Aren't these beautiful??

[Denise223]

Some Bianchi eye-candy

http://www.bianchiusa.com/07_womens_road.html

[salsabike]

Ayuh. I have an '06 Eros Donna. Click the Team TE Bianchista link below to see various really really nice Bianchis--

[freshsushi]

My DH stole my Bianchi Pista!! (which really didn't fit me in the first place... and I really wanted an excuse to get another bicycle ) I saw an '06 Donna Eros on sale in the store yesterday... it was beautiful but way out of my budget. Anyone trying to get rid of theirs? (Probably not.. those things are gorgeous...)

[Bad JuJu]

Although I totally adore my new celeste Bianchi (see my avatar), I love the name for the new color on the Eros Donna: PunishMint!

[7rider]

They are pretty, but why do all of the Bianchi women's bikes have triples? And their "top of the line" bike has just a mix of 105 and Ultegra? Don't they think we deserve better components? Don't they think women might want to ride a double (or at least a compact?)??
(sorry to be a spoil-sport!)

[Bad JuJu]

Interesting question, actually, Regina, since the Veloce has Campy components, the 2006 does have a compact, though the 2005 had a triple. And according to someone, Lise I think, the Veloce has been discontinued for 2007 (though it's not a WSD model, just has some WSD geometry in the smallest sizes.) Hmmm.....

[mimitabby]

I'm glad you brought this up! I was wondering the same thing.
No WSD and no Campy components in steel for women. what's the deal?

I am glad i have an older bianchi but gee, i was hoping to buy a new one some day!

[salsabike]

Um...the Eros Donna has some Campy components. And at least here in a city built on hills, I wouldn't want a bike without a triple. Those things can always get changed out, anyway, if you wish.

[Bad JuJu]

Yes, the Eros Donna is still steel. And it looks great!

[indysteel]

Regina, you took the words out of my mouth. It irritates me that Bianchi and several other manufacturers outfit their WSD bikes with lower-end components, as if women have no need or desire for the high-end stuff. I ran into that problem when I bought my Eros Donna. My solution was to swap out the brifters and rear derailleur for Veloce. I would still like to change out the brakes and crank though. I would have just purchased the Veloce if they'd been able to snag my size without a significant wait.

I noticed, too, that some companies price their better-speced WSD bikes higher than their comparable men's bikes. What's up with that? While I'm glad that more and more companies are paying attention to women's needs, I still feel patronized to some extent. If and when I buy another bike, I'm going to shell out the money for custom steel and get exactly what I want......

With all of that said, I still love my Eros Donna.

[Kano]

So, last night, when I was reading this forum, I clicked this link, and the window was still open, partially visible, on my screen, when DH walked by, and said I must close that window and not look at that stuff.

You'd think there were kids in the room or something!

Karen in Boise

[Bad JuJu]

Kano--Is he maybe afraid you're going to raid the family fortune to snag a new Bianchi?

[freshsushi]

So, last night, when I was reading this forum, I clicked this link, and the window was still open, partially visible, on my screen, when DH walked by, and said I must close that window and not look at that stuff.

You'd think there were kids in the room or something!

Karen in Boise

I was checking out websites for a new frame last night, and this morning DH asked me, "So how late did you stay up last night looking at bike porn?"

[xeney]

The counterpoint to the complaint about Bianchi's mix of components is that at least their WSD bikes fall into that elusive "mid-range" category. When I was looking around at various bikes last week, my husband commented that with women's bikes there is this huge gap in a lot of lines: you go from Sora/Tiagra straight to Ultegra, which makes things hard on someone trying to shop on a 105 budget.

And Bianchi seems to be phasing out Campy on all of their mid-range or lower bikes, not just the women's bikes. The only steel available with Campy this year is the Eros, and that's Mirage. It's a bummer, because the Veloce was such a nice bike and the Veloce gruppo is such a bargain. Campy Only did a great review of the 2001 Veloce triple, the group that is on my bike ... it really shifts like a dream compared to the equivalently priced Shimano. (Well, it is easier to find your front chain ring with 105, but it just takes a little practice with the Veloce. If I can do it, anyone can do it.)

[roguedog]

Regina, you took the words out of my mouth. It irritates me that Bianchi and several other manufacturers outfit their WSD bikes with lower-end components, as if women have no need or desire for the high-end stuff.

The weird thing is that Bianchi's designer for those bikes that are Reparto Corse is a woman who's based here in Hayward, Ca.