The Fastest Climbing Bike Ever - But How Good Is It Now?

Marco Pantani’s 1998 Bianchi Mega Pro XL is one of the most legendary climbing bikes in the history of cycling. It won the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France, setting numerous climbing records including the fastest time ever up Alpe d’Huez. But how fast is it now? Si puts it up against a modern Pinarello F9 to find out. This is vintage vs modern: climbing bike edition!
Thanks to Dan at ‪@vintagevelos9517‬ for lending us this bike and be sure to check out their channel for more great content!
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[@nickthewine3394]

As Pantani proved, it’s not what you’re on, but what you’re on. Bless him.

[@TacticalShiba]

Legendary comment XD

[@larryt.atcycleitalia5786]

Yeah, I guess the guy must have been doped-to-the-gills back when he was what...16 years old? Not claiming he wasn't doped later but IMHO what the oxygen vector dope did for him was more making him competitive in chrono stages rather than the mountain superiority he already had. Meanwhile, BigTex went from barely anybody in stage racing to TdF winner in comparison. RIP Pirata.

[@imoverthetop44]

I can't argue with any of your input!

[@lanceblack888]

Marco was clean!

[@benedictearlson9044]

The sport was ruined by the scandals and Pantani lost his life at a very young age ultimately, it's just a tragedy all round. There were many victims ofc, José María Jiménez was another and who died just a couple of months before Marco. Sad to think about but at the time wow the racing was unreal, the Peloton was full of gods. And David Duffield played a huge part in bringing it all to life.

[@thomasvilladsen4218]

Pantani did not ride Bianchi bikes. He had his frames made specially by a frame builder by the name of Pesenti. Pesenti used aluminium with berylium added which enabled him to make a frame of 980 grams or there about. I believe he got the tubing from the US, but that I am not certain about. You will notice that Pantani only had one bottleholder on his climbing bike. That is because the walls of the downtube was so thin that it was imposible to weld the studs in. You will also notice that the welding on Pantanis frames looks much better than on the Bianchi you are riding. Finally Pantani also used a cabon seatpost also made by Pesenti and he did not use the Time fork, instead he used a fork from the japanese company Misuno. Of course the whole thing was painted in original Bianchi colors.

[@jamesmedina2062]

FASCINATING STUFF

[@Slash90ita]

cool stuff. where did you get all the info?

[@thomasvilladsen4218]

@@Slash90ita I bought a Pesenti model Fly in 1999 where he came to a bike store in Stockholm and took measurements for hand build bikes. He brought som of his Pantani frames as demo

[@Slash90ita]

@@thomasvilladsen4218 very very cool!

[@ralphc1405]

Wasn't Metal Matrix composite metals experimented back in the mid-late 1990s???

[@TheFinav]

320m? I honestly find it hard to believe the human body can survive for long at this altitude.

[@simonrichardson5259]

😂 I’ve just spent three weeks in the Himalayas to acclimatise.

[@mikedittsche]

The Dutch call such heights upper stratosphere.

[@janeblogs324]

320m? That's about where our house is above sea level

[@greer176]

The silver rim of the bianchi is so cool

[@hayes6262]

How about test the last winning rim brake vs the new bikes and see what climbs faster

[@stevec6232]

Dogma Rim brake vs Dogma F

[@Gk9311]

rim brakes ??? blasphemy !!!!!!!

[@dakalla]

add the descent into it, in rain!

[@hayes6262]

@dakalla great idea. Use a pro and see if they descend any faster now in the rain than they used to.

[@fabianirsara9846]

@@dakalla not an issue if you know what you’re doing

[@jikemenkins7098]

To all my dear friends at GCN, and all those watching who may read this: Please remember, a weld is a functional metallurgical feature, not an aesthetic device. Please remember that the relative quality of a weld is judged by factors the eye cannot always see; penetration, fusion, no undercutting, no cratering, consistent height and width. These are the merits a weld would be graded by in an academic/tradesman's testing environment. The true quality of a weld is only judged by destructive testing, where the internal results can be inspected by cross-section, and the tensile strength can be measured by a pull test. I would wager that Bianchi paid top-wage for a master welder to produce those frames, and produce them quickly and on-demand.

[@tollph3314]

exactly!

