Over the years, bikes seem to go through cycles. First, brands focused on making the lightest weight bikes (Cannondale Six13), then there was the aerodynamics race (Specialized Venge), and then comfort became a major focus on race bikes (Trek’s ISOspeed Decoupler, among others). 2020 seems to be the year that brands are working to bring all three together to make some of the best all-rounder bikes we’ve seen in years. Bianchi‘s entry is the recently updated Specialissima, which sees improved aerodynamics, integration, and the addition of disc brakes, while keeping the lightweight, stiffness, and comfort it is known for.
While the Oltre XR series remains the brand’s dedicated aero road frame, the Specialissima follows industry trends of improving aerodynamics on all-rounder frames. The Oltre XR’s feature larger truncated tube shapes, rear-wheel cutout, and a slightly bowed top tube, while the Specialissima has more of a traditional look. The new Specialissima’s tube shapes have been slight tweaked to improve aerodynamics while still keeping the bike light and stiff. Bianchi claims a painted 55cm frame weighs in at 750g, which drops about 30g from the 2015 version of the frame.
The biggest changes on the bike are a smoothed-out integrated seat post clamp with a revised top tube/seat tube/seat stay junction and completely internal cable routing using FSA’s ACR system. While the new Specialissima can accept a more traditional internal cable routing through the top and down tubes, the ACR system features a larger upper headset opening to allow cables to run from the stem, through the spacers, and into the frame. Moving the cables inside gives it a super clean look while improving aerodynamics.
Adding disc brakes was also an inevitable change. The “rim vs disc” debate came up as it always does as riders won this year on both platforms. As technology continues to advance though, the aerodynamic and weight penalty of disc brakes is getting smaller and smaller, while improving brake effectiveness in all conditions. Personally, I have both, including my Bianchi Sempre Pro with rim brakes, but the vast majority of my personal stable are all disc brake. With the change to discs, the Bianchi added 12mm thru-axles front and rear, and also revised the fork and stays to handle the forces disc brakes create over rim brakes. Without the constraints of rim brakes, the Specialissima can easily handle 28mm wide tires front and rear.
One thing that doesn’t change though is the use of Bianchi’s CV vibration canceling material. Short for CounterVail, CV is a viscoelastic material that is used on their high-end frames and forks to reduce road vibrations by 80% while also strengthening the frame. If you dig back through our Instagram account to June 2017, you’ll see a video we shared from East Coast rep Will Mahler showing the difference in vibrations between a regular blade of carbon fiber and one with CV.
The new Specialissima is available in a handful of colors. Of course, Bianchi couldn’t release their bikes without a Celeste colorway. It is the brand’s iconic color that makes a Bianchi instantly recognizable. There have been a few different shades of the color over the years, but it’s still one of my favorite frame colors. The newest color is Greenish Blue with celeste accents, but if you are looking for the lightest option, the Ultra Light Black that was created specifically for their WorldTour bikes saves 80g over other colors. If those colors don’t do it for you, you can use the Bianchi Colour Configurator to create a custom creation or select one of their Signature Collection finishes that are hand-painted in Italy in iridescent or holographic finishes.
The Specialissima is available in sizes 47, 50, 53, 55, 57, 59, and 61cm. Stock builds include Campagnolo Super Record EPS 12 speed, SRAM Red eTap AXS 12 speed, and Shimano Dura-Ace Di2, Ultegra Di2, and Ultegra mechanical 11 speed. All feature FSA cockpits and a mix of Vision and Fulcrum wheelsets, depending on the component build. The Specialissima is also available as a frameset with the FSA ACR stem and bars.
Pricing was not available at the time of writing, but needless to say, the Specialissima is going to sit in that upper tier price range.
While some may loath the thought of a traditionalist bike like the Specialissima moving to disc brakes and adding aerodynamic considerations, I am personally excited by it. Face it, disc are the future, and brands need to continue to push forward to improve their products. If they can make a bike that is light, stiff, comfortable, and can improve aerodynamics, I’m all for it. The Specialissima looks to check all of those boxes.
Heckling Editor, Image Taker, Crash Test Dummy, and Beard Master at Bikeworldnews.com
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