This is a steel pursuit style frame from Bianchi, the oldest active bike brand in the world. It is painted in Bianchi Celeste team colours, and has Columbus tubing. There are only very few made of these models, hand-made for ex-track champion Enrico Mora, now the shop owner in Bergamo.
Pursuit frame
Traditional pursuit geometry includes the following characteristics:
- To improve aerodynamics, the rider's body needs to be horizontal. This is why the seat tube is extra long. Originally, pursuit bikes had a smaller front wheel to improve the sitting position.
- In pursuit racing, aerodynamics and stability are of utmost importance. Manoeuvrability is less so since the riders are never in direct proximity of their opponents. Therefore, the frame has a lower bottom bracket and thus a lower center of gravity compared to sprint or keirin frames.
Pursuit racing
Individual pursuit is a type of track cycling where two cyclists start the race from a stationary position on opposite sides of the track. The event is held over 4 km for men and 3 km for women. The two riders start at the same time and set off to complete the race distance as fast as possible.
This race makes for a good spectacle as the two riders pursue each other attempting to catch the rider who started on the other side of the track. If this is achieved, the successful pursuer is declared the winner. However they can continue to ride the rest of the race distance in order to set the fastest time in a qualifying race, or a record in a final.
The team pursuit is similar to the individual pursuit, except that the competition is held between two teams, each of up to four riders.
