Bianchi Rare Track Bike 1949

Being the oldest existing bicycle producer in Italy, Bianchi has not only been responsible for some of the finest road bikes ever made, they also made excellent track bikes. But especially earlier track bikes are hard to find and to identify since for many decades they did not appear in the Bianchi catalogues. Track bikes more often than road bikes were made to measure and to special wishes of the riders. Since several design features were shared with the road racers, it is an interesting field of collecting, comparing and research.

So we are happy to present to you an old and rare Bianchi Track Bike from approximately 1949.
The bike shows some typical details like the Integrated headset and the beautiful seat lug with its clamping on the front side. Rather special are the plain elegant dropouts - which are still facing to the front, a feature which was soon to disappear completely, and the brake.
Track bikes of the 1940s and early 1950s were sometimes equipped with an early slim form of what we would now call a V-brake. The brakes could easily be attached and removed and served two different purposes. Many riders had to ride their bikes to the velodrome from many kilometres away. To keep them safe in traffic, brakes were necessary. Some trainings were held in velodromes which only had a very shallow banking. Riding there without a brake to reduce speed before the bends meant getting into a lot of trouble and possibly getting thrown out of the curve.

Another highlight of our bike is the classic inch pitch drive - always a loveable sight to vintage bike fans.

The bike has been thoroughly checked and is working fine.

A special bike for the real connoisseur.