Bianchi San Jose Road Bike

We here at Gearzilla love looking forward into the brave new world gear innovations. But sometime we like to pause and express our affection for products that have become part of our daily outdoor-lovin’ lives.  Such is the case of the Bianchi San Jose.  This single-speed all-steel bike gets everything right—one tester has been using it for daily commutes for years, but it has also performed well in mellow singletrack and on gravel and dirt towpaths.  You can run it as a fixie, but we prefer the ability to…actually brake when cycling in urban environs. We swapped out the saddle and went for the Crank Brothers’ Eggbeater pedals, and over five years of near-daily use, we’ve had to swap in new tires, replace the chain, and re-wrap the handle bars—and soon the Cane Creek brakes will need a serious retrofit. But that’s typical of any bike, and it’s still as ridiculously light, nimble, and fun to ride as it was when we bought it over five years ago.  The only sad part? It seems Bianchi isn’t offering the full bike; their site displays only the bike frame.  But those less inclined to build up their own perfect commuter rig can still find the San Jose (including the gorgeous eggshell blue one) on Craigslist.