Is Bianchi Pista Steel A Good Bike? [Bianchi Pista Steel Review]

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Bianchi Pista Steel

• Price: $850
• Tire: 700×25c
• Drivetrain: single speed
• Brake: Tektro RL-721 Rim

What we like about it: Lightweight, fast-riding track bike with a minimalist design.

What we don’t like about it: Fewer body color options.

Rating (4.6/5)

The Bianchi Pista Steel has an extremely simple body line design and is built with double docking chromoly for outstanding riding performance.

The lighter weight of the simple design and the thin 700 x 25c tires reduce air resistance while increasing riding speed. In addition, the 28mm fork offset fully guarantees stable handling.

The Bianchi Pista Steel is designed to be easy to maintain and upgrade with all standard components.

During the three months, I have been reviewing the Bianchi Pista Steel, it has accompanied me on my daily commute and conquered coastal roads in the outdoors. As a result, it has become an integral part of my life.

Take the Bianchi Pista Steel with you! It will bring you unexpected convenience and surprises!

Road Riding

The Bianchi Pista Steel is a simple and classic design that is hard to resist for people like me, but the shape alone is not enough. The Bianchi Pista proved its true strength to me during the 3-month long review on the coastal road.

When the Bianchi Pista’s Vittoria Zaffiro Slick 700×25c thin tires first entered this flat and smooth road, my mood was both relaxed and happy with the light and fast ride the Bianchi Pista brought me.

The Bianchi Pista’s TIG welding technology, combined with the Chrome alloy steel body, ensures that the tubes are completely tough.

As the ride increased in length, I was treated to a not-too-steep uphill. In order not to sacrifice my riding speed, so I started to accelerate my pedaling frequency. To my surprise, the Bianchi Pista was much easier to ride uphill than I had expected. It was so light that for a moment I thought I was still riding on flat ground. I think this is due not only to Bianchi Pista’s classic, drag-reducing geometry, and lighter bodywork but also to the high-performance FSA Tempo cranks. This has greatly improved my riding efficiency.

I have to say, it was a very relaxing experience to ride on the flat and wide roads at a moderate speed with the fresh sea breeze. I almost forgot why I came here, and just enjoyed the aimless trip wholeheartedly.

City Riding

In my daily commute, the Bianchi Pista gives me more convenience than I could have imagined. The Bianchi Pista’s simple enough drivetrain allows me to concentrate on riding safely on sidewalks with a lot of traffic and pedestrians. The simple and easy-to-use Tektro brakes are my backbone. Because it adequately protects me from unpleasant experiences during the ride due to speed issues.

Once again, I felt the agility of the Bianchi Pista as I walked through the busy streets. It is so solid and reliable, yet so quick and responsive. This is made possible by its short wheelbase.

Not only that, the Alloy seat post with Bianchi steel satin rail is a soft and hard saddle that brings me a stable enough riding feeling during my ride. At the same time, it also greatly relieved the fatigue brought to me by the long ride.

In addition, the Wellgo LU-895 pedals that come with the Bianchi Pista body are the reason why I could start riding immediately. Not only did it save me the trouble of installing them myself, but the better fit also gave me a great riding experience.

As the review progressed, I learned that the Bianchi Pista supports upgrades and replacement of body parts. I started to stop being satisfied with the original classic parts of the Bianchi Pista. So I swapped out some of the classic components for more retro parts. It was a lot of fun and brought a lot of enjoyment to my riding experience.

Whenever I finished a long ride, I used to drink at least 500ml of pure water to replenish the water lost from my body. Fortunately, the Bianchi Pista’s top tube is equipped with a large-capacity water bottle mount that allows me to carry more than enough water bottles. I am very satisfied with this.

Main Features

Frame

The Bianchi Pista Steel has a refined geometric design, which gives it a minimalist and atmospheric appearance. The glossy finish adds to the aesthetic appeal and makes it easier to maintain daily.

The Chrome alloy steel chosen for the body is strong enough, and some may be concerned that the choice of such material will result in excessive weight. But believe me, the extremely simple and smooth geometry of the Bianchi Pista Steel balances the weight well. So the Bianchi Pista not only has a strong enough body but also a light riding experience.

The top tube is equipped with a large capacity water bottle holder mount, so you can carry enough water bottles for hydration. In addition, the Bianchi Pista’s factory-installed footrest design not only saves me a lot of trouble in mounting the bike myself, but also provides a better fit. This also gives me a better riding experience.

