Anyone ride a Bianchi road bike (or a Kaze road bike) here?

[WaveHunter]

I'm thinking of buying a BIANCHI IMPULSO road bike with a 105 group set and wonder if anyone rides one, and what their feedback might be (especially as a climbing bike).

 

I ride a mountain bike right now but do a lot of road climbing here in Chiang Mai (Doi Suthep), and not so much trail riding so I'm thinking I'd like a lighter true road bike now that has Shimano 105 components, and that's not going to break the bank.

 

Another bike I'm interested in is a Thai brand that sounds pretty impressive but I can find absolutely no reviews on it at all.  It is Kaze Kansai 2.  Anybody know anything that might help me decide?

 

Edited July 20, 2020 by WaveHunter

[SteveK]

I looked at lots of Thai brands, but when I bought my bike I was much heavier than the average Thai rider (105kg+) and didn't feel confident in the quality of the frame/fork. I bought a used Giant which has been one of my best buys ever. With some upgrades I now have an 8kg bike for under 15k.

 

If you think you're going to be clocking up the miles, I would go with the well known brand. But if you're <80kg and just riding occasionally, I would probably gamble on a Thai brand because they seem to be well specced for the money.

 

Some good deals pop up on Bahtsold, such as this:

 

https://www.bahtsold.com/view/bicycle-giant-trc-composite-53-cm-frame-shimano-105-354382

[BritManToo]

6 minutes ago, SteveK said:

I would probably gamble on a Thai brand because they seem to be well specced for the money.

Too heavy, not fun to ride. I paid 11k for my Giant, 2200Km in the last 6 months.

 

Edited July 21, 2020 by BritManToo

[SteveK]

11 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Too heavy, not fun to ride.

The Kansai 2 is just over 8kg, lighter than the Bianchi! Probably because it has a better wheelset.

 

Giants are great, I love mine and will stick with the brand in the future.

Edited July 21, 2020 by SteveK

[BritManToo]

23 hours ago, WaveHunter said:

I ride a mountain bike right now but do a lot of road climbing here in Chiang Mai (Doi Suthep), and not so much trail riding so I'm thinking I'd like a lighter true road bike now that has Shimano 105 components, and that's not going to break the bank.

I have a Trek 1.1 for Doi Suthep 9 speed and a 12-36 cassette for climbing, cost 14k new weighs around 9Kg.

The important thing is the cassette. Not expensive for an 12-36 on Lazada (500bht), which will fit most road bikes.

You'll need a roadlink if you want to fit a 11-40 cassette.

 

Main problem in Thailand is buying one big enough for a white guy.

The shops will try and sell you a 52cm, frame but if you're 6ft tall you really need a 56cm. frame.

Edited July 21, 2020 by BritManToo

[WaveHunter]

On 7/21/2020 at 5:17 PM, BritManToo said:

I have a Trek 1.1 for Doi Suthep 9 speed and a 12-36 cassette for climbing, cost 14k new weighs around 9Kg.

The important thing is the cassette. Not expensive for an 12-36 on Lazada (500bht), which will fit most road bikes.

You'll need a roadlink if you want to fit a 11-40 cassette.

 

Main problem in Thailand is buying one big enough for a white guy.

The shops will try and sell you a 52cm, frame but if you're 6ft tall you really need a 56cm. frame.

Good point about swapping out rear cassette for a 11-38 or 40 using a road link for a road bike with standard gearing.  I never even heard of this before moving to Thailand LOL. 

 

On my mountain bike the gearing is fine for climbing the Doi, but on a stock road bike, it only makes sense to swap out for a bigger rear cassette if you plan to do a fair amount of climbs, and a pretty cheap solution too. 

 

Just don't forget to swap out the chain too since a slightly stretched chain that worked with your old cassette will not work well with a new one. ????

 

Locally, VeloCity bike shop (on Huay Kaew Rd near Maya Mall) has the cassettes and road links, and will install them for you for free if you don't have a cassette removal tool. 

 

They are a great bike shop BTW. They always seem to have whatever I'm looking for and do great repair work very inexpensively, and they know what they are doing!  Very friendly and honest!

 

Edited July 22, 2020 by WaveHunter

[BritManToo]

6 minutes ago, WaveHunter said:

Just don't forget to swap out the chain too since a slightly stretched chain that worked with your old cassette will not work well with a new one. ????

All my bikes came with loose chains, the shops don't seem know how to measure them.

