| Accessories | Bicycles | Parts | Specials | Tools |
|---|
In West Newton Since 1952 - On The Web Since 1995
The Bianchi/Harris San Jos8......A Harris Cyclery Exclusive!
| Accessories | Bicycles | Parts | Specials | Tools |
|---|
...A Harris Cyclery Exclusive!
Bianchi San José
The Bianchi San José is marketed as a single-speed cyclocross/commuter bike. We're big Bianchi fans here at Harris Cyclery, but we have somewhat mixed feelings about this model.We're big on singlespeed and fixed gear bikes, and as the industry catches on to the joys of such bikes for many applications, they're increasingly flooding the market with inexpensive versions.
The Bianchi San José has the same excellent frame as their very popular Volpe model, except with the substitution of track style fork ends in place of the Volpe's vertical dropouts.
This bike comes with very nice Cane Creek cantilever brakes, has lots of clearance for even pretty wide tires and full fenders, with a full range of useful braze-ons. Unlike the current Volpe it even has low-rider rack braze-ons on the fork, so this would appear to be a frame highly adapted to touring...but not many people choose to tour on singlespeeds.
Most of the equipment is quite nice (see below for details) but the one area where we were not so pleased with the San José was the wheels.
You've gotta cut corners somewhere to sell a bike as nice as the San José in the $600 to $700 price range, and it appears that the wheels are the weak point of the model. The hubs and rims are on the cheap side, and the knobby 700C tires are neither fish nor fowl: Not agressive enogh for serious offroad use, and unnecessarily slow and noisy for use on pavement.
Sheldon's Brainstorm: The San Jos8!
There's a different sort of bike that I've been after our suppliers to build for quite a while, but I've never been able to convince them that there's a market for such a thing...a road/touring style bike with an internal gear hub!I built up a bike like this for myself based on an early '70s Raleigh International frame, with one of the wonderful new Shimano Nexus 8-speed hubs, and it has become my favorite ride. I've liked this bike so much that I've been eager to be able to offer something similar to Harris Cyclery customers at a reasonable price...and danged if the San Jos&eacuce; isn't a near perfect platform for this!
So we take the stock wheels off of the San José and install a new set of wheels featuring:
We also install the Nexus twist shifter using a HubBub bar-end shifter mount. It seems strange at first to see a twist shifter on drop handlebars, but it turns out to be a very convenient arrangement. The Nexus shifter has a very light action, and it is quite easy to reach in this location.
- Shimano Nexus "Red Band" Premium (Ultegra level) 8-speed rear hub.
- Shimano Deore quick release front hub
- DT Double Butted Stainless Steel spokes, 36 per wheel
- Sun CR-18 Rims
- Panaracer Pasela tires (32 mm or your choice of width)
The result is a bike that combines the versatility of a touring bike with the simplicity, convenience, low maintenance and all-weather reliability of internal gearing.
Standard gearing is 42/19, giving the following gears:
Gear: 1 2 3 4 5 6 6 8 Gain Ratio: 2.4 2.9 3.3 3.8 4.5 5.5 6.3 7.2 Gear Inches: 31.5 38.4 44.6 50.8 59.7 73.0 84.7 96.4 Development (meters): 2.5 3.1 3.6 4.1 4.8 5.8 6.8 7.7 Gearing may be customized at a small additional cost if you prefer something higher or lower. See: Sheldon Brown's Internal Hub Gear Calculator
Drop by and test ride a San Jos8 next time you're in the neighborhood!(Sorry, we can't sell these by mail order, you need to come to our shop in Newton, Massachusetts for this exclusive bike.)
Bianchi/Harris San Jos8 Specifications: Style
Eight-Speed Commuting/Touring/Road
Sizes
44, 49, 52, 55, 58, 61cm
Colors
Washed-Up Blue, Hunter Green
Frame
Bianchi Double Butted Chro-Moly Steel, rack & fender mounts
Fork
Double Butted Chro-Moly Steel, rack mounts
Headset
VP AheadSet, 1 1/8" threadless
Handlebar
Bianchi alloy
Stem
Bianchi 3D forged, 15źdeg;
Brakes/Levers
Cane Creek SCX-5 / Cane Creek SCR-5
Crankset
Sugino XD, 42T
Bottom Bracket
Cartridge
Chain
KMC
Gears
Shimano Nexus 8-speed Premium model
Pedals
Wellgo plastic
(You'll probably want to replace these, but they're ok for a test ride.)Wheels
Shimano Nexus "Red Band" Premium (Ultegra level) 8-speed rear hub.
Tires
Panaracer Pasela 700x32C or othe width as desired.
Spokes
36/36 DT Double Butted, hand built.
Rims
Sun CR-18 road/touring double wall with eyelets, made in USA.
Shifter
Nexus Twist Grip, HubBub adaptor mount.
Saddle
Bianchi Velo
Seatpost
Bianchi alloy, 27.2mm
Bianchi/Harris San Jos8 Frame Geometry: Size, cm
44
49
52
55
58
61
Seat Tube, mm
440
490
520
550
580
610
Top Tube-actual, mm
486
515
530
550
570
585
Top Tube-virtual, mm
500
527
538
560
581
596
Chainstay, mm
406
425
425
425
425
425
Fork Rake, mm
50
50
50
50
50
50
Head Tube Angle, źdeg;
71
72
72.5
72.5
72.5
72.5
Seat Tube Angle, źdeg;
75
74
73.5
73
72.5
72.5
Wheelbase, mm
970
998
998
1016
1032
1047
Standover Height, mm
28
29.8
30.5
31.7
32.8
34
Feedback? Questions?
Back to the Harris Cyclery Home Page
If you would like to make a link or bookmark to this page, the URL is:
http://harriscyclery.com/bianchi-sanjos8
Copyright © 2005, 2007 Harris Cyclery
