# Soma Rush vs Bianchi Pista



## 6was9 (Jan 28, 2004)

Could anyone compare these two options? I am looking into a basic off season trainer fixie.

For one, Rush comes drilled for frt & back brakes.

Although with rather basic components, Pista is a complete bike for another 200ish.


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## asterisk (Oct 21, 2003)

From what I can surmise from building a conversion fixie, you'll spend a lot more than $200 putting the Rush together. That said the Bianchi is an awesome deal if that's what you are looking for and can live with the components included, just add a brake and brake lever and you're set.

The frames themselves seem to have similar geometry so it comes down to the look of the frame and how much you want to spend.


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## FixedPip (Feb 5, 2004)

*Rush is the better ride in my opinion*

But Pistas are hard to beat in terms of value.

Obviously with the Rush you can build it up to really meet whatever idea you have. But as the previous poster noted you're probably looking at around 800 dollars (and up) for a built bike compared to the Pista. A lot of this depends on whether you have any of the components for the Rush already.

I love mine.

For a basic winter trainer the Pista is good value for money. I would try and test ride one if you can. Ridden my friends and its not a bad bike at all.

You may also want to look at Langsters, KHS Flite 100s and the IRO Mark V and Jamie Roy models. All of which around this price point.


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## Axe (Sep 21, 2004)

FixedPip said:


> You may also want to look at Langsters, KHS Flite 100s and the IRO Mark V and Jamie Roy models. All of which around this price point.


Thank you.

Somehow I do want a steel frame, so I am looking at Mark V.

Could you comment on how good are Pista's Bianchi hubs? The rim is pretty low end: curious if it will survive some riding on unpaved roads.

I guess 25mm is max for Pista in terms of tire choice, and I was thinking about 28 to handle my favorite ride. I know nothing about road tires though.


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## 6was9 (Jan 28, 2004)

*How better though?*



FixedPip said:


> But Pistas are hard to beat in terms of value.
> 
> Obviously with the Rush you can build it up to really meet whatever idea you have. But as the previous poster noted you're probably looking at around 800 dollars (and up) for a built bike compared to the Pista. A lot of this depends on whether you have any of the components for the Rush already.
> 
> ...


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## 6was9 (Jan 28, 2004)

*wide tire clearance?*

I also hear Soma Rush has wide tire clearances... does this mean I can possibly put knobbys on it? Also does it mean I need long reach caliper(s)? Maybe I'll get a CX fork with canti posts....


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## ukiahb (Jan 26, 2003)

*The Rush takes standard....*

short reach calipers and fits 700x28 tires with room to spare, don't know what the max is. I think you could probably set one up that would work well as an all around fixie and maybe get by with just one bike, especially with a fork with more rake and some fairly fat tires...mine rides fine on the road and track, and is not overly rough riding or twitchy. Anyway, this is what it looks like...




6was9 said:


> I also hear Soma Rush has wide tire clearances... does this mean I can possibly put knobbys on it? Also does it mean I need long reach caliper(s)? Maybe I'll get a CX fork with canti posts....


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## pkrayna (Jul 12, 2004)

*RUSH v. Pista*

Look, you get what you pay for. I just bought a Rush frame, and have spent about $1,200 to build it up, including braze ons for brake cables. The result-- a bike I intend to keep for the long-term, and a real head turner.

Sure there are other ready-made bikes out there like the Pista (take a look at the Specialized Langster, and Surley's single speed as well), but in the end you are going to do a lot of upgrades. Plus, I tried to sell my Langster-- I was lucky to get $200 for it-- they have zero resale value.

Why the Rush? A relatively well-made frame with Reynolds tubing for starts. I would spend the cash to repaint in a few years, if needed. Would you feel the same about your Pista frame?

Secondly, the Pista has no brakes, and yer crazy riding a fixed gear. Sure, its' kool, and all the messengers are doing it, but take it from an ex-messenger, and someone who has nearly lost their life in crashes over the years-- you need brakes!

So, put brakes on the Pista, a comfortable seat, and you might as well by a Rush frame and build from scratch.

Enjoy!


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## PdxMark (Feb 3, 2004)

6was9 said:


> I also hear Soma Rush has wide tire clearances... does this mean I can possibly put knobbys on it? Also does it mean I need long reach caliper(s)? Maybe I'll get a CX fork with canti posts....


Kogswell is coming out with a new fixie frameset in January that can do what you want.


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## pkrayna (Jul 12, 2004)

*Kogswell*

Yessir-- the Kogswell may be worth the wait. It has internal cable routings for brakes and I love the lugs on it. BUT, what's with the red paint?


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## DropTheHammer (Dec 10, 2002)

Axe said:


> Could you comment on how good are Pista's Bianchi hubs? The rim is pretty low end: curious if it will survive some riding on unpaved roads.


The Bianchi hubs are really Suzue Jr.s. They are okay for cheap stock hubs, but I would change the whole wheelset if it was me. They just won't last.


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## the_dude (Jun 25, 2004)

i may not be adding anything more than what's already been said, but i believe the pista and soma to be two completely different animals. i've never owned nor ridden the soma, but it seems like a fairly burly (not nec. heavy), well built, well thought out, all around bike. the pista is a nice, cheap-ish track bike. i've only ridden the pista for a few minutes around a parking lot, but it definately felt fragile. i would only ride it on smooth roads, or on a track. a few curbs and your wheels would be shot. no drilling for rear brake either, and no room for fenders and/or racks. the soma is capable of handling all those things, and more. the pista would be a fun bike for sure, but if it were me, it wouldn't be on my list of winter training bikes.

the_dude


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## Veni Vidi Vici (Feb 10, 2004)

*I built a SOMA and I love riding it..........*



6was9 said:


> Could anyone compare these two options? I am looking into a basic off season trainer fixie.
> 
> For one, Rush comes drilled for frt & back brakes.
> 
> Although with rather basic components, Pista is a complete bike for another 200ish.