I've never had to replace a chain when I swapped cassettes.

 

My parts all come from China via Lazada ...... at a fraction of the Velocity price.

My last purchase ......... 11-40 9x cassette, under 500bht.

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/i1078196192-s2430212272.html

 

Edited July 22, 2020 by BritManToo

[WaveHunter]

On 7/21/2020 at 5:12 PM, SteveK said:

The Kansai 2 is just over 8kg, lighter than the Bianchi! Probably because it has a better wheelset.

 

Giants are great, I love mine and will stick with the brand in the future.

I know a lot of riders who like Giant.  I'm looking at them too.  The Kansai comes in two version; one with the lighter and better quality wheels, and one with the lower grade wheels (for a lot less).  I'm really impressed by the bike but know no one who actually rides them, and have seen no reviews (at least in English).  Also, not really sure where the bike is actually made.  I think it is made in Japan even though the main distributor is right here in Chiang Mai.

[WaveHunter]

11 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

All my bikes came with loose chains, the shops don't seem know how to measure them.

I've never had to replace a chain when I swapped cassettes.

It's not the overall chain length that is the problem, it is that the distance between links increases as the chain stretches.  That's OK with a an existing cassette since it will wear to accommodate over time as the chain stretches. 

 

The problem is with a new cassette, the chain can start skipping in gear changes because the sprockets aren't aligning precisely with the chain links, which is a real pain in the b*tt, particularly if you are trying to change gears under load (like when climbing).

 

If your chain is just too long, it's an easy fix, using your chain tool and just removing a link or two.

Edited July 22, 2020 by WaveHunter

[bobfish]

Either bike with a Shimano 105 groupset is probably okay. Good information already. As well as weight considerations, I'd probably add that for climbing you may wish to go for a compact crankset [50/34]. Not all Shimano 105 is equal: some bikes on special still come with older 5800 series rather than the newer 7000. As well, check that the rear deraileur is GS [medium cage] spec to handle a wider gear range. Shimano say the GS5800 will work to 32 teeth and the GS7000 to 34. But practically that can be pushed further with a longer B-screw, or as noted earlier, a roadlink extension. I wouldn't get tooo bogged down pushing the envelope: 34/32 is overkill for Doi Suthep.

I think the Kaze comes with Tektro rim brakes - okay, but not as good as 105. I personally wouldn't buy either of these bikes though, as my preference would be for disc brakes.

[StreetCowboy]

On 7/21/2020 at 6:12 PM, SteveK said:

The Kansai 2 is just over 8kg, lighter than the Bianchi! Probably because it has a better wheelset.

 

Giants are great, I love mine and will stick with the brand in the future.

If your bike is too heavy, move weight from your belly to your thighs.  A lighter bike will make you less fit.

[WaveHunter]

18 hours ago, bobfish said:

Either bike with a Shimano 105 groupset is probably okay. Good information already. As well as weight considerations, I'd probably add that for climbing you may wish to go for a compact crankset [50/34]. Not all Shimano 105 is equal: some bikes on special still come with older 5800 series rather than the newer 7000. As well, check that the rear deraileur is GS [medium cage] spec to handle a wider gear range. Shimano say the GS5800 will work to 32 teeth and the GS7000 to 34. But practically that can be pushed further with a longer B-screw, or as noted earlier, a roadlink extension. I wouldn't get tooo bogged down pushing the envelope: 34/32 is overkill for Doi Suthep.

I think the Kaze comes with Tektro rim brakes - okay, but not as good as 105. I personally wouldn't buy either of these bikes though, as my preference would be for disc brakes.

All great points you made except for 34 being overkill, and about disc brakes.  Yes , I'm looking specifically for the 7000 series Shimano GroupSet. I'd prefer Shimano brakes, but Tektro brakes seem to have a pretty good reputation.  And yes, a compact crank for sure.

 

I disagree about the 34/32 being overkill since I prefer a climbing cadence of around 80-90 rpm; I can't do that comfortably in a steep climb with 34 in the back.  38 or 40 works perfect for me when I've tried other people's road bikes on Doi climbs.  Anything less and I'm just grinding (which I hate).  As for disc brakes, I can understand why a lot of people like them (i.e.: rainy days), but a lot of the climbers I know seem to prefer caliper brakes for a number of practical reasons, and frankly I can do without the (exorbitant) added cost of them.

[WaveHunter]

On 7/22/2020 at 5:21 PM, BritManToo said:

All my bikes came with loose chains, the shops don't seem know how to measure them.

