LoRoK

My '06 Bianchi Pista with about 12,000 miles cracked at the drive side seat cluster earlier this year. I went through the warranty exchange and they sent me an '08. I have had this guy for about 3 months, got 1800 miles on it. Yesterday I found a crack in the, guess what? drive side seat cluster. When they sent me this guy I was told it was the last one they had with the old geometry (I don't want the '09 geo). I don't want a new '09 pista as another warranty replacement. I am hoping they'll let me pay a small charge to upgrade to the Super Pista frameset. Otherwise I'll be bumming. This will probably be the last Bianchi I ever buy, btw.

rogwilco

Are you kidding? I've never heard of a warranty that was that good.
They are offering to give you another new bicycle, 4 years after you purchased the original one (and not even a high-end one, but pretty much the cheapest one on the entire line-up) and you are still complaining?

Yes, it sucks when things break, but seriously, that sounds like amazing customer service by Bianchi.

Ken Cox

I have a crack in the same place.

Bianchi won't honor the warranty in my case because I powder coated the frame.

However, Bianchi offered me a "smokin" deal on an '09 (I wouldn't ride an 09 unless I absolutely had no other choice).

Yo!

My buddy's pista cracked just like yours, but on the NDS.

I'd go for a super pista man, I like em despite everyone's hating on the graphics. Or post it on ebay and get yourself something Japanese.

LoRoK

Well, since I discovered this yesterday and I haven't talked to anyone yet, I don't know if they'll offer me another new bicycle, or anything at all.. I'm not complaining about the warranty or customer service. I think they've been great. I'm complaining about the shoddy quality of the bikes I've bought.

I dig the Super Pista too. I would still have to buy a new stem, but whatever.

xg43x

I assume you were brakeless, but did you whip skid at all or skid in general? That will give any frame a short lifespan.

LoRoK

I've known people who skid all day, every day, for every reason conceivable in all traffic conditions at all speeds and their frames don't crap out in 3 months.

Brian

Where's the thread from that guy that wants to get rid of his Pista?

LoRoK

I was lookin' around for pricing info on the Super Pista and came across this $2000 gem of a dented Pista Concept:

https://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...#ht_742wt_1167

dbgray21

how did that happen in the first 15 mi!?

Plecks

Guess he wasn't using a top-tube pad when he used his Kryptonite lock once.

robotphood

What? Skidding is probably last on the list of things people do on fixed gears that will shorten their frame's lifespan...

xg43x

I have heard and known many people who have cracked frames in the rear triangle from skids, especially whip skids. I am just saying that under "normal" riding conditions as in actually riding, not jumping off curbs/speedbumps, skidding or tarcking your frame will not crack for your average rider...

rogwilco

^^
Besides, wasn't the Pista originally designed to be ridden on the track where there are hardly any bumps at all?...

LoRoK

Well, not withstanding a discussion about whether skids are that much worse for a frame, you're wrong. I'm not a skidder. I just ride. A lot. Think about it, I'm not going to ride over 1800 miles in less than three months if I'm skidding around all day. Most of the dudes I know who do the tircks can't ride more than 5 miles without crying about how bad it hurts. I just ride, and the frame failed.

sau

methinks its time you afforded yourself a break from the desert.

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...ANUARY-16-2010

I am organizing this ride, it is right up your alley of distance riding. in hot sticky island weather.

elTwitcho

Unless you're weak as hell, the average person is going to put way more stress on their frame climbing up a hill than they will doing skids

whitekimchee

dude seriously what and how are you riding? I've had my Pista for about 8 months and it's fine. However, I do intend on upgrading to a Torelli in the near future.

scruggle

Skids, yes, but whip skids, maybe not. Whip skids put a lot more lateral stress on a frame from what I can tell.

helloamerican

everything on this page is hearsay till someone shows a scientific break down of the forces put on a bike when skidding/climbing respectively.

letsgetsandy

you could just have it repaired,you know instead of my whining "my old ****ty bike broke and the company will honor a warranty(most companies dont have waranties period) and give me a freee new bike but I dont want it." it would be less than $50 to have it rewelded if its at the seam. how come now days if something breaks people just dont fix it and reuse it?

LoRoK

First off, it's not an old ****ty bike. It's a 3 month old bike from a company that's been around for 100 years or so, with a reputation for quality. Second, I don't think I am unreasonable to not want a replacement bike that wasn't the same bike that I bought. Third, rewelding the seat cluster would weaken the whole area. Thanks for chiming in though.

ern

how fat are you? how far up the seat tube is your seatpost? i'm not sure you should ride a superpista if you can't take care of a steel bike.

LoRoK

I'm not as fat as your mom. I'm 6' and I weigh 160. My seatpost is below the minimum insertion point. The problem of cracks on the seat cluster on Pistas is not extraordinary. There have been threads posted before about this problem. I hardly think that me riding a bike would constitute not taking care of it. I don't do tricks, I don't do skids, I don't do bunny hops or ****. I just ride, and maintain, my bike. That's it.

Cyclist0383

Got any pics of the cracks?