I'm starting to really dig this!
 

So I bought a Bianchi '04 Pista a week a go to use to haul the kids around in the Burley. I've been using a 42x18 freewheel. My road bike is down due to the fact that the rear wheel is in for service and Tuesdays are my TT night. So although I had the brakes removed from the Pista (I took them apart to clean them) I took it out as a fixie (48x16). I've got a great 8.9mile TT loop right outside my neighborhood. It's a pretty tough loop with lot's of rollers and a stiff head wind on the out section of the lap. My best time on my road bike is 20:32, last night I dropped 57 sec off that time! Now the head wind was only about 15mph last night and usually it's in the higher teens or low twenties so that helped but it can't be the only reason. It must be that I've been "cheating" in my pedal stroke with the road bike, something you can't do on fixed bike. Me thinks that Santa might be bringing me a really nice track bike for Christmas!

whats wrong with the pista?

sounds like a pretty fast bike.

Nothing but I want...no I must have this! I'm kind of a obsesive person when it comes to bikes :eek:


http://www.bikeforums.net/attachment...chmentid=15488

Come to the dark side. Sell the rodie bike. Buy the most perfect track bike you can with the money from it....

Come to the dark side...

:grin:

I think the residence in the dark side is already begun. Sounds like he's contacted the realtor already.

Seriously, this is a good thing. Glad to hear that you are fully bitten by the bug.

Not only will a fixed gear improve your time because it won't let you cheat on your pedal stroke, but it will also make your legs stronger and thus shave even more seconds off. I shaved off six (SIX!) minutes from my time around the central park loop ( i believe it's 6.5 miles) in four months of riding only fixed gear.

But is it tough on a person's knees?

A serious cyclist will pretty quickly tire of the seriously crummy components on the Pista. I bought one because it was cheap and complete to try out FG cycling, but only rode it for two months. I thought about upgrading parts, but I decided the frame was nothing special and sold the thing complete for what I paid for it new, and built a beauty of a fixie for just a couple hundred more than the Pista cost new.

just make sure you don't enjoy it when you pass a roadie on a climb.

hey dgs - what are you using for pedals? clipless? i'm finding my pedal stoke isn't improving much when i train on the track bike, but then again, i'm using toe straps.

"just make sure you don't enjoy it when you pass a roadie on a climb."

and heavens to mergatroid, wear your helmet!

Well I did pass a few roadies on my ride last night, and it was on the climbs. They did however get me right back when the road went down, and yes I did think about the other thread ;)


and heavens to mergatroid, wear your helmet!

Never leave the house without it.

I will say that the first few minutes with a bike with no freewheel or brakes was a little nerve racking. I almost kicked myself off the thing at one point when I stood up and tried to "freewheel"!

run bigger gear and you'll be set;)

Yeah I hear ya! I'm going to keep the Pista cause it will serve me well as the "tow vehicle" but I really can tell that this is a "get what you pay for" bike. I started to think the same thing about upgrading but after seeing the Bob Jackson that idea just ended. I covet that bike....is that so wrong!

If not the BJ then I'll find an older lugged frame and build up something from that.

Yea, that Bob Jackson is really nice. I've been contemplating having one of those built or a Mercian (Bobbie J is a lil cheaper, but I just love the Mercian for some reason)
Super Vigorelli!

I have MKS track pedals (not the 100 dollar ones, the 30 dollar ones...although I'm thinking about getting a pair of the 100 dollar ones. they look nice) with mks steel toe cages and LEATHER straps. I can't stress enough how much of a difference leather straps make as compared to woven nylon.

Speaking of which...I saw on ebay a day or two ago some used MKS NJS-certified track pedals that were holding steady at $10 with 5 or 6 days to go? Anybody see or snag them? I can't find them anymore.

2Rodies,

Where in Austin are you riding?

People don't start bidding until 2 days left or a hour left. I always bid in the last 30mins.

I took the Pista out in So Austin Loop 1-45 loop. It's a good quick training ride I do when my wife gets home. Weekends are usually with the ATC ride or I'll do San Marcos or Buda to Driftwood and back. Sundays are with the 360 Cyclworks guys and that is the Dam Loop.

So I just visited the Bob Jackson website and OMG I'm even more in love than before! Now I can't decide on the color....chrome lugs?....or painted w/lug outline. Man those are just sweeeeeet framesets.

Try going to the Landshark site. JOhn puts together a frame called the Track Shark and it is amazing looking. There are two on his gallery that make your head hit the screen. White with campy and the Molteni orange one <sigh> Any color/crazy design you want is a no-charge option.

Those are pretty sweet. Land Sharks are great rides. But I am getting one of the Bob Jackson's. It's going to be a several month project but the frame should be in my hands in several weeks. Thinking of Perl white with chrome luggs w/black outline and white decals w/black outline. From there it will be a Campy crankset Cinelli pista stem and bullhorn handlebars (who makes the hot bullhorns) but I would love some input on wheelsets/headsets.

Damn, that's going to be a sweet bike. Rims, Open Pro SUP's with either Phil hubs or high flange Dura-Ace hubs. If you can find them though, some NOS Suntour Superbe track hubs. Headset: Black Chris King or the classic Campy.

hm ..now you are going to the deep end..there´s two bob j.´s in my town..and he is an artisan..too sweet, but jumbo won his ride , a custom bob j. 3 month ago , and he just got it the other day.. it was worth the wait, but 90 days?..now don´t say we didn´t warn you..what a great bike you have fallen for..
/m