I've never had to replace a chain when I swapped cassettes.

 

My parts all come from China via Lazada ...... at a fraction of the Velocity price.

My last purchase ......... 11-40 9x cassette, under 500bht.

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/i1078196192-s2430212272.html

 

Velocity's prices are pretty reasonable I think, and as I said, if you don't have the proper tools, Velocity will install for free.  I've bought some bike stuff on Lazada and not been too impressed with quality/price, though some vendors are decent.  And finally, I just like supporting local businesses, especially after what they've gone through with Covid-19 lockdown.

 

If I buy Chinese, I prefer to use AliExpress.  First of all, all pages are in English (including buyer's feedback which I think is real important). The buyer feedback pages are in-depth including pictures.  Sellers have way better product descriptions and pictures.  Search terms and filters work really well (on Lazada, they suck).  Prices are almost always far better than on Lazada, and shipping is usually remarkably fast (even during Covid-19), and often free.  AliExpress comes very close to Amazon in terms of how their platform works.  It's actually quite impressive IMO. 

 

My main gripe on Lazada in general is that Google can not translate Lazada pages, and sometimes that can be a huge pain.  Also a lot of "local" Lazada vendors are sort of sneaky in that they take your order and then have it drop shipped from China.  I'm actually waiting for an order purchased from a "local" Lazada seller 3 weeks ago who probably did that but denies it.  3 weeks and counting from Bangkok to Chiang Mai?....yeah right, LOL.

 

Edited July 24, 2020 by WaveHunter

[bobfish]

Yes, you should just buy what you prefer. 

I own bikes with/without compact gearing. And bikes with/without disc brakes. Hence I have my own personal preference based on my experience. When I first got into road riding [in my 50's!] I too was a bit confronted by the gearing. There are certainly climbs near you that I'd like something easier than 34/32, or even [1:1] 34/34 ['The Giant' springs to mind]. But I've found it is worth persevering with the gearing as you do adapt. As they say, "It never gets easier, just faster". I've got a very lightweight frame [rim braked!] laying about that I'm considering building into a climbing bike. I'll probably go for a 1x crank - but that's another story.

Enjoy whatever you decide.

[BritManToo]

39 minutes ago, WaveHunter said:

My main gripe on Lazada in general is that Google can not translate Lazada pages, and sometimes that can be a huge pain.

Highlight the section you can't read, right click, and select 'Translate' from the popup menu that appears.

[WaveHunter]

19 minutes ago, bobfish said:

Yes, you should just buy what you prefer. 

I own bikes with/without compact gearing. And bikes with/without disc brakes. Hence I have my own personal preference based on my experience. When I first got into road riding [in my 50's!] I too was a bit confronted by the gearing. There are certainly climbs near you that I'd like something easier than 34/32, or even [1:1] 34/34 ['The Giant' springs to mind]. But I've found it is worth persevering with the gearing as you do adapt. As they say, "It never gets easier, just faster". I've got a very lightweight frame [rim braked!] laying about that I'm considering building into a climbing bike. I'll probably go for a 1x crank - but that's another story.

Enjoy whatever you decide.

I agree; riding bikes is hugely a matter of personal preference.  Still though, there are certain fundamentals to be cognizant of if you want to perform at your best, and cadence is definitely one of them.  The optimal cadence for any type of road riding, whether it's on the flats or uphill is at least 80-90 RPM.  It's kind of the sweet spot in terms of the power curve if you want to be technical.  Anything less and you are just grinding, which to me, is the worst feeling.

 

Right now I am spoiled because I am used to riding my mountain bike up Doi Suthep, and as a mountain bike it's already geared pretty much like 11-38 would be on a road bike.  However, because of the heavier weight, different ergonomics, and bigger tires, road bike riders always leave me in the dust on a climb.  I love how road bike feel by comparison, so I guess it's finally time to get one ????

 

 

Edited July 24, 2020 by WaveHunter

[BritManToo]

19 hours ago, bobfish said:

check that the rear deraileur is GS [medium cage] spec to handle a wider gear range.

Roadlink fixes that, easy to fit 120bht.

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/roadlink-i106539040-s107411300.html

 

Needed one on my Giant Anyroad when I fitted a 11-40 cassette.

Edited July 24, 2020 by BritManToo

[WaveHunter]

1 minute ago, BritManToo said:

Roadlink fixes that, easy to fit 120bht.

