Bianchi Infinito CV and Infinito CV Disc
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Bianchi have launched a host of new bikes for 2016, including the Freccia Celeste
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The Freccia Celeste enters the fray as Bianchi's lightweight aluminium race bike
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Bianchi's 'endurance racing' family has grown with the introduction of the Intrepida. While the bike above is pictured with Shimano Tiagra, the Intrepida will only be available in the UK in Shimano Ultegra, 105 and Campagnolo Veloce builds
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The Bianchi Intenso Disc endurance is available with either rim or disc brakes
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The All Road isn't any old gravel bike - Bianchi have specced it with a dropper seatpost
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Bianchi are a sponsor of L'Eroica and have produced this vintage machine as a result
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The Specialissima was launched in June and deploys Bianchi's Countervail vibration-cancelling tech in a super-light 780g frame
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The Oltre XR1 and XR2 share the same frame features, just one's lighter (and more expensive) than the other
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The Sempre Pro may not have the standout features of the Specialissima or Oltre but it's still a lightweight racing bike in its own right
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The Bianchi Infinito CV Disc has been redesigned with thru-axles for 2016
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Bianchi's 2016 women's range covers seven bikes
Bianchi Infinito CV and Infinito CV Disc
Chances are your familiar with the Bianchi Infinito CV. It was launched in 2013 as Bianchi’s flagship Classics/endurance bike and the now-retired Juan Antonio Flecha rode it to a top ten finish at that year’s Paris-Roubaix.
The Infinito CV was Bianchi’s first bike to use the Countervail technology which has since made its way onto the Aquila CV time trial bike and, this year, the Specialissima. As a bike designed for the cobbled Classics the Infinito CV was the obvious application for technology designed to improve comfort, though. The frame also has clearance for plush 28mm tyres.
But away from the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, that comfort-boosting tech is great for regular riders looking for a smoother rider, be it on a century ride or when bashing over the local lanes. Pitched as an endurance bike, the Infinito CV also has a more relaxed geometry (that means a taller headtube and shorter toptube for a more upright position, and a longer wheelbase to offer a more stable ride) than Bianchi’s racier models.
There’s no shortage of options when it comes to the Infinito CV in 2016, with nine bikes: six of which have rim brakes and three which uses the disc-specific version of the Infinito CV frame and fork.
Of the rim brake builds, the top-of-the-range bike comes with Campagnolo Super Record for £5,500 and from then on its available with Campagnolo Chorus (£4,100), Athena (£3,300), Shimano Dura-Ace (£5,200), Ultegra Di2 (£4,300) and Ultegra (£3,400).
If you want disc brakes then you’re getting a disc-specific frame and fork. The frame weight increases from 990g to 1,020g, and, new for 2016, the frame uses Shimano’s flat mount disc standard and thru-axles at both the front and rear.
The three disc brake bikes comes with Shimano Ultegra Di2 (£5,100), Shimano Ultegra (£4,200) and a Shimano Ultegra/105 mix (£3,500). All have hydraulic discs. Both the Infinito CV and Infinito CV Disc are available as a frameset only for £2,600 and £2,700 respectively.
While we’re talking endurance bikes, the Impulso and Via Nirone 7 are two more bikes in Bianchi’s ‘endurance racing’ family but are at the other end of the scale to the Infinito CV, being made from aluminium.
The Impulso is the more advanced frame of the two and comes in two rim brake builds with Shimano 105 (£1,200) and Campagnolo Veloce (£1,100), and one disc brake bike with Shimano 105 and mechanical post mount discs (£1,300). The Via Nirone comes with either ten-speed Campagnolo Xenon (£925) or eight-speed Shimano Claris (£675).
