refinished frames on ebay?

[shinomaster]

I've been looking for a Bianchi for my dad after he crashed and ruined his beloved 90's SLX frame. For some reason Bianchi's are super hot and expensive. Does anyone have experience with this seller? I just worry about what's under the new paint.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/56cm-Bianchi-Specialissima-Vintage-steel-frame-set-Refinished-extras/113013967588?_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.S EED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20160908105057%26meid%3D3c089 86a73b0447b996ea52d939016b5%26pid%3D100675%26rk%3D 2%26rkt%3D15%26sd%3D113011797002%26itm%3D113013967 588&_trksid=p2481888.c100675.m4236&_trkparms=pageci%3A6c1a1712-62b2-11e8-9045-74dbd180e9af%7Cparentrq%3Aa85abdc11630aa47a50ca4f8 fffb8f5c%7Ciid%3A1

[eBAUMANN]

good lord that is a crappy paint job....that bb shell and the seat cluster shorelines...looks like a double thick powder coat!

[shinomaster]

Yeah it's a bit thick.

[zennmotion]

I think it's a decent garage paint job, maybe too many layers or laid thick but given the cost of a professional job you get what you pay for, it's utilitarian and OK for what it is. Professional refinished is kind of overstated. Of course the seller may be a professional, just not a professional painter. It's about $200 more than I'd pay for it, but then I have no particular attraction to Bianchi over any number of other Italian steel bikes of the era. Given the soft used bike market, I think you can do better, and hey anybody with a backyard or a driveway can do a decent rattle can respray of anything. And ya know, for $150 more you can get a new steel Marinoni that will be better in every way than a vintage frame. Among other possibilities...
http://www.marinoni.qc.ca/html/primo_en.html

[ultraman6970]

Way too much paint, probably is even primer... for 350 maybe yes but for 600 bucks is too much of a risk when you dont know what is under the paint.

[bjf]

This one is too small? https://www.ebay.com/itm/1989-Bianchi-Columbus-SLX-steel-road-bike-Campagnolo-Athena-Celeste/253638539817?hash=item3b0e08fa29:g:9Q4AAOSw1m5bAs2 h

[rccardr]

A nice guy, and I have seen his work. It's...OK. But not up to my standard.

For that kind of $ you should be able to find a nice original Bianchi frame in decent condition. What size do you need?

[DarrinNYC]

The fact they painted the dropouts helps erode any confidence that this was more than a few spray cans in the garage. I'm sure there's autobody-filler in there somewhere!

[bikingshearer]

A friend bought his Tomassini from this seller and had good things to say about him. (My friend has ridden the bike on at least three and maybe four Erocia CA's with zero issues.) My friend also had the luxury of going to inspect his stuff in person - some of the paint jobs were better than others. But it appears that the seller is up-front about a frames condition, so that reduces - not eliminates, but reduces - the chances of the paint hiding something bad.

I won't comment on the price as I really have no idea what pretty much any Bianchi is worth on the open market.

[cadence90]

I've been looking for a Bianchi for my dad after he crashed and ruined his beloved 90's SLX frame. For some reason Bianchi's are super hot and expensive. Does anyone have experience with this seller? I just worry about what's under the new paint.


That seller has been around awhile, but I never bought anything so have no experience.

Given that this would be a special replacement for a special original, though, I would never pay for a re-spray like that.

I would far rather (for your father) find a decent Bianchi with even patinated original Milano paint than refurbished (not super well) Watsonville, CA paint.

Just my due lire.
.

[shinomaster]

This one is too small? https://www.ebay.com/itm/1989-Bianchi-Columbus-SLX-steel-road-bike-Campagnolo-Athena-Celeste/253638539817?hash=item3b0e08fa29:g:9Q4AAOSw1m5bAs2 h

Ack that's almost his old frame... It's perfect... I really thought about buying this... but I don't want the parts..

[shinomaster]

A nice guy, and I have seen his work. It's...OK. But not up to my standard.

For that kind of $ you should be able to find a nice original Bianchi frame in decent condition. What size do you need?

A 54 CC square is ideal, albeit rare. 130 mm spacing.

[shinomaster]

The frame..

[zennmotion]

Ack that's almost his old frame... It's perfect... I really thought about buying this... but I don't want the parts..

I would think you could sell the parts in here, especially including wheels for a couple hundred. That brings the price to $700. The BIN also has a make an offer. You could offer 25% less and see what happens, and decide on the sellers counter offer. You don't know their motivation to sell, and the market is soft, it's a very nice bike but only for the right buyer which sounds like it might be you.

[shinomaster]

I would think you could sell the parts in here, especially including wheels for a couple hundred. That brings the price to $700. The BIN also has a make an offer. You could offer 25% less and see what happens, and decide on the sellers counter offer. You don't know their motivation to sell, and the market is soft, it's a very nice bike but only for the right buyer which sounds like it might be you.

Yeah, it's a great paint scheme. Their newer Tipo Corsas don't really do it for me. I wish like Gios and Tommasini, they still made high-quality lugged steel.

[rccardr]

Bianchi Eroica frameset- takes any modern or vintage group, handmade in the Special Shop, lotsa chrome, celeste, 130/100 spacing. What's not to like?

[peanutgallery]

That first one is not worth the $, plus you'll spend a few bucks just getting someone to prep it. I would bet the seat tube, water bottle, shifter braze-ons, etc are stuffed with paint. I get the feeling it was painted with the headset still in it:)

The 2nd one is a much better example, but I don't see the point unless you're needing some wall art. A $900 Scott Speedster or whatever is a much better bike. Geo, tire/wheel size are working for you and you're not rolling around like a '72 Volvo with a bad u-joint and smoldering wheel bearings

[zennmotion]

That first one is not worth the $, plus you'll spend a few bucks just getting someone to prep it. I would bet the seat tube, water bottle, shifter braze-ons, etc are stuffed with paint. I get the feeling it was painted with the headset still in it:)

The 2nd one is a much better example, but I don't see the point unless you're needing some wall art. A $900 Scott Speedster or whatever is a much better bike. Geo, tire/wheel size are working for you and you're not rolling around like a '72 Volvo with a bad u-joint and smoldering wheel bearings

"better bike" is subjective of course. I get the appeal of the replacement, though I wouldn't buy a repro as above, if I'm going to pay for a new frame/bike I'd definitely want the advantages of modern heat treated steel- SLX isn't as light, and newer bigger tubing diameters make for a better ride- there's a reason framebuilders don't use it any more except for re-enactment bikes. If you want vintage look/feel it's easy to find and inexpensive- although an exact replica of the Bianchi, in the right size, with a finish in decent condition may take some time to find. But Bianchi's are kind of the Schwinn of Europe, not rare. The repro Bianchi doesn't do it for me at all, so many other better choices in steel out there for the price.

[shinomaster]

My Dad has a Specializad Roubaix which he got to replace his Bianchi, but he never really liked it. He finds the aesthetics abhorrent - hates the look of the 10 speed Ultegra parts and the flashy frame. I think he was really set up in an old guy position and he doesn't really know how to fix it ( I'm too far away alas). What he does like is the Scott CR1 he inherited from my late brother. He rides up some pretty monster hills on it at age 72 in a 39/26. I guess it's just so lightweight maybe.. or it's a better position.
I'm feeling nostalgic for bikes from the 90's for some reason and I think he is too. It's what you grow up with that sticks with you sometimes.