Need advice on brake for Bianchi Pista
09-01-05, 04:01 PM
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Need advice on brake for Bianchi Pista
Hello, I just bought a Bianchi Pista and find its stock set up kind of frightening without a brake. Could anyone recommend a good front brake and rear hub combination to modify the bike with?
Any other suggestions on how to improve the bike would be greatly appreciated!
Any other suggestions on how to improve the bike would be greatly appreciated!
09-01-05, 04:09 PM
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I like the OEM hub on the Pista.
As long one doesn't strip the threads, it does the job.
I have limited myself to using only EAI cogs so that the threads remain the same even when I change cogs.
As for a front brake, I use a cheap Shimano Sora and it works well for me.
As long one doesn't strip the threads, it does the job.
I have limited myself to using only EAI cogs so that the threads remain the same even when I change cogs.
As for a front brake, I use a cheap Shimano Sora and it works well for me.
09-01-05, 04:10 PM
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A front brake will be fine. If you don't want a brake switch to an 18 tooth cog in the back it will make it slightly easier to stop with pedal resistance.
09-01-05, 04:13 PM
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Forgive my ignorance of bicycle terminology but what is required to allow the rear to spin freely so one may coast without pedaling?
09-01-05, 04:32 PM
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get a Sora brake on the front, and mount an 18t freewheel on the other side of your hub.that way you'll be able to freewheel while getting used to the new bike, and then switch over to the fixed side when you're ready. you'll probably wind up changing the fixed gear to something like an 18t anyhow. 
09-01-05, 04:40 PM
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a freehub. the pista comes stock with a flip-flop hub that is fixed-fixed. what that means is a hub that can accept a gear on either side, and is fixed, ie will not freewheel, on both. this allows you to have two different sized cogs and therefore two different gear ratios. hubs are available that have a fixed side and freewheel side so you have a choice of riding style, but you don't have one. the pista is not drilled for a rear brake and (whether purists like it or not) is a track bike, so to run a freehub in back seems to defeat the object of the bike, in my opinion, but it's your bike and you can do whatever you want with it. a front brake is all you need for a fixed gear bicycle (or none), and i use a crappy tektro. nothing to stop you putting a top of the line campy or dura brake if you want.
throw your saddle in the trash and buy a better one
throw your saddle in the trash and buy a better one
09-01-05, 04:42 PM
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Originally Posted by eddiebrannan
a freehub. the pista comes stock with a flip-flop hub that is fixed-fixed. what that means is a hub that can accept a gear on either side, and is fixed, ie will not freewheel on both. this allows you to have two different sized cogs and therefore two different gear ratios. hubs are available that have a fixed side and freewheel side so you have a choice of riding style, but you don't have one. the pista is not drilled for a rear brake and (whether purists like it or not) is a track bike, so to run a freehub in back seems to defeat the object of the bike, in my opinion, but it's your bike and you can do whatever you want with it. a front brake is all you need for a fixed gear bicycle (or none), and i use a crappy tektro. nothing to stop you putting a top of the line campy or dura brake if you want.
throw your saddle in the trash and buy a better one
throw your saddle in the trash and buy a better one
09-01-05, 04:44 PM
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09-01-05, 04:46 PM
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Also, you *can* (usually) put a freewheel on a hub that is fixed/fixed too. It's not really an issue at all; a small section of the freewheel won't have support from inside, but hey, if Sheldon Brown says it can work, it probably can. Git 'er done!
Originally Posted by eddiebrannan
a freehub. the pista comes stock with a flip-flop hub that is fixed-fixed. what that means is a hub that can accept a gear on either side, and is fixed, ie will not freewheel, on both. this allows you to have two different sized cogs and therefore two different gear ratios. hubs are available that have a fixed side and freewheel side so you have a choice of riding style, but you don't have one.
09-01-05, 04:51 PM
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its fixed fixed because it has lockring threading on both sides. The lock ring inner diameter is of course smaller than the cog (or freewheel) inner diameter so you can thread a freewheel onto the cog threading and it will overhang the lock ring threads without any interference.
09-01-05, 04:52 PM
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i think it's called a fixed/fixed because you can put fixed on both sides.
fixed/free only has reverse threading for a lockring on one side.
you could put freewheels on both sides of a fixed fixed if you wanted to.
fixed/free only has reverse threading for a lockring on one side.
you could put freewheels on both sides of a fixed fixed if you wanted to.
09-01-05, 05:40 PM
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I thought the same as you until I saw the wisdom of The Sheldon and stopped to think about it for a minute. You really do learn stuff here (almost) every day.
09-01-05, 06:57 PM
#16
Maglia Ciclamino
Okay, so I too just scored a Pista, and I would like to install a freewheel on the flipside of my 16t. Any suggestions?
09-01-05, 07:06 PM
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If you want to go overboard and jump in head first, you can get the White Industries one. For lower cost options, you can get the plain vanilla Shimano and AC Racing freewheels from Harris, among other places. The AC Racing looks like it might be a lil' bit better, and it's only $25.
09-01-05, 07:16 PM
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Originally Posted by gcasillo
Okay, so I too just scored a Pista, and I would like to install a freewheel on the flipside of my 16t. Any suggestions?
well it seems like you can just go right ahead
09-01-05, 07:40 PM
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the saddle is the best part of the bianchi pista, throw the rest of the bike in the trash and put the saddle on something else
09-01-05, 11:11 PM
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I've got the pista too and added some shimano tiagra's on the front. They work beautifully. Good bang for the buck too.
09-02-05, 01:39 PM
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Originally Posted by countrad
Forgive my ignorance of bicycle terminology but what is required to allow the rear to spin freely so one may coast without pedaling?
However the Bianchi Pista is, unfortunately, not drilled to accept a rear brake, so it is not a good idea to install a freewheel on one of these. You should never use a freewheel on a bike with only one brake (at least not on the street.)
If the front brake fails or can't be used for some reason, you will have no backup if the bike has a freewheel.
See also https://sheldonbrown.com/fixed
Sheldon "Fixed Plus Front Brake" Brown
Code:
+-----------------------------------------------------------+ | Oh freddled gruntbuggly | | thy micturations are to me | | As plurdled gabbleblotchits on a lurgid bee. | | Groop I implore thee, my foonting turlingdromes. | | And hooptiously drangle me with crinkly bind-lewurdles, | | Or I will rend thee in the gobberwarts with my | | blurglecruncheon, see if I don't! | | -- Prostetnic Vogon Jeltz | +-----------------------------------------------------------+
09-02-05, 01:50 PM
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Originally Posted by jamisonjamison
the saddle is the best part of the bianchi pista, throw the rest of the bike in the trash and put the saddle on something else
what do you ride?
09-06-05, 08:22 PM
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my 04 is fixed-free. definitely no reverse threads on the "other" side. should this not be?