Components and Specifications

Tektro RL-721 Rim Brake

If you see the body of the Bianchi Pista, you will not be surprised by the sufficiently simple Tektro RL-721 Rim brakes it has chosen. Because absolute simplicity is Bianchi Pista’s greatest characteristic.

On top of bringing absolute lightweight, the Bianchi Pista also has absolute simplicity of operation. In addition, the handbrake located next to the handlebars is also the way I usually brake more often. If there is a need for braking, just provide a little pressure to the handbrake and it will give you feedback to your satisfaction.

Such stable braking is not only extremely maintainable but also safe enough. Because braking that is responsive enough is always safer, isn’t it?

Vittoria Zaffiro Slick 700x25c Tire

Bianchi Pista chose the very smooth Vittoria Zaffiro Slick 700x25c thin tires to be able to give the rider a faster ride.

As we all know, in the process of riding, thicker tires will bring more friction because of the greater contact surface with the ground, and will also have a stronger grip. Then correspondingly, the thinner tires will encounter less resistance in the process of moving forward, and will thus have a faster riding speed. Not only that, but the thin tires will also consume less energy. Therefore, it is also more suitable for daily commuting.

Shimano SS-7600 1-Speed Drivetrain

The Bianchi Pista has a simple enough Shimano SS-7600 1-Speed drivetrain. This design has two great benefits.

One is that the simpler the drivetrain, the lighter the body weight. The second is that a simple drivetrain won’t take too much of your attention away from the ride. So you can focus more on the ride itself. Imagine if you were riding in a crowded street and you were dodging people while trying to adjust your gearing to the speed, how fraught it would be. Trust me, you don’t want to have that experience.

Other versions of Bianchi Pista Steel

In the previous review, we have already covered the performance of the Bianchi Pista Steel. But to make your choice even easier, we have reviewed the Bianchi Pista Nero SS again.

Bianchi Pista Nero SS

With the same price and a lot of the same components, I can honestly say that the Bianchi Nero and Bianchi Steel give me a similar riding experience. Because they are equally fast and light.

In addition, they all have the same smooth and simple geometric design. This is made possible by the Chrome alloy steel frame, which makes them strong enough for the body while the simple geometry keeps the body weight from being too heavy.

Not only that, but their identical 700 x 25c smooth tires are also good at reducing the tremendous friction generated by the tire’s contact with the ground. This results in a very good increase in riding speed.

Both the Bianchi Nero and Bianchi Steel also come with a large-capacity water bottle cage mount. This ensures that riders can carry enough water bottles to keep them hydrated for the ride.

The Bianchi Nero’s matte black is more subdued, while the Bianchi Steel’s glossy silver is more aggressive. Other than that, the two are basically on par with each other in terms of performance.

So if you don’t care about the color, but just want a bike with a classic and simple appearance and high practicality. Then Bianchi Nero and Bianchi Steel are both good choices.

What we like about it?

• The simple shape and smooth lines of the practicality of the superb monorail bicycle.
• Strong enough Chrome alloy steel frame, simple lines, and well-balanced body weight.
• The thin 700×25c tires reduce friction with the ground and guarantee a faster ride.
• The easy and convenient braking operation, while extremely lightweight.
• Comes with a foot pedal, eliminating the need to install it yourself.
• Equipped with a large-capacity water bottle rack mounting position, you can carry a large-capacity water bottle.

What we don’t like about it?

• Too few color choices for bike paint.

FAQs

What is the tire size of the Bianchi Pista Steel?

The tire size for the Bianchi Pista Steel is 700 x 25c.

What is the drivetrain of the Bianchi Pista Steel?

The Bianchi Pista Steel has a 1-Speed drivetrain.

What are the brakes on the Bianchi Pista Steel?

The Bianchi Pista Steel’s brake is Tektro RL-721 Rim Braking.

