Bianchi

Specialissima Road Frameset

If Coppi were alive today, he'd ride a Specialissima. Bianchi sets the bar very high with this climbing frameset, and whether you're new to cycling or a grizzled racing vet, Bianchi's celeste represents the epitome of Italian cycling with palmarès and rich history that continues to impress and inspire today.

Specialissima means very special, and that barely scratches the surface when describing this frameset. The sub-800g frame not only climbs like a homesick angel, it descends with an authority, smoothness, and grace that isn't found on other hyperlight and stiff climbing bikes. Key to the excellent ride quality is the super light and stiff carbon fiber that sandwiches the revolutionary Countervail material.

The Specialissima's geometry also plays a role, of course. It's honed from years of working with some of the sport's greatest riders, so—no surprise—it's super responsive and leaps forward at the hint of any power input. Pair this with near-telepathic handling and it results in a bike you will be dreaming about any time you aren't on it.

In a rare move for the ultralight climbing genre, Bianchi borrows the Countervail integrated vibration canceling system found in its endurance-focused Infinito CV, infusing the Specialissima with exceptional vibration damping abilities to soften energy-zapping road noise. Bianchi has the exclusive use of Countervail on bicycle frames, which involves a viscoelastic carbon material inserted between carbon layers for a claimed 80% reduction in road vibration feel. This makes the frame superbly comfortable over the miles while ensuring that all of your power goes straight into the rear wheel.

For an extra dose of stiffness, Bianchi opts for a beefy PressFit BB86 shell that solidly transfers every bit of power to the drivetrain without any watt-sucking lateral movement. While this frame isn't billed as specifically aerodynamic, Bianchi does take cues from its Aqulia CV time trial bike in creating the Specialissima's front end, importing the integrated head tube and fork for a smooth transition that slices through the air with ease. You'll enjoy some aerodynamic benefits over frames without the integrated headtube and fork crown along with cleaner looking lines.

Bianchi caps off the Specialissima Road Frameset with internal cable routing. Its compatible with both mechanical and electronic shifting systems offering clean lines and a bit of extra aerodynamic advantage regardless of your component choice. Its carbon dropouts feature alloy inserts to protect them from errant skewer scratches and increase the durability of the frame.