Bianchi Aluminium Mega Pro XL 1998 differences ?[Pantani]

[loepzuiver2023]

Cool! @jordic1968 I'm limiting the infographic to the 1999 Mercato Uno livery. The SL is with different colours right?
@jim haseltine That's right. 101 bikes specific to Giro d'Italia victory of 1998. Also an amount of bikes specific to TdF 98, I've seen number 46 and 102, don't know how many bikes were made for this occasion.
@ExpertBlay Cool! Seems it's not the original bike rode in the TdF 98 though, it had frame [sticker] 7000 and Campy Titanium Record brakelevers instead of SC61 frame these carbon brakelevers.

I've updated the infographic with Giro and Tour editions on Pro XL frame.

 

[ExpertBlay]

Cool! @jordic1968 I'm limiting the infographic to the 1999 Mercato Uno livery. The SL is with different colours right?
@jim haseltine That's right. 101 bikes specific to Giro d'Italia victory of 1998. Also an amount of bikes specific to TdF 98, I've seen number 46 and 102, don't know how many bikes were made for this occasion.
@ExpertBlay Cool! Seems it's not the original bike rode in the TdF 98 though, it had frame [sticker] 7000 and Campy Titanium Record brakelevers instead of SC61 frame these carbon brakelevers.

I've updated the infographic with Giro and Tour editions on Pro XL frame.

The bike my dad sat on had glued tubs that Bianchi had deliberately punctured so it was impossible too ride.

 

[thiscocks]

Further to this I have just bought a Bianchi 'Mega X pro AL'. It has the threaded fork steerer and from research I think it is from around 1999-2000. From what I can find out they also did a 'Mega pro AL' which had the green 7005 badge on the seat tube. Mine has the yellow 7000 one as per the one in the picture in the OPs first post.

 

[MuchAlohaNui]

Apologies for the slight tangent! Does anyone have similar information or links for the Bianchi mountain bike tube sets from 1998 or so? I have an aluminum frame (full yellow) with a similar sticker to that of the above shown Mega Pro / 7005 Aluminum silver/green seat tube sticker, but under the "Bianchi" is another line of font which says "Reparto Corse" and the "Heat Treated" is absent. Thanks!

 

[thiscocks]

From what I've read that is the Dedaccai 7005 tube set used on the lower end alu road bikes (Meg pro AL). As it doesn't say on the sticker I assume they wern't double butted. Still made in Italy though!

 

[MuchAlohaNui]

Interesting. Though the “Reparto Corse” is indicative of ‘hand made’ from what I gathered. There is not one ‘made in Taiwan’ sticker anywhere so I assume like my other Bianchi Nth x34 ST the frame is made in Italy. Feel free to correct! I’ll post a few more decals in a few! Thank you!

Edit: photos and that purple “Distrelec” is under the clear coat and part of the original decal set. “Made In Italy” decal on the seat tube near the bottom bracket.

 

[thiscocks]

Nice. Yes mine has the same 'made in Italy' decal in the same position. They didn't have this decal when they changed to the new ML / XL ect.. naming conventions from 2002, although I think they were still made in Italy then.

 

[MuchAlohaNui]

Thanks for the input. My next mystery to solve is the purple Distrelec decals that were put on by the factory and what they mean!

I appreciate the infograph from @loepzuiver2023 . Very helpful.

 

[thiscocks]

I think that Distrelec decal must be unique to the MTB frames as I have never seen it on a road one.

Further to the tubing types mentioned I have also seen this one pictured below on the older frames (pre '99 I think) which I think is the lower end alu of the time. I've seen it on Pantani coloured frames and a different model which had a solid frame colour such as red and purple like mine (but without the decal 'flashes'). The naming on these solid colour ones say 'Racing team' on the top tube, but probably also had other names!

edit: This type is shown in the O/Ps original attachment

 

[JanWeber]

Pantani's was the 7000 series aluminium double butted. Maybe you can tell by the tubing profile? Some had bulging mid down tubes, the steel boron ones didn't and had skinny seat stays.

https://www.bikeradar.com/features/retro-pro-bike-marco-pantanis-1998-bianchi-mega-pro-xl/
Rider 046 in 1998 TDF was Francisco Javier Mauleón, who rode for ONCE team on Giant TCR bikes, so not him or his race number.

Hello there
One Question: ist the Aluminium double butted 7000 always a Mega Pro XL Version, or are there other versions (not XL) to? And beside, a Aluminium double butted 7000 with Campagnolo record components would be a good price to get it for 1500 Euro? Thanks so much for your help