Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Bianchi Pista build up

Hi all, I'm pretty new to riding fixed gear, and was looking for some advice on building up my Bianchi Pista. Everything on it now is stock, and I want to know what things I should add first, second, third, and so on to make this bike really nice. As far as I can tell, I love the frame, very smooth, and durable. I just need to know where to start. Also, I would love it if some people with other fixies, particularly Pistas, could post pics of their rides for some other ideas.

Thanks...

The first thing you should get is your own opinion.

You can get pictures of everyone else's "fixies" in the sticky'd picture thread. But why would you look to change parts so quickly if everything is fine? Wait till you find a reason to replace something, I'd say.

the first thing you should replace is your frame.

the first thing you should replace is your frame.

Blah. Pistas are nice.

I won't say anything mean, but I will say to upgrade as things break. The only thing that may need replacing is the saddle, and that's only if you're really uncomfortable on it.

the first thing you should replace is your frame.

says homeboy on a steamroller

says homeboy on a steamroller

haZING!

bravo.

get the fit and comfort dialed in first, in my opinion.

saddle, bars, stem

get the fit and comfort dialed in first, in my opinion.

saddle, bars, stem

Depends on what year, the stem on the new ones as well as the bars are pretty nice from what I've seen.

seriously, i'd think unless you don't want track drops the deda pistas that come with the bike are plenty fine.

granted, bars were the first thing i switched on my 01, but that's because i wanted flats/risers.

is this another one of those goddamn day dreamer threads? jesus!

you don't need to replace a goddamn thing on your bike. when something breaks, replace it with an upgraded part, or one of a different design if you weren't happy with the original part. if it's a personal fitment issue, keep riding the bike to see how you'd prefer things to be, and upgrade as you body sees fit.

of course, the other answer here is that you need risers, yellow oury grips, a brooks saddle, a green 650c arrospok up front, a pink deep v in the back, blue tires, platform pedals, and a BMX stem. then you can BARSPINNZ!

EDIT: ok, i reread this and i don't like coming across as a dick, so if i did i apologize. but i still stand by my point about wearing out parts first vs. replacing right off the bat.

Something wrong with yellow ourys?

Something wrong with yellow ourys?

not really, i was just trying to come up with clashing colors. actually, oury's ****ing rule, no matter the color.

is this another one of those goddamn day dreamer threads? jesus!

you don't need to replace a goddamn thing on your bike. when something breaks, replace it with an upgraded part, or one of a different design if you weren't happy with the original part. if it's a personal fitment issue, keep riding the bike to see how you'd prefer things to be, and upgrade as you body sees fit.

of course, the other answer here is that you need risers, yellow oury grips, a brooks saddle, a green 650c arrospok up front, a pink deep v in the back, blue tires, platform pedals, and a BMX stem. then you can BARSPINNZ!

EDIT: ok, i reread this and i don't like coming across as a dick, so if i did i apologize. but i still stand by my point about wearing out parts first vs. replacing right off the bat.

thanks for the apology
i still thought it was pretty d*mn funny

contact points
where you touch the bike
pedals, saddle, bars/stem

If you plan to do skid-stops, replace the cog. Pistas are known to come with sh***y cogs that will slip out. It takes a lot of pressure to make it slip, but it's not impossible.

If you plan to do skid-stops, replace the cog. Pistas are known to come with sh***y cogs that will slip out. It takes a lot of pressure to make it slip, but it's not impossible.

They are? This is the first I've heard of it.

You sure it's the cog and not the assembly?

contact points


Also the condenser, stator, rectifier and plug wires.


j/k.



The first thing I did was toss the ***-hatchet in favor of my well-worn brooks. I brought my pedals to the shop when I got it, so I never used the stock plastic ones. Eventually I pulled the track drops off since it was winter and I never used the lower position and traded for risers and bullhorns (depending on where I am going).

If you plan to do skid-stops, replace the cog. Pistas are known to come with sh***y cogs that will slip out. It takes a lot of pressure to make it slip, but it's not impossible.

a tight lockring will fix the slipping lockring problem...

Brake
Brake lever
cable and housing betwen the two
Red blinky in back
White blinky in front.

Be a safety ranger!

I love pista hating. I had a bunch of money so I upgraded everything: Brooks team pro (best upgrade I made), 3 different sets of pedals (mks sylvan, mks custom nuevo (plus toshi double straps), time atac + sidi dominator 6 [second best upgrade unless I want to do trickeseses]), new threaded fork (from spicer), chris king grip-nut headset, two quill stems (jaguar and pearl), 2 sets of bars (nitto rb-21 & b-123aa), sugino 75 bb, cranks and chainring, 2 cogs (15t gold star & 17t superstar from eai), nitto jaguar "saddle pillar", phil wood hubs and deep v wheels and izumi super toughness chain. Most of it was just me wasting money, from a need/performance standpoint.

only upgrades that would make a big difference would be a decent wheelset. everything else is just for looks/comfort imo. cranks too i guess.

first thing's first: sugino 75s. then mks royal nuevos. then toshi doubles. then a aerospoke front. then a deep v laced to a phil in the back. then some pricey deda track drops.
then if you have any money left, buy a really expensive rope and hang yourself.

I love the Pista.

If I had a custom frame made, I'd tell the maker to use my Pista frame as the model.

My headset failed on me fairly early on, but then I weigh 235 when riding all up.