[@jamesmedina2062]

Plus every alloy welds differently and take a much fatter bead than a steel frame

[@andrewantill2978]

I was thinking the same, there’s nothing wrong with those welds. I think people who don’t weld expect a smoothed out alu weld = good.

[@emmett1ish]

Was going to same the same thing, my Dad was a welder there is nothing wrong with those welds, aluminum welds are always going to look a little chunkier than steel.

[@DolleHengst]

Me and my dad watched Pantani during his legendary 1997 Alpe d'Huez climb. A moment i'll never forget. By the noise and excitement of the crowds below us, we could instinctively hear something special was taking place. Then around the hairpin emerged this tiny little bald man, a childlike head with huge ears. The sheer speed and effortless motion were utterly breathtaking.

[@chadjackson4786]

juiced to the gills

[@James_Talavera]

​​@@chadjackson4786o??? Everyone juices. Try juicing too and see if you can duplicate Pantani's time. Beep beep beep beep... I know you can't.

[@mickvonbornemann3824]

Watch your grammar plz, in that context it’s ‘My dad & I”. A hint, make the phrase singular in you head so you can work out which of ‘me’, ‘my self’ & ‘I’ is more suitable.

[@frankspeakmore7104]

@@James_Talavera Somebody rode a 50cc moped up the Alpe d'Huez, they were still slower than that addict. Go figure.

[@Florislaurens]

Sadly his legend is taken down a little bit, or to some maybe a lot, by the fact that he didn't ride on peanutbutter sandwiches only.... But then again: I guess they all didn't back in the day which evens it out somewhat. So still a hero to me....!

[@10ktube]

I think some of the GCN sponsors are going to be cranky pants at the total joy expressed riding that "old" bike, you guys never get that amped up riding the new, fancy stuff! Totally awesome video, and bike (the "old" one).

[@wiwiwiii]

Marco Always in our hearts

[@alinapopescu872]

Yes, he is.

[@TheHandThatBites]

He was my favourite

[@paullinnitt5450]

I was on the Galibier in 98. It was a breathtaking stage. Pantani was behind when he passed us. We got back to St Jean-du-Maurienne to see him cross the finish line. Unforgettable (although I’ve never been so cold)

[@gcn]

Wow what a memory to have! Have you re-watched the stage to see it all unfold? 👀

[@hernanhernandez3861]

I was in Venice when Pantani won stage 15 in 1998. The city came to a standstill to watch the victory. He was amazing.

[@patricenatalini66]

aretter tous avec votre pantani doper ras la guele serieux , j apelle pas ca un sportif moi j apelle ca un escrot

[@mountainmoments]

so was his "medical team" ;)

[@JSC131]

That Bianchi is truly beautiful!!! Great episode Si.

[@gcn]

It's a stunner!

[@daniboi4067]

​​@@gcn GIANT TT Version Fastest.

[@terbennett]

This has to be my favorite GCN episode for 2023. Great job Simon!

[@pablodiaz6130]

Ride Bikes road mtb DH recumbent folding Fixie

[@jackofalltrades9393]

I agree. I don't know what it is or why, I just like riding bikes and I just like bikes. I'm not even that good at it, but I love this stuff. Clearly Simon does too!

[@andrewlove1971]

so much truth here, that is because of the deep passion this bike brought up... GCN does a lot of episodes... This one moved the commentator... deeply..

[@CJONE764]

First i want to say what a great film Si. Smashed this. This is perfect content for me. As a 10-year-old watching il pirata monster up the alp, in the rain, solidified my love of cycling. As it wasn't a team sport, it came down to me vs someone else. You couldn't rely on others to pull you through. As much as we all know about Marco and his troubles, there's still something about watching him dance on the pedals, hands in the drops, that has that je-nais-sais-qoi that modern cycling has only just refound with pog, rog, pidcock etc all smashing it against each other uphill.

[@curtvaughan2836]

One can disparage Pantani and Armstrong all one wants, but nevertheless, their legendary duel up Mont Ventoux in 2000 was incredible. Doping was rampant not only in professional cycling at the time. Even the non-endurance oriented mainstream sport of baseball had issues in the late 90s, with doped up guys like Mark McGuire and Sammy Sosa racing each other to smash the 30+ year record held by Roger Maris. Don't know if one or both of the dueling cyclists were juiced at the time, but the racing competition was amazing.

