Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Anyone removed the stickers from an 05 Bianchi Pista?

Hello! New to the fixed gear idea, been lurking for a few days, and this is my first post.

I'm thinking of buying a new 2005 Pista, but I like the naked chrome that two or three posters here were able to get by stripping the decals from their 04 Pistas. I also have two or three other questions about this bike, and fixed riding in general.

I did the search, saw the threads about removing the "Bianchi" from the seat and down tubes on an 04, but unless I get REALLY lucky, I'd likely end up with an 05, which has different graphics- white panels with the world champ bands and the "Bianchi" in black. My main question to those who own this 05 model is:

1) Are the white panels done with wraparound decals/stickers or are they painted? If they're decals or stickers, I assume I can strip them the same way I'd strip an 04 decal. But if they're painted, the chrome underneath them was likely scuffed to allow the paint to adhere. I can live with the panels if they're painted, or I can strip them and repaint them (Bianchi should have done them in celeste anyhow. That would have looked cool). But I'd like to know up front.

2) Is there any negative in terms of chain strength to running 3/32" rather than 1/8"? I think the Pista uses a road crank/ring and cog. There's no velodrome nearby as far as I know (Selma/Montgomery, AL), so I can live with 3/32" if it's just as reliable. But I don't want a chain breaking on me- I'm willing to invest in a Miche Primato crank and BB to install with a track cog and chain if it'll be safer. Or is the strength of a chain/ring/cog setup a function of the component maker, and not related to the size? I'm assuming that track stuff will be stronger, period.

3) Is the fork steel or aluminum? I'm considering having the steerer tube threaded so I can use a threaded headset & stem. Not a necessity, just some fitting options/aesthetic things I'm thinking about on a ride I don't yet own. I hear the headset isn't great to begin with, so once it wears out, I'd like to replace it with the more conventional setup.

I appreciate your answers to these questions. I doubt if any shop closer than ATL has a Pista I can test ride, and no shops are open on Sunday to call anyhow. Thanks for helping out a new poster.

okay. lemme set the record straight for ya.

1. like all pistas, the decals are clear-coated over. meaning, you must remove the clear coat, remove/paint over the damn things, then re-clearcoat it. yes, you should re-clear coat it...

2. 3/32 is just fine. i prefer 1/8th, but it is heavier and sometimes more difficult to work with regarding chain tools... some guys at the track ride 3/32, as yojimbo would state. a 3/32nd chain won't break on you because its 3/32nd of an inch . rather, it will break on you if you treat it poorly.

the primato cranks are cool, but don't bother with the miche BB. its difficult to find the proper tool to tighten the BB. rather, find the shimano bb at your lbs that is english threaded and 68x107, square taper. that would be your best bet. and it should be no more than $30.

3. the fork is steel. i wouldn't mess with threading a threadless fork. rather, just buy a new one in the flavor you prefer.

to each their own, but celeste on chrome -- oy vey.

as for the 3/32" vs. 1/8" you'll see people arguing both sides. Some kids will tell you all day long that they break 3/32" chains but not 1/8" and you'll see people who say that they've had a 3/32" drivetrain for years and never had any problems whatsoever, even with skids and other assorted bike high jinks. in my personal experience (keep in mind that I weigh 135ish pounds) i've never had any issues with 3/32", but if you're a larger person it may be an issue. however, it seems to me that since the actual pegs that hold the links together are the same in both 3/32" and 1/8" the strength would likely be similiar. of course, many breaks happen in the middle of the link, so that alone won't tell the whole story. my feeling is that there isn't a major difference between the two, but if you're a big person and really hard on your bike, the 1/8" may play a factor. certainly, though, 3/32" isn't unsafe.

the pista is wholly cro-moly - fork included. as for threaded the steerer, i would probably shy away from that as most threadless forks have thinner walls than threaded ones. this means that cutting threads into your threadless fork might affect the structural integrity of it. i love the aesthetic of the threaded much much more than threadless, but i wouldn't thread my 2005 pista's fork. anymore, unfortunately, threadless is the conventional setup. alas.

okay. lemme set the record straight for ya.

1. like all pistas, the decals are clear-coated over. meaning, you must remove the clear coat, remove/paint over the damn things, then re-clearcoat it. yes, you should re-clear coat it...

Thanks for the quick response. Maybe I should have been clearer- I know the frame has a clearcoat over the chrome. And I know that it needs to be recoated if I remove anything at all. What I'm referring to is the white panels on the '05.

See, on the '04, you simply have white letters. Simple enough to remove, as the threads dedicated to this topic can attest. But on the '05, there's a whole section on both the downtube and seattube (about 10") that is white, bordered with world champ bands and the "Bianchi" letters in black. I wish I had a photo to make this clear. What I'm asking is whether those panels are

a) a whole square decal that wraps around the tube (like the Gios decals that sometimes show up on ebay), or
b) White paint, with only the black letters actually being made of decalstock.



2. 3/32 is just fine. i prefer 1/8th, but it is heavier and sometimes more difficult to work with regarding chain tools... some guys at the track ride 3/32, as yojimbo would state. a 3/32nd chain won't break on you because its 3/32nd of an inch . rather, it will break on you if you treat it poorly.

