BIANCHI SEMPRE

Do we ride? Always. Whether we need to or not. Do you? We're guessing the answer is pretty much the same. Bianchi's Sempre is an always bike, as in it's always ready, always faithful, always beckoning. Bianchi puts this bike in their Born for Performance line, meaning it's a full-on race rig that doesn't carry the ProTour implications or price tag. You probably won't be embarrassed to admit what you paid for it, especially after you take it on its virgin voyage.

The Sempre uses the same race geometry as found on the Oltre -- same head and seat angles, same top tube length, same head tube length. It does differ with a few tweaks for the kind of riding most bike riders do. A few more millimeters of length on the chainstays smooth out bumps on rough road surfaces. The weight is still competitive at 1120g (claimed weight) for the 55 frame.

Underneath the paint, you find a carbon fiber monocoque frame that uses generous shaping to maximize ride qualities. While the Sempre uses a traditional 1-1/8" straight steerer, Bianchi designers shaped the area behind the head tube with massive tube junctions. The result is a stiff and stable front end, and the snappy straight-blade fork legs give the bike a responsive feel through the turns. Running down from the head tube, the downtube morphs from a diamond shape to an oval by the bottom bracket, where the oval is arranged for lateral rigidity and vertical compliance. Likewise, the chain stays are beefy for power transmission while the seat stays are skinny, using Bianchi's Ultra-Thin Seat Stay (UTSS) technology. This balance yields a comfortable ride. Bianchi also employs Carbon NanoTube technology on the Sempre, which increases the strength and fracture-resistance by 49% compared to standard epoxy resins, and this works without adding appreciable weight.

Moving back to the stiffness=efficiency part of the frame equation, the bike comes with a BB30 bottom bracket. BB30 means your cranks can utilize a huge 30mm bottom bracket spindle, which is stiff, and because of the large diameter, it can be made light. And removing the need for bottom bracket cups means the assembly is lighter still. If you prefer your traditional crankset and bottom bracket, adapters can be installed to mate your cranks to the frameset.

The Bianchi Sempre is available in Azzuro and Celeste and comes in six sizes from 50 - 61cm. It takes a 31.6mm seat post, and the seat post clamp is included with the frame. You'll need a 34.9mm clamp-on front derailleur. The rear derailleur hanger is replaceable, and the dropouts are aluminum for durability. The integrated FSA 1-1/8" headset bearings are included.

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2012 Bianchi Sempre Pricing