[@gcn]

Thanks for the comment Christopher! Would you say you are more into the old school vibe over the modern bikes? It's great seeing the new racers smashing it up the climbs 🙌 Do you think we are heading in to the glory days of racing?

[@PercyTP5161]

Great comparison. Just goes to show....for all the wind tunnel testing on the modern bikes, the difference between an old pro/mid-level 105 bike and a top-end machine can be how you feel on the day.

[@michadebicki6534]

Dentists and lawyers won't believe it! :D

[@veganpotterthevegan]

Simon's 10w is sizeable for a guy that's 165lbs. These bikes aren't really very close. *I love my round tubed SEVEN. It has over 200k miles and counting on it. But my new Domane is really better in every way beyond impact resistance and nostalgia. I have similarly shallow wheels on both, and the exact same tires and power meter. On flats at a doodling 230W, the Domane is nearly 1mph faster. That difference only gets bigger as the power goes up, or if I'm riding down hill. The Domane also cost me far less than half of what that SEVEN retailed for(I was a shop employee when I bought it). $5200 today vs $12000 in 2007 money. That SEVEN would cost close to $15,000 today

[@dontobi1736]

Arguably, climbing is probably _the_ special case where it's least about the bike and most about the cyclist. Time trials being on the other end of the spectrum.

[@DoNuT_1985]

@@dontobi1736 I think, the chosen climb wasn't even steep enough to rule out the aero benefits of a modern bike and that's why it was faster with 10 watts less and a slight weight penalty. On longer and steeper climbs, mortal riders would also get issues with those gears, I can't put down my measly 200-250W at 60 rpm for too long but I probably could with a modern 12-speed and 34t cassette. 😁

[@gcn]

It all comes down the the engine at the end of the day 🙌

[@simonhodgetts6530]

It was watching Pantani ride these beautiful Bianchi bikes back in his heyday that got me into the brand. On my 2nd Bianchi now, and I just love it!

[@gcn]

Lovely! Have you submitted a photo into the bike uploader on our app??

[@DnDMF]

7:09 Those welds look perfect to me.

[@zeez4178]

Me too ! He hasnt a clue about welding

[@user-sx6dr1cw8y]

i feel the same. maybe not perfectly even, but 100% functional

[@fhowland]

I’ve ridden Alpe Du Huez.. I simply cannot fathom riding up it with only a 44/23

[@Robert-mn8gc]

If u had been doing the K's & mountain ⛰️ training these / those guys were doing 4 yrs on end of course u could . Yong 16.5 yr old in the town l reside in & his power numbers 4 his age & ftp r out of this world 🌎. Good enough 4 2 of the tour pro teams 2 email 📧 him & say keep up the good work rate & u r on a short list 2 come over next yr 👍 He's won some big races in Australia 🇦🇺

[@gcn]

Alpe D'huez is a hard climb no matter what gear you've chosen ⚙

[@arnebernert5191]

44/23, unbelievable! Some days ago I complained about using 39/28 to survive at the very early ’Maratona delle Dolomiti’. 😅.

[@Robert-mn8gc]

@@arnebernert5191 U guys need 2 understand that the Pro Peleton Riders r riding 800-1200 ks per week plus plenty of rehabilitation on there muscles, massages & perhaps 2 Gym Sessions 🏋️‍♂️ 1-2 a week during the racing season ( not during races ) & 2-3 a week off season. And Hills & Mountains all the time ⏲️. There weight is lite , especially the Billy Goats 🐐 like Contador & Pantani. Armstrong was an exception. He was 75/78 ks race weight .

[@davidmurray3685]

Pure. 100%. Emotion. I truly love what you guys at GCN are doing lately, from your epic riding adventures, to your quirky challenges. But this video Si, goes straight to the heart. I loved your passion in this clip, the history lesson, and your joy on this classic, it's beautiful. Brilliant work buddy ❤

[@gcn]

Thanks David! Great to hear that you enjoyed the video - Is there anything that you think we should be covering? 📽

[@hansschotterradler3772]

Bike alone won't cut it; you've got to be on the MP juice for the full experience!

