Bianchi Specialissima 2021 review - big performance with a big price

[@stephenwest673]

Bianchi bikes in Celeste are the most gorgeous bikes in my opinion ❤️

[@affordablewebdesigner]

it is true, I was not convinced while I purchased my Via Nirone 7 but now I see the beauty of that color (:

[@thegreatestsoccerdudeperio1697]

Never been a fan of the colour until I saw one in a shop, they look stunning.

[@MarcoBrugna]

Bianchi Specialissima 2023 edition arrived few days ago…….. WHAT A BIKE!!!!!!!! Absolutely fantastic! Your review helped me to pull the trigger when I saw the bike on Sale! Thanks for your work!

[@davidarthur]

Glad to help!

[@tommahnke]

Always nice to see Italian frames properly kitted out with Campagnolo components. They just seem to go together.

[@ahedgerow]

In years to come there will be a blue plaque in the hedgerow saying "on this spot David Arthur crouched in the road to review bicycles"

[@davidarthur]

😂

[@SuperTaylor68]

Super review David 👍 Love this bike

[@TheCyclingCardio]

As TCR SL user, I really appreciate the traditional bar n stem external set up. I can minor tweak the cockpit at home, from spacer height, stem length, and bar angle rotation that suits me with ease

[@Ghost12561]

external set up with certainly die soon

[@davidlenneberg4303]

Great review looking forward to the campy 12 speed super record review 👍

[@rteitel1974]

I've the 12 speed Record and I love it!

[@alansicular545]

I've always liked Bianchi bikes.Had a couple of them when I was young.I bought a Bianchi frame at Macys back in the 70's and put it together with assorted parts.My second Bianchi was full Campagnolo record ,great bikes.

[@StanEby1]

Brilliant and interesting review. You're right about the color.

[@louis1904]

The most beautiful bike in the world. I have it in 7.1 Kg with tubular and Campy EPS 12v, sworks Romin Evo saddle, Dura Ace Pedals...

[@ArnageLM]

love the - sort of - old school frame design!

[@anttitapio4145]

Classic double diamond with seatstays joining high on seat tube and almost horizontal top tube looks so good nowadays. Aerobikes with wonky frames aren't my cup of tea.

[@aluminati9918]

Great video, David! Cool you highlight the Campagnolo Record disc brakes: yes they really are superior! Have had them 1yr now with Shimano on my other bike. Huge difference. Record modulates, Shimano also nice, but a bit more on/ off, like you say. I believe Magura is Campagnolo`s hydraulics partner.

[@madpanda4087]

It doesn’t really matter what Celest Bianchi you ride, it never fails to turn heads.

[@lowperformer_berlin]

do you have one?

[@alexrae2893]

Confirmed

[@madpanda4087]

@@lowperformer_berlin I do indeed. When I have it on the roof of my car I feel like I’m driving a Ferrari with all the looks that I get. 😂

[@iitalianii]

This is my dream bike.

[@Andy_ATB]

That's nice! Still has a 'classic' look - despite having discs. Some disc braked bikes look terrible, this doesn't. That thru-axle design is similar to the RAT system, used by Focus. However, £12K, really?? A fool and their money are easily parted....

[@panospeter_pan4257]

Stunning. Can't afford it,right now. Maybe in the future. Different color though. Love Celeste but I prefer black frames.

[@Fixin-To]

Add some Bora Ultra WTO 🍬

[@luisrosario4710]

Salute David beautiful Bike 🙏👍🔥🇵🇷💯

[@dakrisht]

First. Haha. Iconic color. Iconic price :)

[@davidsherwood8286]

Excellent review David, ive been hearing alot of negative vibes about this bike, and your review has silenced all those vibes.

[@dakrisht]

All the negative vibes and hilarious comments from people complaining about the weight (and how their 5 year old rig weighs 5kgs) are people who can’t afford it. Haha.

[@grantwise5735]

Hi. I love Bianchi bikes. Any chance of a review of the Aria e Road? Looks great, but would like your opinion what is like to ride. Thanks Grant

[@ksyvrbc]

Due to a cardiac siuation in the recent past, my wife convinced me to transition from Swift carbon road to Bianchi Aria e-road. Its been the best decision I could ever take to extend my riding years. A Bianchi in celeste is a head turner in any model and the Aria e-road has been the best rehab I could have ever asked for. Its a superb carbon bike with the lowest e-assist power among e-bikes. For the most part I ride sans e-assist, but avail of it only when needed, as I live in a hilly area. Some day I might just post a review.

