Rebuilding a Bianchi Bicycle: Part II - Blasting & Powder Coating

In this video series I will be taking you along with me while I rebuild my 1981 Bianchi Bici ii. My vision for this project is to mold this bicycle into more of a modern day randonneuring style bike.
Breakdown of Series
Part I - Introduction & A Closer Look at the Frame - • Rebuilding a Bianchi B...
Part II - Blasting & Powder Coating - • Rebuilding a Bianchi B...
Part III - 700c or 650b Dilemma - • Rebuilding a Bianchi: ...
Part IV - Custom Hand Built 650b Bicycle Wheels - • Rebuilding a Bianchi: ...
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LINKS:
B& W Metal Cleaners: bandwmetalcleaners.com
Ropate Medal Cleaners: www.ropate.ca
RIP Powder Coating: www.restoreinpowder.com
Prismatic Powders: www.prismaticpowders.com
RAL Colour Chart: www.ralcolor.com
General Amazon Affiliate: amzn.to/2S4w88R
LET'S CONNECT:
Website: www.bengeldreich.com/
Instagram: / bengeldreich
Facebook: / bengeldreich
Twitter: / bengeldreich
For possible video collaboration, sponsorship and joint ventures feel free to email [e-mail].
#HisPNWLife #bianchi #vintagebicycle

[@starless9]

Frame so clean. Awesome

[@BenGeldreich]

It’s the best feeling looking at a nice clean freshly painted or powder coated frame!!

[@hsolustri]

Beautiful frame.

[@BenGeldreich]

Yeah I think so as well. It’s almost finished. Took the bike for its maiden voyage a few days ago.

[@hsolustri]

@@BenGeldreich I’m rebuilding a 88 bianchi sport sx. What groupset did you end up going with? The fork is nice. Stick with the quill stem? I’d love to see a follow up video of what it looks like now.

[@BenGeldreich]

Nice!! I have SunTour cyclone RD, FD, Shimano 11/34 cassette a Velo Orange 50.4 crank set (46/30) and silver down-tube shifters from Rivendell cycles. I purchased a Nitto quill stem and will probably stick with it.

[@650gringo]

Enjoyed your video. I am doing this right now to a Bianchi Premio.

[@BenGeldreich]

Thanks Larry! That's awesome! Are you planning on sharing your build anywhere? Would love to follow along if you are.

[@650gringo]

@@BenGeldreich I am taking pictures of each step. Not sure about YT, but likely on a forum.

[@BenGeldreich]

Bikeforums?

[@wozukleeds9018]

I'm thinking about powder coating my frame & forks. I have been quoted a fortune for spray painting, and also there's not many willing to spray aluminium. What has it been like in the long term? Does it come off or scratch off easily? I have heard it's harder wearing than paint.

[@BenGeldreich]

Yeah powder coating tends to be much cheaper than painting, however I think if you were wanting multiple colours, then painting may be the way to go. I'm not too familiar with powder coating aluminium, although I've read that aluminium softens at a much lower temperature than steal does. So if it were me, I'd be very careful in who I choose to powder coat the frame. I'd prefer they have lots of experience with aluminium. With regards to my experience, I've had very good luck with lots of small car parts powder coated and never had anything peel or even scratch, however my bike has scratched a few times from the rebuild, not huge, but enough for me to notice. It also doesn't scratch like paint it leaves a line that can eventually start to peel. To be very honest I don't think I used the right company for my bike. They didn't really tape off the areas I asked and not sure they heated the frame up enough or used enough powder. The best part about powder coating is that it isn't that expensive compared to paint. Cost me $80 to powder coat my frame and $100 to walnut shell blast it. Once the bikes finished and I'm happy with the ride and set up I may and that's a hard may, take it apart and get another company to powder coat it.

[@wozukleeds9018]

@@BenGeldreich my bike will be done just one colour (probably a British racing green). It is only a lowish value bike, so I will not spend extortionate amounts on spray painting. A local company quoted me £65 for the paint removal and the powder coating. I think they will be removing the paint in an acid bath. Been told the powder coat comes in 3 finishes: matt, satin, and gloss. The guy told me it will end up having a good finish and I trust him. Once it's all done I will probably put helicopter tape on the frame to further prevent scratches. Have you put bianchi decals on your bike?

[@BenGeldreich]

I love British racing green that will look lovely! Share some photos when it’s done. I haven’t put any decals on my bike and probably won’t. The Bianchi bici ii is a Japanese frame not Italian. Research indicates that a lot of bike companies used the same Japanese manufacturer and simply added their own decals to the frame. These frames, mine included, are very versatile and built very well. If anything I may add a simple head tube badge.

[@wozukleeds9018]

@@BenGeldreich Are right yes I think it would look good with the badge on the toptube, it is nice to add a little bit of decoration but not too much in some cases. Yes I will try to upload some pics once my bike is done. My frame and forks is by a British company called Ridgeback, they usually have a long Ridgeback decal on the downtube, which I may struggle to get hold of tbh. So may try something different with the decals that are available. BTW titanium bolts to go in the bosses are a nice addition u could consider. They don't rust and are harder wearing than steel bolts. How much more have u to do on the project until it's finished?

[@BenGeldreich]

@@wozukleeds9018 Yeah, I'd have to find the right badge though ... I've seen a few online that are remakes from the original, but it would be the last piece I'd put on the bike. I do like the clean look. Titanium bolts would be great! Did you purchase some if so where did you get yours from and what are you gonna use them for exactly, ie water bottle cage bolts, seat tube binder bolt etc. I am just finishing up some Honjo fender install which has taken me a couple weeks on and off, but there was a few different modifications I had to make to destress the fenders. Then I can install the drivetrain and brakes etc. I should be uploading a new update video soon, but I'm not done with the fenders yet.

[@lyncherr1]

Hey, I'm from Vancouver and am doing the same as you. Did you ever finish the bike ?? Howd you apply decals ?

[@BenGeldreich]

Hey Mathew!! That’s great. The bike is almost done. I just received a part that’s been out of stock since 2020. Should be on the road in late spring. I’m not gonna put any decals on my bike. I may put a head tube badge at some point. What type of bike frame are you rebuilding?

[@lyncherr1]

@@BenGeldreich I'm building two, restomods. I'm very tall so these are large frames and hard to find. One is a panasonic dx-2000 And the other is a norco magnum gt Both are in great condition so they just need a refresh !

[@BenGeldreich]

Will you be sharing the progress of your project anywhere?

[@lyncherr1]

@@BenGeldreich I might, I've got the bikes stripped and I've been sporadically taking photos

[@chadrushing]

How many pounds of powder did it take?

[@BenGeldreich]

Great question. One that I wished I would have asked. I feel like it was not enough or a poor job as it has been super easy to scratch.

[@rpersaud562]

not sure why you included all that driving filming. I assume it is to make the video longer.

[@BenGeldreich]

It’s a video blog post capturing a part of my journey towards a bike rebuild. If I wanted to make the video longer I would have kept all the driving footage at regular speed. ;) That said, I decided to include it because I was also testing out some equipment and working on different final cut editing skills. Most of the f my early videos I was experimenting with different types of footage.