While the trend for WorldTour pros to ride the team’s aero bike regardless of the terrain continues, it hasn’t sounded the death knell for the do-it-all race bike just yet. The most recent proof of this comes in the shape of the Bianchi Specialissima. Regarded as the Italian marque’s flagship all-rounder, it's received a complete redesign that has helped it to become the lightest bike in its lineup.
At a claimed 750g in a size 55, the new RC frame is a claimed 40 grams lighter than the previous version without compromising stiffness. But this is no mere nip and tuck. Bianchi states it looked at every component and recalibrated them to improve the bike’s performance. The result, it says, is a Specialissima that’s faster, by the tune of 16 watts at 50km/h. While this is a stat that’s of more relevance to the Bahrain Victorious riders, who’ll have the option of riding the bike, than the rest of, it does suggest that plenty of stones have been turned in the pursuit of improvement.
Both the fork and the RC integrated cockpit have been redesigned with aerodynamic improvements in mind. Bianchi says these parts are now 14% and 25% more efficient than before respectively; the bars have helped to reduce drag by being more convergent with the shifters as well as promoting a more aerodynamically enhanced hand placement. Similarly the D-shaped seatpost has been updated to assist in making the bike faster overall.
Geometry has an obvious effect on just how aero a race bike might be and Bianchi has listened to feedback from the Bahrain Victorious riders. The result is that while the geo numbers have rolled over from the previous model, the aforementioned cockpit now offers a more optimized position thanks to changes in stem length that impact the rider’s reach.
However it’s accepted wisdom that an efficient race bike also needs to be comfortable over the duration of a stage. With this in mind Bianchi has equipped the Specialissima with its Countervail technology, which aids the frame’s ability to absorb road chatter.
There’s a new wheelset, used on the RC and Pro models, to accompany the frame in the shape of the RC 49R carbon hoops. They feature a 49mm rim depth and an internal rim measurement of 25mm, presumably to partner well with the wider race tyres that are now commonplace.
"With the new Specialissima, our goal was to create a bike capable of dominating on any incline and providing serious athletes with a competitive edge, whether that be in a valley, on a mountain pass, or in the final sprint of a Grand Tour stage,” says Bianchi CEO Alberto Cavaggioni. “The Specialissima isn't just a lightweight all-rounder bike; it is the ultimate expression of our performance DNA, and sits proudly alongside the Oltre RC at the very pinnacle of our road range.”
The bike is offered in three builds: the range-topping RC, the Pro and the Specialissima. The RC is equipped with the aforementioned RC 49R wheels, and either a SRAM Red AXS or Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 groupset. It retails for €11,500.
The Pro uses a different carbon layup but still results in a frame with a claimed weight of 850g. Groupset options are SRAM Force AXS and Shimano Ultegra Di2, with a price tag of €7,700. The entry level option extends the groupset choice to include Shimano 105 Di2 and uses a standard 49mm deep Bianchi wheelset. Prices start at €5,200.