[@higoralvesdefreitas7716]

Just discovered your channel and have been binge watching. Would love your thoughts on the Orro Venturi!

[@simonhardy6900]

I bought the Infinito CV rim brakes when it came out and still love it. How would the ride and handling on this bike compare? I’m looking for something new with discs and CV but I really want a clean front end which rules the current infinito out. Thanks

[@JayMerchantPhD]

I'm looking for an endurance geometry bike. How do you sum up the Infinito CV? (if I got one it'll be the newest one, obvs)

[@JonLeonardF10]

Nice Bike 🚲! How about them jersey that is righteous! What I brand is that please

[@davidarthur]

Nice jersey isn't it? It's a new Sportful Escape jersey, you can check it out here bit.ly/3vGmcms

[@johnclement7621]

The best bike in the pro peloton , just wish bike exchange used campag it’s miles miles better .... wonderful

[@bobridestwowheels]

I do like that color.

[@Chris-jz5ib]

Hi David! Nice Video! I want to get a new bike, should I get a Gaint tcr advanced 1 disc or the Canyon ultimate CF SL 8 Disc. Thanks so much!

[@AGMTB.]

I do like Bianchi and love the colour but they are massively overpriced like most Italian brands. I still love Giant for their no frills, competitively priced bikes.

[@iancuk]

Manufacturing in China, pricing in Italy

[@sebbelito2975]

Basso is not overpriced IMO. Much better pricing and also the only brand who actually manufacture their frames by hand in Italy and not outsourced to Taiwan like everyone else. It is a special feeling with something manufactured in Italy, not just designed or assembled but also made.

[@dakrisht]

@@sebbelito2975 I agree with Basso. Well priced and the only company still laying carbon in Italy. Solid brand for sure. Great bikes.

[@channul4887]

@@dakrisht "still laying carbon in Italy" You mean they are laying these frames on side in Italy when offloading a container from China?

[@dakrisht]

@@channul4887 no genius, Basso is the only company that still literally takes raw carbon and creates (lays and bonds) the frames in-house. No China. Lol.

[@cjpearceyt]

I have the traditional Specialissima wondering if this is an upgrade or not..?

[@laurentleonard1307]

I have got the group on my bike, battery issue since 3 months, the battery doesn't hold the charge and I must charge it every week, Campagnolo doesn't find the issue after two battery change and a shifter shift... hard to find some good mechanics for Campy

[@grantwise5735]

Hi mate. Grant here in Hobart. Great review of the new Bianchi. I'm thinking of buying the aria e road, have you had a review done on that bike yet?. I have a 2008 Cannondale caad 9 that's travelled 19,000km and love it. But, im not impressed with cannondales radical new bikes that look rubbish not like my caad 9 or your supersix. Any chance of a review of the Aria e road?. Thanks.

[@ksyvrbc]

Due to a cardiac siuation in the recent past, my wife convinced me to transition from Swift carbon road to Bianchi Aria e-road. Its been the best decision I could ever take to extend my riding years. A Bianchi in celeste is a head turner in any model and the Aria e-road has been the best rehab I could have ever asked for. Its a superb carbon bike with the lowest e-assist power among e-bikes. So, for the most part I ride sans e-assist, but avail of it only when needed, as I live in a hilly area. Some day I might just post a review.

[@michaelupchurch3779]

Celeste color all the way all though I could go with the matt black color as well

[@fabiocaldonazzo]

Hi David, I'm a fan of your bike reviews, can I ask you for an advise? Do you think it's still a good deal to buy a brand new Specialissima Disc Ultegra Di2 2021 at 4K euro? Thanks for your reply.

[@davidarthur]

Hi Fabio, that sounds like a good price to me and I love how the Specialisima rides, certainly one of my favourites, but haven't ridden the newest model yet which I'm guessing this one isn't?

[@fabiocaldonazzo]

⁠@@davidarthur thanks for your reply. I confirm , the Specialissima I was referring to is not the newest one ( I agree with you, it’s quite ugly compared to the previous model) .

