Bianchi C-Sport Cross (2017) - Review

The Bianchi C-Sport Cross is a hybrid bicycle for fitness, commute and mainly touring. This bicycle is built on a double butted aluminium frame. It's always challenging to build a strong hybrid frame to take in the luggage weight on tours while being lightweight. Bianchi seemed to have mastered it in the C-Sport Cross by adding the right amount of material in places where it's most needed on the frame. The frame geometry is a perfect mix of performance and comfort.This C-Sport bicycle is a cross only because of its front suspension fork. The SR Suntour NEX suspension fork worked smoothly on rough urban roads. The 5mm travel was just enough for the bumps and speed breakers making the ride even more comfortable.

For a touring bicycle the gearing is important to keep you going at a steady pace for hours together. The C-Sport Cross from Bianchi comes equipped with Shimano Tourney at the front and Acera at the back. During the test ride the derailleurs worked well and the gear transmission was smooth as expected. Tourney/Acera combination is quite a stretch and for the price tag, the C-Sport cross could have come with better gearing than Tourney. The 24 speed Shimano Tourney trigger shifters were easy to operate. Climbing those urban uphill's will be easy with these derailleurs.

Bianchi's design is always simple but neat. The Italian design gene has been evident on the C-Sport 217 editions. The bicycle which I test rode came in a full black frame. The matte finish paint job was top notch with smooth welds on the tube edges. The light grey shaded branding and the metal Bianchi logo embossed looked sharp on the frame. The colour coded saddle, and handlebars made the bicycle look classy. This bicycle is currently available only in this 1 colour.

Being a cross hybrid bicycle the Bianchi C-Sport Cross requires brakes powerful enough to stop the bicycle on rough surfaces. This bicycle comes with a Tektro 837 alloy V-brakes at both the front and back. The brakes have wide shoes which helped grip the rims strongly and made sure the bicycle comes to a halt when desired, in a safe manner.Flat handlebars are becoming the norm on even hybrid bicycles and Bianchi has caught on that well by installing a Tec Alloy straight handlebar with no raise. This makes the riding posture performance focused mainly because of the wide 31.8mm length.

Another component on a cross hybrid which are vital are the tires. The Bianchi C-Sport Cross is equipped with a pair of 7c x 35c Kenda tires. These tires were a perfect mix of speed and traction for the challenging surfaces which one might encounter while touring. These tires were well supported by a pair of Tec Sport Edition alloy rims. These rims were strong and lightweight making them roll faster on rough surfaces. The Selle Royal SIAM saddle on the C-Sport Cross was comfortable to keep you free from soreness for long hours. The overall ride quality was comfortable and smooth during the test ride.