Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Looking to buy a Bianchi Pista...

Hey guys. I'm not a big poster here, mainly because I don't have a fixie at the moment. I've been looking at the Pista though, and it just seems like the right bike for me. I'm not really a serious rider, though I'd like to get into it more, and I just have a few questions. First of all, should I be looking at buying new, or watching eBay? Just with a quick search I found two Pista's, one at $265 and one at $335... With shipping, and taking into consideration that they'll probably go up, would you say they're worth looking into? Also, I've never used clip-in pedals before, though I know the Pista comes with them standard. Any recommendations for some cheap clip-in shoes compatible with the Pista pedals? And are all the clips the same design? As in, will any shoe work with any pedal? Also, how much would I be looking at spending on shoes? Would it be cheaper to just swap the pedals? Any advice would be much appreciated...

Brad

I've heard the pedals are crap so you should plan on swapping them anywho.

I've heard all the parts are crap, actually that the whole thing is crap.
and that it is ugly.

otherwise you'll end up spending 3 times the price
on upgrades and half a lung on stripping off the decals
in which case it is awesome.

but then you'll still get called a poser when you're
driving on division on your way home from the track
with your pista on the roof rack

If you're cool with all that then it is a great value. seriously.

jeff

Quick search? Ebay?

I did a completed auction search and found they run $450-550 plus shipping... which can run $50. It blows my mind why anyone would risk getting scammed or shipping damage to save a pittance on an already cheap bike by paying close to retail on ebay. They cost $550 new at the LBS.

Quick search? Ebay?

I did a completed auction search and found they run $450-550 plus shipping... which can run $50. It blows my mind why anyone would risk getting scammed or shipping damage to save a pittance on an already cheap bike by paying close to retail on ebay. They cost $550 new at the LBS.

agreed!
anytime you can get a bike, parts, anything in person its so much better.

If you're going to buy one new, swing up to portland and check them out at river city bicycles. They usually have one on display, so I'd imagine they're in stock. Call first.
list price there is $500.

http://www.rivercitybicycles.com/product_info.php?cPath=32&products_id=737

used, in the last week they're been two on the portland craigslist, a 51 and a 53 for 325 and 450 respectively, both grey.

I'm not sure what sticker guy is saying, but you should probably ignore it.

no you shouldnt ignore stickerguy.

he has a pista and is speaking from experience.

and if you look at any of the many pista threads, then you will know he is just saying what everyone else has said about pistas.

the pista is a decent entry level bike. I'm not sure why anyone would expect to have some magical ride for $550.

I'm sorry to butt in...but what about IRO? I was going for the Pista until I wised up and got the IRO instead. Happiest purchase ever...don't know why I ever thought of getting a Pista.

Just out of curiosity, what exactly are you saying needs to be upgraded? Also, I did go down to the nearest Bianchi dealer and take on for a spin, and it seemed alright to me. Of course, a 30 second spin in the parking lot isn't very indicative of the quality of a bike. And just so everybody knows, the bike I'm looking at is'nt actually the chrome model, but a matte black bike with grey decals. Anyways, I'm mainly just interested in what you guys say the problems are. Then, if I'm talked out of it, what do you guys have to say about the IRO Mark V? It's their cheapest bike... Is it really that much better than the Pista? Thanks in advance.

Brad

on ebay, if it's bianchi, it goes for more than it's worth... bianchi has a raging fanbase for some reason..
for your first fixed gear, make a conversion! just buy a rear track wheel for cheap, like 80-120 bucks, and throw it on an old road bike with angled horizontal drops, see if you enjoy it...

i just sold a pista actually, i got it off craigslist for 375, listed it on ebay for 50 cents, it went for $550... in the subtitle of my listing i even put "Retails for $550 new!" and that's exactly what it sold for, used... lol
granted it had new tt bars, but those are only 25 bucks.

A conversion was the original plan, but after I went to ride the Bianchi at the bike shop, I decided that this is worth sinking some money into for a higher quality final product. I may be wrong, but it seems that a road conversion wouldn't end up being as good as a purpose-built bike.

And just so everybody knows, the bike I'm looking at is'nt actually the chrome model, but a matte black bike with grey decals.

So this is an older Pista? The 2001? I don't know what parts went on that one.

The guy said it was their newest model, and that they had the chrome ones in the back. I don't know if that means that it's an '05 or an '06, but it was a brand new bike. It was flat black with grey decals. As far as I know, it's the same bike as the chrome model, only with a black seat and bar tape.

The 2001 is the only black pista i know. besides the concept.
http://gianni.bianchiusa.com/2002/site/bikes/road/13_pista.html

Is there any way it could be a new for '06 paint scheme?

Depending on how you ride your new Pista pretty much everything'll get swapped out. For me this has included: seat, seatpost, fork, BB, wheels, handlebars, chainring, and of course paint.

So what is stock on my pista is cranks, stem, & and headset (and this should probably get swapped out too). Of course I actually owned most of these things when I bought my pista so I just slapped them on as they wore out in the course of 2 Chicago winters.

Yes I am reiterating stuff that has been posted on this forum many times. Next time you have a question type it into the search and read what pops up. For example, "Bianchi Pista" I bet turns up a lot of stuff while "S&S Cases Bags" turned up very little. So I started thread. If you don't utilize the search you're missing a lot of good content as posters tire and stop responding.

good luck with your purchase. Whatever you choose will be awesome if you have the right attitude.

hugs,
jeff


Just out of curiosity, what exactly are you saying needs to be upgraded?

The '01 was black
http://gianni.bianchiusa.com/2001/sections/bikes/road/pista/index.html

Is there any way it could be a new for '06 paint scheme?


No.

Yes I am reiterating stuff that has been posted on this forum many times. Next time you have a question type it into the search and read what pops up. For example, "Bianchi Pista" I bet turns up a lot of stuff while "S&S Cases Bags" turned up very little. So I started thread. If you don't utilize the search you're missing a lot of good content as posters tire and stop responding.

good luck with your purchase. Whatever you choose will be awesome if you have the right attitude.

very well said. Do a search for posts by ken cox about his bianchi pista if you want a few positives.

I'm still wondering how the decals being well affixed is a bad thing.

Because having brand labels on your bike is "poser-ish" or something. You're not hardcore unless you take the decals off.

hmm who said anything about decals = being a poser. I think someone's poser-dar is a touch sensitive. Oh and you aren't hardcore until you've told someone else they aren't hardcore.

Actually, I'm softcore...I get the job done and I'm on the shelves at your local Blockbuster.

jeff



Because having brand labels on your bike is "poser-ish" or something. You're not hardcore unless you take the decals off.

I don't personally care about decals at all, but there seems to be quite a few people who make a huge deal out of the pista decals. I personally like the looks of a blank frame also, but not because it's not cool or something to have decals.

That's all I was saying... :)

Oh, and I'm extremely not hardcore. And I don't really have the desire to be hardcore. Too much pain involved...

Actually, I'm softcore...I get the job done and I'm on the shelves at your local Blockbuster.

jeff


HAHAHA well put