Founded in Italy in 1885, Bianchi is the world’s oldest bicycle manufacturer still in operation.

The company made its start when a 21-year-old, Edoardo Bianchi, started building bikes in a small shop in Milan in 1885.

A point of distinction for Bianchi bikes is their trademark ‘celeste’ colour, which is a shade of turquoise that is sometimes also referred to as Bianchi green.

Bianchi sponsors a professional road racing team called Barloworld, which received a wildcard entry in the 2008 Tour de France but did not perform well and was not invited to the 2009 race.

The lead Bianchi road bike on the market right now is the 928 model, which makes use of carbon fibre but claims to be almost 50% more durable than its competitors.