Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - What do you guys think about the 05 Pista?

I think I want to enter the fixie world to commute to/fro work. What do you guys and girls honestly think about it?

Been discussed many, many times - do a search.

I have ridden a '05 Pista for a few months, now, and it represents my entry into the fixed gear world.

To make it a little more commuter friendly, I flipped the stem, so that it goes up a little (instead of level) and I put bullhorns and a front brake on it.
For rainy days, I use SKS Raceblades removable fenders.
I also upgraded the pedals, but the pedals that come with it work well enough.

On this bike I feel like an F-16 fighter pilot.
It makes going to work a lot more interesting.

This bike presents a steep, but smooth learning curve.
I see no end to the learning process.
Every day this bike makes a better rider out of me.

At my skill level, I cannot imagine riding without a front brake.
Give me two years and maybe...

Bottom line, for me, lots of bike for my money.
The designers did a good job of making fixed gear accessible to the entry level rider.
I consider this the best purchase of my adult life.

Nice review. Did you invest in a chain tug?

Been discussed many, many times - do a search.

as often as it comes up this, or just "Bianchi Pista", should be a sticky... but enough with the stickies.

hey is this leviathan off ztrips' board? if so what up homie...ditch the pista idea go with iro...

if not leviathan off zboard......if ken likes it...it most be alright......

I've heard some complaints about components. Though, I'm not sure how consistant or valid they are. I've heard the buy vs build issue many times. You'll save money buying a Pista (provided there are no problems), but you'll value a home assembled conversion/track more.

The Pista is an attractive bike, one of the couriers in SD rides one, he's fast and it seems to hold up, though my interaction with him is very limited.

The Pista is a nice ride. I like my KHS flite 100 for entry level though. The frame seems not as tacky and I actually like the old 1" threaded headset system, it allows me to use the nitto drop stems. The Pista's drivetrain is a bit noisy as is the KHS. The KHS is no longer the best entry level bike to buy anymore since the removal of the Sugino75's in favor of the cheap ass Truvativ Touro cranks. But, just ride the bike till the parts fall off then replace with sugino75's or the track crank of your choice. =) Lugged forks are also a nice addition to the KHS line.

gonna test ride it tonight

Well, when I got ready to make a purchase, I looked hard at the IRO, the KHS, the Fuji Track and the Pista.
Everybody on this forum had both good and bad things to say about the KHS, the Fuji Track and the Pista.
I don't remember any negative comments about the IRO.

In the end, I made my decision largely base on aesthetics and a post by absentr, though I can't remember what he said, and I would have had to wait a month for a KHS.
Ironically, absentr does not have good memories, now, regarding his Pista.

If I had it to do over again?
Knowing what I know now?
I would go with the Pista again, only because I already know how it turned out.

Still, the KHS had and has a lot of appeal.
If they'd paint the Fuji a solid color I could got for it, too.
And, I have yet to hear a negative word about IRO.

Ah...decisions, decisions.
All these decisions.

What a whiner.
I complain when I think I have no choices and then I complain because I do. :)

How cool that we live in a time and a place that has at least four, cost-effective, entry-level fixed gear bikes.

My next bike I'll build myself, based on what I've learned.
I won't throw away my Pista, though.

But this raises one more question, probably not worthy of its own thread,

Imagine yourself as a bicycle manufacturer.
Design a bike meant to compete with the four bikes named above.
That includes price.
Interesting, eh?

Ken, Leviathan -

While I don't quite have fond memories of the Pista anymore, it was a good bike performance wise. The stock components held up well over the harsh winter we had, the rear hub is fixed/fixed and I do like the classic look it has for its tubing and such. I still recommend the bike (the KHS seems to have thinner tubing - there's a thread where the tube broke at a 5mph bonk and I've tapped it personally, not that's any indicator by the way) out of all the entry level rides. If the KHS still came with the Sugino's I might recommend that but the Pista has the Suginos which are nice. Another added bonus is that they come with Deda Pista bars which are for the track and they're quite nice. I've kept them and retained them for use on Sophia when it comes to the velodrome (http://www.bikeforums.net/showpost.php?p=1077015&postcount=2747)

P.S. I like Bianchi's reputation and the other big thing was that the bike fit me well. It felt right when I got in from a fit perspective.

The Pista is a great bike, I got mine in January (had a Langster and a Fuji track before that) and have had no issues at all with it. The wheels are nice and strong (I weigh 215lbs.), the ride is comfortable, it's not any heavier than an aluminum bike, I'm happy with it.

I ride it much more than my other 2 bikes.

i just test rode this at my lbs this morning. This bike rocks. First time riding fg--felt like i was a kid again. Don't like the stock seat though. Still debating whether to buy this guy or convert my dad's old raleigh 3 speed. By the time i buy all new components for the Raleigh i might be pretty close in price. Bottom line---i almost bought the pista on the spot--absolutely loved it.

True, a lot of people do build them exactly the same but the beauty of the IRO(or building up your own bike in general) is that it doesn't have to look like everyone else's.