[@s2pacific]

Hi GCN! How about a neo retro shootout against new machines.(Both TT and road)

[@jonathanrobinson2628]

A really enjoyable love letter to the Bianchi. I got into cycling as a 13 year old and remember Pantani well. Rushing home from school at lunch to catch up with Eurosport and the Tour. For all of the controversies of the period, it was still a great time to be a cycling fan. Kudos on the video. More like this please :)

[@gcn]

Do you still have the same excitement watching the modern racing? 👀

[@sandydennylives1392]

Saw Pantani's first emergence in I think '95/96 on the Alpe in a pub.

[@thebelly925]

44 and 23 out back? That popping sound is coming from your knees!

[@Pauleyjh]

So good, great subject, fantastic production... thanks

[@TheChancerdog1]

Man this has been my favorite video GCN has produced. Those cycling days of this vintage get me pumped every time. Love the throwback clips and nod to one of the greats red blood cells and all he was great

[@alfredongos]

9:16 Oh, my God!!!... That bike is beautiful with those metallic details and I agree, combining celeste with that ocre colour is something I could never thought might have gone together, but they add up to the vintage look.

[@paulprice630]

That was a great vid. Thanks Simon, the history was gun, and the emotion part you imparted was spectacular. Awesome.

[@DavidMartin-tk4fs]

Thank you for this video, clearly made for me. Right era, right bike, right rider, great music and hit the nail on the head about the emotional connection to the bikes you love - IMHO you should not judge the person by the bike they ride any more than the people they might find they love, if it gets you out there that’s all that matters... ...and if somebody does manage to be among the quickest on their local routes with... e'hem, classic gear then that shows the quality of the old stuff too. If someone on the latest carbon aero monster was to swap bikes with them they might be in for a bit of an shock. 😉 👍👍👍

[@gcn]

Thanks a lot, David! Glad you liked it.

[@pantani9886]

I am a massive Marco Pantani fan, and wanted to get his kit to look like him! In 2008, I bought a carbon Bianchi, and built it up with Campagnolo Record groupset, with red pro levers. I tracked down most of the kit, and had people looking, although I am 6'3", and overweight! In 2012, I reluctantly sold it all, as was too busy with work, but in 2017, I got a load of money, and decided to get my "Dream Bike", after checking out "Bike Show", etc. I went for an Italian-made Colnago C60, with full Campagnolo Super Record EPS, Bora Ultra tubular wheels, etc. I then thought about getting Marco's clothing, which would be extremely difficult, but not impossible. I had a massive bit of luck getting his Vittoria Blitz shoes in the yellow, in the UK 13, brand new in the box for £50 in the UK! It has been extremely hard to refind the original socks & mitts, but after over 4 years, I found a man in Bologna, Italy, who had a massive load of his kits from his earlier Carrera days, to his later years, and luckily the mitt's, and sock's I wanted, although the socks were a smaller size, so had a piece added to make my size! The Briko glasses in yellow/lime were hard & expensive to get, but found replacement Briko sun lenses in Croatia, as had Briko red lenses fitted. I only have the 1997 yellow Santini Mercatone Uno shorts in a 3XL/4XL, and his 1996 Nalini Carrera winter bib-tights in a 4XL (Taglia 8) to find! I am also trying to source his Bianchi in a 63cm?(I am 6'3"). I also live just up the road from Cheddar Gorge, in Burnham-on-Sea, where this was filmed!!!

[@zeez4178]

I. Admire your passion

[@JuanEBianchin]

Excellent video guys!!!! Great info and technical stuff, but with a good dose of nostalgia also! 👏👏👏Greetings to you from Argentina 🇦🇷

[@a1yallop]

Great video, love that classic bianchi bike. Don't forget also that the bianchi would keep going up and up those mountains long after the battery ran out on that Pinarello.

[@robbybobbyhobbies]

Do a lot of 1,000km rides with no access to power on a road bike? Then yes, the Di2 battery might run out on a ride. On planet normal cyclist I think it's a non-issue.

