pigs ear of a Pista…

There’s a growing global community of fixed gear enthusiasts over at fixedgeargallery.com, many of the machines proudly presented by their owners are what I would call nice bikes. Some are rolling art, some have a functional elegance and some serve their purpose as cheap and cheerful daily transport. There’s also a degree of pretentiousness apparent in many cases, but that’s no big deal and I’m probably as guilty as some. What wanted to show you today however was a perfect example of how to turn a perfectly nice stock track bike, a Bianchi Pista in this case, into what is in my opinion a proper pigs ear of a two-wheeled horror…. No doubt the owner is pleased as punch with his creation but as this a free society I’m going to air my jaundiced opinion on it… normally I keep quiet about other folks bikes ‘cos people are entitled to do and think as they like, and bikes are ace, right…? This time however I can’t help myself, apologies if the owner is reading…
Here’s the catalogue photo of the bike, rather nice isn’t it… very shiny, simple and Italian (in name anyway, most likely it’s welded up in Taiwan).

Now here’s the transformation….

Ghastly isn’t it…. I just don’t know where to start really… mountain bike bars with grips so fat they’d serve as an elephant suppository, a front wheel straight from the TT course that looks just wrong on a traditional, skinny tubed steelie… and what is going on with that rear wheel, aside from the obvious mismatch with the front I had no idea one could actually buy such ugly rims… The top tube pad… I have a real problem with these things… WHY? On the bright side at least there are no faux spoke cards in evidence. What a horror…. the poor thing must be ashamed to be seen out and about amongst it’s two-wheeled brethren.

Ok, that’s it. Just needed to get it off my chest…..