I have a Bianchi Pista right now with B43 rims right now and I am thinking of lightening up my frame. I realize the wheels are heavy, but I want to try them out on an aggressive aluminum track frame. I've compared the geometries of the Super Pista and the Cinelli Mash, the two primary frames I am considering. The Bianchi seems to have a little tighter geometry on paper, but how do they differ in handling, climbing ability, sprinting, absorbing bumps in the road, and any other advise you could give to enlighten my decision. Thank you!

well, they are obviously both great climbing bikes.

anyways...i don't even bother considering the MASH frame just b/c of that...it's a MASH frame. **** that.

what makes them good climbing bikes?

There are a ton of steep ascents in the velodrome.

I would go with the Mash. The Super Pista looks like ass. But I also have a soft spot for anything Cinelli.

I've heard of some nice road bikes for climbing if you are curious.

Mash, super pista is such a dud. They're really incomparable.

If aggressive is what you want then you might want to wait it out (if you can )until that new 2011 Cinelli Mash comes out which is more aggressive than the current.

The super pista is not a bad frame aside from the fact that it lacks personality and looks like a leader with a bianchi badge and cheap looking decals..... talk about an identity crisis!

super pista. ^^^ agreed. Flat black? really? how original... bianchi needs to redeem themselfs and make the 2011 super pista flourescent-holagraphic-reflective-"ouch my eyes"- hot pink. I would buy it.

It's like Bianchi just sat around scratching their heads after Sky Yaeger left. Like, maybe they rummaged around through her wastebasket and found something she designed when she was wasted.

"Seemed like a good idea at the time"

Totally. But I'm pretty sure ANY bianchi looks good sporting celeste.


Alas that explains everything.... this makes us guys look bad..... (trust me I'm pretty sure the majority of ppl who make & design bikes are dudes; she was rare)

Actually...

My Pista Concepts did climb very well. The really stiff rear triangle never got mushy or bouncy when climbing hills.


That being said, dude if you are going to put risers or something on the bikes, then the geometry is out the window. Also, tight/aggressive geometry doesn't start to feel good until you get well over 30MPH (48kph). Until then, it's twitchy.

Pick the one that looks coolest.

The Pista is already a relatively lightweight steel frame, classic. Designed for the street equally to the track. The super pista being aluminum might shave a lb. overall but your wheelset is like 7 lbs! That's rotating mass. You complain about climbing but you have 43mm deep aluminum rims that weigh 800-900grams each on top of the hubs, spokes. If you want a climbing rig, then get gears. If you want to suffer, then you're in the right place with your setup, losing a lb. on the frame for its stiff and what some would say, jarring, ride quality puts your bike total even worse than it begins with.

If 43m wheels are bad, then why does everyone set up the Mash with deep wheels? I thought that wheel weight is somewhat more justifiable because they are rotating mass, which won't slow you down as much as that same weight on the frame.

Heavy wheels are harder to get started, and once they're going, they're harder to stop. This is good if you're cruising in a wide open bike lane, because the heavier rotating mass smooths out and inconsistencies in your pedal stroke (there are always some). This also means if you are going to be brakeless, it will take longer to slow down, unless you're going to be skid/skip stopping, in which case the effect of the extra weight will be negligible (for slowing down, anyways).

EDIT I think if you're just itching for something different, sell the wheels, buy a lighter pair, and strip the decals on your Pista. It'll save you money, and you'll be able to notice a difference. This is my next project. The all-chrome frame with no decals looks pretty slick with some gum sidewalls and track drops, IMO.

word

i could be reading this wrong, but i think that was sarcasm about being a good climbing bike.....because they are track frames which are supposed to be ridden on a velodrome, and not doing sick skidz on the mean urban streetz. either way i agree about not wanted to buy something called MASH.

The MASH bikes are not designed to be ridden on the velodrome. At least is doesn't seem that way. If so, they would market towards those that race on velodromes. They would showcase photos of the bike being ridden on the track. Maybe sponsor a few riders and give them the bike...yadda yadda yadda.

The MASH bike is synonymous with Elite Street Fixed Gears.

I also thought the mash is for "elite street fixed gears." But I wonder, for those who say it isn't a good climbing bike, what other aluminum track bike rides better on the street?

+1

those wheels are slowing you down waaaay more than the frame.

Aeroheads + 6600 Ultegra front hub + All-City rear track hub + double butted spokes will cost half of what either of those frames cost, and your bike will feel twice as much better. You get to keep your smoother ride, drop something like 3,000 lbs. of rotating mass, and you still get to ride a good looking wheelset that comes in all the Velocity colors (and you can even find them non-machined). Plus, I doubt it will be hard to sell a B43 wheelset. If you want to climb better, accelerate faster, and generally enjoy street riding more, lighter wheels will make a much bigger difference than either of those frames.

Oh, and if the Pista frame can be easily stripped to just chrome, do that. It will look and ride like a whole new bike, and should be doable for under $300 depending on who builds the wheels.