Thanks. I'm glad to hear there's no problem with 3/32 based on size alone. Looking at the site, I see that the stock '05 crank has a 110 BCD. That gives me more options (got a bunch of almost new 110 rings sitting around my garage from projects that never materialized) and saves me the cost of a track crank.


the primato cranks are cool, but don't bother with the miche BB. its difficult to find the proper tool to tighten the BB. rather, find the shimano bb at your lbs that is english threaded and 68x107, square taper. that would be your best bet. and it should be no more than $30.

Thanks again. I have the BB already- bought it from Business Cycles. The guy I talked to says it installs with a Campagnolo BB tool. Besides, the Miche has an ISO (Campagnolo standard) taper, and Shimano uses a JIS. I'll just keep the BB and maybe get a Primato crank much later, if I ever want a "real" track drivetrain. For now, the stock stuff will do. I just wanted to make sure it would hold up (I'm about 175 lbs- not a clydesdale, but not superlight either).


to each their own, but celeste on chrome -- oy vey.

I respectfully disagree. This may sound strange, but IMO, it doesn't matter if it looks good or not- Bianchi IS celeste IS Bianchi, like blood is red. If it ain't got some celeste on it somewhere, it may as well not have the Bianchi graphics either. But I like chrome (that's more important to me than it being a Bianchi), so I'm cool with removing all decals and recoating clear where they used to be.


the pista is wholly cro-moly - fork included. as for threaded the steerer, i would probably shy away from that as most threadless forks have thinner walls than threaded ones. this means that cutting threads into your threadless fork might affect the structural integrity of it.

Thanks. Makes sense to me. I thought about the tube thickness before I posted, but no harm in asking. If the need or desire arises, I'll just get another fork.


..my 2005 pista's

Hey, you have a 2005- you're the one to ask! Those white panels- Decals or paint?

I like the looks of my '05 Pista, white panels and all.
If it had celeste panels, I could get into that, and all chrome as well.
Man, I can't lose. :)

I have followed B17's discussion of the Miche BB with interest.
It appears to me this BB would allow very fine adjustments in chainline, somewhat as a Phil BB allows adustments because of the cups.
However, I find the whole subject of compatibility due to different standards very confusing.
Going to the Parks Parts online tutorial didn't help much.
It sounds like B17 has studied this a little and has a better handle on it than I do.
Perhaps he'll write a little more about it, or I could start a new thread.
Specifically, though, what cranksets will work with the Miche BB?

Also, the stock Sugino crank on the Pista measures 110mm BCD?
I need to get a metric measure and check that out.

I like the looks of my '05 Pista, white panels and all.
If it had celeste panels, I could get into that, and all chrome as well.
Man, I can't lose. :)

There ya go. In fact, the more I think about it, I'd be happy to just get the bike and ride. Seems every time I try to "make the bike my own", I lose riding time. And I'm beginning to like the idea of those panels with a Brooks, white Tressostar tape and some hardly used Conti gumwalls I have laying around. Kind of semi- old-school, with chrome and panels, but threadless and lugless.


I have followed B17's discussion of the Miche BB with interest.
It appears to me this BB would allow very fine adjustments in chainline, somewhat as a Phil BB allows adustments because of the cups.
However, I find the whole subject of compatibility due to different standards very confusing.
Going to the Parks Parts online tutorial didn't help much.
It sounds like B17 has studied this a little and has a better handle on it than I do.
Perhaps he'll write a little more about it, or I could start a new thread.
Specifically, though, what cranksets will work with the Miche BB?

The Miche Primato BB has two adjustable cups, rather than one adjustable and one fixed, and it does (allegedly-never got to try it) offer fine adjustment of chainline. I can't say for sure that it will work perfectly chainlinewise with anything other than the matching Miche crank, but it has an ISO spindle, so Campagnolo, Mavic, Ofmega, Galli, etc. will fit the taper. I bought it with the intention of buying the Primato crank this week for a project which got interrupted when I decided the intended frame was too big at 56cm c-t. My Bianchi will be a 53. I'm a hair under 5'10" and ride a road 55, so the standover (30.5" with 23mm tires) should fit me just fine, esp. with the 28mm Contis I intend to use. Great tires as far as clinchers go, and the prettiest gumwalls in the business, bar none. I sure hope 28s will fit in the rear triangle.


Also, the stock Sugino crank on the Pista measures 110mm BCD?
I need to get a metric measure and check that out.

I was wrong about the crank- it's actually 130, I think. I was looking at a website that spcec'd the stock Pista crank at 110. I haven't seen it myself.

I did locate a Pista in ATL for $600. I can drive up there, buy the bike, slap my username on it in place of the stock saddle, and be good to go, hopefully by the end of the week.

One more question- is the fork already drilled? I've seen pics of Pistas with a front brake, but they could have been retrodrilled.

One more question- is the fork already drilled? I've seen pics of Pistas with a front brake, but they could have been retrodrilled.

The 2005 Pista comes drilled.

Already drilled.

Please let me know if the 28's fit.
I want to put some 28mm Avocets on my Pista this fall when the roads get dirtier.
My lbs thinks they'll fit with 99% certainty but if I buy 'em I own 'em, fit or not.