# Bianchi Pista with a basket or panniers: Practical or Sacrilegious?



## jta (Jun 27, 2012)

So, I live in New York City and own three bikes: 2 nice road bikes for 'serious' rides and a Bianchi Pista for tooling around town and errands. Only one problem with this scenario: I'd love to be able to carry things like groceries, etc. with a basket, rack or panniers. 

Is it practical to mount a rack or basket on a pista single speed? I don't think there are any holes drilled in the frame to accommodate. Three's my limit for amount of bikes that I want to own. Do I modify the frame or sell it it buy a commuter or dutch style bike that is more purpose built? The pista is blast to ride, but I am rarely on it since I put in decent mileage on the road bikes. 

thanks!


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## UrbanPrimitive (Jun 14, 2009)

*The Short Version*
It's possible, but there are lots of unknowns.

It's easier to make a frame a single speed than make a single speed a commuter, but more costly.

The handling you know and love on the Pista will change.

I'd look at single speeds with braze-ons/drillings for racks and fenders (because riding in the rain is boss).

*The Too Long, Didn't Read Version*

There are a couple things to consider with this. In no particular order, here are some questions to answer that will help you decide how you want to proceed:

* How much weight would you need paniers to hold? P-clips might be sufficient for picking up the mail and some chips, but not a great idea if you're buying a gallon of milk.

* Are you really happy with your Pista's paint job? If you want to add braze-ons for a rack it will involve sanding off sections of the paint and using a torch to put them on. That basically mandates a new paint job, even if only around the newly added braze-ons.

* The geometry for the Pista was designed without a load in mind. Typically bikes intended for carrying loaded panniers have longer chainstays. Again, if you aren't planning on carrying a lot of weight, this might not be a huge deal but it will affect the handling.

* Do you have large feet? Heel rub is a factor with big feet, short chainstays, and panniers. It may not be a deal breaker, but it's worth consideration.

As much fun as the Pista is, I'd be tempted to look at selling it and buying something built with this application in mind. My thinking here is the frame/fork geometry for a bike designed as a light tourer will be designed with loaded stability, rider clearance, and usually wider tire clearance in mind. If you have an extra fifty pounds on the back of your bike it's going to change how it handles pretty significantly. You'll also be a bit more likely to pinch flat, making wider tires a nice option.

In general it's easier to hang different gear on a frame than make a frame do something it wasn't specifically built for. Taking a commuter bike and making it a single speed (either freewheeling or fixed) will probably be easier than making a racey fixie into a commuter with racks and bags. That said, it'll probably cost more too.

Something to look into is a front basket. Those things will mount to just about anything. You didn't mention how much storage you might need, so this may or may not be a viable solution. Once again it would alter the handling but eliminated the issues of heel clearance and braze-ons.

As one last idea to further muddy the waters, you could ask around your local bike shops to see if anyone does any framebuilding work. If you find a frame builder it's likely they'd be willing to add some braze-ons for you for a reasonable price.


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## jta (Jun 27, 2012)

Thanks UP, this is fantastic information that seems to answer my questions. It just doesn't make sense to modify the frame and pretty much ruin a really nice bike. It's 2011 model and still pretty pristine. It'd be a waste of a good bike and the ends don't justify the effort. 

Taking all the other thoughts re: geometry, weight distribution, heel rub, etc. the only thing I would consider is a front basket that can possibly attach to the axle, if such a product exists. The other option would be to sell the pista (in which case I'll probably miss it when it's gone) and look into a dutch or commuter style bike that can be my beater/get around town bike.


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

I'm going to disagree a little bit with UP. I think the only issue that might be a big problem is the heel clearance question with the short rear triangle. Depends on how big your feet are, etc.

I don't think braze-ons are really necessary. I think P-clips can be secured to handle a reasonably big load, if you have a good rigid rack. After all, people put 20 pounds on a seat-post rack. 

As for handling, every bike handles differently with a load on the rear. Mostly, it's easy to adjust to it. You won't be carrying a heavy load all the time, and the empty rack won't change the handling.

The tire clearance issue could be a concern. If you're going to put 40-pound loads on the back of a bike you probably want a little bigger tire, and I don't know how much the frame can clear. 

I guess that before I invested in another bike I'd invest the much smaller amount for a rack and give it a try. If it's intolerable you take off the rack. You can always use it on another bike.


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## jta (Jun 27, 2012)

Thanks JC, that's definitely something to consider. As you might have gathered, I don't want to modify the frame, but P-clips are something that could work with a decent rack. This may be the best of both worlds: I hang on to a nice bike and install and remove the rack as I see fit. I probably could adapt fairly easily to weight being distributed towards the back. 
Re: Heel clearance, the frame size is 51cm and I wear a size 10 shoe. Pedals are straightforward MKS platforms. 

I do have another question if anyone has thoughts: Is it better to place extra weight over the back wheel or front? My guess is it is more stable in the back?? 

Thanks, always found your posts thoughtful. This is no different.


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## UrbanPrimitive (Jun 14, 2009)

JCavilia raises a good point with the P-clips. In the interest of full disclosure, I tend to shy away from them because I've never had good luck using them. Others I know swear by them. They're certainly an inexpensive enough solution that it's worth trying. I just couldn't get the darn things to stay put.

As for the weight distribution question, my understanding is that loading the front versus the back is, well, different. To the best of my knowledge one isn't more stable than another, but the way they affect handling is different. It's been described as the difference between chicken and beef. One isn't necessarily better than the other. Keep in mind, this is my impression and second hand information. I haven't yet had a bike with a front rack, so this could all be heresay.


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

I've gotten P-clips to stay securely by shimming with some old inner tube. You put enough rubber between the clip and the stay so it gets really squished down when you tighten the bolts. You get a tighter fit, lots of friction, and some elasticity so vibration is less likely to cause movement or loosening.

The only front-loading I've done is with a handlebar basket on a hybrid with upright handlebars. A heavy load does make handling "different", but it's not a problem, at least at low to moderate speeds. Serious tourers say low-rider racks that put the pannier load adjacent to the front hub actually stabilize the bike, but I've never ridden that set-up.

I've ridden with 30 or 40 pounds in rear panniers, and it's fine. Certainly the bike feels sluggish in some kinds of maneuvers, and standing to accelerate or climb (a frequent requirement with SS or FG) requires some adjustment in technique (less rocking), but there's nothing unsafe about the handling, and once you're rolling the handling, including turns, feels pretty normal.

edit (snarky lawyer spelling correction): My law school evidence teacher, the late Irving Younger, would want me to point out that it's "HEARsay." But you got the concept right; whether it's true or not, it is precisely hearsay for you to repeat what you were told by others (just like my comments about the low-riders).


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## UrbanPrimitive (Jun 14, 2009)

JCavilia said:


> (snarky lawyer spelling correction). . .


Always glad to learn from my mistakes. I knew something about that didn't seem right.


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