JeStOnE

I have a 2005 Bianchi Pista. While I was riding in Critical Mass Chicago this weekend my seatbolt snapped in half while I was riding, so ended up being that I rode my fixie standing for the next hour or so till I could get to public transportation to my house. Next my neck and back where all wrenched up for the last 2 days and I have only been able to get out of bed today. And only because I need to get the replacement bolt so I can work tommarrow. So I went just about everywhere in the chicago land area to find the replacement hardware stores as well as bike shopes even the place that sold it to me (Turin of Evanston) also an authorized dealer in Bianchi, the mechanic who I asked was not only rude but said they could not give me a bolt of one of their exsisting bikes on display because they "might" sell all 5 in the next week. So the best they could do is have bianchi get the replacement seatpost bolt shipped from the factory in Tiawan that built it. And it would take most likely 2 weeks to get it. So beware of the junk crap bolt and the fact you wont be able to find one in the chicagoland area at all. F@#kin bullsh$t if you ask me.

shants

it definitely sucks that your seatpost binder bolt (are you talking about the binder bolt or the bolt that holds the saddle onto the seatpost?), but one instance of a problem does not indicate a model-wide defect. could be that it was just a one-off bad bolt, could be that whomever set it up had the bolt torqued too tightly, etc... i can always appreciate a "heads up" on faulty hardware, but it's really best to declare your situation as what it is -- a particular instance of failure -- rather than some sweeping defect.

there seems to be all too much of this sort of thing on these forums -- a one-instance situation being used to dismiss a manufacturer/model/piece of equipment.

in any case, glad that you didn't crash when it snapped or anything like that. best of luck.

absntr

A seatpost binder bolt is a relatively easy piece of hardware to find at least at any good bike shop. Yojimbo's and Upgrade both have 'em in stock, pretty much all the time.

A seatbolt defect is a number of things - rust build up, angle of seat, saddle, weight, overtigtening, etc. As well as what shants mentioned - a one-off.

Ken Cox

Jestone wrote:

"...the place that sold it to me (Turin of Evanston) also an authorized dealer in Bianchi, the mechanic who I asked was not only rude but said they could not give me a bolt of one of their exsisting bikes on display because they 'might' sell all 5 in the next week."

Maybe in the big city they sell five Pista's a week.
Hm.
Anyway, if ever in Evanston I now know where not to go.
Shame on them.

TNCLR

I break the Campy ones all the time. Seat binder bolts are notoriously fragile. Spend the $3.50, get a new one, move on.

EnLaCalle

ken cox et al, i used to live in evanston and Turin is a great shop. One of the better bike shops I've ever been to (and if I recall correctly, the only one i think i've seen that carried Independent Fabrications bikes on their floor, fwiw) in fact. A lot of mechanics and bike shop sales people are total jerks. A lot aren't. I remember one mechanic who there who gave a free wheel-truing workshop that I attended. That guy was super-nice and really concerned that everyone understand. Once again, no reason to dismiss a particular shop for one instance/mention of poor customer service.

fight or flight

agreed, one snapped seatbolt and we have a BEWARE PISTA DEFECT thread? ugh.

HereNT

I can think of so many other defects with the 2005 pista... It's chrome... It's ridden by a lot of hipsters... It's a pista...

auroch

Yeah, but then "BEWARE------Guy torqued seat binder bolt or bolt may have been rusted out or
never lubed" doesn't have quite the same ring.

Honestly, the Pista's seat binder is one of the better designed ones. You broke the bolt so you get a new one. Your lucky they didn't integrate the threading into the frame like some where you might
have stripped it out and you would need a whole new frame. You don't have to torque that bolt that
hard just enough so that the post doesn't slip.

oh and Turin is a great shop. The people there are at the Velodrome all the time and they've
let me borrow a lockring wrench a couple times. Sucks that you got bad service.

jeff

Ken Cox

Thanks to EnLaCalle and stickerguy for the attitude adjustment.
I should have known that.

HereNT wrote:

"I can think of so many other defects with the 2005 pista... It's chrome... It's ridden by a lot of hipsters... It's a pista..."

Oh no!
Somebody called me a hipster the other day and I took it as a compliment.
How embarrassing.
Do we have sticky that defines these things so I'll know when to take offense?

HereNT

Sorry, man - it's one of those 'if you have to ask...' kind of things

beat_pedalr

i saw you on the critical mass ride... i was wondering why you didnt have a seat- now it all makes sense.
on a semi-related side note i know there is a guy who rides RAGBRAI ( ride across iowa..appox. 500miles) with some crazy custom frame that doesnt accept a saddle/seatpost....insane if you ask me.

jacobs

TRIALS ACROSS IOWA!

JeStOnE

I've talked to 3 other people who had the same problem with the bolt, and the problem with the bolt is it's a weird length and the only one that comes close is the campy one but I had to grind it down 1/4 inch. And I'm just gonna say it, Turin has horrid customer service. I spent close to 2500 bucks there in the last 6 months and they haven't been helpful at all. And the last time I bought some chainring bolts they sold me the wrong size and wouldnt let me return them after. They suck and I'm never buying anything from them again.

jasonsan

At first glance , the title of this thread read, " SeatbElt defect". I sit too close to the screen.ha. I was at that CM. The open fire hydrants were a treat, no?

lilHinault

Geez it's a flippin' bolt, Ace Hardware.

crushkilldstroy

false. i work at an ace hardware, and we don't got none.

also, i can't believe this thread is still going on. let it go.

Ira in Chi

The bolt is probably metric. The place to go is : Ametric Supply CO - 2461 North Clybourn Avenue, Chicago, IL 60614


Bring the old one with you.