[@alexanderakins5777]

Brilliant production. I’ve always loved Si’s videos but the emotion and love for cycling really just hit me in the chest. Please keep making videos like this one because my god it was one of your best. Find the money to give a raise to the whole team who contributed to this one. 🙏🙏

[@gcn]

Thanks for such kind words! We all love out cycling here at GCN and it's super cool to hear that this is spreading through our videos. Have you shared this video with your cycling buddies? They will be sure to love it 🙌

[@billyjo1148]

@@gcn dan getting carried away with the juice

[@gustavofontanetta8889]

Great job buddy !! You’re inspiring lots of cyclists around the world. Big thumbs up from Brazil !!

[@chrismadge7292]

Great video Si, that brings back some very evocative memories watching the likes of Pantani storming up the climbs in the tours.

[@Evaso_CC]

The alloy Shamals at over 2000grams will have had a massive impact. Not sure Pantani ever climbed mountains on those?

[@christiancondin4496]

But they look oh so fine. I take the weight penalty any time.

[@taxi9554]

Yes! Exactly what I thought. Heavy wheels…also at that time

[@banjo7127]

Only Gewiss Balan climbed on Shamals I believe. They definitely handicapped the Bianchi with those wheels.

[@TwistedOnyx369]

I started riding a bike (as an adult) during this time period. I love the Celeste color and I love Bianchis. And watching Marco Pantani back in the day was awe-inspiring. Great video thanks so much for this comparison. It was wonderful to relive this time period.

[@gcn]

That Celeste colour is dreamy 🤤 Would a Bianchi be your first choice?

[@TwistedOnyx369]

@@gcn My first 2 road bikes were Bianchis. The only reason I'm on a Scott Addict now (love it by the way) is that Bianchi was backed up during the pandemic. Ultimately I'm really happy with my Scott, but I love Bianchi.

[@bobschrank473]

Great video GCN! I raced a set of tubular Electrons for years way back when - I think the first gen only offered tubular, otherwise you were on Protons in terms of lightweight climbing wheels. Never broke a spoke but back then I weighed quite a bit less. They were wonderful wheels in all conditions.

[@arichison]

Great video! Love knowing this so much, I love to climb on my carbon specialized 2010 model with stiff Mavic kryserium wheels.

[@colindewolfe3647]

I was on Les Deux Alpes that day, standing in the freezing pouring rain on the side of the road after having ridden up on my Vitius 979 from Grenoble where I saw the start and had taken a picture of Pantani leaning over his bike. He came around the switchback just stomping on the pedals, and then waited, and waited and waited for Ullrich. And waited. Mind blown. I can see myself standing by the side of the road in the very blurry Italian tv footage. Something I'll never forget.

[@prestachuck2867]

I will presume that you were shuttled in a motor vehicle from the race start to the base of the climb, otherwise you would have had to ride faster than the pros did to get there first. 😄

[@colindewolfe3647]

@@prestachuck2867 Nope. I left right after the broom wagon went by. They took a left at Rochetaille and I went right. They went over both the Croix de Fer and the Galibier and all I had to do was 100 km less without 2 high mountain passes. Their climbs were on a huge loop. I wasn't the only one. There was a steady stream of us, including a guy from Newcastle who I couldn't understand and we had to speak in French

[@padraic8873]

What a great bike! I was always a huge Pantani fan, saw him at the start of 1998 Tour in Dublin, stood around for hours waiting for him!

[@238949]

For us normal humans, how our bikes make us feel is so much more than how much they are worth, loved the video, would love a Bianchi bike of any age x

[@gcn]

Absolutely!

[@Astraeus73]

I was there watching the filming for this episode and at the time I wasn't that taken by they Bianchi. Having seen it being used on the climb in this video, I have to say, it looks bloody lovely! Great episode GCN and nice to meet you and the crew.....😊

[@Peter-cj2ml]

You guys at GCN are awesome, fantastic video. loved Pantani.

[@markrskinner]

We need more classic bikes.

[@malikau917]

Enjoyed watching a lot, great video, cheers

[@alexk3806]

Brilliant stuff, put a big smile on my face. Thank you!

[@anthonymiller6234]

Great video. The Bianchi Mega Pro XL's are very iconic indeed. I can't quite believe that Dan let you ride it!! 🙂

[@handwerkergermany8587]

This Retro vs modern bike tests , i love it ! very entertaining please more like that.

[@gcn]

Glad you like them!