[@andrepijanowski9174]

how do you travel with the internal routing if you have to take the handlebar and stem off the fork to fit in the travel bag?

[@falkirkshelby2313]

Can you please do a review on the new Cervelo R5? Thank you David

[@SeeYouUpTheRoad]

Here is the issue I have with all this “neat and tidy“ front ends. As a shop owner and mechanic it’s a hard conversation to have with a customer when A simple job like lubing the headset bearings or replacing the headset bearings turns into a several hundred dollar job because of all the work that’s required. If you’re not aware, the hydraulic lines on most of these bikes are running through the headset bearings and so to remove the headset bearings you have to remove the hydraulic lines. The front hydraulic line is routed through the headset and then through the fork not that big of a deal. However the rear, hydraulic line is running through the headset through the frame and all the way out to the rear triangle. Also during Covid times hydraulic lines And fittings are at an extremely short supply. You will at the very least have to do a brake bleed but will most likely have to cut the hydraulic lines and replace them which means running new lines internally through the entire frame for the rear most likely having to remove the Crankset and bottom bracket as well. All this just to make the front end nice and tidy. STUPID AF

[@adamsenik2573]

And for that reason I dislike new ideas such as internal cable routing or electronic groupsets. I own Trek Emonda ALR, and it is a headache to replace cables (they run only through bottom tube) compared to my commuter, which has got full external routing. I wanted to buy aero bars, but the idea of disassembling, assembling and bleeding the brakes have put me off. Another issue is electronic shifting. As cool as it sounds, I can't imagine spending few thousands pounds for something that won't improve my performance. Last week, when I went for a ride in Yorkshire Dales, I was overtaken by a cyclist who owned DuraAce Di2. I managed to keep up with him on my Trek with Tiagra.

[@marcokalle2452]

@@adamsenik2573 so what you are saying is that Dura Ace Di2 slows a cyclist down? Or that Tiagra gives you marginal gains over Dura Ace Di2? It's not about what gear you ride, but i'm actually very happy with my Sram Force AXS 12-speed wireless shifting. Do i need it? Not neccessarily. Do i still go slower sometimes than the occasional old punter on a steel bike with downtube 7-speed shifters? Probably. But who cares. Ride what you like and can afford. And can afford to replace

[@shibaburn7725]

I have a video about the disadvantages of hidden cable routing. There are a lot of them.

[@SeeYouUpTheRoad]

@@shibaburn7725 I’d like to see it!

[@teunluijbregts2533]

Not a fan of carbon Bianchis, but I’m loving the Campagnolo groupset👍👍

[@Saltydog547]

my dream bike

[@nonculus]

Its 7.5kg it shouldnt be anyones dreambike

[@theinstigatorr]

How much would this be with the campag wheels?

[@kurt4ble]

13-14 thousand USD.

[@datdudeinred]

0 dislikes. 🙌

[@davidarthur]

Wow! 💪

[@cnay2983]

I disliked it just cause you said that :)

[@dakrisht]

I’m sure someone will come around and complain about weight, per usual. Haha.

[@datdudeinred]

@@cnay2983 I still can't believe THINGS like you exist on earth.

[@Bikes-guitars]

Thanks for the video, you posed the question does Celeste paint matter, well as the fortunate owner of 2 rim brake Specialissima’s one is a Pantani Oropa Anniversary painted in the 1999 Mercatone uno colours and the other is a 2021 Celeste, they do still offs the rim brake frameset in the new colour way, I can say the Celeste shows off the lines of the bike much better, to an extent where it doesn’t even look like the same frame, so personally Celeste is best. My dislike of this new bike is the staggering amount of weight disc brakes add, 7.5 kilos without pedals is crazy heavy, my rim brake bike weighs 6.1 kilos on Bora 50 wheels, with pedals, power meter, Garmin mounts and bottle cages! As a light rider of just 53 kilos there is no way I would buy this disc brake bike, I understand why some heavier riders will prefer discs but for a light rider like myself, discs are a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist.

[@vomErsten]

There are lighter bikes with disc brakes, it's not the discs adding the weight here it's whatever they are doing with the carbon. I bet dollars to doughnuts the weight is related to the method used to achieve the smooth ride.

[@paulhowell7103]

@@vomErsten not a chance. as i stated earlier in the comments a friend of mine has the rim brake version of this bike. built with campy record 10 speed and bora 50s and it weighs 14 lb. name these disc brake bikes which are lighter than 14 lb ??

