Ok ok i know this has probably been discussed many times but I'm a newbie to track bikes please forgive me. I just want to hear your guys opinions (Pros/cons) about these two bikes. I'm considering buying the fuji track, is this the better choice for training and commuting?

I have a Fuji Track. It's way cheaper. My flat mate has a Bianchi Pista. The Bianchi is a little nicer but not noticable for a first bike really.

fuji is nearly half the price

Oh yeah. With both bikes you'll have to factor in the price of getting a brake. Maybe even changin the gear ratio (something I want to do with mine because I think it's a little overgeared for me). I bought a Shimano 105 brake for about £17. Cable was about £5 and then it was £25 for Cane Creek levers that I split with my flat mate. Or you could use specialized or Tektro (crosstop levers is what you're wanting)

fuji track + good set of wheels = pista

that would be my choice for about 5 hundred.

Oh yeah. Fuji Track wheels = big round pieces of shit. The tyres looks like total crap before they're used but the rest will hold up for a while I think. The Pista wheels and tyres seem a lot better quality. If you've got the cash. Buy a Pista. If you don't. Buy a Fuji Track. Personally I needed to find the cheapest bike that I could easily buy (ie not scouring eBay for parts) whereas my flatmate had an insurance cheque from his written off car so money wasn't as important I intend on getting maybe a Bob Jackson or a Witcomb

IMHO the Pista is a little nicer. However, if you're just riding them on the street, then the Fuji is a fine starter bike and saves you quite a bit of money.

Whatever you buy make sure the seller knows how to tighten a cog+lockring.

I'm not to scared about the gear ratio as i have been riding my ridge back hybrid bike on the stiffest gear for a 2 months now without changing, so hopefully the change to single speed will be easy (I'm sure using fixed gear will take some practice). But andrewleitch86 i will definitely need a front brake for road use, could you tell me where you got your parts from?

I keep hearing that the fuji has bad wheels, is it the tires or the actual rim, hub and spokes? (not needed right now) but whats a decent set you would recommend on a £100 budget?

Fuji's gotta be the winner.

Like their riders, they're cheap 'n cheerful. ;-P

As I found to my cost, yer either go cheap or go good.

There is no middle ground.

Shimano 105 Front Brake
Cane Creek Crosstop Brake Lever (The 26mm works on both bikes. That's the one we split)
Transfil Shimano Cable Kit (The road kit. It's easier than buying all the bits separately)

That stuff all worked fine on both bikes. You can sell off the remaning cable that you don't use (enough to do a single brake) and also the Cane Creek lever (I've got the left mounted upside down and it's fine).

As for the wheels. The tyres looked really glossy and crappy when I got them. The rest seemed ok. The tyres now are OK but don't seem to hold pressure as good as the tyres/tubes on the Pista. The hubs are Formula which aren't too bad. I'd say the worst bit is the tyres/tubes which you could just replace after a while if you don't like 'em. I'll be running them into the ground because I'm poor. As for the wheels I'll be running them until the bike gets nicked or I buy a new bike.

Oh yeah and if you want singlespeed you'd have to buy a freewheel. Pistas and Track's come with flip flop hibs (fixed on one side and freewheel thread on the other) but no freewheel on it so you'd have to buy one.

Cheers for the links, does your mates pista have a flip flop hub? I've seen it on some models but I'm not too sure if the 07 has them too

Yeah it has a flippity floppity hub.

you can get single gold finger levers from BLB for about £12, better if your only using one plus there well nice and come in fun colours.

I bought a Pista, great bike to start out on and you can always change and sell off the little bits n bobs you dont really like for better stuff.

Which frame is better out of the two in general build quality and weight?

Pista all the way.... Fuji track looks nowhere near as nice... why bother asking the question?? u know u want the Pista, but are afraid you will look like a tw*t on it unless u consider the sober lines of a Fuji!

I have a Fuji track that has just passed the 12000 mile mark -

unfortunately the wheels didn't get past 1K the bottom bracket popped around 2k and the headrace before 3

You get what you pay for ....

