I come to this forum often enough that I feel kind of vouyeristic just reading everyone elses stuff and not participating myself.
I am in the middle of deciding whether I should buy a gang green pista and strip it of its stickers to avoid robbery- as well as glances from hipsters pretending to be messengers who are supposing I am a poser (which, by the way, was something I was concerned about when I bought my first pair of Vision Street Wear sneakers back in 88: I was nine)

Ive learnt on here that the Pista is not a great bike, but right for the price.
I figure I could run it into the ground and begin to build it up properly as time goes on.


The other option which costs more money would be to purchase an EAI Bareknuckle and build it not to exceed over eight hundred dollars. This, of course, will cost more money,

Ive been riding fixed gear only for about a year now. I havent had a new bike in a long time and am wondering if it is worth saving a little extra money and then buy the bareknuckle with a decent set up?

If anyone has advice please reply.

thanx
c

I think the Pista looks great in gang green!

but if you're not in a rush, why not keep your eyes peeled for a good price on a bare knuckle. If you're very lucky, you'll find one that fits, is in good shape, and is in a similar pukey green! Building up from the frame will cost more, or take a while if you bargain hunt, but it is a fun and satisfying way to get a bike you'll love.

Good luck. I don't think it's possible to build up a bareknuckle with good parts for <$800, given that the frame is like $400, unless you have some sort of shop hook-up.

people like to bash on the pista, but it is really a good value for an entry level, track geometry bike.

check out the other off the shelf bikes, such as the specialized langster, the IRO mark v/angus/jamie roy, raleigh rush hour or others.

(hint: search the board for more info)

i'd say buy the pista. you'll like it, you'll ride the parts till they break, then you'll get a new wheelset, crankset, and bb.

The new gang green pista is fire, or atleast i think so. I really like my pista, but that may be due to the fact that it is my first "track" (using the term losely(sp?) here) frame. I've took a ride on my friends Serotta as well as an IRO, and most recently a KHS flite and i have obviously seen a difference in response, stiffness, weight, etc. However, the Pista is still so different from my old fixie conversion.

If i was in your position (which i am not sure exactly what it is) I would go with the Pista. I am guessing (sorry if i am wrong) that you've been riding like a conversion or something of the sort, so a Pista upgraded with the extra loot you have is not a bad idea at all.

On the other hand, Bareknuckles are beautiful, but the build could get pretty costly, plus there is nothing worse then a beautiful frame and sub-par components. I'd say if you're going with the EAI, i would not worry about the money and go bawls out (or atleast try too.)


Eitherway im sure you'll be wicked happy with your new ride (and i'll be jealous to boot). Goodluck.

i'm in the same boat of "cheap vs. midrange" debate.. even been considering a jamis sputnik, but haven't found a place around here that sells them

<rant>
The sputnik looks nice but how can you trust a track bike built by people, allegedly bike savy people, who describe it as "Sputnik hangs proper rear-facing track dropouts".

They're bloody not dropouts, they're track ends!!
</rant>

If you have a budget of <800, then go look at the Soma Pake and Rush (can often find good deals on these) or similar frame. You can use your spare change to invest in a decent wheelset and the 2nd hand stuff market should be able to supply you with everything else.

Definitely also look at an IRO, just because the wheelset is better than most off-the-shelf bikes out there.

my 04 pista now has nothing stock but stem and fork. and soon, those shall be gone as well. i guess what im trying to say is that you arent stuck with what it comes with forever. and it starts off pretty sweet. the only thing i really had to change about it was seat, seatpost, and the chainring. i still feel kinda like a chump buying a bike from a store like that, but ****in-a, man, it was the right price at the right time. i guess if i had more money and the right opportunity, i would have gone a different direction. its all about situation, and if your gut is telling you to get the pista, i say go for it, unless theres something else thats really catching your eye.

yeah, the pista's not a bad choice at all. i like mine, but it's all upgraded. just buy a frame and put nice parts on it. as stated, it'll be harder to put nice parts on a bareknuckle at that price. for that price, the pista is by no means a bad frame, and you can get nice parts for with that cash (and let's face it, the stock pista parts are nothing to kill for).

they also handle very nicely on the street...i thought it was just mine, or my perception of it, but recent comments from ken cox reinforced that idea.

just be ready to have people putting it down left and right. it's a decent frame if you put decent parts on it and it's sure affordable. if you can ignore people being asses to you (like the girl at a party i went to on saturday night who kept telling me "dude, your bike's a pista *****!!!!" like it was either the world's greatest truth or really ****ing clever) and just enjoy your ride, then you're good to go.

just my two cents on the pista.

Do the Pista. I'm lovin' my Gang Green, my first fixed. I'll upgrade parts as I see fit or not. Save your money.

Bianchi's been doing this a long time.

And I like the 100% chick designed sticker. Now I just need a Rollo the Clown sticker.

cambridge bicycle. mass ave. central sq. near MIT.

didn't think i saw one last time i was there. i'll try again.

In all fairness what the marketing dept. does to attract potential
buyers has little to do with the way the bike is built and what real, knowledgable
riders are looking for...

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...hlight=sputnik

This is the review that would sell me on a Sputnik. From someone who knows
as opposed to marketing stuff.

there was at least one there in early jan, IIRC. they sell jamis, so it wouldn't be too hard to get one from them anywho.

Pista isnt a bad choice at all. The only negative factor is that the Pista is the choice of hipsters (in my city). Sowsome ignorant kids will lump you into that category. So what, you got a good ride with alright parts that can be replaced. But the frame is great. Now for 50$more, you can go IRO which has, fromw hat I hear, better parts to start off with.