I can't help but share (see the new baby below) - thanks to all for the honest input on my post a few days ago and reading gobs of posts on this forum, I finally decided on the Bianchi Pista. I just brought it home today. Gotta say IT'S FUN to ride. It is nowhere near as difficult as I thought it would be. Downhill is a hoot! and I've got a lot to learn.

I may decide later to get an IRO or this winter get a nice older steel frame to convert to a fixey which I may do anyway. But in the mean time, I can ride this one and if I absolutely dislike riding it then I will sell it in the spring or summer and I don't think it will have cost that much. By the way, the brake is a Suntour Superbe from my old Trek and I put a 20T cog on the back for starters.

If you are having fun already, I predict you'll keep the bike and find fixie riding taking0over more and more of your time on the road. The red accents are nice. Why are you thinking of an IRO or another frame? I commute on my Pista year-round. I have a rear fender and a splash-guard on the down-tube.

The 20 is a good starting cog. In time you might get an 18 or 19, depending on your terrain. But at first, easier is better.

Enjoy.

If you are having fun already, I predict you'll keep the bike and find fixie riding taking0over more and more of your time on the road. The red accents are nice.

Thanks :cool:


Why are you thinking of an IRO or another frame?

The IRO was because I am unsure of the "track" geometry for long rides. Obviously you're doing fine, but this is my first experience with the steeper tubes. And the older conversion would just be for fun 'cuz I like to tinker with stuff. Nice feeling when you're done with a project, to stand back and say, "I did this."

I commute on my Pista year-round. I have a rear fender and a splash-guard on the down-tube.

The 20 is a good starting cog. In time you might get an 18 or 19, depending on your terrain. But at first, easier is better.

Enjoy.

How far do you commute? And how long have you been riding fixed? I can't bring myself to ride in the rain - even with my rain bike. I've been caught in the rain a few times lately when it has started and I am about 14 miles from home and I am never on the rain bike when it happens. I hate when that happens.

What maintenance do you do if riding throughout the year, even in bad weather?

Yikes - too many questions.

Thanks for your comments.

Welcome to the club! I just bought my Pista last week and enjoy it.

I like your personal touches: red cork tape, old school caliper and toe clips.

I have ridden my Pista on a couple 20 mile rides and have no problems with the track geometry of the frame. I went with one size larger (57cm) than my usual size (55cm) and like the longer wheelbase and taller headtube for regular riding.

The only potential problem is the possible toe overlap on some frame, not sure if you will have that problem.

Put in some more saddle time and I think you'll probably keep the Pista. The IRO does have a rear brake mount and can fit fatter tires though, if that's important to you.

I didn't notice at first glance, but looking at your pic I noticed you mounted a bottle cage to your downtube. How did you do that? My 05 Pista has not water bottle cage mounts/bosses.

I don't see any kind of clamp or other add on mount on there?

Do tell...

How far do you commute? And how long have you been riding fixed? I can't bring myself to ride in the rain - even with my rain bike. I've been caught in the rain a few times lately when it has started and I am about 14 miles from home and I am never on the rain bike when it happens. I hate when that happens.

What maintenance do you do if riding throughout the year, even in bad weather?

My commute is 4 or 8 miles, depending on my route, but I also go further out of my way as time allows. I started riding fixed gear April 2003. I've been commuting fixed gear almost ever since.

I don't fret much about my bikes in the rain, steel or not, commuter or fancy road bike. My heretical opinion is that so long as a bike is not stored in the rain, even a daily shower won't hurt it. The Pista probably has 5000+ miles of year-round riding on it and I've only cleaned, oiled & replaced the chain (once or twice). The hubs are cartridge. There's no evident rust anywhere. At the end of this wet season I might re-do the hubs.

For me fenders make rain riding much more pleasant, as do a range of other clothes to accomodate various temperatures and amounts of rain. A Burley rain jacket, optional tights, and even optional goretex rain pants when it's raining just too hard for tights. I wear road cycling stuff with goretex socks in my shoes... So other than my face, I usually don't get very wet... My bike & clothes, on the other hand, are often a dripping mess when I reach my destination.

Oh, and did I mention fenders? And lights. The brighter the better.

Commuting in the rain starts out as a seemingly odd thing to do, but with the right stuff, many people here in Portland don't mind after doing it for a few weeks.

I didn't notice at first glance, but looking at your pic I noticed you mounted a bottle cage to your downtube. How did you do that? My 05 Pista has not water bottle cage mounts/bosses.

I don't see any kind of clamp or other add on mount on there?

Do tell...

Funny you should mention this, because I didn't notice that it didn't have the water bottle bossed until after I ordered it. I was looking at the picture in the catalogue after I got home and noticed immediately. So I called 'em back right away and they assured me no problem they could hang a bottle carrier on there anywhere I wanted.

Well when I was getting it, I didn't like the hangers or the options (seatpost hanger, band type clamps) until he said he could install a couple of bosses that would look just like the ones that normally come on frames. Amazing. Took him about 5 minutes. They look fine and dieing of thirst is no longer a concern.

Welcome to the club! I just bought my Pista last week and enjoy it.

I like your personal touches: red cork tape, old school caliper and toe clips.

Ahhh, thank you, thank you very much -- the pedals are MKS Sylvans off my old Bridgestone XO-1 and should work nicely until I get the hang of the fixie business.

I have ridden my Pista on a couple 20 mile rides and have no problems with the track geometry of the frame. I went with one size larger (57cm) than my usual size (55cm) and like the longer wheelbase and taller headtube for regular riding.

The only potential problem is the possible toe overlap on some frame, not sure if you will have that problem.

I went with the larger size too (got a 55cm up from a normal of 53-54cm). I'm going to have to watch the toe overlap. When I did the test ride before buying, I was being so careful not to screw up, since it wasn't my bike, that I forgot to check for it. When I got mine home I did clip the tip of my toe when going in rather small circles in my own driveway, but I did not have my right foot in the toe clip so my foot was extended forward farther than normal. Kind of a trick getting the second foot into the "moving target" clip isn't it?

Thanks PdxMark and meat tooth paste for the warm welcome.

Yep; my lbs will do it for $20 for 1 set. I am having it done to 2 old Gitane frames that I have; 1 is a crosser, the other will be a fixie (when time and $$ permit, of course!)

The IRO was because I am unsure of the "track" geometry for long rides. .

Have a 2004 pista. Did a century on it this summer and it was fine.

Re geometry, when riding, I don't detect that much of a difference between the fit on the pista and my kestrel 200sci.

BTW, for 10 bucks some redline red chaintugs would look nice with the red accents on that bike ;-)

Have a 2004 pista. Did a century on it this summer and it was fine.

Re geometry, when riding, I don't detect that much of a difference between the fit on the pista and my kestrel 200sci.

BTW, for 10 bucks some redline red chaintugs would look nice with the red accents on that bike ;-)

I've done a short ride (5-6 miles), a 12 mile and a 14 mile ride and I agree the geometry difference is minimal. Actually riding in the drops seems much more comfortable however, I am stretched out a bit too far when on top of the bar with the current setup. So I think it's a combination of being stretched out and just not being used to the different handebar shape that has caused some discomfort in my upper arms.

After this morning's ride, I moved the seat forward a bit. I'll see if this helps. Typical new bike tweaking methinks.

Re the chaintugs: I didn't know they came in "red". Cool idea, thanks for the suggestion.

Best to all -

Mackie

...Typical new bike tweaking methinks...

True true.

I swopped out the stock stem for one with tad bit more rise and it made all the difference. Pista style bars are really meant to be ridden in the drops. The pista shape doesn't lend itself well to riding in other positions, but it can be done. I ride the tops all the time. I have my CX brake lever mounted on the top left side.

The stock seatpost does have more setback than most post, so nudge your seat forward a tad.

I\\
Re the chaintugs: I didn't know they came in "red". Cool idea, thanks for the suggestion.


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Re the bars

I rarely ride in the drops. I have my brake on the right and a dummy lever on the left so I can ride in the hoods.

Toe overlap's pretty normal. I get it and I have size 7 feet! Its probably not a reason in itself to go for larger sized frames. Dealing with it is just one of the things you have to learn.

Oddly enough it doesn't seem to bother me that much. Maybe because I don't often turn that sharp unless I'm going really slow and then its easy to time things so they don't hit.

BTW, I can't recommend speedplay frogs highly enough. I use them on all my bikes but they really shine on my fixed gear. I never worry about being trapped in the pedals but they're still secure enough to hammer.