[@raykleiner3151]

You hit the nail right on the head! Those older bikes create emotional connections, unlike the modern bikes which basically all look very similar often coming out of the same factory under different names.

[@juanpinca1716]

always give me smile when i pass thus modern bikes with my steel bike going uphill 😁

[@mattnourse2619]

What a fantastic video. Thank you!

[@aflyingmachine]

That was a very kind video, thank you Si

[@Spin_stagrams]

Loved watching this, Si! I have one of Cippos 2006 Liquigas Bianchi team bikes - it really is something special to ride, it’s it’s a beautiful thing in person.

[@chrisfraser-smith5799]

Very interesting article. 25 years and 2 seconds! Good to see the classic M.U. Bianchi in action. I own one & I totally get the Pantani dream. Ironically, I had to take EPO to stay alive due to kidney failure. I look forward to the day when I can get back to riding it again :-)

[@bullswoodskirmish1646]

Loved loved this video it was a joy to watch CGN rocks! Well done Dan Vintage Velo (You Tube ) for lending the bike - always love watching your videos too :)

[@adam-qu6dh]

people get sucked into this whole elite cycling vortex where they think it is all about lycra, carbon, aero bottles and all. where in reality they are dropped easily by bicycle couriers.

[@neoneherefrom5836]

Yet those bicycle couriers would go even faster with all those things. ;)

[@xGshikamaru]

I wholeheartedly agree with Si's conclusion, there's something about going as fast as you can from the bottom to the top of the climb that is pure joy to me. I don't have the lightest nor the most aero bike of all, but once the gradient picks up, I just embrace the pain and fight gravity. I would find the descents precarious on that Bianchi though

[@vidyapremkumar3851]

tires ! modern tires are so so so much better than what pantani's bike ( or the one you rode ) had. that by itself will be a huge difference!

[@Tomcat6541]

Been watching since the days of Dan, Matt, Simon, and Tom. GCN has maintained a class above all other cycling channels. These are the videos that keep me coming back for more. Do you guys remember Simon and Matt at the Taiwan KOM Challenge?

[@djalcazzar]

This is the kind of content I stick around for. Top work on this on, the feeling it gives me is why I've always ridden!

[@maartenthomassen]

this title is the wrong one. Beautiful video. but because of that big smile and love for cycling in all it's romance. Cycling Pantani's bike. No way it can beat a 2 secend advantage of the modern bike. It's the pure love for cycling and it's history. Love it!

[@gigglingchicken8444]

My first road bike which my dad gave me was a Bianchi in that celeste color from the 90s. It got me started in biking. I moved to mountain biking and gravel biking as I dont like riding with a lot of traffic and I prefer biking in nature. Bianchi will always have a special place in my heart. It was a lot of fun and that color is soooo pretty.

[@brianrainey2739]

OMG. Thats my bike. In the garage. Riding it today. Full Record with Campy Nucleon wheelset. Still butter smooth after all these years! 😁

[@arnebernert5191]

You’re blessed 😇!

[@JoeBManco]

The Bianchi is straight-up a beautiful bike. Thanks for doing this episode.

[@jakereich]

My favourite bike of all time!

[@walterhofer937]

Yes? Looks like it was badly welded together from old water pipes.

[@andrewantill2978]

What’s wrong with the welds?

[@walterhofer937]

@@andrewantill2978 Rough and uneven

[@walterhofer937]

@@andrewantill2978 To be honest I'm not a fan of the frame geometry with horizontal top tube, the high saddle stays. Stem also does not fit the bike.

[@rickcoyne7845]

Another Fantastic Video!!!!!! Thank you for posting this!!

[@ianfurqueron5850]

Great video Si! Also gives me further incentive to keep and refresh my mid-90's Colnago Master Bi-Titan.

[@PK-qq1lz]

Thank's for that, Si! Could feel your emotions. That is why we love riding bikes. RIP Marco!!!

[@MrGrant440]

That was GREAT!! thanks for posting this !

[@lordllewellynofdarkdelight2613]

Thank you! This was a very enjoyable video. You are so right the emotion of riding a race bike clone is tangible. Every hill brought that to mind on my bike. You motivated me to refurbish my Pantani clone. Thank you.

