Overall Comments:

Both bikes worked well within tolerances required for a journey such as ours (i.e., we weren't left stranded anywhere). We oiled the bikes (particularly the chains) religiously as well as used Tri-Flow almost every day to lube critical parts such as the derailleurs and brake assemblies. All in all, we took care of our machines. Here are the main problems we encountered:
 

Front Hub - The Coda hub gave out a few days west of Minneapolis. It started with a "chirping" noise synched to the wheel rotation and turned into a rather loud raucus. It took us along time to figure out where the noise was coming from, but once we did, we discovered that the bearings in the hub were "gone." It was very hard to turn the inner axle by hand. Because the hub was sealed, we poured copious amounts of Tri-Flow into it mainly to keep the godforsaken noise down. In Minneapolis we replaced the hub with one made by Shimano.

Bottom Bracket - Although we never figured out what it was, Marc's bottom bracket began to make some kind of weird noise when pressure was applied to it during the power stroke. We had the whole thing taken apart in the middle of Michigan, but we never discovered what it was. It made intermittent noise throughout the rest of the trip but never gave out. The noise was more of a nuisance than anything else.

Other Comments - Marc's Conti Top Touring tires did exceptionally well. Not only did Marc get only one flat during the whole trip (in Portland, OR no less) but his tires showed less wear than Frank's. We're not sure if this is due to a superior tire or just Frank's big-ass ASS! Marc loved his aluminum frame for its "coolness" and modern feel.
 

Rear Wheel - The biggest problem Frank had was with his rear wheel. With more than six broken spokes by the time we pulled into Minneapolis, we realized something wasn't quite right. Frank had his rear wheel rebuilt and suffered no other problems throughout the remaining time.

Seat Post - Frank's seat kept slipping. We tried like hell to tighten it, but nothing seemed to work. Finally, we tried a washer in between the bolt and the nut where the nut goes into the frame and cinches the seat post. That worked. Apparently the bolt was too long and was not tightening the seat post adequately. By the way, we're both convinced that no matter what kind of seat you have, your ass WILL hurt, and will hurt a lot!

Gearing - The Volpe comes with 7 speeds from 11 to 28. I replaced the gears with a 14 to 32 cassette before departing. This was the best move I ever made. If I had to criticize Bianchi for an oversight, this would be it. DON'T GO ON ANY BIKE TOUR WITHOUT AN ADEQUATELY LOW GRANNY GEAR.

Other Comments -  Frank enjoyed his bike once the wheel was fixed. He enjoyed the low cost of this work horse but also liked the "nostalgia" part of riding a bike made of metal--an antiquated material. The tires showed more wear than Marc's, but we can never be sure if this was due to the fact that Continentals are a better tire or because Frank rode on the shoulder most of time whereas Marc rode in the road. Frank will hedge his bets next time and buy the Continentals! The cheap pedals took every bit of abuse I could dish out.