[@vomErsten]

@@paulhowell7103 Your friend does not have this bike. Your friend has the previous generation, which is still on the site as frame-only. This new one doesn't come with discs as an option. The Aethos is disc-only and can easily get into the 14 pound range, below that even, at around 13 lbs. There are plenty of reasons to not want discs, but weight is not a particularly good one.

[@paulhowell7103]

@@vomErsten no chance. you still did not name the disc brake bikes that are lighter??

[@vomErsten]

@@paulhowell7103 Except I did? Can you not read? Quit spreading straight lies just because you have a preference.

[@juhanipalosaari6945]

How about the stiffness?

[@markbentley4343]

Lovely bike and review. But “superior reliability” for disc??

[@davidarthur]

IMHO yes. Pads last much longer, rims don’t wear out and generally don’t need any maintenance. I realise this isn’t a view universally shared but it’s how I feel

[@treyquattro]

I'd be interested to know how much pure profit there is in these outrageously expensive top-end bikes

[@GrinderMagee]

I dislike these companies spending decades preaching lightweight, then making the bike heavier (disc only) and not leaving consumer with an option.

[@BryanIrhehlblackmetal]

fav rb brand

[@gregkane8635]

Lovely bike. Heavier than I thought is the group set heavy?

[@steveindorset]

I love Bianchi’s, but I’d never have one as like you I just can’t see the attraction of that colour?? But still very lovely bikes!

[@qfast81]

Una gran copia de la exitosa TCR. Giant siempre!! Saludos

[@galenkehler]

I lost it when he said "I'm not going to crap shit in the middle of the road and try and justify the price tag to you" 😂😂😂

[@TheUnrevealer]

Hambini already did that on SC crankset:)

[@channul4887]

If anyone bought this spec paying over 12k gbp, please let us know - we might award you a maglia ciclawanko - which is the new global award recognising the stupidity of seismic proportions in the world of cycling.

[@nonculus]

12k for 7.5kg 😂

[@cannonfodder691]

Absolutely bang on

[@bendenisereedy7865]

I have the earlier rim-brake model and I love it but the matt paint is a pain in the arse, it picks up every bit of dirt or oil and is difficult to clean. Don't want it with discs and in any case I couldn't justify spending that much money and certainly not for a heavier and less pretty bike.

[@mknawabi]

Aren’t Fulcrum owned by campag?

[@dakrisht]

Yes

[@osh241]

Am I the only one thinking with some Bora WTO's it would look even better? A minute later there they are 🤣

[@Fixin-To]

Just wrote that and then scrolled down, you beat me!

[@Dee-Ell]

7.5kg with a frameset weight similar to the Giant TCR SL’s? The TCR Advanced Pro 0 (~100g heavier frameset + ultegra di2) is only 7.2kg (a TCR SL bike is sub 7kg). Where is the extra 300g on this bike coming from?

[@ralr]

All the Italian pasta down the seattube

[@brody5211]

@@ralryou’re a funny guy..

[@wss327]

Great review and can’t wait for the next on the EPS. So. For century rides, what would you pick, this, Aethos, Filante or the C64?

[@paulhowell7103]

friend of mine has the rim brake version of this bike. built up with campy record 10 speed, bora 50s and it comes in at 14 lb !!

[@johncontoso7232]

beautiful bike

[@christophertyler8051]

Great review, One slight issue ,no downside to disc brakes apart from weight really ! I love it after a big decent to then hit a steep climb and hear my friends discs catching on the pads, not to mention the price of replacement parts compared to rim brakes .Yes Disc brakes our very good but so are rim brakes .Long live both ........

[@monty2078]

I don't understand why 25mm tires are still spec'd. 28 to 30mm not only give you a better ride, but, are far better in bad conditions and are very few grams heavier.

[@ccadp1219]

Nice review...but just tells me how way overpriced these top line bikes are!

[@romanticcyclist]

nice but if I could afford that I will choose Oltre

[@justaletdown]

Imagine this bike on rimbrakes...

[@jonathanhamel]

It's lighter with Disc actually

[@dionisiuskusuma1462]

If you take a look at Bianchi's website, they do offer this on rim brake, but frameset only, not a complete build

[@jonathanhamel]

@@dionisiuskusuma1462 I don't think it's available anymore.