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/roadlink-i106539040-s107411300.html

 

Needed one on my Giant Anyroad when I fitted a 11-40 cassette.

I'd like to be the guy that invented the Road-link; what a simple but great concept, and I bet he's laughing all the way to the bank.

[BritManToo]

19 hours ago, bobfish said:

But practically that can be pushed further with a longer B-screw, or as noted earlier, a roadlink extension. I wouldn't get tooo bogged down pushing the envelope: 34/32 is overkill for Doi Suthep.

I think the Kaze comes with Tektro rim brakes - okay, but not as good as 105. I personally wouldn't buy either of these bikes though, as my preference would be for disc brakes.

B screw ....... take it out, screw it in from the other side .......... works well.

 

Disc brakes, I thought that too, but when I got a bike with disc brakes (Giant Anyroad), it was too heavy to make Doi Suthep any fun. Great on flat roads.

 

Essentially my Trek 1.1, upgraded to a 12-36 cassette, 9 speed Sora shifter, and decent brake pads is the best hill climber I've ever owned. And at 14K new (1k paid by the King during the 'cycle for dad' campaign), dead cheap.

Edited July 24, 2020 by BritManToo

[WaveHunter]

On 7/21/2020 at 5:03 PM, SteveK said:

I looked at lots of Thai brands, but when I bought my bike I was much heavier than the average Thai rider (105kg+) and didn't feel confident in the quality of the frame/fork. I bought a used Giant which has been one of my best buys ever. With some upgrades I now have an 8kg bike for under 15k.

 

If you think you're going to be clocking up the miles, I would go with the well known brand. But if you're <80kg and just riding occasionally, I would probably gamble on a Thai brand because they seem to be well specced for the money.

 

Some good deals pop up on Bahtsold, such as this:

 

https://www.bahtsold.com/view/bicycle-giant-trc-composite-53-cm-frame-shimano-105-354382

Yeah I am on the light side alright at 63kg so I guess I'll be OK if your suspicions about Thai-built bikes are correct.  The Kaze bikes are attractive to me because they are so low-priced, yet seem to be very high in quality, and because the distributor is located right here in Chiang Mai, so it's really the only bike I would buy brand new.

 

Regarding used bikes, I am in fact looking at used bikes on FaceBook Marketplace which is an outstanding source to buy used anything.  I'm in Chiang Mai but looking at bikes as far away as Bangkok and most sellers seem fine with shipping the bikes (well protected) at very low cost.  Naturally I'd prefer to see the bike in-person, but I've talked with a few sellers who I think I would have felt comfortable buying sight unseen.  Some were bike shops and said I could return it if it was not 100% as described.

 

Used Road Bike listings on Facebook Marketplace

 

I have bought a number of things from the MarketPlace sight unseen and been happy, and that includes an iPhone.  Still though, I guess you are taking a chance because Facebook offers no mediation if you get scammed. 

 

 

 

One of the best riders I know (she has thousands of followers on Strava) rides a Giant, so I'm keeping an eye out for a used Giant also ????

 

Edited July 24, 2020 by WaveHunter

[OneMoreFarang]

On 7/20/2020 at 5:56 PM, WaveHunter said:

BIANCHI IMPULSO road bike with a 105 group set

I had a Bianchi road bike with Shimano 105 in 1990. It was a great bike.

I am surprised the 105 still exist - probably a little different than the 1990 version. ???? 

[WaveHunter]

20 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I had a Bianchi road bike with Shimano 105 in 1990. It was a great bike.

I am surprised the 105 still exist - probably a little different than the 1990 version. ???? 

Yeah, I think the Shimano Ultegra and 105 group sets will be around forever and with good reason.  Each group set seems to offer the best quality for the price point compared with any other manufacturer.  Shimano just recently upgraded the 105 from 5800 series to 7000 series, and people I know who have the new 7000 series say it is absolutely superior to the 5800 in a lot of ways, especially in ergonomic changes made to the shifter/brake levers. 

 

My Cannondale MTB has Shimano components that are about 10 years old now and they still work flawlessly.  Shimano knows what they are doing for sure!  I am totally loyal to Shimano and no way I'd go with SRAM or any other brand.  I'd love to buy a Cannondale road bike for that matter, but then I'd also love to own a Ferrari, and there's no way either of those things are going to happen LOL ????

