Total Women's Cycling

Bianchi, the Italian bike manufacturer, has become almost synonymous with the sport of cycling during its long history. Established by Edoardo Bianchi in Milan all the way back in 1885, it lays claim to being the world’s oldest continuously-trading bicycle company. Bianchi was 21-years-old and a maker of medical instruments when he founded the business and pioneered such cycling fundamentals as equal-sized wheels, pneumatic tyres and the front wheel caliper brake. At various periods in its history the Bianchi company has also produced cars and motorcycles, but long ago sold off those parts of the business to focus on bikes.

Bianchi began to build its reputation by sponsoring Giovanni Tommasello, the winner of the 1899 Grand Prix de Paris sprint race. In 1935 they backed Costante Giradengo, dual Giro d’Italia winner and the first ever ‘Campionissimo’, and the resulting bump in sales took their annual production over 70,000 cycles. Other high profile racers to have been sponsored by Bianchi during their long association with the sport include Laurent Fignon, Marco Pantani, Mario Cipollini and Jan Ullrich.

Nowadays, trading under the tagline ‘technology with soul’ Bianchi make a lot of their long history filled with technological advances. As well as road bikes, they also produce mountain bikes, hybrids, urban / commuter and a junior range as well. On top of all that they make two models of ‘Metropoli’ electric bikes. Not everything they make is absolutely top-specification competition stuff, although obviously they do take a lot of pride in their road bikes, and there is a Bianchi within range of most serious cyclists.