Bianchi introduced their NASA-approved (and used) Countervail vibration damping technology on the Infinito endurance road bike all the way back in 2013. Then they added it to their Aquila TT/triathlon bike and the Specialissima ultralight climbing road bike.
Now it comes to the dirt on the 2017 Bianchi Methanol CV hardtail race mountain bike. They call it “After Shock Control”, lending the rider more control and comfort by isolating him or her from trail buzz and small impacts. Here’s how it works…
The Countervail’s viscoelastic material is layered between carbon fiber layers and effectively mutes vibrations, preventing them from spreading throughout the frame. We’ve seen several studies from multiple brands that show how vibrations can fatigue a rider faster than their effort would otherwise do, so any reduction in those wiggles reaching you means you can go harder, for longer.
On the Methanol, the CV material is used throughout the entire frame. That’s combined with shaped and flattened seatstays to help mitigate impacts, too.
Being their top level race hardtail, the bike uses a wide BB92, oversized headtube area and short (429mm), strong chainstays to direct all efforts into forward movement.
That headtube gains additional torsional stiffness from ridged tube shaping. All cables and hoses run internally…
…and there are ports for mechanical and electronic drivetrains, plus standard and sideswing front derailleur accommodations. There’s even a port for a stealth dropper seatpost. When the FD’s not used, a small plate covers the mount.
The rest of the frame sees a few big changes from what we saw at Eurobike last year. The ISP (integrated seat post, aka seat mast) is replaced with a standard 27.2 seatpost, making it easier to travel with even if it does add a few grams. That should also make it a bit more comfortable.
The other big change is the switch to Boost axle spacing.
Four sizes will be available – 15, 17, 19 and 21. For now, the CV version is 29er only. We’ve reached out for specs, pricing and availability on complete bikes and whether they’ll continue offering the SL version with ISP, or if this is the new top model. Updates as we get them.
