[GustyCycling]

I’m in a bit of a quandary, I’ve decided on a Bianchi Sempre Pro as my next bike, but I can’t decide between 2 versions of the same bike.

Any advice between the two?

Athena http://www.bianchi.com/de/bikes/bikes_detail.aspx?ProductIDMaster=189604

Ultegra http://www.bianchi.com/de/bikes/bikes_detail.aspx?ProductIDMaster=189602

As you can see they’ve got slightly different finishing kit which only adds to the questions.

Topic

[therevokid]

campag …. never felt
campag …. never felt comfortable with that side ways moving brake lever idea
that shimano came up with. … now di2 … that’s a different story 😉

[Beefy]

Italian bike Italian group
Italian bike Italian group set would look very nice, I use Shimano but then my bike is not of that pedigree!

[RR]

Note that Athena shifters are
Note that Athena shifters are Powershift, not Ultrashift. So no multiple upshifts on the thumb shifter.

[edster99]

nadsta wrote:edster99

nadsta wrote:

[quote=edster99]how could you have a Bianchi without Campag?????? 8} does not compute 8}

exactly. only a fool would dare

http://road.cc/content/news/138994-2015-worldtour-bikes-lottonl-jumbos-bianchi-oltre-xr2%5B/quote%5D

I can’t defend their choices…. :”(

[il sole]

I’ve got the new 11speed
I’ve got the new 11speed athena on my self build boardman CX bike and I really like it. I agree with other posters ref FSA chainsets. I had to replace two bigrings on my wilier, so in the end got rid of them and got a proper campag one.
As to the age old debate of campag vs shimano, you’ve just got to try them both. After 3 bikes with campag, I can’t ever contemplate a life without a little thumb shifter :/

[Mombee]

When I bought my Sempre Pro
When I bought my Sempre Pro last summer, the local bike shop (Veloton in Tetbury) upgraded the original fit brakes for the Ultegra units, so it had a full Ultegra 6800 groupset… and they also added Fulcrum Quattro wheels at a small cost. So defintely worth a bit of negotiation with the dealer.
At the time I had it in my head that a Bianchi should come with Campag and I was carrying this thought this year and was toying with an upgrade to Chorus or Record, but (he’s says quietly) I quite like the way that Shimano kit work (no thumbs involved)… and the 6800 Ultegra groupset does work exceptionally well.

[wycombewheeler]

Smoggysteve wrote:Rumour has

Smoggysteve wrote:

Rumour has it FSA will be pushing out their complete groupsets exclusively on Bianchi’s before being available on other brands of bike.

By ‘available’ you mean ‘inflicted’ right? Not impressed by fsa chainsets or bb. So no confidence in them having a go at gears.

[Smoggysteve]

Rumour has it FSA will be
Rumour has it FSA will be pushing out their complete groupsets exclusively on Bianchi’s before being available on other brands of bike.

[dunnoh]

I have Campag and love it.
I have Campag and love it. But Ill be getting Shimano next time. All bike shops here and abroad stock bits. I have had two moments in the last couple of years where events nearly had to be cancelled due to a last minute wheel and and rear mech failure.

[nadsta]

edster99 wrote:how could you

edster99 wrote:

how could you have a Bianchi without Campag?????? 8} does not compute 8}

exactly. only a fool would dare

http://road.cc/content/news/138994-2015-worldtour-bikes-lottonl-jumbos-bianchi-oltre-xr2

[nadsta]

Not sure where you’re buying
Not sure where you’re buying from but it’s possible to trade wheels back to the dealer and get a credit towards a better pair if you want an upgrade. I traded the stock Fulcrums 5’s or 7’s for 3’s and paid the rrp diffrence. Or you can pick up 3’s (or better, obv) pretty cheap on eBay and keep the stock as winter wheels.

Shamblesuk wrote:

I had one of these and my subjective observations:

. It’s a very aggressive riding position and didn’t work for my back – just be aware of the geometry
. FSA brakes are rubbish compared to Ultegra
. Chainset also poor and heavy

Regarding geometry, it’s not too extreme but it’s no ‘sportive’ set up either, definite race numbers. I’ve ridden mine on the Dragon and London to Paris without suffering any discomfort. Other than the Dragon ate my legs.

Gruppo brakes are a relatively cheap upgrade as is something like a carbon FSA SLK chainset. Ebay is your friend.

[edster99]

how could you have a Bianchi
how could you have a Bianchi without Campag?????? 8} does not compute 8}

[matthewn5]

Go with the celeste, if just
Go with the celeste, if just to stop everyone you ever meet on the road saying ‘why didn’t you get it in celeste?’!
The two groupsets are both excellent, weigh exactly the same (c. 2,275g), but for mine it would be the Campag, because it’s Italian.
But ultimately, get the one you want!

Good call about Epic cycles, Fulcrum 3s are well worth having.

[GustyCycling]

I’m tempted by Campagnolo
I’m tempted by Campagnolo just for a change from 105 I have currently. Ultra Shift is a good selling point as well, but celeste is a big selling point.

[Shamblesuk]

I had one of these and my
I had one of these and my subjective observations:

. It’s a very aggressive riding position and didn’t work for my back – just be aware of the geometry
. FSA brakes are rubbish compared to Ultegra
. Chainset also poor and heavy

I’d go for black, personally. But then I’m a Shimano devotee and that would also sway me.

Note the 12-27 on the Campag compared with 11-28 on the Shimano. I’d again go for the latter for extra climbing and downhill gear respectively.

[Author]

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