That said the frame is comfy and strong and I have learnt a lot about fixing things (read swapping in new components)

For wheels I recomend Mavic Elipses as long as you replace the front (braking ... Oh yes) rim every couple of years.

pista is nasty piece of silver cack, but clearly quite a good bike.

fuji is great, but i'm not a fan of the black/grey colour. wheels are made of spaghetti. i have frame with harryrowland rear wheel, original front, goes like a dream.

I think it depends on where you see yourself for your next bike. A lot of us with the fuji realised we'd prob want something custom/more expensive once we got used the riding fixed. So the few quid saved over the Pista gives you a start on saving for the next one...

Exactly. My mate with the Pista thinks that he'll probably keep it for ages and just replace a few bits to make it a bit nicer. I do't even want to replace the wheels on the Fuji Track because it's just not worth it. I'd rather save the cash and then get a BJ (although I could buy a nice wheelset, then a BJ frame and a whole new groupset so the wheels could come first)

tough call megaman. Some GR8 advice/opinions here. But you've gotta go with your own instinct. Mine would settle for the Fuji I think, and I'd start a 'new wheel and other bits fund' for it. I'm a Langster rider, in constant turmoil at the other end of the market.....BJ or Mercian? Biggest problem is the Langster has been brilliant and really doesnt justify replacing. nice problem.

Anyone got any thoughts on the Charge Plug? I hid a ride the other day, seemed a little heavy. Where does this fit in to the bianchi v fuji debate?

looks nice. comes with a brake (two in fact) and a freewheel. I'd have bought it over a Bianchi Pista if I had £400 to spend. Never ridden one though.

i will consider building something more custom in the future about 1 1/2 years down the line upon the frame of the bike i buy, thats why most of all i want the better frame, (as long as the wheels and other parts last that long) i ride every day to work for about 11 miles

charge plug is cheap and looks expensive.

i did the fuji to bob jackson move.

neither. a langster

My 2005 Fuji track is still going strong still with plenty of the original bits and does 7 miles a day on my work commute, of course parts pop eventually but it just gives you an excuse to upgrade. The tyres are indeed rubbish but apart from that all in all a good solid bike to start on with nice geometry, I don't see why you'd spend the extra on the Pista as they are both entry level bikes but its your call.
Alright Kelvin / Elvis, I've been away, catch up at some point in the Brighton thread.

I've got one, it's my first fixie, so not too much to compare it too, but I'd say it doesn't really compare to the 2 other bikes. It's quite a different geometry to my road bike, a tad more relaxed. So I'd say it would be very different to the track bikes?

I still love it, it looks fab, rides really smooth and just seems to eat up the road.

and as terrible as it sounds I quite like the fact you can't just pick up a Fuji in your local evans, so despite being cheaper it feels more exclusive

I will most probably replace the tyres right away in that case, are there any tyre suggestions 700x23

Plenty.. see 'Search' button up the top there..

But coz I'm not a total forum nazi.. I like the Vittoria Rubinos ("Pro" if you like) for fixin'.

yep.. I got a Fuji, rattle can sprayed it so it looked somewhat different and bought a new set of tyres (vittoria rubinos) for a grand total of £15.. A tiagra front brake for £12 and you're set!

I've replaced a few other bits but I didn't really need to.. The stock wheels (not tyres, wheels!) are good enough, the hubs work pretty well and should last a while, the rims aren't that special but certainly good enough to last until you've saved enough to replace them.

For the price they're going at the moment from biddle, it's a bit of a no brainer really.

im a big fan of my pista. though sometimes I thinkI could have spent a bit more and built a bj frame. Mine came with a brake (not break) so no extra expense there. Got it at holdsworths if that makes a difference.

Someone mentioned going singlespeed. If so, you might want to consider a back brake as well. I dunno about the fuji, but the pista isnt drilled for one.

the fuji is drilled for a back brake..

Or a pencil if you want to keep it in there.

Your cycling down by hyde park, you see a fit girl, next thing you know you have crashed into a lampost. (Perfect pickup senario) you get chatting but you realise you forgot your phone. Turn to the back of your fuji track and you have a pencil right there, Handy! you never know when you will need a pencil