Other than the obvious quality you’d expect from Bianchi, one of the reasons we like the Tipo Corsa so much is that it’s really a whole bunch of different bikes, depending how you want to build it up. A race bike is a race bike is a … fixedfreestyle bike, if you’re Aidan. But really, no matter how much we like to push ‘intended use,’ most bikes kind of have their personality molded into the carbon, leaving you to pick between options and personalize within a rather narrow range. Cervelo’s S5 wants to go fast, while Yeti’s SB6c just wants to play. I mean, I guess you can make your Yeti SB 5.5 into a road bike by adding Tomac throwback dirt drop bars, skinny tires and … uhhh, guess hydro discs are a road thing now. But please, please don’t.
Bianchi’s Tipo Corsa, on the other hand, is relatively open to a variety of personalities. Its mix of classic aesthetics and steel frame, updated with modern improvements in design really lets you build up a bike that reflects how you want to ride. Steel make’s for a great café bike, or fondo bike if you’re into more casual riding. But the Tipo Corsa is also a throwback to Bianchi’s decades and decades of building steel racers with a long history of excellent handling at high speeds. That mix of Bianchi’s experience producing quality, fast frames and classic aesthetic makes the Tipo Cora an excellent platform for the growing range of high end road bits that shifting away from a focus on ultra-low weight high tech carbon. Brands like ShimWorks, Brooks, and H Plus Son are instead focusing on taking a familiar part – whether its a stem, seat post, or bar tape, and making it better. Each of these brands are focused on making a small range of parts, and making them really, really well. Adam’s done a great job of sorting through the available options and picking out a build that looks also works really, really well.
Starting with some accepted wisdom, Adam’s started with longtime producers of quality saddles, Brooks, and picked out their more performance oriented Cambrium C15 saddle. He’s also picked out their leather bar tape, complete with fabric wrap and rubber Brooks bar ends. Both of these Brooks products are attached to custom curated parts from relative newcomer, SimWorks. Recognizing that those with generations of experience have kind of figured things out, SimWorks partners with longstanding industry brands to produce small runs of specialty products. Partnering with storied Japanese keirin parts producers, NITTO, SimWorks x NITTO is a series of components focued on craftsmanship and creativity. Below Brooks C15 sits SimWorks Beatnick seatpost. Under the leather bar wrap, a SimWorks x NITTO Misirlou bar is attached to their Rhonda stem.
All of this wonderful Japanese and English finery is rolling on a beautiful pair of wheels that, like the Bianchi itself, have nailed a classic aesthetic that belies modern design improvements. High polish H Plus Son TB14 rims clearly take their inspiration from an era when steel ruled the peloton, but the flawlessly produced box section rims have been pushed out to a fresh 23mm internal width. H Plus Son will tell you this improves feel and handling, giving the clincher rim the feel of a classic tubular. Do you want to know more, perhaps even too much about the TB14? Don’t worry, that tiny weird corner of the internet exists and, unlike many of the internet’s little nooks, , it’s all good news. So read on, or just keep scrolling through the pretty pictures here.
Oh good, you’re still here. Anchoring the H Plus Son’s are a pair of White Industries T11 hubs. The made in Petaluma, California made hubs are White Industries most weight conscious offering, including an extra special titanium freehub body. They’re 11 speed compatible, if you’re wondering what the ’11’ in T11 referred to and, you know, they’re made in America. All of this is wrapped in Vittoria’s widely praised 25mm Corsa rubber.
Last, and certainly not least, is Campagnolo’s new Potenza groupset in the polished silver finish. It’s rare that a newly released Campagnolo product takes a back seat to a bikes smaller parts, but in this case that definitely is not taking anything away from the Italian’s newest offering. Intended to slot in just below their race minded Record series’ the Potenza is supposed to target Shimano’s Ultegra series. While it’s consistent with the classic aesthetic of Adam’s Tipo Corsa build, Potenza also offers a level of performance consistent with Bianchi quality. As should be clear at this point, Adams build is all about the little details, so click through the gallery below for more of this Bianchi Tipo Corsa:
