I've got my eye on the Bianchi Pista ($500!! I have a front wheel that costs nearly that much) and I wanted to ask anyone who owns one a few questions:
1) What is the largest tire size I could reasonably expect to put on this bike? Since it has a unicrown fork, I thought it might be able to take at least a 700x28; I'm hoping for a 700x32. This bike would become my commuter, so big tires make sense.
2) Is the area of downtube near the bottom bracket round? I know the shape becomes more of a teardrop further up near the logo panels. I ask because if I'd really love to have it fitted with S & S couplers--it would be much faster to assemble without any cables to deal with.
3) Can it be fitted with conventional fenders? Again, I'm thinking commuter here.
Thanks.
Bianchi Pista
I would need calipers to actually confirm this but both the downtube and seatube appear to be ovid as they abut the bottom bracket. However, since it goes from a vertical ovid to a horizontal ovid, at the chainring it it round.
The Bianchi Pista, Fuji Track, and KHS Flite 100 all have very tight clearances. You would be lucky to fit a 700x25.
If you want more tire clearance look at the Surly Steamroller or the IRO Jamie Roy.
convert a 70s road bike. Bikeworks did mine for about $140, including the cost of the SS freewheel on a flip-flop hub. Not as elegant as true Old School Track (someday I swear I will have a Pogliaghi!!), but commuters are rarely about elegance.
"if you have an old road bike that has vertical drops, you can convert it to a fixed gear like i recently did with my old aluminum trek 1400. i built a new rear wheel using a white industries eccentric hub, after that i removed the front and rear derailleur, rear brake and gear shifts on the down tube. i added a cog, used the original front chainring, installed an 1/8"" chain and i was good to go.
whatever fixed gear bike you choose, i am sure you'll love riding a fixed gear around town. i do. here's the irony of it all: with the road bike, it's all about featherweight parts. with the fixed gear/commuter/street bike, it's all about having the heaviest chain and lock you can find."
I have the lucky convenience of being able to take the bike right into my building at work (three others at work are already doing this). It does, however, make me jealous of London commuters. I saw bikes as fancy as Alex Moultons locked up outside with locks you could pull apart with your hands. It would be nice to be a bit more free of worry; most of the people I know who would otherwise commute tell me they don't because there is no secure bike parking where they work.
Love my pista. Not sure about the tire and fender clearances. I'd suggest emailing Sheldon Brown. Or posting on the RBR fixed gear forum.
I've thought about an S&S coupling on it too - it would be nice since there are no cables to connect. Many places such as Bilenky say they can do it on non oval tubes and the pista tubes are only slightly ovoid. And they're steel of course which makes it easier.
The bike's not that light though. Not sure how much I'd want to travel with it. So I think I'll just wait till one day when I build up a fancy custom ti frame.
