Bianchi Specialissima Super Leggera

Edoardo Bianchi is arguably one of the most important figures in the world of cycling. Born in 1865 in the heart of Milan, he grew up in an orphanage in the city center, where he enjoyed a wonderful education and, incredibly, was introduced to mechanical engineering. Shortly before his 20th birthday in 1885, Edoardo went into business for himself and opened his own workshop. His motto was simple and clear: use the best components and offer the best possible product, which is why you can be sure that old Bianchi bicycles are of the highest quality. Everyone has seen the characteristic blue-green hue that is synonymous with Bianchi bicycles. The correct name for this color is Celeste. This word translated from Italian into English means "heavenly" or "blue". Many brands on the market try to have instantly recognizable logos, but nothing attracts as much attention as the striking Celeste color.

The Campagnolo Super Record groupset was the ultimate derailleur of its time. All sorts of strange claims were made: the aluminum was some kind of super special alloy, the black anodizing was some kind of super special coating, etc. The truth is a little more banal. The aluminum used is exactly the same alloy that was used on the Nuovo Record. The black anodizing is - wait for it - black anodized. The real technical differences were the use of exotic material for the two large Allen bolts and a larger "flange" on the pulley cage. The derailleur feels good in the hand, has a timeless look and feels valuable simply because it was once so absurdly expensive. It's hard to define what makes a classic, but whatever it is, the Campagnolo Super Record has done the job.