Samples of unalloyed compacted graphite cast iron (CGI) have been thermally treated to obtain a bainitic structure. Heat treatments consisting of various holding times at two different austenitizing temperatures and two different austempering temperatures have been carried out followed by metallographic observations of the resultant structures by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The formation of bainite is discussed in terms of the temperature difference (undercooling) between the austenitizing temperature and austempering temperature, and the subsequent development of the phases present to bainite is related to the carbon concentration gradient caused by compacted graphite acting as a sink for carbon. This favors the final stages of the transformation. A hypothesis for the bainitic transformation mechanism in CGI's is thus proposed.