Not bad! Bianchi is never afraid to address market shifts. I saw something similar at Interbike this year sans color coordination. The Pista Via Brera addresses the city fixed crowd's desire for a traditional steel townie-influenced fixed gear. All it needs is a fork with a proper crown and a front basket or rack. Maybe a bell too. As always, the guys over at Urban Velo are on top of the game with some more information on the new Bianch Pista Via Brera.
Comments
Townie? ummmmmm....no, but nice try. The only things that make this a townie are the cork grips and the earth tone color scheme. This is a brakeless, pista geometry, seatpost-to-the-sky, get-ready-for-the-h-bomb hipstermobile. Bianchi already makes nice townies in the form of the Milano series. While the production model of this thing will have the torpedo hub and therefore brakes, I seriously doubt it's going to have provisions for larger tires, fenders, or racks. I imagine it will also ship with a 48 or 46 tooth chainring, which makes for a pretty tall gear for a townie. I guess you could P-clamp the crap out of it or do a Wald front basket, but at the end of the day this is just a Pista in a seersucker jacket and a straw boater.
Posted by: Don | June 2, 2009 11:56 AM
Don,
I meant more of a city-fixed townie influenced bike. I am well aware of what this bike is in reality and what a proper townie bike is.
Thanks for the comment / frustration!
;-)
Posted by: prolly | June 2, 2009 11:58 AM
Looks better and makes more sense than drops for riding around town.
Posted by: andrew | June 2, 2009 1:07 PM
looks like a fixed T O U R I N G bike to me
Posted by: MightyChin | June 2, 2009 4:46 PM
T O U R I N G
T O U R I N G
T O U R I N G
T O U R I N G
Posted by: prolly | June 2, 2009 4:48 PM
i like it. but i like bianchi bicycles in general. and if you cant push a 48 up front you shouldnt be riding. just kidding. but seriously. just kidding.
Posted by: Aren | June 2, 2009 7:49 PM
hmm. just a flat bar pista. in cream color. yawn.
ok, i actually like it way better colorwise than any pista since the battleship greys, but nothing new under the sun here (that i can see)
also, sorry to be the opinionated prick again, but racks do NOT belong on brakeless fixed gears. kills the feel, massively reduces the control of a brakeless machine, no real functional benefit...
now, on a singlespeed townie, i'm all for racks of all kinds, as for on commuters or touring bikes, or even fixed gears with brakes ~maybe. but please not on brakeless machines.
don, thanks for mentioning the milano. the milano is a really great bike that would be a much better choice for so many people shopping for bikes who get sold on track bikes because of looks/trends. wish it was more agressively marketed.
Posted by: dontcoast | June 2, 2009 8:33 PM
I know plenty of people who ride them on brakeless machines, full-time messengers and they have no complaints. Guess they're just more skilled than others!
;-)
Posted by: prolly | June 2, 2009 9:10 PM
Such a shame that the Bianchi Pista is no longer a 'Pista' since Bianchi relaxed the geometry in their 2009 bike.
why didn't they stick their crowned fork? they have them in Japan?
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3049/3042768465_081f179e2d_b.jpg
see the fork?
Posted by: Edward Scoble | June 3, 2009 9:13 AM
i've been a messenger and ridden in deep traffic with 30lb printer boxes on my handlebars, as well as on racks on borrowed machines. this was in chicago, pancake flat. i wouldn't encourage anyone to do so in most cities, and in hilly places it becomes downright sketchy.
when it comes to big cargo, there's a reason freewheels, small gears and racks exist.
it's not that you can't do it, just that there waaaaaay better ways to do it which i would rather encourage.
just like a beginner commuter might be ok on a cheap mountainbike or a singlespeed road bike, but would probably have their needs met better by a nice hybrid commuter.
now, as far as cargo hauling, what i really love is bike designs along the lines of the CETMA cargo front loader. now that's design that makes sense. (not a big fan of their front rack or any fork mounted rack, once again, useable but at steep cost to steering)
whew. ranty these days.
Posted by: dontcoast | June 3, 2009 9:17 AM
Dontcoast, it's not ranting, it's informative!
Posted by: prolly | June 3, 2009 9:44 AM
My opinion: it looks nice. I like Bianchis, generally. I think they always do a nice job with design and functionality. I can only guess that's why people hate on them.
I like the cork grips
Posted by: da Robot | June 3, 2009 1:08 PM
Edward,
I like my fork, thanks - that's my lime Pista here in Japan! I just switched the front handles to Nitto B483AA's (seagull style):
http://item.rakuten.co.jp/bebike/b483aa/
I also converted it back to single speed 48/18, with dual brakes.
Finally, I added a removable, 'shopper' style basket.
Hideous! I'll post pics soon - it's my own townie.
I've since built up a true keirin Level frame with drops and all, so my wife rides this one now. She loves the conversion.
Posted by: Ebisu Shibuya | June 15, 2009 12:02 PM