After riding it all summer and doing many changes on it (saddles, gearing
49/18, stems, bars and placement of the brake levers) I got this thing about
where I want it. I am thinking of putting a 1 1/8" shim on the steerer tube so I 
can use 1 1/8"spacers instead of the 1". I added the bottle holder on the seat 
post to give plenty of drink on the long rides. Next year when I'm not racing I'll 
be looking to do as many century rides as possible. It is full campy and a bit 
pricey but really can be built up nice for much less. Here are some pics.

Note: I have a C-dale track bike and it is stiff w/little flex but of coarse the
ride is not as nice as the SOMA which does flex when hammered on.

Good Luck -VÈÑÍ VÍÐÌ VÌÇÍ ™.


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## Kalukis (Jan 13, 2005)

I've had a Pista for about a year. I'm 240 lbs--the only things I've broke are some spokes on the rear wheel (the DT Swiss triple butted spokes are on the way). Other than that, it's been rock solid.


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## meat tooth paste (Oct 6, 2004)

pkrayna said:


> ...So, put brakes on the Pista, a comfortable seat, and you might as well by a Rush frame and build from scratch.


I want to comment on the above statement...

The above statement is a good point, but it doesn't have to be that way necesarrily. 

You do have to add things to the Pista, so factor that into the comparison. Brakes and levers will cost more than you need it to because you can't just buy one brake or one lever. Plus, the Pista has no water bottle mounts, so you need to add one via a Profile seat tube rack or some other.

But you can be smart and shop on the cheap like getting Nashbar calipers for $25/pair and getting $10 Tektro cross levers. I think Minoura or someone makes a handlebar wtr bottle cage mount for $15 (would also look retro on a Pista). So it doesn't have to cost that much more to complete a Pista for practical street riding. Of course buying Ultegra brakes and Paul's levers will bump up the price, but they are not needed.

A stock Pista sells for $500 at Supergo. Add in the above items and shipping would make it roughly another $100 for argument's sake. So that's $600 pre taxes.

If you got the money, go custom and build a Soma. But if you want to save every penny, get the Pista. It's a nice bike and will bring a smile to your face because you're still enjoying the fixie ride.


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## climbandcycle (Nov 4, 2004)

*Soma versus Langster experience...*

I test drove a Soma after I bought my Langster. I can tell you that my Langster corners much better than the Soma. However the Soma is really comfortable. You can't beat steel for going over cracks in the pavement, my Langster makes me feel every seam in the sidewalk. I have to say the lack of cornering did make me crash on the Soma, second crash in a little over a year, not bad. I have not tried the Pista, no locals keep them in stock. The Langster may seem like it lacks some sort of fixed gear soul but it is a nice bike, I recommend a close look depending on what type of riding you plan on doing or type of rider you are.


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## ukiahb (Jan 26, 2003)

*the Soma made you crash??? are you sure???*

hmmmm.....have put a lot of miles on my Rush (mostly road but some velodrome too) and haven't crashed yet....the handling and cornering seem fine to me.





climbandcycle said:


> I test drove a Soma after I bought my Langster. I can tell you that my Langster corners much better than the Soma. However the Soma is really comfortable. You can't beat steel for going over cracks in the pavement, my Langster makes me feel every seam in the sidewalk. I have to say the lack of cornering did make me crash on the Soma, second crash in a little over a year, not bad. I have not tried the Pista, no locals keep them in stock. The Langster may seem like it lacks some sort of fixed gear soul but it is a nice bike, I recommend a close look depending on what type of riding you plan on doing or type of rider you are.


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## climbandcycle (Nov 4, 2004)

*Would you *****es like some pancakes?*

Of course it wasn't the bike that made me crash, it was difference in the ability to hug the corners. I have nothing bad to say about the ride quality or as an all around bike. It was mostly my fault, I could already tell that the bike didnt want to track as well in and out of turns. thats what happens when you wake up at 4:50am to go to work and running on 2 cups of coffee. I was going like 18 mph into a traffic circle and the bike slid out from under me.
Inconclusion, the Soma is a very capable bike and I recommend a test ride. However, the point I was trying to get across was try out a Langster. Somebody has to stick up for them.


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## markie (Jan 4, 2005)

Well langsters tend to be selling on ebay for around $400 plus right now. So I would say that was about as agood a return as you are going to get on any bike. I am quite surprised how good mine is, especially for such a cheap ride. 

Its not nearly as harsh as I was expecting, not so much different from my old aluminium lugged 653 steel dyna-tech.......


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## meat tooth paste (Oct 6, 2004)

climbandcycle said:


> ... However, the point I was trying to get across was try out a Langster. Somebody has to stick up for them.


 The Langsters are nice bikes. Don't know why some people knock'em. Must be a hater thing for big brands like Trek and Specialized.


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## cantrideenough (Sep 9, 2005)

*Pista*

Soma???? Just look at the Pista and you will know which bike to buy. I mean for godssake it's chrome!! Look at it!!


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## Jamieshankland (Jan 8, 2005)

I am good friends with the area rep for Soma Fab. The Rush is a nice bike, well made frame/fork looks cool too. He differance is the Rush is more of a counter culture bike and is made knowing that 9 out of 10 people are riding it on the streets rather than the drome. It does fit wider tires and fenders too.

The pista is slightly more destined for track use but will also serve your purpose well. Id go Bianchi, upgrade the wheels.


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