If the 05 Pista is anything like the 04 it is a great bike for the price. I had an 04 for a little while and it rode nicely but I had to sell it because it was a little too big. That very same Pista is now being transformed by Alexi into a sick street machine.

the frame on the 04 is nice, and so are the cranks, everything else is saying bye-bye...

Did you strip the decals yet?

Or you could be like Alexi and want an all chrome frame but are not willing to pay the small fortune it takes to actually chrome a frame. If you were to look at his bike now you would see it already isn't a Pista anymore so why should he advertise it? Stripping decals is not unique to people who own the Bianchi Pista, as it is widely practiced with Surlys, Fujis, etc. As a matter of fact, I just peeled most of the decals off of my Benotto and it's not because I'm embarrassed by the name.

My $.02

i'm antoi decal, thats just it. I'm not gonna strip it till after the 1rst we've got a copressor in the new place, i'd rather do that then rattle can a new clear coat. oh and the price quotes i got for chroming a frame were 600 bucks

if i buy the pista i'd strip the decals b/c they look silly---i like the way a nice , sleek , solid color frame looks

embarrased? by what 120 years of quality cycling tech?
or that my ride isn't "hardcore" enough.

I stripped my bianchi 'cause my next if I'm gonna rock
Edoardo's name it is going to be in celeste & because
it is my bike and f@ck all y'all

enjoy riding whatever you got.

jeff






it almost seems that the people that strip the decals from the pista are embarrassed to have a one because its one of those ready-made, "entry level" (in so far as 500 dollars can buy entry level) bikes.



just my .02

I'm also contemplating throwing down the 500 for an 05 Pista, but ever since I've been looking into fixed gears and seeing the pictures of everyone's bike, I've seriously been wondering who actually rides their bikes and leaves them locked to poles as they're out and about in the city. Most of your bikes look spic and span like they've never hit the street or ever gotten grime on them. Not to mention the fact that they're bikes with 1,000+ worth of parts which could easily be stripped off the bike in the 15 minutes it takes one to go inside to get a cup of coffee or a bite to eat.

So my question is: Should I feel safe leaving a brand new bike or a bike with a lot of expensive components locked up to a pole in the city? Do you guys feel safe doing it?

good point--the pista is so shinny it just begs to be stolen

you are totally right. my bianchi pista is so shiny that I never
lock it up for any amount of time. In fact everytime I even look
like I'm stopping packs of bike thieves carrying campy pb & allen
wrenches swarm around me which I fend off with my too cool
baileyworks. i also never ride it outside when there is more than
a 0.01% chance of percepitation. post-rides I also bathe my bike
in phil woods teflon oil & moisturize with tenacious grease. and
every night I shackle it to my leg with my ny kryptonite chain.

my bike is so nice I just can't let go.
jeff

Lol!!!!!!!!!!!

but the real question is whether it blinds cagers as you take it out at sunrise?

you are totally right. my bianchi pista is so shiny that I never
lock it up for any amount of time. In fact everytime I even look
like I'm stopping packs of bike thieves carrying campy pb & allen
wrenches swarm around me which I fend off with my too cool
baileyworks. i also never ride it outside when there is more than
a 0.01% chance of percepitation. post-rides I also bathe my bike
in phil woods teflon oil & moisturize with tenacious grease. and
every night I shackle it to my leg with my ny kryptonite chain.

my bike is so nice I just can't let go.
jeff

So I was pretty sure someone would be sarcastic, but really I haven't seen any bikes on the street in as good shape as the ones posted on this site. Granted I haven't lived in a city, I've only visited, there should be at least some spic and span bikes out there that people only take out for rides and not commutes. They've just managed to avoid my sight.

If I do buy/build a bike with nice components, could you guys give me tips as to cleaning it up post-ride/post-rain, ways of locking it to avert theft, etc? I really don't want to make a newbie mistake and make a thief's day, so help me out!

[QUOTE=12XU]So I was pretty sure someone would be sarcasticQUOTE]

Hey, I'm a newb too---the sarcasm seems to come with the territory here---small price to pay for the good advice you can get.

As of a week ago friday I am no longer under 25. Does that mean I lose the right to be sarcastic?

Sarcasm?

The word sarcasm barely applies, even though the author meant it that way, because the statement includes so much truth, despite itself.

Here in Bend, a destination resort of about 60,000, my Bianchi Pista sometimes attracts a crowd.
Honestly.
I stop, and before I can lock my bike I have four people asking me questions about it.
They oooh and aaah over its shininess; they tell me that "everyone" rides a fixie in their home town; they want to know what "fixie" means and then stare in disbelief and incomprehension when I tell them; and, they call me "Bianchi-Man" and ask directions, as if, by virtue of my bike, I automatically know the town better than any mortal has a right to know it.
My lbs cannot believe that I ride my Bianchi in real weather.
When I asked them to disassemble it, apply frame-saver and grease all the fittings on reassembly, they couldn't understand why, in a place as dry as Bend, I would need all of this corrosion protection.
The big-name triathelete bike rider at work criticizes how dirty my bike gets; and I tell him it gets dirty because I ride it 24/7/365; and, I ask him where he stashed his perfectly clean bike this morning, 'cause I don't see it anywhere.
Also, sometimes between rides, I go out into my garage or into the hangar and just look at the Pista for a minute.

