Bianchi have unveiled a limited edition Oltre XR2 dressed in Campagnolo’s Super Record 80th Anniversary groupset.
Just 25 of the bikes will be available worldwide, with the first presented to Valentino Campagnolo at the Eurobike trade show in Friedrichshafen, Germany.
Bianchi’s Fred Morini told us the price of the exclusive model is to be confirmed by the end of the week but expect this collaboration between two of Italy’s oldest manufacturers to leave a substantial hole in your wallet.
It is a stunning machine, however, with a custom silver chromo and matte black paintjob which also carries the same Campagnolo 80th Anniversary that features across the groupset.
Needless to say, the bike is equipped with the 80th Anniversary group in its entirety, while the Bora Ultra Two wheels are also from the celebratory line-up.
The Oltre XR2 was unveiled in June as the latest evolution to Bianchi’s flagship road frame. Key updates include a new, integrated headtube designed to improve front-end stiffness and aerodynamics, and an updated FSA BB386 bottom bracket to boost rigidity.
We rode the new frame, equipped on that occasion with ‘regular’ Campagnolo Super Record and Fulcrum Racing Speed XLR wheels, at its launch in Italy, where we delivered an early verdict of “very light, very stiff and with the finely-tuned handling you’d expect from an Italian racing thoroughbred.”
This limited edition model aside, the Oltre XR2 is also available in two more readily-available builds, with Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 and Campagnolo Super Record EPS, while the Oltre XR2 Disc is one of the few flagship race frames to use SRAM’s new Red 22 groupset with hydraulic disc brakes, which we got to try for the first time at the pre-Eurobike demo day.
Infinto CV Disc now available
The Infinto CV is Bianchi’s new ‘comfort’ bike, developed in conjunction with Vacansoleil-DCM’s Juan Antonio Flecha and ridden to a top ten finish at Paris-Roubaix. The frame uses a patented Countervail technology which is said to cancel road buzz before it reaches the rider.
The frame is part of Bianchi’s model year 2014 range but was first unveiled during the cobbled Classics season. We also saw it when we went to northern Italy to see Bianchi’s new range, but Eurobike provided us with our first chance to check out the disc-equipped version, which comes with Shimano Ultegra Di2 and the Japanese firm’s corresponding road-specific hydraulic disc brakes.
The Infinito CV Disc is based around a disc-specific frame which has internal routings for the front and rear hydraulic hoses, running through the fork and left-hand chainstay respectively, which makes for a very neat finish.
Hydraulic hoses aside, the fork’s carbon layup has also been tweaked to account for the different braking forces that come as a consequence of using discs, while the left-hand chainstay flares out more than on the regular Infinito CV to make room for the rear disc mount.
The Infinito CV Disc will be arriving with Bianchi dealers soon and while prices have yet to be confirmed, the Italian firm’s UK representative told us it should be in the region of £6,500.
Website: Bianchi
