A friend has this http://www.bianchiusa.com/bikes/urban-fixed-gear/pista-steel/ and is offering it to me for 400.00 . He is immaculate with his stuff so i am sure it is in great condition. Is that a good price for a used one ? Side note he found the frame in the garbage on a curb. How would I incorporate in my training this bike? Would there be a benefit using a single for triathlon training or bike training in general ? Really I need help on my sprinting. I take a while to get up to speed for the shorter races. So when it takes me 30 -45 seconds to get up or back up to speed around some corners and when I mount the bike in T1 it shows on my average for the short stuff (sprint and oly) more. Just want to some pro’s and con’s to talk me into another bike for my stable .I dont have a fixie yet. He has a flip flop hub on it to make it a fixed or single speed. Not that I know the difference.
Fixed means you can never stop pedaling. Bad things can happen if you do if you are going fast.
Single speed is just one gear, but you can freewheel.
I’d say $400 might be a bit high for it as he didn’t buy it new. If you are riding on the road, you should put a brake on it.
Fixed gear riding is the best! I ride one every day, though never on the road. I also have a ss for riding outside.
clm
He did say that he would throw a brake on it for me. How do you use (incorporate) for training.? I kind of thought thats what it was. Promised the boys I would take them to Panaera, movie and need to pick up race packet so I will be back to check post later today. Just a 15 mile semi easy ride home from work today, race tommorow YEE HA!! I heard about some guys who ride the sourland mtns. in Hunterdon county New Jersey that only do it on fixed gears. Man the thought of descending on one at 40-50mph dont know if I can keep up that rate of pedaling. Not to mention making it up the mountain first. I am tiold they dont take their feet off of the pedals. DOnt know how you could not no matter how good or pro you are. Guess you would put feet on the seat post frame somehow to get out of way of cranks turning.
Here’s how you incorporate it into training- you faggettaboutit for 24 hours because you got a hot-a$$ race and you gotta brrrriiiiinnnnngggg it! 
The tri and cycling guys I’ve known who ride fixed all do it during the offseason … allegedly to work on rounding out their pedal stroke. I’ve been thinking of getting a single speed to ride with my wife so we both get a workout …
Or you could be a Williamsburg-esque hipster, in which case you’ll chop the bars to the width of a chopstick and ride it to work (as a barista) wearing skinny jeans showing ass-crack.
The tri and cycling guys I’ve known who ride fixed all do it during the offseason … allegedly to work on rounding out their pedal stroke. I’ve been thinking of getting a single speed to ride with my wife so we both get a workout …
Or you could be a Williamsburg-esque hipster, in which case you’ll chop the bars to the width of a chopstick and ride it to work (as a barista) wearing skinny jeans showing ass-crack.
This.
Your Watts will be HUGE
Great bike. Really nice frame. Kinda the RollsRoyce of factory fixies. Little bit less street cred than building up a vintage fixie by yourself, but still sweet.
Here’s how you incorporate it into workouts. It naturally helps your pedal stroke. That’s #1.
#2 is take it on your normal ride & be a man about it, you only have one gear. It helps you help yourself.
If you ride in high traffic areas, don’t want to skid-stop like a hipster punk, or are afraid of turning with the pedals down, get a flip-flop hub.
It’s fixie on one side, single speed on the other.
Get some monster Velocity deep V’s, probably in some shade of neon, put postcards in the spokes, slam the bars down to the TT, chop the bars to 6" wide, put on some Oury MTB grips, and develop an arrogant air of hipster superiority, & you’ll be rockin & rollin.
Price is a bit high btw for frame only.
The tri and cycling guys I’ve known who ride fixed all do it during the offseason … allegedly to work on rounding out their pedal stroke. I’ve been thinking of getting a single speed to ride with my wife so we both get a workout …
Or you could be a Williamsburg-esque hipster, in which case you’ll chop the bars to the width of a chopstick and ride it to work (as a barista) wearing skinny jeans showing ass-crack.
And don’t forget the colored sunglasses (please coordinate with your frame color), and don’t even think about adding a front brake. It will only limit the overall distance of your over-handlebar trebuchet-esque launches at speed from forgetting to pedal.
Is it just the frame or a full built up version? Built up with what?
If it’s just a frame, you can find a more interesting, vintage one somewhere and build it up yourself for a lot less than that and it’d be way more original.
$400 is way too high. Especially for a garbage find frame. Nice “friend”.
By the way, what does your local riding area look like? Hilly? Flat?
If it’s hilly, you (and your old knees) won’t get much enjoyment out of a fixie.
