Short Range Commuter
Written: Jul 16 '08
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Stylish, easy to ride.
Cons: Not a serious long haul commuter bike without extensive modification.
The Bottom Line: This could be a good bike for getting people back into the game and enjoying biking, at least in a casual way.
|
|
|
| editz's Full Review: Bianchi Milano |
I haven't ridden anything two wheeled since childhood so I don't consider myself much of an informed opinion about bicycles, but here it is anyway.
Based upon internet reviews, the Milano was on my short list of choices for a comfortable commuter bike that didn't have any hills to climb and would only run 8 miles round trip per day. The other contender was a Redline R530, but no LBS carried it.
Instead, I picked up a '00 model (first year made) used off Craigslist about three weeks ago. I had been considering a new '05 120th Anniversary model from the LBS, but this was $250 cheaper.
First lesson: Know what you're getting into when buying used gear. This bike appears not to have the original crankset, and the one currently installed causes problems with clearance of the chainguard.
Aside from that, it's a nice bike. The Shimano Nexus INTER-7 gets me where I want to go smoothly and relatively quickly. Make no mistake -- this is not a speed oriented bike, but I'll bet it can give other fully upright style models a run for their money.
The weight of the Milano isn't that bad and compared to other cruisers perhaps it's considered lightweight, but I don't think Bianchi spent a lot of time thinking about how to shave off the pounds. Even with a Topeak BeamRack and TrunkBag DXP attached, I can haul it up a flight of stairs without any real strain.
Handling is fine. It goes where I point it and I don't feel like I'm struggling or worry about balance and stability issues. It runs a pair of Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires, so that adds a lot of weight. The price you pay for durability I suppose.
I'm not sure about the handlebar style, as I feel like I'm putting a lot of weight on my hands. Probably doesn't help that it's a 18.5" frame when I should be on a 20" instead.
Riding posture is a mix between hunched over and upright. At first I thought fully upright would be preferable, but I don't think it's an issue. The stock seat feels fine, but with such a short commute it will probably not be much of a factor. The little LEDs built into the rear are interesting, but not much for safety compared to a real bike blinky.
A lot has been said about the Milano's style, and I'll have to agree. It's a nice looking unit. My model is pearl white with red lettering. I don't have the guts to ride around on one of the Celeste models with the red rims.
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
editz
|
|
Reviews written: 5
Trusted by: 0 members
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.