I haven't ridden my Bianchi since I fell on the 29th of March.
My doc says another two weeks.
I find myself measuring time according to my last ride and my next ride.
I frame everything in terms of how many days since and how many days until...

So, sarcasm?
Truth?
On some level they overlap.

no

sarcasm is awesome.
I think the reason everyone's bike is so clean in pictures on
the board is because people tend to only post pics either when
they just get a bike or when they've put a new part on it. I,
personally, almost never wash my bike, but everyonce in awhile
when I clean the drivetrain I bang it to knock loose all the dried
up gunk.

Oh & absenter's camera is very good at making my crap covered
bike look shiny.

jeff

I ride my Pista year round rain/sun/snow (6 inches of snow on 23 mm slicks is interesting) and lock it up on the streets of NYC all the time ... I don't leave it outside over night, but I do lock it up at night for extended periods of time when duty calls. The key being... lock it up where there are tons of people around... any bike thief can steal any bike in under 10 minutes, regardless of the lock, if they have the right tools (see police videos of critical mass bike seizures). However, it is quite a public spectacle that I'm sure a few thiefs would prefer to avoid.

Ok so how many people bought a Pista for their first fixie? Why did you buy rather than convert an old RB. How is the Pista on longer rides? Everyone who has one seems to love them. Id there anything that you don't like about it? (Sorry--no intention of hijacking this thread, just wanted to get back on topic)

I bought one for my first fixie. It was cheap ($490) and I wanted a commuter bike for when I move to DC (next week). I didn't want to worry about deciding what parts to put on it that building one from scratch would cause - it would invariably end up costing me more money. I already have expensive road and MTB's that do that. I'm not worried about it being stolen - where I work - thieves don't hang out and can't get to. I replaced the seat immediately and put on a front brake. I will do between 35-40 miles per day on it commuting.

The only hardware that must go is the Paris Hilton seat. Yet it is comfy. And kinky. So on second thought...

The only hardware that must go is the Paris Hilton seat. Yet it is comfy. And kinky. So on second thought...

That would be a good thread. What is the kinkiest (bicycle) saddle?

Ok so how many people bought a Pista for their first fixie? Why did you buy rather than convert an old RB. How is the Pista on longer rides? Everyone who has one seems to love them. Id there anything that you don't like about it? (Sorry--no intention of hijacking this thread, just wanted to get back on topic)


I did. Because I am lazy and wanted immediate gratification. (Although Bianchi foiled this this with a very long shipping/supply time.) Longest ride @ 20 miles so far. But soon I'll hit the velodrome. yay.

Oh, I did have a couple of raleighs converted to single speed previous to the pista.

my pista was my 2nd fixie & my 3rd singlespeed.
i've done several centuries & one long supported
tour on it. now that i have experienced the
conveniece of track ends I'll never convert an old
road bike again. if you bought the pista for doing
long road rides than you have made a mistake.

1. no water cage bosses
2. replacement parts can be hard"er" to get
3. "track" geometry is terrible on the back
4. did I say no water cage bosses?

now i'm no finisher of RAAM (yet), but I feel i've
put in the miles to say that you'd be better off
getting a surly or others like it.

it'd be funny if the tourers got a hold of this post.

jeff

Ok so how many people bought a Pista for their first fixie? Why did you buy rather than convert an old RB. How is the Pista on longer rides?

My first fixed gear was a conversion. But it was way too small and I bought an 03 Pista after a month of riding the conversion. I still have my Pista and like it very much, granted I've swapped out almost every part and powder coated the frame since then. I ride it on 30 mile rides all the time with no problem, but Sticker Guy is right, track geometry and long rides are no fun for your back.

track geometry and long rides are no fun for your back.


Would swapping the stock handlebars for bullhorns help with that???

i flipped and chopped my stock handlebars into bullhorns and have had no comfort or back issues.

... track geometry and long rides are no fun for your back.

a different stem (longer or shorter) would help too.

I got my Pista 'cause my son got tired of listening to me plan the perfect bike.
He told me to get a Pista, get riding, and then plan the perfect bike.
Makes sense to me.

I wanted to flip and chop my Pista's bars, but my lbs said he wanted them and he offered me some Profile Design Stokers in exchange.
I put the brake on the end of the right horn.
The position works so well for me that, even at 58 years of age I spend all of my time with my hands on the horns, and comfortably so.
Drops, for me, just represent unused weight.
Thirty years ago I might have used them, but now the horns work for me.

Did you all keep the original gearing?

i did. for me, it's just about perfect.

Yup, cuz I have access to a velodrome. I was going to change it up though forthe street 45-16 or 48-18 or so.... I had fun with a 42-16 single speed, too.

random thought---w/ the amount of free advertising we are giving Bianchi, they should be kind enough to give one of us a free bike.

So does anyone have a recommendation for a gearing ratio if I'm going to be riding around Oakland, Pittsburgh?

it's really totally personal preference. i ride 48x16 and 45x15 and would never go any lower. but tons of people ride 42x16 and the such and love it. you gotta just sample ratios until you find the one that works.