Test Bianchi Aria: With their new mid-range model Bianchi Aria, the traditional Italians have hit the bull's eye: The modern, visually successful Bianchi Aria is tailored to sporty natures and thus builds on the great history of the brand.
A consistent language of form and color is one of the great advantages of Bianchi. The age-old brand stands for careful model changes that are more reminiscent of an evolution; To this day, we never get tired of the classic house color, especially as it is repeatedly interpreted in variations and modifications. From the steel frame of a Coppi to Pantani's aluminum model to the current carbon bikes: Bianchi's Celeste suits everyone.
Bianchi Aria: The heavenly celeste suits every wheel!
The "heavenly" blue-green also blurs the distinctions between price ranges - and this is particularly evident on the Bianchi Aria RD. With the new Ultegra, which at first glance is almost indistinguishable from the Dura-Ace, and its aerodynamic tube shapes, it feels like it's underselling - this bike only costs 2.999 euros. Upper middle class, for which you get a lot at Bianchi.
Let's start with the Celeste-colored frame, which has pretty much all the features of current aero racers. First of all, this includes the horizontal, flattened top tube, then the fork that fits tightly into the head tube and the low rear stays, an aero post with integrated clamp, internal cables and of course an integrated bottom bracket. The frame is very cleanly worked and attractively painted, but above all one thing - quite sporty. Apart from the aero impression, the geometry of the Bianchi Aria is tailored to racing: The 56 cm long top tube has a head tube length of just 155 mm, so that the rider sits slightly stretched and with a clear overhang, even with a few spacers, as on the test bike are installed. In addition, the Bianchi Aria is pretty stiff and can be accelerated at lightning speed; Despite the aero support, it's not overly hard. It doesn't even have the vibration-reducing Countarvail fibers found on the more expensive models. A comfortable saddle with a longitudinal groove and the compact handlebars with an oval shape at the top ensure good ergonomics – at least if the seat geometry suits you.
Bianchi Aria: Perfectly equipped
Bianchi and Shimano share a history that goes back at least to the early 1990s – think twice world road champion Gianni Bugno. The Bianchi Aria RD is part of a great tradition and is perfectly equipped with the new Shimano Ultegra. The angular, black-grey gloss group offers smooth shifting and even more snappy brakes; everything works perfectly and inconspicuously in the best sense of the word. Also in the picture are the black anodized Vision wheels, which are not particularly light for this price range, but their coating wears off quite quickly. With 35 mm deep rims and 16/21 spokes, they are quite promising in terms of aerodynamics - so they fit the character of the Bianchi Aria. They are also soled with the new generation of Vittoria tires, which are based on the adhesive wonder material graphene. You can quickly feel what that brings on the road - namely a lot of safety at steep angles, which in turn makes the Bianchi Aria fun for ambitious drivers.
A beautiful look, a lot of driving fun and modern technology, and all that at a moderate price - no wonder that Bianchi's new mid-range model quickly won the tester's heart. The glorious company history is an additional plus point that many young brands cannot offer. Countless races have been won on Bianchi - why not on this one too? In any case, it has the right geometry, the look and the genes for it.
