On the Stand: The Bianchi Tear-Down
In this week’s installment of On the Stand, the 1970s Bianchi has reached the full teardown milestone — every component removed, sorted, and ready for cleaning and inspection. The bike came in dusty, a bit rusty, and showing its age, but it was complete and solid underneath the grime.
All the components are now laid out in tubs for degreasing, cleaning, polishing, and reassembly. The original paint, a classic medium green, is staying right where it is. It will get a careful hand-cleaning, and we’ll preserve as many decals as possible, even with some worn edges. The goal is a respectful restoration with a modern ride feel, not a factory reset.
A few highlights from the work so far:
- The old cottered cranks took some persuasion before they finally let go, but they’re off cleanly and will get polished. Some pitting will remain unless the chrome cleaner performs a miracle — either way, they’ll function beautifully.
- Both derailleurs cleaned up remarkably well. They should look sharp once reinstalled.
- Bearing surfaces were in great shape. Both the headset and bottom bracket cups were smooth and clean, so they’ll go back together with fresh grease and their original bearings.
- Cables, wheels, pedals, and other touch points will all be upgraded to bring the ride quality up to modern expectations while preserving the bike’s character.
The tricky steps are behind us now — no hidden surprises in the fork or bottom bracket, and everything came apart cleanly. Over the next couple of weeks, the fun part begins: polishing, rebuilding, fitting new components, and watching the bike slowly return to life.
When it’s finished, we’ll wrap up this project with the best moment of any restoration — new old bike day.
Stay tuned for Part 3.