of models during its lifetime, which were almost exclusively small cars, with the biggest being the short-lived Autobianchi A111, a small family car...
, in 1955, working with Pirelli
Pirelli
Pirelli & C. SpA is a diverse multinational company based in Milan, Italy. The company, the world’s fifth largest tyre manufacturer, is present in over 160 countries, has 20 manufacturing sites around the world and a network of around 10,000 distributors and retailers.Founded in Milan in 1872,...
and Fiat
Fiat
FIAT, an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino , is an Italian automobile manufacturer, engine manufacturer, financial, and industrial group based in Turin in the Italian region of Piedmont. Fiat was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli...
. The three turned out only a handful of models, almost exclusively small cars, the biggest being the short-lived Autobianchi A111
Autobianchi A111
The Autobianchi A111 is a small family car from the Italian automaker, Autobianchi , built from 1969 to 1972. Despite rather modest dimensions, it was the largest Autobianchi ever made, as the brand specialized in small cars...
. Autobianchis cost more than Fiats of similar size. Fiat used the brand to test concepts such as glass fibre and front-wheel drive. Fiat bought Autobianchi and integrated it into Lancia
Lancia
Lancia Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian automobile manufacturer founded in 1906 by Vincenzo Lancia and which became part of the Fiat Group in 1969. The company has a long history of producing distinctive cars and also has a strong rally heritage. Some modern Lancias are seen as presenting a more...
. The marque survived in Italy 1995, but became extinct elsewhere when it was rebranded Lancia in 1989.
Bianchi continued with motorcycles, particularly the 125cc Bianchina and the Aquilotto, an auxiliary motor for a conventional bicycles. Bianchi took on Lino Tonti as its research engineer in 1959. It produced 250, 350 and 500cc machines and took part in grands prix in 1960. The company also produced a model for the Italian army
Italian Army
The Italian Army is the ground defence force of the Italian Armed Forces. It is all-volunteer force of active-duty personnel, numbering 108,355 in 2010. Its best-known combat vehicles are the Dardo infantry fighting vehicle, the Centauro tank destroyer and the Ariete tank, and among its aircraft...
and a civilian scooter, the Orsetto 80. Bianchi Motorcycle production was taken over by Piaggio
Piaggio
Piaggio based in Pontedera, Italy encompasses seven brands of scooters, motorcycles and compact commercial vehicles. As the fourth largest producer of scooters and motorcycles in the world, Piaggio produces more than 600,000 vehicles annually, with five research and development centers, more than...
in 1967.
See also
- Liquigas-Bianchi ProTour team
- Team BianchiTeam BianchiTeam Bianchi was a makeshift team that was put together from the remnants of the Coast team in time for the 2003 Tour de France.Team Coast had been unable to pay the salaries of their riders and Bianchi took over the team and the role of title sponsor. Coast had recently signed Jan Ullrich...
- AutobianchiAutobianchiAutobianchi was an Italian automobile manufacturer, created jointly by Bianchi, Pirelli and Fiat in 1955. Autobianchi produced only a handful of models during its lifetime, which were almost exclusively small cars, with the biggest being the short-lived Autobianchi A111, a small family car...