First Look: Bianchi Specialissima
In June, Bianchi released the 2016 Specialissima in picturesque Franciacorta, Italy. The Specialissima is Bianchi’s latest effort to produce “the best bike in the cycling market," according to the company’s CEO Bob Ippolito. The Specialissima falls into the lightweight climbing category, coming in at 780 g for a 55 cm frame. Bianchi claims the Specialissima will provide more comfort and control than its peers' lightest bikes. While getting my first look at the bike and adjusting measurements for the ride to come, my first impression was that Bianchi might have met its objective.
by Joel Vosburg
In June, Bianchi released the 2016 Specialissima in picturesque Franciacorta, Italy. The Specialissima is Bianchi’s latest effort to produce “the best bike in the cycling market,” according to the company’s CEO Bob Ippolito. The Specialissima falls into the lightweight climbing category, coming in at 780 g for a 55 cm frame. Bianchi claims the Specialissima will provide more comfort and control than its peers’ lightest bikes. While getting my first look at the bike and adjusting measurements for the ride to come, my first impression was that Bianchi might have met its objective.
Bianchi revived the once-famous Specialissima, which you may recognize from its role in Fausto Coppi’s wins at the 1949 Giro d’Italia and the 1952 Tour de France. On Tuesday, the new Specialissima was taken up La Pierre-Saint-Martin by Robert Gesink during the 2015 Tour de France’s first stage in the Pyrenees. The Dutch rider on LottoNL-Jumbo finished 10th on the stage.
In in the late 1980s, the Specialissima was shelved but Bianchi is bringing it back, aiming to trade on a little nostalgia and remind cyclists of the brand’s 130-year history. Also pulling on the nostalgia strings is the new #CK16 paint scheme. The CK16 is a complete overhaul of the traditional celeste colour that Bianchi is known for. Ippolito said Bianchi’s designers and corporate team spent two weeks mixing and testing colours to create the new CK16. They undertook this process because many of Bianchi’s competitors had started using its now-famous celeste colour. It was time once again to raise the bar. The Specialissima will be available in the CK16 and black colour schemes, as well as a new option for complete colour customization similar to Trek’s Project One, which allows you to choose custom colours for frame, bars and forks.
The CK16 colour will most definitely stand out in a group of riders. But if you look more closely,  you’ll see handcrafted details. Those logos aren’t decals. They are painted by hand and thus slightly raised. The bikes will be built in a factory in Taiwan, but painted in Italy. This arrangement will allow Bianchi to have control over the product’s final quality and ensure each Specialissima reaches Bianchi’s high standards.
Bianchi aims to take the harshness that normally exists with performance frames by using a unique feature added to the frame’s carbon fibre. The Countervail Technology that has featured in the Bianchi Infinito CV, as well as the company’s time trial bike, Aquila CV, shows up in the Specialissima. Bianchi claims that Countervail can dampen vibrations by 80 per cent. Managing vibrations not only helps increase rider comfort and reduce fatigue, but it can really add to the overall control of the bike, especially through tricky descents and corners that can feel a little shaky on other lightweight frames. Countervail is not featured throughout the entire frame, but only at points that Bianchi has identified as the most important for reducing vibrations. With Countervail, Ippolito says the frame has been designed to offer comfort and stiffness with a goal to reduce weight and still provide an incredible amount of control.
During the first ride on the Specialissima, I found Bianchi’s CEO words were on the mark. The bike’s stiffness and comfort combined in this very lightweight package allowed for a fun and pleasant ride, both climbing and descending. The rear end of the bike felt firm and allowed very little vibration through the seat tube, which then allowed for great power transfer. Even when attacking the toughest parts of the climb, the bike held firm.
The Specialissima I was fitted to came with Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 and a compact crankset. When it came time to make our first climb of the day up a steep ascent, the bike had an attitude and feel that made it feel like I could climb all day. The stiffness of the back end allowed me to put in power efficiently in the pedals while out of the saddle.
As expected, the bike felt totally planted while descending and even begged for speedier cornering.  My Shimano equipped bike used dura ace brakes which did a great job regulating speed. While big descents aren’t my specialty, the bike felt totally under control the whole time and allowed me to push my body and bike through corners at higher speeds than I usually felt comfortable with.
Bianchi has yet to release a price for the Specialissima, but as the bike will only be available with Campagnolo Super Record or Shimano Dura-Ace, the cost will match such a top-end machine.
Overall, my first impressions of the Specialissima are overwhelmingly positive. Bianchi has taken great strides with this bike and has clearly put a lot of time, care and effort into developing a bike that is rewarding on all aspects of a ride. Whether you’re on the flat roads of southern Ontario or the mountains of Quebec and British Columbia, this bike will hold up as top of its class on climbs, descents, and of course, the flats.
