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Bianchi Denali

MSRP $ 1149.99
# of Reviews 10
Average Rating 4.8/5
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Submitted by alan stevens a Cross Country Rider from london,england
Date Reviewed: January 14, 2007
Favorite Trail:ain a few fields beside a river
Duration Product Used:3 months
Price Paid: $1200.00
Purchased At:evans cycles
Strengths:strong frame
Weaknesses:heavy on the back in comparison to other bikes weight ratio and frame feels a little too flexy
Similar Products Used:gt avalanche 1.0 which i highly rate
Bike Setup:stock
Bottom Line:its gd for relaxing rides but not for races as i feel weird on it
Value Rating:3Overall Rating:3

Submitted by Michael M. a Cross Country Rider from Monterey,CA
Date Reviewed: May 21, 2006
Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
Strengths:Strong steel tubes, very little flex, nice geometry, looks cool
Weaknesses:None that I can think of except that steel adds a bit more weight than other materials
Similar Products Used:None...first mtb steel bike I've owned
Bike Setup:Basically stock except for updated xtr drivetrain, slr saddle.
Bottom Line:This bike feels very nimble and is a blast to ride. The geometry is very race-like. This frame is a bargain if you can still find it. Well done Bianchi!
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by rick a Cross Country Rider from bay area
Date Reviewed: April 11, 2006
Duration Product Used:3 months
Price Paid: $400.00
Purchased At:Online
Strengths:Stiff, nimble, and fast. Steel is still the best imho.
Weaknesses:None, except for maybe the weight compared to aluminum or composite frames.
Similar Products Used:None
Bike Setup:Xt, xtr, FSA cranks, Avid Juicy, Mavic
Bottom Line:Bought the frame to build a weekend singletrack bike. Ended up with one of the best bikes I've ever put together even at half the price of some others. This frame is great! Its just unfortunate that Bianchi is no longer making this frame/bike anymore. I highly reccomend this frame especially for the price.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Kervin a Cross Country Rider from Earlysville, VA, USA
Date Reviewed: July 31, 2005
Duration Product Used:6 months
Price Paid: $200.00
Purchased At:mtbr
Strengths:Smooth ride, good looks, great handling
Weaknesses:Can't buy them new anymore
Similar Products Used:From back in the day - Bianchi Grizzly EL, IF Delux, Spec Team Pro.
Bike Setup:I got this as a frame only.
Avid mech disc
XT hub - mavic 717
XT crank
Sram
XT crank and BB
Egg Beaters
Marzocchi Marathon SL 2003
Bottom Line:Those little steel tubes work great! I had a Salsa Bandito frame built with the same parts. What a world of difference. I have much more control and a smoother ride. Too bad people stopped buying nice steel hard tails. I'd say the frame is almost as nice as my IF was at about 80% of the price. If you find one, you should buy it!
If you are into big drops - get something else
If you are into pedaling in the woods, this frame will make you happy.

Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by MTB Madman a Cross Country Rider from San Francisco
Date Reviewed: January 8, 2005
Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
Price Paid: $959.00
Strengths:Very stiff Hardtail steel frame. Great components for the price. Pretty lightweight for the price.
Weaknesses:Crappy seatpost. Deore front derraillur.
Bottom Line:It would be hard to find a better bike even for two or three hundred dollars more. The steel frame is fantastic and the best choice for serious bikers. Aluminum frames don't compare. I've upgraded the rear deraillur to XT and put a Thomson seatpost on and people keep commenting that it looks like $2000 bike!
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Fonz a Weekend Warrior from San Francisco, Cali
Date Reviewed: November 6, 2004
Favorite Trail:Everywhere
Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
Price Paid: $1000.00
Purchased At:SF LBS
Strengths:Solid steel frame, marzocchi mx pro is dope, shimano derailleurs are ok, disc brakes kick major boo-tay and the bike absorbs terrain well even though it is a hardtail.
Weaknesses:Made in tawain, stock pedals are clipless (useless to me)and it is hard to negotiate price since it's the last year denali's (steel mtb)are being made by bianchi.
Similar Products Used:nope
Bike Setup:Stock everythang
Bottom Line:Sick bike for a novice week-end warrior, like myself, but from what I understand it is race worthy as well. Even though bianchi is not known for mtb's it has proven itself worthy to this frisco kid.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by jepp a Weekend Warrior from San Rafael California
Date Reviewed: October 11, 2004
Favorite Trail:Marin Headlands/Green Gulch
Duration Product Used:6 months
Price Paid: $1100.00
Purchased At:Freewheel
Strengths:light, fast accelaration, easy climb
Weaknesses:The paint chips easily. I keep finding new chips on every trail ride (comming from small rocks flying off between tire threads during downhill ride). Not happy with the stock set up, but will soon upgrade.
Similar Products Used:Trek 800 Sport
Bike Setup:Stock. I change the scratched seatpost (scratch from adjusting) to Thompson Elite.
Bottom Line:I just started mountain biking 3 months ago. I can't believe the difference when I tried the Denali. I was able to keep up with my biking buddies climbing and going downhill. I became a "mtb" addict after purchasing the bike. Is it the bike? Could be. I will soon find out with the new Full Suspension I'm thinking of buying several weeks from now.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Brian a Weekend Warrior from buffalo (now in hawaii)
Date Reviewed: August 13, 2004
Favorite Trail:banff and tahoe, so far
Duration Product Used:3 months
Price Paid: $1100.00
Purchased At:university wheelworks
Strengths:light, fast, nice suspension, nice brakes
Weaknesses:paint job has scrachted a decent amount, but i guess that means im really using it
Bottom Line:the bike is really nice. light, fast and strong. i test rode alot fo different hardtail bikes, and this one by far felt the best for being light and fast, but also strong and solid. it has brought me to alot of different trails and gotten me into mountain biking with it. prob not the cheapest, but a really nice bike. im going to be using as my transportation too while im living in and around honolulu, so good for bombing aorund the city as well as the trail
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Gary a Cross Country Rider from Grand Rapids, Michigan
Date Reviewed: July 13, 2004
Favorite Trail:Yankee Springs
Duration Product Used:3 months
Price Paid: $1200.00
Purchased At:Alpine Cyclery
Strengths:Great ride for the price. Steel feels so much better than aluminum any day of the week. Avid mechanical discs stop on a dime and the Marzochi fork absorbs the trail like a sponge. Bike feels lite for it's class with Deore LX strung throughout.
Weaknesses:Not a big fan of the Wierwolf tires in the damp, which is all we have here in Michigan anymore.
Bottom Line:Can't beat the feel of Italian steel and style, especially for the price. I changed out the stock pedals with my Shimanos and swapped saddles to a Selle Italia. Riser bars are taking some getting used to but by far the best ride I've had for awhile. Cross country riders and racers will love this and you can always upgrade to XTR as parts wear out for an even lighter feel.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Paul B a Cross Country Rider from Laramie, WY, USA
Date Reviewed: June 22, 2004
Favorite Trail:Used to be PD near AMA TX
Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
Price Paid: $985.00
Purchased At:Pedal House
Strengths:STEEL frame that will outlast all the components, which are still very nice for the price. Marzocchi MX pro O) Very rigid but forgiving frame, climbs beautifully. Weirwolf tires seem to stick to the ground. Nice geometry. Brakes stop on a dime(Avid BB mech, got 2003 MTBR choice review for a reason, WTB has outdone themselves with the entire wheel setup.
Weaknesses:Nothing to complain about yet. Time will tell. Someone complained about where the cable router was located on the top tube, which is odd to complain about because it's located on many bikes. It's not an issue for me.
Similar Products Used:GF "Genesis series" bikes, Trek 6700(15.5in), Giant Rainier, Specialized RH Pro
Used to have a '00 Warp DS3, Pre '95 DB ascent
Reminds me of my dads sweet 94? DB ascent CRMO frame with a really shock and disc brakes.
Bike Setup:Stock, Lotta bang for your buck. Add ons will occur when I break something I can't fix(everything but the frame)
Bottom Line:WHAT A STEEL! Best hardtail stock frame & components under $1000, which is probably why the MSRP is higher on bianchiusa. Steel feels better than AL to me, at least test ride it. See if you notice a difference. I'll tell you more later after I try it with my SPD shoes. This bike's probably going to blow me away! 10 chilis all around, this is one hot bike for an even hotter deal. Hopefully the last hardtail frame I'll ever need.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5






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