Bianchi San Jose?
 

I'm pretty new to the whole SS/fixie idea but I'm considering buying a single speed/fixed bike as something to ride to and from class and just for fun around campus. I go to UW in Seattle and most of campus and the surrounding areas is on a slight incline. Here's a pic of the main strip:

http://www.plateausigmapress.com/blo.../04/TheAve.jpg

Would it be too bad of an idea to get a SS/fixie to ride around in this sorta environment?

More specifically, I plan on trying fixie first (words of Sheldon Brown) and switching to SS if I can't get used to it. It seemed that the San Jose had pretty good recommendations and can switch from fixed to free wheel whenever. It's also relatively cheap so I'll be able to slap some new stuff on it.

I found someone selling their stock 2006 San Jose for $300. Seem like a good bike choice/price?

$4.59 for a pack of squares!!! no bike lanes!!! look at all those pothole covers!!!
that's a pretty rough incline! you might want to stick with a pista or langster, or something with track geometry to help.
the san jose isn't really that "twitchy".

cannot gauge seriousness

definitely buy the bike if it's in good condition. San Jose is a GREAT GREAT bike and 300 is good for a used one. Go for it. Don't worry about that incline, that's nothing ;) People ride all over seattle on fixies/ss

just don't lock it up outside overnight. u district is hood as hell.

if you get it, pm me and we can ride, or hit up point 83.

also, i am jealous of your meal card working at which wich.

I live up the road a few blocks from where you took that picture in Ravenna and I ride up the Ave almost every day on my way home from work downtown. I ride a Bianchi Volpe that I converted to single speed. The Volpe is basically the same frame as the San Jose, but set up for gears.

I ride my Bianchi all over Seattle. There aren't too many hills that I can't ride up. Some times I have to stand up and grunt a bit, but eventually I get to where I'm going.

So, yes you can do it single speed or fixed. Personally I prefer SS, but that's me. If you haven't been riding much, it might be some work for you at first, but stick with it and it will get easier. And I love my Volpe, so I think the San Jose would be a great choice. If you plan on riding year round in Seattle, fenders aren't a bad idea and the San Jose will take them much better than a Pista or a lot of other track bikes. Oh and yes, that's a good price.

SS is basically a necessity because of the roads and needing to weight your wheels at an instant's notice. you can ride fixed but it... well you have to be very talented and a little stubbornly committed to shunning technology.

that way you can gear low enough to get up hills you frequent and just coast down them.

Not to be repeated or suggested...
But people in Frisco ride much bigger hills
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0kVa...eature=related

Haha damn, small world right? I actually live right on the ave between 42nd and 43rd where that pic was taken so no meal card for me. They gouge the hell outta you with that stuff charging $8 for some ****ty pasta in lander/terry.

Alright then, I'll give it a shot and letcha know what happens.

Looks like a neat place. For $300, I'd jump on that san jose. Like someone said before, it'll be easy when it comes time for fenders

I have a 2006 san jose, and it is an amazing bike. Don't worry about hills, it can make it up all but the steepest ones. 300 is a steal, you won't regret it.

I ride in the UW a lot, you shouldnt have any problems riding either SS or fixed, even on that slight incline on the ave. I live on Beacon Hill by the hospital, that hill is pretty horrible to get up, or the ones going up to 23rd ave. I dont know that many people who can speed up it. Anyway-hope you get the bike, Im down to ride aswell if you're up for it. My friend and I ride to Golden Gardens and Ballard frequently on the Burke Gilman from downtown Seattle.

Thanks for the input. I'm pretty eager to try n pick it up now. I called earlier and the guy's wife/gf said he was at work and would get back to me later tonight.

And the waiting game begins.

DO IT!
San Jose's are the ****.
Really understated bikes.

the guy in that video is an idiot

If you don't buy the bike, I may have to buy a second one just because. At that price point, you could make it a San-Jos8 (8-speed Nexus) for MSRP.

The guy's on his way over now. All I gotta do now is get some purple deep vs.


JOKES JOEKS

I've ridden an 07 San Jose as my primary bike for the last two years, and it's great. You can run fat tires but I run 23s, I also have a rack and fenders. At one point the rear wheel was freewheel only, I dunno what model year that changed, but the stock wheels I have (Bianchi hubs to Alex A-Class solo rims, 28/28 two cross(!!)) have held up very well considering. I'm almost 200 pounds and often have panniers on the rack and/or a bag on my back, and I have ridden them hard for two years, all winter the first year, but they have been very sturdy. No broken spokes, and very little truing needed. My only complaints are the bb could be stiffer and that the front brake shrieks. I tried pads flat, toed in, toed in aggressively, and toed out aggressively, and the latter is strangely the quietest, but they are still loud. A new fork would fix that I guess.

The San Jose with the centerpull cantis seems like a pretty cool
versatile bike for that price. You can ride it, race it ss cx, put fenders
on it for rain, etc. Take bigger tires so has a smoother ride than
a bike that will only fit 23 to maybe 28 mm tires. I'm actually converting
all my parts that I can off of a Soma Rush to a SS Cx bike for those same
reasons.

Well, here it is (crappy iphone pics, but whatever):

http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/4209/photo13e.jpg
http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/2577/photo11ukd.jpg


Pretty much stock everything, but new slick in the front and knobby in the back. Excellent condition.

First impressions:
-Incredible
-I can't believe I was slightly worried about the incline
-Need new pedals
-The saddle makes looks absolutely flaming

be back later. gonna go ride it around :)

Its a cool bike.

Don't diss the saddle man, it makes you look like a pimp. If you aren't crazy about the stem incline try switching the stem upside down, it might be a bit to aggressive for you but it is worth a go. Other wise if that is to much drop, a new stem is a relatively cheep investment that can make a bundle of difference. Great looking bicycle, great find!

So here's some background story:

I guess I've never been too serious about bikes and rode them about as much as any ordinary kid.

Like I said, I was looking for a new bike to get around town with and just for fun, so I started checking craigslist for something to try w/ a budget of $300.

I found a 2004 Cannondale R800 Sport road bike for $295, which I picked up quickly for being such a good deal. It was in pretty crappy shape, so I tuned it up and put some new brake pads on it, etc. I rode it around a bit, but it seemed like major overkill.

I found the guy that sold me the bike tonight thru craigs a few days ago. He was looking for a road bike and I was looking for a commuter bike. He offered his Bianchi and $180 for my Cannondale. I probably coulda gotten more for it, but he was a nice guy and drove two hours to come pick it up.

Long story short, I got this Bianchi for pretty cheapsies. Starting with $300, I now have the San Jose and $185 to play around with. Like I said though, I'm pretty new to single speed bikes, so I could use some specific recommendations on upgrades that'll go a long way (Pedals are #1 on my priorities).

Thanks in advance brosefs/brosefines.

And, any specific toe-clips/straps that're recommended?

I would change your bars, I think thats kind of a fun thing to change anyway and its interesting to see what works well with your comfort (unless your stoked on the current ones, then thats great too). Are you running this as a single speed or fixed? clips maybe?
Congrats though!

Im currently looking at getting double gate toe clips from SOMA, Im not happy with the MKS clips I have, thats just my preference.
Straps-I think you can get whatever if your just using for single speed. Go to Recycled Cycles, they have everything there, and the people there are very helpful. Its in the UW.