Bianchi Pista 2007 or Lemond Fillmore 2007?

jhclare

Hi all,

For the last few months I've been reading all I can about off-the-peg SS/Fixed bikes.

I am now in a position financially to finally buy one, and have narrowed my options down to the Fillmore and Pista (2007 versions)

What are your opinions on these bikes, and how do they compare? I've ridden both (although not one right after the other) and they feel very different but both feel comfy.

I will use the bike for leisure riding and will occasionally ride longer distances (say 20 miles in one go).

I intend to ride fixed, so will get my LBS to fit fixed sproket on the Fillmore if I go that route.

Please help me decide!

Regards,

John

dale ditzler

I would probably go for the Fillmore if it were me. I'm a little larger than the norm and the Lemond looks a little more stretched out and comes with larger tires for a bit more comfort with the steep head angle. I like the seat tube angle better too, especially for casual riding or climbing. Either should be fine for twenty miles or less. They'll both do the same thing, just differently.

jhclare

Thanks for your reply!

I rode both again today (albeit at different stores) and again, liked them both but they did feel different. I found on the pista that after 20 mins or so, i felt like i was putting a bit too much weight on my wrists whilst riding upright.

The frame size seems right otherwise - could this be corrected by handlebar/seat fore/aft adjustment?

Thanks,

John

dale ditzler

I have a Mercier that's real steep like my buddys Pista, and both were helped by a bit higher stems, but still have that same feeling, though both a blast to ride. I also have two conversion bikes with more relaxed seat tubes and forks; these are much more comfortable for just riding around, especially for country rides.

jhclare

After all that - I test rode a Flyer yesterday, and what can I say! Amazingly comfortable, light, quick, responsive, looks good. Fits me really well!

Only trouble is it's a bit more than I wanted to pay, but I may just say what the hell.

Regards,

John

TheGrayGiant

I've been riding the 07 Pista for a few weeks now and I absolutely love it. I'm a smaller guy... 5'10", 150 lbs... and the bike feels like it was built for me. Very solid and responsive. Changed out some minor things-stem, bars, seat post, chain ring, tires. Of course if riding it is uncomfortable for you, then it's not worth it.

__________________
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alfeng

You need to check the respective frame geometries ... I am pretty sure that the BIANCHI has a 74º headtube angle & the fork probably has less trail ... so the handling could be significantly different than the handling on a non-Track frameset. What is the seat tube angle? How long is the top tube? Et cetera!

If you are planning on dodging inner-city traffic, then a Pista frame's geometry is probably a good thing to have ...

If you want all-day comfort, then you should build-your-own from a 70s vintage frameset (72º to 73º headtube angles) whose proportions are similar to your current road bike (presuming you have one) ... "seems right" probably isn't going to cut it -- use a tape measure AND/OR check the manufacturer's websites for relevant information which you can compare against your road frame.