Submitted by
natemagoo
a Cross Country Rider
from dallas, tx. usa
Date Reviewed: April 26, 2010
Strengths: USED FOR COMMUTING... fun, simple, light, fast, good components, gets lots of good comments... i love flying past those packs of gay road bikers in their tighties while on my single speed...
Weaknesses: I have no complaints, BUT, to be picky... after 7 years and over 40k miles of commuting to work, i've determined 2 things i wish this bike had, caliper brakes and bigger rim circumference... the disc brakes have, however, never needed ANY maintenance!!! but i think the caliper brakes would be lighter, and also.. as w/ most ss bikes, the chain needs extra care
Bottom Line:
I replaced my car with this bike and I have put many miles on this bike in the 7 years and have saved TONS of money with this bike. It is how I get to work.. rain or shine or snow or whatever.. Its been fun. Its been more dependable than a car. It has needed little or no maintenance. Its been neglected and kkeps on rolling, except for the few times i've polished the chrome to blind the onlookers!
Similar Products Used: giant sedona that was stolen, but... thats okay
Bike Setup: i immediately put on Cane Creek bar ends to ease hand fatigue and Shimano PD-M424 pedals.. the best thing i did for this bike was replace the stock Mutano Raptor tires with MAXXIS XENITH 26X1.5... and puncture proof tubes.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
subafly
a Cross Country Rider
from Cheney, Washington, USA
Date Reviewed: April 16, 2010
Strengths: Super light, very responsive, aggressive or mellow depending on your mood. The disks brakes are really easy to adjust. You can ride it every day!
Weaknesses: Chain line is terrible! headset seems weak.
Bottom Line:
There hasn't been a day that I haven't rode this bike since I got it. Its really fun and mashes over just about everything. It does need some upgrades if your planning on riding trails with any sort of technical riding. Probably fine for smooth single track though. Currently looking into a better headset, front suspension (although I do like the stiffy) and somehow fix the terrible chain line. Whats with that any way. Other than that its great! MAKES you ride faster, farther, longer!
Weaknesses: cheesy looking welds and flimsy looking drop outs
Bottom Line:
I bought this bike and rode it hard for over a year, I rode it SS and Fixed Mtn. It did great, The fork kinda sucked and I had to unwind the frt skewer several turns everytime I took my wheel off. The rear drop-outs indented from tightening the rear wheel down to a reasonable torque. but all in all it rode great and was one of my all time favorite bikes. The fit could not have been better on a non custom frame. rigid is awesome if you don't mind a little pain on the decent. I liked the bike alot and for the price its hard to beat.
Similar Products Used: Soma Juice 29er, Vassago Jabberwocky
Bike Setup: Easton XC One Wheelset, WTB Stout 2.3 tires, WTB Silverado Saddle, EC70 Zero Seatpost, Easton Monkey Lite Bar, Avid Elixir Brakes, Race Face Crank
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Submitted by
sthersh
a Racer
from carmel, indiana, usa
Date Reviewed: October 22, 2008
Strengths: Two words: Aggressive Geometry.
Weaknesses: Wheels, saddle, pedals.
Bottom Line:
The SASS is a lovely ride. Whether popping out for a coffee or pounding tight, fast single track, this single speed is set up for performance. Fast in the turns and confident in climbing very steep (50 degree) inclines, it doesn't give an inch. The SASS is also extremely confident in tracking and reacting to rapid shifts in weight/balance and direction. More often than not I am able to outpace riders on full suspension due to a tight, superior design. Did I mention it is bomb-proof? You can beat it to death and it comes back for more. The best part is apres-ride the downcast look from riders on 21 speed full suspension kits that just got smoked by a guy on a fully rigid, single speed. Okay, I have made a couple of modifications. Still, the soul of the SASS remains. I wouldn't sell it or trade it for anything. Buy one.
Bike Setup: changed too 711mm h-bar,velo saddle,bear trap pedal,shorter stem
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
westernslop
a Cross Country Rider
from Grand Junction, CO
Date Reviewed: August 15, 2008
Strengths: The steel is strong and smooth. The gear ratio is perfect for all day riding and weekends at the resorts make you strong.
Weaknesses: None to date
Bottom Line:
I first rode this bike fully ridiged, which was fine if you wanted a lighter bike that turned really fast. But I found I was able to incresse my speed going both uphill and down with more control and pleasure with a front fork.
I had an old F80RLC on ther and it was perfect. I tried to get a new one but all FOX had left were F100s. Which I have ridden on a few trails and can feel the benfit of longer travel, but it really does not belong on this bike and slows the handling down considerbly.
Bottom Line: Riding without gears has let me refoucs on why I ride, and for a long time mtn. rider it has been a very refreshing feeling.
Similar Products Used: My last bike was a 13 year old GT Pantera. Pretty differnt ride feel, but similar geomerty. Classic XC race.
Bike Setup: Chris King headset. 09' Fox F100RLC (going to space it down to 80mm). Time Atacks. Specilized sadle. Specilized Fast Track Pros. Yeit Hard Core grips.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Chris Krenz
a Cross Country Rider
from Stevens Point, WI, USA
Date Reviewed: May 23, 2008
Strengths: Lightweight even though the frame is steel. The tires are the best I've ever ridden. They grip in sand, mud, snow, and dry dirt and corner perfectly. Nice set of BB7 disc brakes which are great in wet conditions. The crank is solid and responsive.