 

Glad to hear your positive comment about Bianchi.  Visually it just looks like a beautiful and well-performing road bike in every way.  I didn't like that signature turquoise color at first but now it has kinda grown on me, and I wouldn't want it any other way LOL! ????

 

Edited July 24, 2020 by WaveHunter

[bobfish]

Bianchi is of course classic, especially in the celeste colour. I'm such a tragic I went out of my way in Milan to hang out at their cafe and drool [messy while drinking espresso]. 

I know nothing about Kaze. But a carbon frame vs the 6061 alloy Bianchi and the lighter wheelset can't be ignored.  

If you want a climbing bike, choose the Kaze.

If you want to look at your bike after the climb, shooting Insta while sipping a latte: you've just got to get the Bianchi!

If these are your two choices, it may be heart over head. Or not!

[bobfish]

Last thought:

The Bianchi has a bit more upright geometry [higher stack/shorter reach] than the Kaze, but the difference is not huge.

 

[SomchaiCNX]

Bianchi and TCA CNX (importer/dealers) have a good reputation. Disk brakes make the bike heavier. Lighter bikes are good but it is cheaper to lose weight instead ????  Eddy Merckx was quite a heavy guy and did not have light bike like we have available nowadays but still managed to accomplish a lot ???? . Campagnola ruled in those days and Shimano was something exotic that most people in Europe did not know of.

[WaveHunter]

3 minutes ago, SomchaiCNX said:

Bianchi and TCA CNX (importer/dealers) have a good reputation. Disk brakes make the bike heavier. Lighter bikes are good but it is cheaper to lose weight instead ????  Eddy Merckx was quite a heavy guy and did not have light bike like we have available nowadays but still managed to accomplish a lot ???? . Campagnola ruled in those days and Shimano was something exotic that most people in Europe did not know of.

You make a good point about "weight".  I think it's kind of funny how some people get so hung up on the weight of their bicycle and will spend a lot of money to shave a few grams off it, yet don't seem too concerned that they might have a few KILOGRAMS of excess fat on their body LOL!  I mean if you are a pro racer with under 8% body fat and winning or loosing is a matter of a few seconds, OK it makes sense but for the other 99% of riders...seriously, c'mon!

[WaveHunter]

On 7/25/2020 at 2:25 PM, bobfish said:

Last thought:

The Bianchi has a bit more upright geometry [higher stack/shorter reach] than the Kaze, but the difference is not huge.

 

The Kaze definitely has a more aggressive look to it; that's for sure.  It looks fast just standing still ????  I rode one at a dealer in CNX and it felt wonderful.  I just worry about the durability since it is a carbon frame and I can find no rider feedback reports.

[OneMoreFarang]

6 minutes ago, WaveHunter said:

You make a good point about "weight".  I think it's kind of funny how some people get so hung up on the weight of their bicycle and will spend a lot of money to shave a few grams off it, yet don't seem too concerned that they might have a few KILOGRAMS of excess fat on their body LOL!  I mean if you are a pro racer with under 8% body fat and winning or loosing is a matter of a few seconds, OK it makes sense but for the other 99% of riders...seriously, c'mon!

I think it's not only a question of the overall weight. 2kg reduced weight on the bike makes a bigger difference for riding than 2kg reduced body weight.

[WaveHunter]

21 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I think it's not only a question of the overall weight. 2kg reduced weight on the bike makes a bigger difference for riding than 2kg reduced body weight.

Well, the most weight you are likely to reduce in bike weight is far under a kilogram by upgrading to ultra-lightweight (expensive) components, or a higher end bike unless you are planning to spend over 300k baht on a super hi-end racing bike.  Most typical recreational racers are probably carrying at least a few kg's of fat they don't really need, and most recreational riders are not even capable of putting out peak watts, so I'd be more focused on body fat loss and better training rather, and optimizing rider position (tweaking seat and handlebar position) on the bike which can actually make a huge difference (at least in climbing) than shaving grams off your bike, if faster times is that important.  Ultra-high end bike marketing is so seductive and makes a lot of riders believe they need the latest and greatest when they really don't.  Just my opinion of course.

 

Edited August 1, 2020 by WaveHunter

[gamb00ler]

24 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I think it's not only a question of the overall weight. 2kg reduced weight on the bike makes a bigger difference for riding than 2kg reduced body weight.

OK.... I'm stumped.  Which of the three forces (gravity, friction and wind) change depending upon where the "extra" 2kg is located?  I assume no suspension system on the bike.

Edited August 1, 2020 by gamb00ler