Hi, new member. I've been lurking about on the nets for a while for advice on a first fixie/ss and you guys seem to be the knowledge.
Whilst I'm totally up to building one from the ground, I'm basically torn between some straight out of the shop models.

I was wondering your opinon. Do I rock a Bianchi Pista or the new Charge Plug Racer? Apart from the £50 or so price difference they don't seem wildly dissimilar. Apart from buying a brake for the pista.
Gimmie an angle here? Cheers

PLUGS are were its at! Fuck the Pista.

I give up.......

I have an idea.
We (the practicing forum members) could draft a letter and send it to all of the OTP manufacturers, asking for some kind of sponsorship deal (they could pay for a forum Christmas party or summat similar that we can all enjoy). In return, we can promise to recommend their bike whenever this question is asked on the forum. The OTP thread hasn't worked, the search function doesn't work, and the idea of personal preference is a non-starter.

New member - "What OTP should I go for?"
LFGSS - "Langstaplugpack"
New member - "Sweet!
LFGSS - "Ahhh..."

Win-win if you ask me, and no-one gets upset.

Maybe a FAQ for sent out to all new members?

what's that? fishing nets is it?

you can't have been lurking here very long dude, you'd know you had just asked the most recurrent and widely-held-to-be- most annoying question in existence on this forum.

Chillax, have some chilldren - I ain't trying to be nasty. Just amused at yet another opening post that betrays a heady disregard for the search button.

I never had this problem when I lurked - has the search collapsed or something..?

Don't know why, but every time I ride past someone on a bianchi pista, 'wank*r' just pops into my head. I have no idea why, especially as I own one!

the thing is, people want a personal response. they crave the human touch, and the validation that buying a fixed gear bicycle is OK. they want to chat about it.

is that so wrong?

I reckon i'm understanding the initial frustration of newbie posts. The above thread is useful, and reckon that on signing up to this forum - a HUGE TICKBOX with "I accept to NOT ask questions, until i have studied the archives" should suffice...
However, i guess Nihmbus is right... we just want to have contact with like-minded people... God knows its all I crave. Here in Brum, all i have is Aston Villa season ticket holders with a penchant for Carrera bikes and strongbow. (Sigh)

And comedy accents - don't forget the comedy accents.
"Kipper tie?"
"Bostin, two sugars please."

That's quality. I moved up from Muswell Hill about ten years ago, and i still get stick for my faded accent... They have noooooooo idea:
Y'am goin' out on yer bike 'am yer? Y'am a nutter!......

`freakin yam yam's

^^^I dig what you're saying but surely there other ways to secure warm fixie feeluns (oh yeah I went there) than to ask the same old question about OTP. It really is amazing how similarly these posts are phrased too. I reckon a compilation of them is in order to dazzle everyone with the similarity. I dig if you're not in London you want to share your enthusiasm but tbh I spent ages just enjoying old threads and the banter and wit that came out of them as well as searching around for answers to questions I was thinking about.

btw it hasn't escaped my attention that nimhbus is on particularly fine form at the moment.. I've been creasing at you loads the last few days dude..

blush, <giggle, squeak>

^^^ I hear you loud and clear.

Maybe new members of the forum should have to complete a quiz as part of the registration.

Most of the FAQ's from us fake-fakengers could then be addressed before we could even make a post on the forum.

Maybe make the OTP thread a sticky since people don't seem to search ?

As for which to choose, try em and pick the one you like ...

Amen, brother.

I stopped reading at 'first fixie/ss' . . .

For the record I'm fairly new here, but have thus far avoided asking any questions that provoke such a responce (phew!)

Read, read, read, search, read, absorb, read, formulate opinion based on all the knowledge here, then . . . and only then, if your question is not answered, ask. (or turn up to one of the events and TALK to people!)

I think the READ THIS before joining thing is a good idea.

But who reads those, really?
I'm like donut. I enjoy reading through old threads and finding the information on my own. That way, WHEN I need to ask something I'm not always a complete douche.

Big Props from MaxW! Whoop Whoop!

Ego maniac.

see, that's the exact same sentimental I have, which is honestly a bit stupid to do really, strip off the decal and people will less likely to have "wanker" popped in their head.

We all still know it's a Pista :)

sooo many new names replying to this thread... strange

Whilst I seem to have opened up a world of pain, I was only asking if any of the Plug Racer components are drastically worse than any of the stock Pista stuff. Considering my clearly limited knowledge, and the fact that they have only just got the racer in the UK yesterday, it was just a question on parts.
In terms of preference, I'd like the Charge, I think it's a little subtler (for a chrome bike) than the Pista, so preference isn't totally dead. The search function works fine, but the Charge is too new to have many comparisons to the other OTP bikes. Also, the Definitive OTP lists are only prices ect.
Sorry to be such a novice, my wording was a little off, but I thought it was a slightly more directed question than "Oh Lolz, pick my bike for me plz."
Cheers.

i'm just sick of reading yet another pajamas post, where you say the same shit and i have to endlessly trawl past, your oh so earnest advice. Don't read it, do read it, but don't complain, you post more same same stuff on here than a fucking army of newbs asking otp questions.

mechamorgan your gonna need a BIG sieve, to look through opinions. Have fun though.

so I have a plug... it's heavy and so far seems indestructible (mind, the paint work isn't!). I've only lifted the Pista up, but it definitely is lighter! I just can't stand the look of the Pista, so didn't bother with it....

serious though, try them out, pick which one you like... if you really do end up riding fixed, you'll end up replacing bits / building your own soon enough...

heavier then a pista!?

ok so beers were involved before and after ....

I'd basically try and ride both and then decide. Buy the one you like best, easy. Components can be changed.

yes.