There’s no such thing as the bicycle that does everything, but for most people, a single speed comes pretty close. Unless you’re a weekend dirt-slinging trail warrior or training on the velodrome, a single speed does a pretty good job of getting you where you need to be with ease and comfort.
Single speed bikes are the elegant solution in a world that’s just a bit crowded with fancy, overblown geared-up overkill bikes that weigh you down with unnecessary equipment. Of the single speed bicycles on the market, the absolute best for quality, value, and awesome features is hands down the Bianchi Pista. This is the bike that started it all… from the world’s oldest bicycle manufacturing company, and it’s still the leader in the single speed world.
But before we get into the virtues of the single speed Pista, let’s first take a look at what’s wrong with your current bicycle…
How Many Gears is Enough?
When was the last time you used that 19th gear on your mountain bike? Do both gear shifts even work on your present bike (do you even know)? Would you really notice the difference between a 5-speed bicycle and a 21 speed? Modern technology has brought bicycling into a super geared-up realm of the fantastic: 21 gears is incredible! Wow!
But what are you really using those gears for? If you live in San Francisco then don’t answer- you’re allowed because you may actually be using a lot of those gears. But even in impossibly hilly cities like San Francisco, it’s debatable whether 21 gears is really necessary. One could easily make the case for 5 gears… in fact, lots of people make it with just one speed. Actually, the single speed movement is huge in San Francisco.
Don’t Let Your Old Bike Take the Joy Out of Cycling
Need to climb steep hills? You’re going to want some gears on your ride. True, the single speed and fixie movement are strong in hilly San Francisco, but like everything, there are extremists who take things to the max. For the rest of us, we thank the heavens above for our gears every time we encounter a hill. It means the difference between making it to the top and having to wimp out and get off the bicycle and walk it up. That’s truly the walk of shame.
So yes, gears can be important (if you live in San Francisco). But more importantly, too many gears can really hold you back. Chances are, if you aren’t riding a single speed then you’re carrying around excess baggage. All those extra gears add lots of extra weight to your ride. When you don’t have all those extra gears, you’re doing away with all the following components:
- derailer
- shifters
- a longer chain
- cables
- multiple brakes
- extra sprockets
Not only that, but your rear wheel will be stronger on a single speed bicycle. The strength of your wheel lies partly in the spokes. In a multi- geared bicycle, the spokes are off-center because the sprockets for all those gears take up a lot of room. When the spokes are off center, you lose strength in your wheel because the structural integrity has been compromised.
OK, Single Speeds Are Great…But Why a Bianchi Pista?
Because a Bianchi Pista is made of Chromoly Steel, for starters. You want a bicycle that’s light and strong enough not to bend out of shape the first time you crash. Bicycles can be made of the following materials:
- Steel. Steel is strong and cheap but boy oh boy it’s heavy …like pedaling around a tank. If you are still riding your old steel mountain bike from the 90’s then you are going to really flip when you switch to a Pista.
- Aluminum. Aluminum is the opposite of steel: it’s light but it’s the weakest metal in the bicycle world. Aluminum bikes actually break sometimes!
- Titanium. Titanium is the premium metal for bicycles. It’s very light and super strong. It’s resistant to rust so it’s a great all-purpose bike. The only problem is, being the Porsche of bicycle material, the price is way out of range for most of us.
- Chromium-molybdenum (Chromoly steel). Here is the perfect blend of strength, light weight, and affordability. CrMo, as it’s sometimes referred to, weighs the same as regular steel but is much stronger. That means you can design a bike with a much thinner frame and fork but retain the strength you’d want in the perfect bike.
Only the Bianchi Pista Has it All
The Pista is made of Chrome Moly so it’s strong yet lightweight. Not only that but it’s also extremely responsive, and has just a touch of flex so your street ride is comfy. The perfect blend of strength, flex, smooth ride and affordability is very difficult to achieve, but the engineers at Bianchi have been perfecting this for decades- this is why it’s still the number one single-speed model in the world.
The Pista also offers a choice: it comes with a flip-flop hub, which means you can choose fixed-gear or single-speed touring. Satisfy your inner extremist and try some urban fixed-gear riding. You’ll love the “closeness” you get with your ride, the terrain, and just the pure joy of discovering a new way to experience bicycle riding. You can always switch back to the single speed with the quick flip of the rear wheel.
Plus, the components you get when you purchase a Pista are far superior to what you get on the cheapest bikes. Do you want to spend all your time upgrading all your parts after you buy a new bike? Wouldn’t you rather just get out and ride?
Pista owners everywhere have always complimented the bike on its smooth ride, and everyone loves the track styling. In fact, the Pista is recognized everywhere because it’s the original track bicycle. As long as you’re going to upgrade your ride, why not go for a classic that’s still the coolest bike around. For quality, looks, and price the Bianchi Pista is ahead of the pack every single time.