Moving on from the Pista?
 

I have a Bianchi Pista that I purchased used from a local guy, unfortunately, it is too small. It's a 57cm and I need a 61cm. It didn't bother me too much at first, but it's gotten a little annoying the more I ride it. The question is should I replace it with a properly sized Pista, or should I upgrade to something with a bit more quality. With selling my old frame and a brand new Leader 721 frame and fork I have lying around I could afford to upgrade to something nicer, like a Pista Concept or a Bareknuckle if I could find it.

If you ride everyday then upgrade. If you don't, stick with the pista. Although, remember, the nicer your bike becomes the sketchier it's going to become leaving it places.

What about the pista, other than the size, don't you like? There are now a million options for reasonably priced SS bikes, so find one that has the features that you want.

"Nicer" is a meaningless concept if the bike doesn't fit your needs. Unless you just want it to post pictures of on the internet.

+1, it sucks having to worry about locking your bike up. The whole reason I got into FG was b/c I needed a bike I could ride around town and lock up. Now I am more worried about my FG getting stolen than I am my road bike.

they op's from tahoe.

i think locking his bike up with some yarn and a stern look will do the trick.

now, as to the point: what about test riding a right-size pista first?

Those are really good points... The one thing I know I want is a bike that is a tad more stiff. I enjoy the geometry of the Pista and how tight it feels, but I still feel there is some flex. I don't know if I really want to go to aluminum, but maybe a higher grade steel.

the 'flexiness' may, in fact, be your knees giving out as you ride an under-sized frame.

You just described a Soma Rush.

why should riding small frames mess up your knees? you still can adjust the seat in the propper hight with a longer seatpost.
your pista on verlospace looks like its almost to big not to small

The pista is good steel. Anything nicer (more expensive) won't really change the feel. It could make the bike lighter by maybe a pound in the most extreme cases. You could get that kind of weight difference with a new seatpost and stem if you were really inclined.

Aluminum will make a lighter frame at a given price. The difference in the ride isn't as great as some people make it out to be, but it is noticable.

If you say you like the geometry, then be careful about choosing a frame. A lot of the new stock entry level "track" bikes are moving to more relaxed geometry for road riding (this includes the new pistas). Most aluminum bikes will still have steeper track geometry, but not all. As far as I know the Kilo is still the same geometry as the old KHS track bike it was copied from.

Also, you said you need a 61cm. But every company measures their bikes differently. Bianchi's 61cm is really only a 58-59 measured center to center. And the top tube length is as important as the ST length. Try to find a shop that provides a free fit measurement with a test ride (not just having you stand over the bike and then adjusting the seat to about the right height). Try to get the exact seat height off the bike (they might not just tell it to you). Finding the right TT length takes either a really in-depth fitting or a lot of experience riding different bikes. And remember that all of these measurements are only approximate. Seatposts are adjustable and stems come in different sizes for a reason.

Totally true. Sometimes I wish I had POS bikes so I could actually run errands and not worry about having my lock broken and the bike stolen.

hey would you be willing to seel the 721TR frame only?? If so how much?? and what size/color??

There's a brand new 61cm Pista concept on ebay going for $500+ right now.

I don't really understand the hype on the Pistas; get this, there's a local guy selling his 05 53cm for.....wait for it.....$900!!!