King makes the lightest and best headset, but also the most expensive.
Cane Creek has a whole range of headsets, from inexpensive to very expensive, and they all do a good job.

Soon after my headset failed, I broke a spoke, which happens not too often, but it happens.

Wheels, tubes and tires represent the most meaningful upgrade, in my opinion, but it costs money.

Cane Creek's Volos Track wheel set costs about $550, a slug of money, but they significantly reduce the rotational inertia of the wheels, which makes for better acceleration, braking (not everybody skids), and climbing (unless the rider has an absolutely perfect spin, he or she must re-accelerate his wheels against gravity twice per rpm).

A Continental Four Season tire in front, Continental Gatorskin in back, and Salsa Superlite tubes, with the Cane Creek wheels, costs close to $650 but it makes for a very light, strong, grippy, flat-resistant and quick package.

A Stronglight 130 BCD crank from John Dace at Businesscycles for less than $125 provides the lightest crank available, with plenty of strength and precision.
Combine this with a Phil 108mm JIS bottom bracket for $109, and Phil cups for $35 and TWO bottom bracket tools for $28.
This gives access to the world of cheap, light and efficient 130 BCD chainrings.
I have 39t, 42t, 46t, 47t, 52t and 53t chainrings.

Use only EAI cogs.
Do not switch cog manufacturers because the slight diffences in threading will shorten the life of the rear hub.
I have 16t, 17t, 18t and 19t EAI cogs.
A 17t and 19t cog, with 39t, 42t, and 46/47t chainrings, provides a huge range of gear inches, and allows a lot of experimentation.
I have ridden 82 gear inches to 54 gear inches, and everything in between.
They all have merit depending on the situation.

I have found hard saddles more comfortable, in the long run, than soft saddles.
Selle San Marco makes a nice Ti Aero Aspide that weighs less than 200g and costs less than $125.
Jenson and Performance both list this saddle.
Not everyone likes it, but a lot of people do.

I like bullhorns and bar end brake levers.
They don't cost much.

I invested in a bunch of very cheap stems of various lengths and degrees of rise.
I went through seven or eight combinations before I found out that 90mm and 6 degrees of rise works for me on the street.
Then I bought a higher quality (and more expensive) stem of those dimensions.

I ride with Shimano 970 double-sided SPD pedals, but 540's do just as well for half the money.
These pedals make sure I can clip in effortlessly in a hurry, and in three years I have unclipped twice, both times just a little earlier than I planned.
I brake by back pedaling (I ride on expensive tires and I get a year out of them), and I stop quickly, and I have never unclipped while braking or at high spin rates.

Shimano's cheapest Mountain Bike shoe does a great job and I can walk in them very comfortably.
I sometimes forget I have them on my feet.

So, Cayman, upgrade as you can afford it.
I makes for a great hobby, and I enjoy the planning, saving, and anticipation almost as much as putting the upgraded part on the bike.

I've shared what I did with my Pista, and you will probably make different choices.
Have fun.

Wheels are probably your best bet if you're happy with the fit.

upgrade you brain and worry more about making time to ride your bike than putting together a fashion build.

throw on some yellow tires and call it a day. amazing how a set of tires make such a huge difference.

http://tancredi.co.uk/assets/2007/7/1/BianchiPista_1.jpg

ok change the grips too, seat, and fork :p but it looks pretty much the same at a glance
http://velospace.org/files/opposite1asdf3324.jpg

I am selling mine.

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e211/gbae007/fd3561bb.jpg

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e211/gbae007/front_0408.jpg

I was wondering about that, the cog had already slipped out before, so I guess that's what i need to replace first. I guess it couldn't handle the skids...

I was wondering about that, the cog had already slipped out before, so I guess that's what i need to replace first. I guess it couldn't handle the skids...


...or you cant operate a chainwhip/Lockring spanner. I wont even go into rotafixing if the whip/spanner pair foiled your plots of bike maintnence. Granted, the cog isnt necessarily high quality...

sounds like great advice, I've been thinking about the type of wheelset I'd like to make. acceleration is very important with these commuters, and I was wondering about how the wheelset would benefit on the fixie. Thanks.

sounds like great advice, I've been thinking about the type of wheelset I'd like to make. acceleration is very important with these commuters, and I was wondering about how the wheelset would benefit on the fixie. Thanks.

Open Pro's to formula's from bicycle wheels, if you're worried about acceleration thats the jam for the dollars, also if you gear down a bit (say toss on a 17t cog or a 44t chainring) you will accelerate quicker, though not hold as high a top speed.

Ya Wheels. Aerospoke in front, white adn deep V in back.

...or you cant operate a chainwhip/Lockring spanner. I wont even go into rotafixing if the whip/spanner pair foiled your plots of bike maintnence. Granted, the cog isnt necessarily high quality...

It did foil my plot, I must learn more great Jedi master :)

It did foil my plot, I must learn more great Jedi master :)

indeed you must young padawan...
speaking of which, anybody else mad stoked they are and have been playing all the star wars movies on spike every weekend? Stoked for A New Hope tomorrow night.

I wish I could live in a place where chrome pistas didn't get stolen every 20 minutes.

Aerospoke...tired. Put your $$$ into something else.

might as well wish for a decent lock and god given lessons on how to use them then too.

I am selling mine.

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e211/gbae007/fd3561bb.jpg

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e211/gbae007/front_0408.jpg

What kind of fork is that?

another question for min: what are those bullhorns? somas? i want em.