This Bianchi Offers Surprising Value—and Serious Italian Style
I love being surprised by a bike. The Impulso 105 Disc Compact is one of those bicycles that made me double check the price after my first ride to make sure I had the right model.
The spec page on the Impulso is filled with a dizzying array of acronyms, but two are worth paying attention to: THT and K-VID. THT stands for Triple Hydroformed Technology. Hydroforming is a process by which highly pressured fluids are used to shape metal, and THT refers to what looks like a one-piece top-tube/head-tube assembly on this aluminum frame. It's really two hydroformed pieces welded together, just like on any other bike, but then it's hydroformed again as a unit, giving it a smooth, sculpted look and, Bianchi says, more strength for responsive handling. (I did indeed find the front end to be superbly rigid.)
K-VID stands for Kevlar Vibration Isolation Device, whereby pieces of Kevlar are strategically woven into the carbon to help dampen road noise. I think the smooth but lively ride is more likely attributable to the 25mm Vittoria Zaffiro Pro Slick tires, but either way, it's surprisingly civilized for a sub-$2,000 aluminum bike.
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Geometry mirrors Bianchi's premium carbon, long-ride Infinito model. The steering on the Impulso feels a bit sluggish until you hit 13 to 15 mph, at which point the bike wakes up in terms of handling and steers predictably, especially as you go faster. It stays rock solid even above 40 mph. While that also means it won't find the inside lines in corners unless coerced, if you swing wide and set up early, you can put the Impulso wherever you need it.
I have mixed feelings about disc brakes on a bike at this price. Stopping power, feel, and control are far superior to rim brakes. But discs add weight to a bike that, to meet price point, is already fighting gravity. (Thankfully, the Impulso still gets up climbs with surprising ease.) The internal brake-cable routing in the fork looks clean, but it makes the cable bend sharply, causing added friction when you pull the levers.
Shimano's 11-speed 105 drivetrain shifts smoothly, and the compact gearing matched to an 11-28 cassette provides an ideal spread of gears for this 21-pound bike. The whole package is an impressive value, topped off with a water bottle, bottle cage, chain keeper, and bell. Oh, and of course, that head-turning Italian style.
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