Bianchi Pista as ss commuter?
 

Craigslist Mpls has a chrome '05 Bianchi Pista listed for $275, and describes it as being in like-new condition. I haven't seen it in person yet - only the pic posted in the ad, which does look pretty good. Assuming that it checks out mechanically and is in as good condition as represented, wouldn't this bike be well worth $275 (or a bit less if I can get the guy to accept it).

Thought about posting in the ss/fg forum, but I hear they're a bunch of Richards over there.

If it fits you buy it, add a brake if it needs one. Oh and talk a lot about the "being one with the bike" and the "zen experience."

I've put 12,000 miles on my '02 and I highly recommend it. Practically maintenence free on the road if you take care of it at home, and it's lots of fun to ride.

fixed and SS are two very different bikes. Which one is it ?
I think(?) a Pista is only fixed unless you add a BMX cog.
Fixed is fabulous fun but if you live in a congested area or
a lot of downhills it can get sort of un-fun after a while.
SS is cool cuz you can coast and development monster tuff
spin technique :D

Pistas should be overpriced, this is bad news. I've alerted Bike Snob NYC.

No, no, no. It's a bad ride. Not worth $10. Do you know the size by chance? :D

Mine is a 2006 I believe. It came fixed and the rear hub sucked. I killed that on the second ride but the shop helpfully gave me a new and better rear wheel. Harris cyclery in Newton, MA, great shop. One thing to consider, assuming the 2005 is the same, is that it's not drilled for a rear brake. So if you were to ride it ss you'd have no rear brake. I can deal with front brake only on a fixed gear, but not on an ss, ymmv. As a fixed gear I like that bike though.

It's a good deal if it's in like-new condition! I'd get it...you can always unload it back onto CL for about that price. There is usually enough demand for the Pista.

I do think that it comes in fixed gear only, not singlespeed. I've *heard* that you can screw freewheels onto fixed hubs, but there's the danger of stripping the thread. You'll have to look into that if you're serious about the bike and don't want to spend any money on another wheelset.

Lastly, there is always the track geometry discussion. I don't own a Pista so I have no idea if the comfort issue is blown out of proportion. Again, something to maybe look into.

if the rear hub is a flip-flop style hub, then you can have both free wheel and fixed.

$275 for a 05 bianchi pista is a pretty good price... considering older conversions cost about the same and new ones costing around $600...

The Pista will not accommodate a rear brake. That would make me a little reluctant to run it as a single speed. That said, I enjoy mine.

It wouldn't be my first choice (I'd look for a San Jose rather than a Pista), but it looks like a fun ride. Any bike can make a good commuter if you're willing to accept its limitations; in this case, no bottle cages or fender bosses.

The Raleigh One Way or the Redline 925 would male great single speed commute bikes.

Pista's are great. They have a snap to them. They are comfortable. Just get a good seat and lean forward a bit and that track geometry should not be an issue. I've ridden 63 miles once without stopping (except for lights and tightening my shoe straps and I was not beat or sore any more than my road bike! Just tired really and more wind chapped than anything!

did back-to-back centuries (seattle to portland) on my '05 pista, it rode like a dream!

if only my knees could hold up with all that skidding though.... just keep the skids to a minimum, to save the knees.

and throw a front brake on it, unless you know how to bail really well. =]

little late, but yeah, that. :D ive been looking for a pista for a while. and they never seem to show up on mpls craigslist.

It's small - 49-50cm. Thanks for all the replies. I wasn't specifically looking for a ss, but when I came across this one, it seemed like a great deal.

If I recall correctly, the hub that comes on the Pista is not a flip-flop, it's a track style hub with provision for a lockring. You can however thread on a bmx style freewheel and it'll be fine. If the threads stand up to riding fixed they'll be fine with the freewheel. The issues will be:
a) The standard hub sucks.
b) Getting the lockring and cog off can be hard. If you don't have the tools/experience, have the LBS take care of it.
c) You'll have no back brake unless you run it fixed.
The price is quite fair if it really is in a good condition. I love the look of that bike and I love riding it, fixed with a front brake. I don't however really see me doing my commute on a fixed gear, but if you have a flat commute with decent conditions I'm sure it's a blast.

If you get tired of the singlespeed experience, you can always use an internally geared hub. I think you would have to get the rear brake bridge drilled for a brake, but its no big deal. I say go for it.

They make internal geared hub with coaster brakes, too.