Weight 6.75kg (55cm with bottle cages and mount) Frame & Fork Carbon Gears Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 (52/36t, 11-30t) Brakes Shimano Dura-Ace Wheels Reparto Corse RC Carbon 33mm Finishing kit Reparto Corse integrated bar & stem, Specialissima full-carbon aero seatpost, Bianchi RC139 carbon saddle, Pirelli P Zero TT tyres 26c
The Specialissima RC pushes the boundaries of road bike innovation. The latest build balances a temptingly low weight with greater aero performance for more efficiencies in and around the hills.
Many of the frame’s tube shapes lookdedicated aero bike, the Oltre RC, making it more of an all-rounder. Its angular looks may be divisive, though, with a top-tube that flows down then up, a head-tube that hangs awkwardly over the top of the fork and an odd combination of a matte frame with glossy, shallow-section wheels. The frameset is made, Bianchi says, from high modulus carbon fibre, but they don’t provide any more detail than that. There are now dropped seatstays while they’ve also worked on the down-tube and there’s subtle aero channelling on the upper part of the forks. Above this you’ll find that Bianchi has moved from FSA’s ACR headset system to Acros’ IS52 ICR design, and use their own Reparto Corse carbon integrated handlebar.
