For Sale: Lugless Bianchi Frame & Forks Columbus EL

Here is a Bianchi road/triathlon frame.

Seat tube 57 cm C-T-C
Top tube 57 cm C-T-C
130mm rear dropouts

Campagnolo Chorus bottom bracket, Stronglight headset, both recent and running perfectly.

Plenty of minor marks and scrapes including some paint loss not visible in photo underneath the top tube. Hairline cracking of paint around seat cluster but the steel is solid. Far off needing a respray I'd say.

Craftsmanlike build. Internal cable routing on top tube and rear mech tube. Front mech brazed-on bracket fitting. Brazed-on shifter fittings on downtube. Two pairs of bottle fittings. Bianchi pantograph on bottom bracket. Columbus Extra Light ('Extra Leggere') sticker on seat tube and 'Columbus Squadra Corse' transfers on seat stays. Chromed dropouts with Bianchi pantograph on front. The no-name seat-post in the picture is currently stuck, I anticipate it will be several days before it comes free.

This frame was formerly owned by Irish national triathlete Marcus Whitfield, and his name remains on the top tube, along with one small ding near to the seatpost (see photo). As you would expect the frame is rather sportive but not extreme, with only about 5 mm seat tube clearance running skinny tyres on 700c wheels. The wheelbase is a lively 100 cm.

Rear dropouts are only about 20 degrees off the vertical so not ideal for SS/fixed, although as you can see from the pic of the built-up bike there is just enough angle to run it single if you are prepared for some fuss. Didn't actually cause me a problem, maybe I was lucky.

Bought this frame on eBay 18 months ago and it's been my main ride since. It is more than nice. The fairly rare EL/OS is top notch steel. Only 1800g for a standard build, so lighter than Columbus SL, SLX or TSX. It is really light.

But.

I've been kidding myself the whole time that either I would shrink or the frame would grow and neither of these have happened. Now it is time to stop kidding and say goodbye, Bianchi, and let it go to someone who it would actually fit.

For this lovely and unusual frame I ask a paltry £150.

Frame is in Suffolk, if anyone wants to buy it they can collect from the depths of the countryside, or pay £15 postage.

You can read about Columbus EL/OS tubing here: http://www.smartcycles.com/nemo_747.htm

7 Attachments

DIBS Please.............. PM Sent

To clarify, this frame is in Columbus EL Oversize, not plain vanilla EL. All tube specs for the period here: http://www.equusbicycle.com/bike/columbus/columbuschart.htm

Sold. What a fine forum.

EL OS is a fine tubeset.......lovely frame at a nice price ;0)

My one is still in my garage if you want to do a search....!

Hello,

Looking for a Bianchi frame columbus el, I found your advertissement. It is 5 years ago, maybe you still have it? I hope.
Sincerly, Michiel

@user69510 there's a clue in the OPs final comment above...

I'm sorry. To late in the evening.

I wonder where it is now. One of the best of frames.

Just page @Black-T asking maybe he could tell us ;)

It turned out more complicated than that.