[@topbanana3413]

That Bianchi is such a beauty! Just looking at it makes me want to go for a ride!

[@mikemurray507]

Great piece, emphasising what I love about riding my older bikes more than my modern ones. In the case of mine, they may be slightly heavier but they're so much more pleasurable and comfortable to ride. Plus of course, stainless steel spokes and a polished Dura Ace groupset glittering in the sun

[@gcn]

Whatever makes you want to ride is the correct bike choice! 🙌

[@chrism5433]

Awesome review 🍻

[@jonasvieth]

Si really smashed it with his humorous and a little bit sarcastic comments about the “rock n roll” days of cycling 😄

[@SteveSinclair1]

Great content, loved it

[@angeloangeli8860]

Amazing video ..Go Marco !!

[@bjrnsthr-rousinger6537]

Took me back down nostalgia lane, excellent video

[@gcn]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@romeeees]

44-23 smallest transmission? i would die up the hills.

[@stevemawer848]

Back in the late 1960s I raced on 54/44 and a 6 speed block of 14,15,16,17,19,21. We were tougher in those days. 🙂

[@VyantQuijt]

Oooh now I'm even more excited to be taking my '98 Bianchi Malloy out to the southern french mountains this summer. It looks a lot like this pro bike. I'm not a climber by any means, but I bashed it up the Mont Ventoux 2 years ago with 39*28 for my lowest gear. When you run out of gears to drop, mettle will have to do.

[@BRMCaptChaos]

The 'rule of cool' expressed in a bike. What a thing. I love those Campy Shamal wheels more than I should. Nice vid Si. ❤

[@blackbearbowie8162]

Great cameo from Dan there👍👍

[@richardmccaughey5928]

All my fondest memories (and most vivid) of being on the bike are mountain climbs, be they in the Sierra Nevada or the Santa Monica's above Malibu. Some on a Trek Emonda but many on a Bob Jackson 753 or an '87 Falcon Reynolds 531P. Climbing, more than any other endeavor on the bike, brings out any emotional attachment one might have for one's bicycle. By the way, beautiful countryside.

[@thenormalberries6767]

This was well done! This dude's not nearly as dead inside as most cycling presenters.

[@dominickbrookes5103]

I love the reflection off the wheels onto the road

[@tunaficiency]

Remember seeing Marcos bike in the flesh in a bike shop in Shrewsbury looked stunning and weighed nothing must admit was a massive Marco fan got into road biking in 96

[@luukrutten1295]

At some point Bianchi started filling the tubes around the bottom bracket with "structural" foam to prevent tube buckling and increase life of the frames. I love the looks of this thing.

[@richdodman125]

Couldn’t agree more with the final sum up 🤘🏻

[@julianwinn4502]

Really enjoyed the video - it made me smile.

[@TwentyTwenty90]

This was fantastic. Nice one, Simon.

[@noeldoran8884]

What a great video Si one of Dans best mounts there, both my brother in law and I are on the Alpe in 4 weeks for an old blokes climbing week you can feel the buzz going past Pantani bend cheers Noel

[@bicyclist2]

The mid 90's to the mid 2000's is cyclings glorious hey day. I remember when threadless headsets became a thing. I will always prefer the beautiful aluminum Bianchi XL shown here over the ugly black & white Pinarello. I have an old carbon LOOK KG361 from 98' that I love. I love the look of European geometry with the horizontal top tubes. Thank you.

[@AlexCauthon]

Not sure an average gradient of 4% is really enough for this test, since the climbs he was most famous for were double that and the average speed will be lower so aero comes less into play. The fantasy is real though, I myself have a vintage bianchi to feel like coppi or pantani on occasion

[@gcn]

We didn't have Alpe d'huez available unfortunately 😉

[@1barnet1]

@@gcn Well you guys have the brecon beacons close enough.

[@johngoldenbritt5112]

Last fall I completed Tour du Tucson on same 96 Klein Quantum 2 frame that I rode on my last Century in 2001, but now with Record 10, Neutron Wheels and different stem of course. The spirit of a good frame and gruppo is worth experiencing at least once in a lifetime.