[@waynehiggins899]

Theres a rim brake version in my local bike shop. Bang on 7kg

[@zbyszekrusiecki6793]

Dziękuję.

[@georgefarrowgreen01]

considering frameweight on the tcr includes a seatpost then no the giant is far superior in terms of weight.

[@bobcabot]

ja all fine but: dont you expect from a 12 grand bike a wight way under 6kg ?!

[@Osamedejones]

Do you know how this compares to the oltre?

[@suryopras]

Great bike, very expensive and I’ll still slow riding on that.

[@wilsonobligadoaloiii834]

nice!

[@iminc5498]

7.5kg......why do they keep upping the price but upping the weight? If I’m spending that kinda money, it needs to be 6.8kg on the dot

[@renatab8293]

12 375, You aren't left with much room to argue that you are intelligent if you own one if these.

[@jules___]

I thought this was Doug's review starting with "This..."

[@Countrystock]

I'm with you Dave on the colour, never been a fan

[@galenkehler]

That is insane. I built my Yoeleo R12, with a powermeter and Di2 Ultegra, carbon rims etc for less than the cost of this frameset.

[@shawnsee2688]

My infinito CV has those axles bolts but the front is always working itself loose. I've tried cleaning both female and male threads to no avail. And you've noticed I'm sure, that you can't torque properly with a wrench. How do we win against that bolt? Mind you the rear is fine.

[@davidsherwood8286]

Ive had that problem with my infinito CV, like you i cleaned the threads and before every ride i check both front & rear through axles and give them a little extra twist, which seems to have sorted it out.

[@shawnsee2688]

@@davidsherwood8286 every 25 miles or so I'll hear it tapping the brake pads and I'll have to tighten it back up

[@davidarthur]

The front came loose on my first ride but I just did it up tighter and it was fine for all the riding I did since, but yes I know what you mean there's no set limit to tightening it up which is a bit vague

[@dakrisht]

Have not had issues on my CV with the threads coming loose on the front or rear axle. Try a thicker viscosity grease and tighten!

[@davidsherwood8286]

@@shawnsee2688 i did put a tiny amount of grease on the threads, but cant really tell if that had worked more so then tightening them up.

[@shafiqsangeen7382]

price of bike pl.

[@Phaidrus]

€€€€€€

[@ralr]

In video. Watch. You

[@steppings5645]

Lovely bike, not so mad on the colour but can't help wondering if that little T handle bust! what then?

[@davidarthur]

You can get replacements

[@zikaperic2133]

5min in -- the only thing I learnt what is the color of the bike....

[@kingaroykid]

12,000 GBP for a bike! A beautiful work of art no doubt, but I am pretty sure you can buy a brand new car for the same price.

[@Navs126]

To own this bike you’re either sponsored or use 12K as a charitable expense rather often

[@treyquattro]

the bike is pretty pricey, but I think the real outrage is how low average salaries are. I saw something recently that said had the upper classes not rigged the system since the start of the 80s, the median wage in the USA would be $92K. I expect it would be similar for the UK (in GBP obviously, say 55K GBP)

[@brianmaldonado3723]

Color great, cool wheels (Bora) but otherwise does not have the elegance of classic lugged steel frames.

[@ozgurinsan]

we want light and affordable bikes.

[@pt5470]

this is affordable for me.

[@olliemoreton4917]

@@pt5470 I’m very happy for you

[@jorgedave5292]

Giant bike made.

[@iangamer5648]

who else is watching this knowing well that you'll never be able to afford this bike

[@glennoc8585]

I've seen that frame geometry or pretty close on AliExpress. Hopefully they haven't copied them. It looks good.

[@meegel3689]

What's the name of the frame?

[@glennoc8585]

@@meegel3689 I forgot but I think it was the fastaway

[@garypostell5268]

Definitely cost to much!

[@E-MountainBikerBae]

“Bianchi” ForEver… 🌈🌈🌈🌈

[@affordablewebdesigner]

Oltre look much better (:

[@Eirikkinserdal]

That thing would look great with direct mount rimbrakes! #savetherimbrake

[@johngoti4674]

Moneyanchi

[@molfar9049]

Chianchi.

[@leonb7140]

NO celeste .... NO Bianchi