Weaknesses: The rear slotted dropouts allow for the rear wheel to displace itself in hard stops. Because the bolts holding the wheel on are so large I need to carry a large wrench with me for every ride. The headset is subpar and the seat wore out pretty fast.
Bottom Line:
If you want a steel, rigid singlespeed that's light and still offers stabilty and a solid ride this is a great choice. Bianchi doesn't sell these anymore but if you find a used one, I say, "pull the trigger and grab it."
Strengths: Only 24 pounds! Steel frame, RIGID FORK!, old school... The disc brakes seem pretty cool, too.
Weaknesses: None yet.
Bottom Line:
Okay, so I hadn't even looked at a bike in close to ten years but I let some coworkers talk me into getting one. I test rode several different Gary Fishers but neither the Genesis Geometry nor the front suspension agreed with me. Just for kicks and giggles I tried out a Raleigh "XXIV": steel frame, rigid fork, 29-inch wheels, single speed. Simply put, nnniiiccceee, but the local chain-store/bike shop didn't have my size. If you haven't figured it out yet, I'm not all that impressed with the flashy new gadgets slapped on bikes nowadays. Riding that Raleigh confirmed what I had always known true: I love to FEEL the road (or the trail, as it were). A suspension fork in the flat state of Minnesota is just an excuse for those who would overlook bike-handling skills. I knew single-speed bikes had a definite fan following and it's something out-on-the-fringes-different so that sounded interesting. And there's no other way to put it: a steel bike just has soul, man! Disc brakes; I could take 'em or leave 'em. Twenty-nine-inch wheels have that same allure as the single-speed but I wasn't sold on them and it seemed to overkill the fringe-factor to combine them with the SS. Anyway (off my soapbox), like I said the shop was out. So I headed over to U.S. National Time Trial Champion Dan Casebeer's shop and, lo and behold, they had this little chrome gem, the Bianchi "S.A.S.S.", right in my size. I bought it the next day after digging my old "Dominator 2's" out of the closet. This beauty-of-a-bike is a llliiiggghhhttt 24 lbs and it carves corners like butta. In fact, I'm a little nervous that I'm going to launch myself over the bars it corners so fast. This is my first exposure to disc brakes and I have no complaints; they're supposed to be pretty good ones as far as mechanical go. My only hesitant complaint about the bike so far is that I feel like I'm centered a little too far forward. Otherwise, add my five stars to the long list of SASS lovers on this page. If you're looking for a quality single-speed that adds an equal share of fun and challenge to your routine, this is the bike for you.
Similar Products Used: Test rode several Gary Fishers: Wahoo, Marlin, Tassajara (sans discs), and a Montare. Also tried out a (too) small Raleigh "XXIV".
Bike Setup: Stock except for my 10-year-old Time "A.T.A.C." pedals.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
steve Curren
a Cross Country Rider
from chicago
Date Reviewed: July 16, 2007
Strengths: nice riding frame, while it lasts...
Weaknesses: frame broke- I weigh 150lbs, and ride recreational XC. My local bike mechanic inspected the break, at the junction of the drive side chain stay and bottom bracket- he thought the weld was faulty- contacted Bianchi and they told me to get lost. Bad customer service
For a broke-down cowboy pushin' 50 who's been part of real mountain bikin' from the git-go: the SASS is the ultimate, tear-'em-up, bulletproof, trail-bustin', man-handelin', indestructable, testosterone-pumpin', adrenelin-injected,off-road, two-wheeled machine.
Similar Products Used: Pioneered Home-made Mountain Bikes in Durango, Colo in the late '70-early '80. Shwinn, Pugot, Trek
Bike Setup: Stock except for: Bulletproof cleated pedals, Serfas Stabilizer handlebar end caps, two water bottles, bike pump, fully stocked emergency tool and repair kit under seat, and up-graded break pads.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Landon
a Weekend Warrior
from Columbus, OH USA
Weaknesses: WTB tires and the sorta cheap headset and pedals.
Bottom Line:
Strong, fast, and buttery frame. This bike is all about the frame. I have not had it out on the trails yet (I'm waiting for it to dry up here in Columbus) but riding on the streets has been fun.
Bike Setup: Fox F100X, White Industries freewheel, 32/18 gearing, lock ons, Chris King headset, Thomson 27.2 Masterpiece seatpost and 31.8 stem.
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
marty
a Cross Country Rider
from west bend wi usa
Date Reviewed: August 28, 2006
Strengths: simple fun very cool
Weaknesses: well its a rigid single weakness or advantage?
Bottom Line:
I bought this bike because it was cheap and cool lots of friends had singles. What I didn't expect was how much I would ride it. I ride it around town, with my girlfreind on trails and on old familiar trails that now seem much more fun. Trails that are overkill on my Fuel 110 are much fun on single. I can climb faster now because of this bike. It is a lot of fun to blast up a hill past a guy on a $3000 suspended bike. I put lights on it and ride the rail trails at night when I work late. In this order get a mountain bike then a road bike then one of these. Oh everything works, the rigid steel fork is pretty plush,and this bike handles great. If you ride a long travel bike most of the time, then you will think it steers like a slot car. Avid mech disk brakes work really well and are easy to set up.
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