[@user-fi9bn9qt6b]

I was feeling emotional before watching this…..as a 6ft pantani fan who had the brikos and still wears bandanas under my helmet I loved it. Those Shamal rims is what I lusted after during the 90’s and why I love climbing hills but hate descents. The pain of a 10 mile TT never appealed but cresting a hill was my dream. Thanks GCN.

[@beabetteryou2022]

Awesome bikes , GCN awesome Chanel.

[@TheABom1989]

Why do cyclists glorify Pantani? Is it that he was the foil to Armstrong? Would love to see the comments if this video was on Lance’s Trek with the same romanticism.

[@stevecooper7038]

😂

[@alexjohnson6462]

I am unsure if your comment is intended as commentary about those two specific riders, or the brand of bikes. If it is about the bikes I feel like saying tell me you are under 30 years old without telling me you are under 30, because I think the answer is pretty clear as day to anyone over a certain age as to why there would be more nostalgia for Pantanis bike versus Lances bike. There was a rising percentage of Trek devotees in the Armstrong days, but Trek was still very much an emerging brand at that era. Trek did not enjoy anywhere near the same reputation as Bianchi bikes had. Bianchi was simply a legendary brand at that point, and peoples nostalgia both now and then reflected that. The Trek had little reputation other than being a very innovative up and coming company, but even an innovative bike sadly still needed the "marketing" of a great athlete behind it, and Trek may never have been viewed as positively as it is today without Armstrong giving the brand the boost it needed just at the right time. Bianchi may not have the same reputation today, but its clear most are viewing this video in the context which wasintended - that being to view Bianchi through lens of when that brand was still very popular, and ridden by one of peoples favorite riders of that era (Pantani).

[@TheABom1989]

@@alexjohnson6462 mate, I thought it was pretty clear why I made the comparison. Lance is panned for his systematic approach to drugs. Pantani wrote the textbook that Lance learned from, yet the way he is talked about in this video is very different to how Lance is talked about. I grew up watching Lance, and loved watching him. I had to acknowledge that he was flawed and that my idol wasn’t all that. I’m just wondering why Pantani gets to still be a god. It is literally said in the video “None of us could ride as fast as Pantani” and that is because he was on drugs. None of us should be able to ride like him. Calm your boomer farm bro, it’s not an age thing it is a consistency in cycling thing.

[@LVQ-so5th]

I was thinking the same. Some cheaters (Lance) are vilified while others (Pantini) are given a pass.

[@TheABom1989]

@@LVQ-so5th agreed. Like I understand that Lance was a bully, but he was the reason Cycling came to the US so if Pantani we can look past the flaws, surely we can with Lance. Or they should all be blacklisted.

[@johnwestwell2241]

My local bike shop was, for a time, a Bianchi dealer. For a limited period (probably in early' 99), they had one of Pantani's 1998 TDF-winning bikes on display. Complete with yellow stem, yellow Vittoria tubs and a Pirata yellow saddle. The tubs needed a bit of air (the shop staff didn't dare pump them up), and it didn't have any pedals fitted, but it felt ridiculously light compared to my bike. Having said that, it was a tiny frame.

[@paganShane77]

I'm going to do the 2024 national hillclimb champs on an 80s Raleigh. Great episode this.

[@dannfong9471]

I love the look of this era bikes. They seem so simple but there is so much more then meets the eye. I have never ridden a modern, all carbon, electronic shifting bike and I'm sure I will smash my PRs with them and it would be an amazing ride. But I really cannot let go of how I gravitate more towards these kinds of bikes.

[@denverspin]

They are art.

[@jameslee-pevenhull5087]

2004 Specialized SWorks E5. DuraAce, Corima CF deep section tub sprints. 6.8 kg, bang on the weight limit. Mine has Ultegra group and RS80 25mm section. 7.1kg.

[@richcrompton6891]

Best comparison film ever. Well done to all involved 🏆

[@alleborgo5481]

Pantani was the only one allowed to use an ahead steering set with itm Big One stem. But shamal wheelset in 1998 was the 12 spokes model with oversized hubs. Those one you rode were the old 8 Speed series. I still ride my aluminium Bianchi with campagnolo shamal and record. It weights 7.8 kg in a 57 Bianchi size.

[@RFVCXR200R]

Great video! I mean we all like a Pinarelli or whatever it's called, but it's good to see Bianchi get some proper love.