Ever Wonder Why a Bicycle Can Sell for $26,600? This Bianchi Beauty Gives Up Its Secrets

Actually, this original Team Bianchi bicycle from 1946, owned by Luigi Casola himself, is selling for €25,000 ($26,600 at current exchange rates) on Steel Vintage Bikes (SVB), a bicycle reseller from out in Germany. Not familiar with either the man or the machine, I did what any average human would do, research.

Well, Bianchi's cycling history is relatively easy to grasp, having seen its beginning in 1885, but who was Luigi Casola? If this name doesn't ring a bell, you need to know that he was born in Italy in 1921, and during his lifetime, he won the Giro d'Italia four times and Giro del Veneto two times later; he passed away in 2009. He also played a pivotal role in Team Bianchi members like Fausto Coppi seizing their own fame. Starting to understand why this bike is selling for $27K?

Just to kick things into high gear, this frame was created by none other than Luigi Gilardi, a man considered to be one of the best frame makers in Milan at the time. And yes, back in those days, steel was king, and most of us know just how strong this material can be when used to build a bicycle. Let's see if we can get a feeling for what it may be like to ride a bike of such value.

The best way to understand what it is you too can own is to look at this machine's geometry, but that's information that I could no longer track down. Nonetheless, SVB mentions that the bike has a stand-over of 82 cm (32 in) and a top tube of 58 cm (23 in). Nothing about head tube or seat tube angles.

As I continued to dive deeper into this bike and its original gear, another name popped into view, Campagnolo. This is another Italian crew from the cycling industry that's still alive today and running on more than 80 years of experience; they're known for their group sets or drivetrains. For this bugger, a Campagnolo Cambio Corsa setup was used. It appears to be a 1x4 drivetrain with a manual shifter.

Speaking of the shifter, it's mounted directly to the seat stay and is twisted to move the derailleur. Typically, another system to use levers is braking, and here we can see them mounted onto a drop bar that connects to one of the thinnest forks I've ever seen.

Since a bike's geometry also dictates the sort of riding it's meant for, this bugger is destined for nothing but tarmac. Because of this, it's even loaded with fenders, helping keep you and your riding buddies clean.

Final touches on this machine include a Brooks Professional saddle and even original Bianchi pedals. But, most importantly, this bugger seems to even come with a certificate of authenticity, in the shape of a serial number checked against Gilardi's books. Judging by the images in the gallery, the stuff's legit!

If you happen to want to own a piece of cycling history and dish out the cash for this trinket, there's good news; SVB offers you 30 days to return this hidden gem. Personally, if I was to buy this, I'd be headed to the first appraiser and insurance agent, possibly a museum.