Brad
As noted, the Pista is a fairly decent entry-level track bike. Add brakes for street use.
Personally, I prefer Bianchi’s San Jose and similar bikes. More tire clearance, so fenders and fat tires fit. I use mine for fixed-gear commuting and light off-road (swap the fixed cog for a freewheel). Gets a lot of use in winter, when the roads are slushy - no cables or derailleurs to get sludged up. Occasionally, the leader of the Saturday shop ride will declare it a fixie day - same loop, we just do it on fixies.
Some have claimed that riding fixed gear will help pedaling efficiency by rounding out the pedal stroke. I have no idea if this is true. I just ride it because it’s a fun change from the road and mtn bikes.
I wouldn’t ride a bike that a friend “found in the garbage”… either it was crashed hard and thrown away - or it was stolen.
bmanners
Riding a fixed gear would be a great thing to do to help your road riding. I have really got into riding fixed gear on the road - with both conventional drop bars and aero bars - and racing on the track.
The most important improvements I have found are:
- spinning. The thing about riding fixed is to spin. It does not do too much good to grind out a big gear. Its all about the smooth pedal cycle at 100+ rpm, AND maintaining the power. That is the hard part - maintaining the power.
- Riding fixed gear in aero bars will help develop the muscles in the hammies and back to maintain spinning. You will notice an improvement, a smoothness, riding your tri bike.
- Improving your sprint is all about getting up to speed quickly and then being supple enough in your pedal stroke to maintain the cadance at a high power level. Its called souplesse. Spinning a fixed gear at 110 rpm will develop that.
Just my thoughts
Oh, but to answer your original question - $400 for a complete track bike IF it is in good shape - is not too bad- but a garbage frame find - might not be such a good deal ! I’d look elsewhere, but still get a fixed gear for the above reasons.
Sorry for the long answer
DB
edit to add.
I like riding a fixed gear bike. My friend has a Bianchi Pista and it is sweet. The “found in trash” part would make me pass on this one.
I definitely would say that 400 is waaay too much, especially granted the dubious origins of the frame. I sold the same bike to a guy on the local XC team for 200 in great shape. Tell you friend to give you a break and make sure he gives you that brake too since it takes some getting used to when your legs don’t stop moving.
If I just wanted a track bike I would go to bikesdirect.com
http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/trackbikes.htm?gclid=CJvBrfaIgqMCFdFN5QodHCBzaQ
jaretj
.
Do it. Just don’t do it for $400 for that frame.
Thanks for all the replies and help. I have been throwing the idea of a single/fixed gear bike around for a while. BTW… Just got back from Despicable and Sourcerers apprentice no need to go see the later movie. I have seen the bike and it looks straight shiny and fine. Actually looks brand new. He is a police officer so I know he did a serial # check on it and it is not in data base. If I know him he built it up with very good parts. This is whole bike ready to roll. I guess if I do get it I should put a computer with a cadence sensor on it. I have been riding rollers and rotor cranks and have noticed more smoothness in stroke just from them. This could only help too. I am basically a big gear grinder and do need to learn to spin at high RPM’s for longer distances. Think it might be a good buy if not this bike but a fixed/single speed for me in general. Might be what I need to get over this 22 - 23 average mph mark and move up a little faster and actually compete with the fast neighborhood guy’s instead of crossing my fingers hoping they signed up for another race :o) By the way my knees are not that old just the rest of me.
Ohh… Trish I am bringing it. Been in the movie theatre eating popcorn for 4 hrs with my legs up in the air recovering. It’s …coming. Just hope I dont cough up a popcorn kernal while bringing it :o)
Get some monster Velocity deep V’s, probably in some shade of neon, put postcards in the spokes, slam the bars down to the TT, chop the bars to 6" wide, put on some Oury MTB grips, and develop an arrogant air of hipster superiority, & you’ll be rockin & rollin.
no colored chain?
The tri and cycling guys I’ve known who ride fixed all do it during the offseason … allegedly to work on rounding out their pedal stroke. I’ve been thinking of getting a single speed to ride with my wife so we both get a workout …
Or you could be a Williamsburg-esque hipster, in which case you’ll chop the bars to the width of a chopstick and ride it to work (as a barista) wearing skinny jeans showing ass-crack.
Christ they already bust my balls unmercifully because I wear biking shorts and jersey’s. I can imagine what they would sa if I came in like that. Maybe I should do it with just a speedo and one of them old time bianchi biking caps. Now that would be worth the look on the cheifs face when I pulled into the fire house like that. Maybe after a 2 week vacation where I could grow a nice handlebar moustache to go along with the look. LOL