---- ===== Bianchi History ===== Edoardo Bianchi started manufacturing bicycles in Milan, Italy, in 1885. For their first 100 years, Bianchi bicycles won more races than any other brand. ((Today it's fellow Italian makers Pinarello and Colnago [[https://sicycle.wordpress.com/2016/02/07/the-top-25-most-stage-winning-bicycle-manufacturers-of-the-last-25-years/|sicycle]]))((History from [[https://www.bianchiusa.com/history/|Bianchi]])) Bianchi states that they're the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bianchi_(company)|oldest]] bicycle manufacturer in existence. There are a few older bicycle companies, such as [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orbea|Orbea]] (1840,) but they started making their bicycles after Bianchi. Italy retains the most active and productive road bike culture. Unfortunately, this cycling zeal hasn't spilled over into mountain biking ((Italy has never podiumed in a UCI World Cup XO men's Mt. Bike event: [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UCI_Mountain_Bike_World_Cup|wikipedia]]. To be fair, they actually do quite well in the other events.)). \\ Today, [[https://www.bianchi.com/|Bianchi]] continues to make excellent bicycles while being managed from [[https://www.cycleurope.com/|Stockholm]] and owned by a family in [[https://www.grimaldi.napoli.it/en/index.html|Naples]].

{{poster.jpg?300|Bianchi, divinely inspired, royally blessed}} \\ Bianchi, divinely inspired, royally blessed [[https://pezcyclingnews.com/features/pez-bookshelf-italian-racing-bicycles/|pezcycling]] \\

---- ===== Celeste Green ===== Bianchi insists that [[https://www.bianchi.com/celeste/|Celeste]] is blue. It's certainly unique. Bianchi, without a doubt, owns the public perception that every handsome minty green bicycle in existence is a Bianchi. Other bicycles, such as Canondale and Huffy, which attempted to culturally appropriate the Bianchi "look", end up merely looking, well, bad. \\

{{paint.jpg?300|Celeste}} \\ Celeste in a can [[https://www.bianchi.com/celeste/|bianchi.com]]

---- ===== 1983 Grizzly ===== The first high end European maker to try their hand at making a mountain bike, Bianchi outsourced this work to Japan. The early 1983's were TIG welded in Japan, without lugs, and came in a single color: Sierra Blue. Lugged Grizzlies didn't appear until the end of 1983. The example at the right is lugged, made by Ishiwata of Japan. The 1983 catalog scan below is TIG welded. \\ Were there more color choices? The grey example at the right seems to be original paint. Catalogs are often out of date as soon as they're printed. {{cat.jpg?300|1983 Bianchi catalog}} 1983 Bianchi catalog

{{1983c.jpg?300|1983 Sierra Blue Grizzly}} \\ 1983 Sierra Blue Grizzly [[https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/1983-bianchi-grizzly-early-mtb.118047/|thecabe]] {{1983b.jpg?300|1983 Grey Grizzly}} \\ 1983 Grey Grizzly [[http://johns-recycled-bicycle.blogspot.com/2015/12/chucks-early-1980s-bianchi-atb-mtb.html|john's recycled bicycle blog]]

---- ===== 1984 Grizzly ===== 1984 Grizzlies came with lugs and probably all in red.

{{1984.jpg?300|1984 Grizzly}} \\ 1984 Grizzly [[https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vintage/1207477-early-80s-bianchi-grizzly-project.html#&gid=1&pid=1|bikeforums]]

---- ===== 1985 Grizzly ===== The 1985 at the right was the **only** mt. bike pic I could find from that year. It wasn't until 1986 that Bianchi enlarged their line of comparatively low end mountain bikes. No Celeste for Bianchi Mountain bikes until at least 1988?

{{1985.jpg?300|1985 Grizzly}} \\ 1985 Grizzly [[https://offersgeeks.com/product/1985-vintage-bianchi-grizzly/|offersgeeks]]

---- ===== 1987 Grizzly ===== Deore MT-60 (1987-1988), lugged frame with Tange tubing. Presumably all 1980's Bianchis used Asian frames.

{{1987.jpg?300|1987 Grizzly}} \\ 1987 Grizzly [[https://www.ebay.com/itm/393522062744?hash=item5b9fbe2598:g:-OIAAOSwVgdhICtN|ebay]]

---- ===== 1988 Super Grizzly ===== Finally Bianchi blesses a mountain bike with Celeste. Full Deore XT M730 components (1987-1988), lugged Tange frame, 28 pounds.

{{1988.jpg?300|1988 Super Grizzly}} \\ 1988 Super Grizzly [[https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vintage/70572-bianchi-serial-number-identification-48.html|bikeforums]]

---- ===== 1989 Super Grizzly ===== Full XT M732 cgruppo (1989 only.) Celeste seat and lettering, the rest was black speckle.

{{1989.jpg?300|1989 Super Grizzly}} \\ 1989 Super Grizzly [[https://offersgeeks.com/product/1985-vintage-bianchi-grizzly/|offersgeeks]]

---- ===== 1990 Sika =====

{{1990.jpg?300|1990 Sika}} \\ 1990 Sika [[https://www.bikeforums.net/mountain-biking/1176547-1990-bianchi-sika-rescue.html|bikeforums]]

---- ===== 1991 Project 7 ===== 700c mt bike weighing 25 pounds. Double butted and lugged Tange frame. SunTour XC Pro (1989-1991).

{{1991.jpg?300|1991 Project 7}} \\ 1991 Project 7 [[https://www.bikeforums.net/g/picture/23669292|bikeforums]]

---- ===== Bianchi Café & Cycles ===== Bianchi has opened a series of coffee & cycle shops worldwide, serving Italian goodness. Somehow Italy has come to own coffee, inventing //cappuccino//, //latte//, //espresso// and even the word //"café"// ((Café comes from the Italian "caffè" [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffeehouse|wikipedia]])). Which is ironic, as Italy isn't even a big coffee drinking country, as that title goes to all of the Scandinavian countries who need more than just alcohol to keep them warm during their dark winter months ((Italy comes in at number 13 on the coffee consumption chart: [[https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/top-10-coffee-consuming-nations.html|worldatlas]])). But, if [[https://www.ikea.com/|Ikea]] is any example, if the Swedes owned coffee culture we'd be stuck calling our drinks [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eyjafjallaj%C3%B6kull|Eyjafjallajökull]] and [[https://www.ikea.com/us/en/cat/aepplaroe-outdoor-furniture-14213/|Äpplarös]]. Italian simply sounds better. See [[https://www.bianchi.com/bianchi-world/bianchi-cafe-cycles/|Bianchi Cafe]]. \\

{{cafe.jpg?300|Cafe}} \\ Bianchi Café & Cycles [[https://coolhuntermx.com/bianchi-cafe-cycles-gdl/|coolhuntermx]] {{menu.jpg?300|Menu}} \\ Stockholm Menu [[https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g189852-d5582188-Reviews-Bianchi_Cafe_Cycles_Stockholm_AB-Stockholm.html|tripadvisor]]