Bianchi

Sempre PRO

Italy has one of the best problems that we've heard of -- Italian goods are at such a high standard of quality that people will pay an arm and a leg for them. And if you look at the Celeste-tinted history of Bianchi, it becomes easy to see what all of the fuss is about -- Bartali, Coppi, Gimondi, Pantani -- the list goes on and on. Essentially, Bianchi has been the face of Italian cycling for over 125 years, and this same tradition of craftsmanship and sheer speed has been continued with the new Sempre PRO. 

To make the Sempre PRO the ultimate all-rounder, Bianchi built it with a full monocoque carbon fiber construction. Ready for a little lesson on carbon construction? Surprisingly, the definition of the monocoque process is hidden within the name -- 'mono' being Latin for 'one,' and 'coque' being French for 'shell.' So, as logic would have it, monocoque carbon fiber is formed as one piece in a single mold. This system has many advantages. For example, the use of monocoque allowed Bianchi complete creative control in developing the Sempre PRO. From the geometry to the tube shaping to the layup, every design parameter is attainable with monocoque, whereas the tube-to-tube construction method that you see on halo bikes is far more limiting for the engineer. Ultimately, this construction method makes the Sempre PRO extremely agile and stiff, directly equating to strong power transfers along the chain stays from the oversized, BB30 bottom bracket shell.

And if this wasn't enough, Bianchi has incorporated a few proprietary construction methods to the Sempre's carbon design. For one, it's been made stronger by using Bianchi's Carbon NanoTube technology. This process involves adding nano-scaled particles to the resin. By doing so, the particles reduce the microcopic gaps between the resin and the fibers of the carbon. Ultimately, this increases the strength and fracture-resistance by 49% compared to using standard epoxy resin systems. To reduce the harmful effects of road vibration, Bianchi had to add vertical compliance to counteract the Sempre's rigid frame. This is where Bianchi's Ultra Thin Seat Stays (UTSS) came in. Since the chain stays are beefy, the super slender seat stays are there merely to balance the load and firmly, yet lightly, connect the dropouts to the rest of the frame. Meanwhile, vibration is thoroughly absorbed and dissipated throughout the frame. So, as you can see, the Sempre PRO provides everything in large amounts -- stiffness, compliance, and durability.

But what about handling and aerodynamics? This is easy because the two characteristics go hand in hand. Starting at the front of the Sempre, it shares an identical fork to that found on the Bianchi flagship, the Oltre XR. The F.Carbon HoC1 fork's straight blade design cuts through the wind, while providing predictable and nimble handling. Also new to this year, the Sempre PRO features a tapered carbon head tube. The 1-1/8 x 1-1/2 inch design bolsters the front triangle's rigidity, but it also creates a purposeful surface design that increase laminar flow over the bike. Complimenting this, Bianchi moved all of the cable routing internally, and also made it compatible for electronic and mechanical shift systems. 

The Bianchi Sempre PRO is available in six odd sizes from 50 to 61cm and in the color Carbon/black and Celeste/carbon. Please that the Sempre uses a BB30 bottom bracket and comes equipped with an FSA Orbit CE Plus Headset.