This review was provided for free using a demo bike, but Bianchi paid for a hotel during my visit to film. My goal is to be transparent and unbiased with you, this video and writeup are not meant to be an endorsement of Bianchi products. I welcome your corrections, additions, and feedback in the comments below, and the Bianchi forums.
Pros:
- Bianchi has around 280 dealers in North America, which is very impressive. That makes their products easier to see in person, test ride, tune, and get service. It may help to increase resale value.
- Priced under $3k, this ebike offers everything you need for city riding and commuting. I love the reinforced rims, puncture resistant tires with reflective sidewall stripes, and the integrated lights. The fenders and rear rack add a lot of utility too.
- The taller 700c wheels and wider 40c tires offer a low attack angle that smooths out cracks and bumps. They should offer stability and comfort that is a bit above average for similar wheel sizes… but they do add a bit of weight too. I was excited to see that they are e-bike rated to 50km (faster riding, and probably higher weight).
- The bike is available in two frame sizes and two colors. This improves fit, comfort, and allows you to get a pair but keep them separate. Bianchi also has mid-step and high-step offerings with similar drive systems at similar prices. I believe the C-Type stands for “Comfort”.
- Although the suspension fork offers limited adjustability, it is sleek and functional. You can actually remove the plastic caps on each side of the crown and adjust preload to “pre load” the springs for your body weight. Just be careful to adjust them in tandem. I usually leave them alone because the plastic covers can become loose or get cracked during removal.
- The kickstand is positioned well and won’t create pedal lock. It also offers some length adjustability. The plastic fenders and chain cover should keep you clean. The flick bell is a nice extra, and I love that the tail light and headlight have side windows to increase your visual footprint when riding!
- Solid 11-36 9-speed drivetrain with a clutch to keep the chain tight. It offers many cadence options for starting, climbing, and getting that comfortable pedal speed for longer rides.
- Decent 160mm hydraulic disc brakes are smooth, powerful, and the levers offer reach adjustment that makes them easier to use if you have small or large hands.
- The rear rack adds utility, provides a great 55lb (25kg) max load, and supports the fender and light (actually blocking the light from the sides and rear so the plastic won’t get damaged). Good choices all around! The rack is Rack Time compatible, has a spring latch, and seems like it would support child carriers, panniers, ora trunk bag.
- This bike has a sturdy wide 31.6mm seat post, so if you were looking to add more comfort, you could get an aftermarket suspension seat post like a Kinekt or SR SunTour NCX to add cushion for longer more sustained rides. Note that doing so will raise the minimum saddle height by about three inches.
- The Selle Royal gel saddle and ergonomic grips offer comfortable touch points and are nicer than some of the other ebikes in this price range.
- Given that the bike does have fenders, a rack, and lights, it ends up weight a bit at 56.3lbs. For that reason, I appreciate the removable 5.9lb battery and quick release removable wheels. I would probably always take the battery off and then put the cover back on when mounting it on car racks or lifting to do service work.
- Powered by the Shimano E6100 mid drive motor, this is 20% more efficient than the older E6000 and has 130rpm pedal support (so you can downshift and “spin” in lower gears to climb steep hills), the motor uses a standard Q factor, offers 250-400 watts of power, and a varying rate of 50nm-60nm of torque. In my opinion, this is a neat motor that is pretty quiet and very stable
- The motor controller measures rear wheel speed, pedal cadence, and pedal torque to give you a fluid, natural feeling of pedal assist. This will be noticeable if you’re comparing most hub motor cadence sensing ebikes back to back.
- This is a small thing, but I love the aluminum alloy pedals that come with the bike! Sometimes you get small plastic ones or sharp steel cages… these alloy platform pedals were great.
- Bianchi is a highly respected Italian brand that is over 100 years old! I have grown to appreciate their style, and want to point out that they have a range of ebikes now, all using high-end drive systems such as Shimano and Bosch. The T-Tronik C-Type is one of the more affordable utilitarian options, and I think they made good choices and hit a decent price point.
Cons:
- The battery cover looks nice, and adds some protection, but it’s metal vs. plastic and that increases the weight. The cover doesn’t lock to the frame, like the battery itself, so it could be tampered with or taken at a public rack.
- There do not seem to be bottle cage bosses on the seat tube or downtube. You might need an aftermarket adapter, a handlebar mounted cup holder, or trunk bag with bottle holster instead.
- The power button that activates the ebike systems is located near the top of the main tube (just down from the stem). It’s reachable, and functions alright, but seems to add complexity and some reaching vs. just having it built into the display panel like most other ebikes I’ve reviewed.
- This is a small gripe, but the headlight is mounted to the suspension fork arch, which makes it unsprung. It’s nice to have the light up on the handlebar or stem, so it won’t vibrate as much, will be easier to see, and won’t get blocked by the fender if aimed down.
- The battery charge port is positioned low on the left side of the frame. The bike tips to the left because that’s the kickstand side, and having it low means it could get wet and dirty more easily, and you have to crouch each time and could bump your head on the handlebar when standing up. I prefer high on the right side personally.
- I wish the display had a USB charging port built in, so you I maintain a smartphone or additional lights and accessories while riding. There’s a Shimano E-Tube smartphone app that offers some feedback and motor tuning, so being able to maintain the phone charge on the go seems like it would add value.
- Shimano makes reliable, quiet, and efficient ebike drive systems, however, there is no shift detection present. You may benefit from easing back on pedal pressure (which lowers motor power output) when shifting gears to reduce strain on the chain, sprockets, and derailleur.
- I believe the Shimano motor controller calibrates output each time the bike is turned on… so you need to make sure you aren’t riding the bike or putting pressure on the pedals or it could throw an error and have to be re-started. This is not something you have to worry about with most of the other ebike mid-drive systems like Bosch, Yamaha, and Brose.
- The trigger shifter uses your thumb and pointer finger, I prefer when I can use my thumb for both (so my pointer and middle finger can rest on the brake lever). It’s a minor complaint, some triggers (such as Shimano Deore) allow two-way triggers for the high gear so you can choose to push or pull.
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