Bianchi Pista Steel Specs

Build

Frame	Bianchi track frame, butted Cr-Mo main tubes w/PG CrMo rear stays, Tig welded, w/track dropouts, size: 46-49-51-53-55-57-59-61cm
Fork	Bianchi Cr-Mo Tig Welded 1″
Bottom Bracket	FSA BB-7420ST
Headset	VP-A34C, 1″ steel
Stem	Alloy AL6061, diam 25.4MM, rise -15° for ext: 90mm-49/51cm, rise -17° for 110mm-53/55cm, rise -7° for 120mm-57/59cm, rise -17° 130mm-61cm
Handlebar	Steel, width: 420mm for all sizes, diam. 26mm
Saddle	Bianchi, steel satin rail
Seatpost	Alloy, diam. 27.2mm, L. 250mm
Pedals	WellGo LU-895

Groupset

Crank	Fsa Tempo Track 48T, JIS/3/32″, crank length: 165mm-49/53cm, 170mm-55/59cm, 172.5mm-61/63cm
Cassette	Shimano SS-7600, 16T fixed sprocket, 1/2 “x3/32” + freewheel sprocket 16T assembled on the left side
Chain	Kmc Z-50
Brakes	RC-452 Alloy dual pivot
Brake Levers	Tektro RL-721, alloy

Wheels

Rims	DA-17 Alloy double wall
Front Hub	Joytech JY-165SBT/A alloy
Rear Hub	Joytech JY-166SBT/A alloy
Tires	Vittoria Zaffiro Slick 700×25

Video

Comparison Table

Bicycles	Price	Drivetrain	Tires	Brakes	Click View
Dolan Pre Cursa Aluminium Grass Track Bike	$799	1	700×30c	Rim brakes	Click View
Ribble Eliminator AL, Sport Build	$814	1	700×25c	Rim brakes	Click View
State Bicycle Co. Undefeated II	$999	1	700c	Rim brakes	Click View

Dolan Pre Cursa Aluminium Grass Track Bike vs Bianchi Pista Steel

If you know anything about bike brands, then you probably have some fixed opinions about some bike brands like I do. For example, the Dolan Pre Cursa that I reviewed for comparison, I always thought it was only suitable for beginners as an entry-level bike. But this review has refreshed my perception of Dolan.

The Dolan Pre Cursa has the same minimalist bodywork as the Bianchi Pista, and they both coincidentally share the same choice of slick new tires that are more suitable for fast riding. Besides, the Dolan Pre Cursa 700×30c tires are a bit thicker than the Bianchi Pista 700×25c tires, which are thinner. And the Dolan Pre Cursa is also slightly worse than the Bianchi Pista in terms of drag reduction and fast-forwards motion.

In addition, the Dolan Pre Cursa has the same classic and stylish design as the Bianchi Pista in terms of body shape. It is hard for me to choose the one I like more between the two.

To sum up, I think the Dolan Pre Cursa is on par with the Bianchi Pista in terms of performance.

Ribble Eliminator AL, Sport Build vs Bianchi Pista Steel

Also as single-track bikes, both the Ribble Eliminator and the Bianchi Pista seek lighter weight and slimmer tires in the hope that they will lead to faster riding.

Both the Ribble Eliminator and the Bianchi Pista have opted for a 700×25c tire with absolutely minimal riding resistance, which is light enough for me to feel on the bike.

But for the frame, Ribble Eliminator chose an aluminum frame. This material is strong enough and not too heavy. The Bianchi Pista, on the other hand, is made of Chrome alloy steel, which is much stronger and inevitably heavier. But Bianchi Pista’s simple enough geometric design is a good solution to this dilemma.

Unfortunately, the Bianchi Pista doesn’t have a complete enough carbon fork like the Ribble Eliminator in terms of the shock system. I also expect Bianchi Pista to be better in this area.

State Bicycle Co. Undefeated II vs Bianchi Pista Steel

In contrast, the more expensive State Bicycle has obvious advantages over the Bianchi Pista. For example, the frame of the State Bicycle is made of lighter aluminum, while the Bianchi Pista is made of Chrome alloy steel, but because the Bianchi Pista has a more minimalist geometry, the weight of the State Bicycle and the Bianchi Pista is not too different. In addition, the shock fork of the State Bicycle is made of carbon with excellent performance. This is a more complete consideration than the Bianchi Pista.

But the Bianchi Pista also has something to offer that the State Bicycle can’t. The Bianchi Pista comes with its pedals, which not only saved me from having to install them myself but also provided a better fit. Not only that, but the Bianchi Pista also comes with a water bottle cage mount that I need. This is very important for me to stay hydrated during the ride.

In terms of riding experience, because the locations reviewed were all smooth enough for roads or park trails, they all gave me the same smooth and light feeling, as well as comfortable geometry.

So in comparing the performance of these two bikes, I found that they both have their strengths and weaknesses. Undoubtedly, both have strengths that appeal to me, and both have room for improvement.

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