Aesthetics, Branding, Perceived Value, Remix, Scandinavia, fashion

Bianchi & Acne Jeans

Another cultural/counter-cultural zeitgeist collaboration: the Italian bicycle manufacturer Bianchi and the Swedish high-end fashion house Acne teamed up to produce some track bikes in great colorways with some typography from deep in the archives.

The bicycle itself looks to be identical to a Bianchi Pista with respect to geometry and components. As a bicycle, the Pista doesn’t do much for me. The geometry doesn’t make any sense, particularly because Pista riders typically ride in the streets and typically don’t ever see a velodrome. Why, then, cling to the 28mm fork rake? Your feet most certainly get in the way of turning the front wheel. The Pista fork is actually hideous in all respects. Acne just put lipstick on the pig, but it works well visually. I could see myself ordering one of these frames.

4 Comments

• On 11.28.08 Eric Silva said:

  Nice color schemes.

  Check out that rear facing drop mounted brake lever. Probably works fine as long as you don’t have to use it.

• On 11.28.08 erica said:

  you know i don’t know anything about bicycles, but that melon color is gorgeous! i wish i had thought of that when picking out my bicycle’s color.

• On 12.29.08 tyler said:

  that is just ignorant to talk about a pista that way. just because hipsters don’t what the bike is for doesn’t mean bianchi should change the geometry. the name means track, its a track bike. the geometry is stellar.

• On 12.29.08 Christian Eager said:

  @tyler:

  I think David’s point is that since the Bianchi/Acne bike is clearly not intended for use on the velodrome (the stock Pista doesn’t come with a brake or flat bars), it was silly to base it on the Pista frame. Bianchi makes a couple of other frames more suitable to the city riding for which these bikes are surely intended.

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