Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Masi coltello VS. Bianchi Super Pista

I'v been thinking of getting an Alu frame and this is what it has come to. I plan on heavy street riding with speed in mind. I think they are both great but i hear more about the bianchi. Anyway Pros/cons, coparitive review, or whatever help me make an educated choice.

If your going to ride on the street heavily, id go with steel. ps why aluminum over steel?

I figured that question would arise.... I already own a steel frame and i love it to death but these are both quality alu frames that should be able to hold up agaist street rideing. also, got damn, i love the aero tubing lol.

alu's not as bad as many here make it out to be if your streets are somewhat decent. between the two, i'd just pick the one you think looks better.

though check craigslist. coltello's i've seen get all the way down to 350 at the lowest, while super pistas dont really drop below 550.

The Masi Coltello looks alright in some pictures:

199101

and odd in others:

199102

The top tube is way too thin for the frame to look nice (fwiw, my Team Track looks similar).

For the same price, I'd much rather have the better looking Super Pista that has a reputation of being a great frame.

If your size 54 it seems like a goooood deal http://cgi.ebay.com/Felt-TK2-Track-Bike-54CM-/180657854454?pt=Cycling_Parts_Accessories&hash=item2a100c17f6#ht_719wt_1139

Hmm have you considered the cinelli vigorelli? I'm just putting in the word as it is among the usual ranks of those 2.

If it is between those 2, I'll go for the super pista in pista concept celeste/ black colorway as bianchi is celeste and you don't want no bianchi being mistaken for a leader that costs a fraction of the price LOL

Is the Coltello the same as this?

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/team_track.htm

no, its better than that. looks very much the same though. like they say looks can be misleading

Looks EXACTLY the same to me

I always wondered what the big differences between frames like that outside of the sticker. They seem so similar and if components aren't coming into play, I'm genuinely very very curious what the main differences are and why one is 2x as the other

same goes for the motobecane vs mercier kilo. why is the mercier $200 more by chance?

voted bianchi

no, its better than that. looks very much the same though. like they say looks can be misleading

in this case, looks are not misleading. you want it to be the same to justify your purchase but really, its the same frame aside from the seatstays.

i believe...
old fuji track pro = coltello
older ftp = moto team track
old fuji track pro + gussets = raleigh rush hour pro

all are basically the same and most definitely ride similarly if not the same.

spend your money how you want, but essentially... realize its the same frame.

no, its better than that. looks very much the same though. like they say looks can be misleading

hahahahahahaha

all the above mentioned aluminum frames are quite similar, the not so obvious thing that sets the Masi apart though is the top tube:

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y44/sharkxattack/masi_col09.jpg

a little hard to see from the picture but it has what i guess could be described as a ridge on the top and lower side of the top tube. its supposed to add stiffness, but i havent ridden any of the other frames mentioned so i cant say. i love my coltello and think the paint/ decals are really sharp. too bad a majority of people build them up tarcky as all hell. ive had mine for 2 years and have had 0 problems, even came out of a pretty rough crash with no damage. the masi web site has a decent video with some good information: http://www.masibikes.com/framesets/coltello-frame/

ok hold up.... if i was buying based on looks i wouldn't need an oppinion you get me? And to let some of you guys know a higher priced frame is based on the quality of the tubing, welds, perks of the frame(e.g. lugged, attached coller, headset...) ect. not the way it looks or the sticker (to an extent). while a Motobecane Team Track or Raleigh Rush Hour Pro seem practical and look the same, Bianchi and Masi are better quality frames that are built the meet the demands of the rider not the market. i just wanted to clear that up, anyways. thanks for that "ridge" detail i thought it was just round. can you still fit a lil top tube protector thing on it so the drops don't dent the frame?(not the foam one the njs type one) And yea that video was sick i'v seen it before hand and it really sold me the frame XD but yea obviously bianchi has too :P also good to know a coltello can hold up in a crash, im kinda prone to those lol

Nope, the kashimax 5 gold on conforms to perfectly round top tubes of a smaller diameter, no way a aero styled aluminum frame can fit... believe me that was the worst $50 I ever spent, it's collecting dust in a drawer at the moment... I bought it originally for my nagasawa which I departed with awhile back during the height of the NJS hype.

FWIW, Rush Hour Pro does not look the same as a Moto Team Track. A Cotello is probably the same quality as a Moto Team track, but with slightly "better" aluminium.

You should also put T1, TK3, Giant Omnium into consideration

As for the bike, pick the one that fits you better.

love the crap out of my continuum. not the lightest, but it rides nicely and makes a good street fixie

its more buzzy on the road (like it vibrates over ashphalt and cracks more) than my peloton, but since putting on my tb14s its smoothed it out a good bit.

If it were me making this decision, I'd get the Masi.

i'm a fan of both bikes, the masi looks like a nicer frame but i've never seen it in person and it's true that they're nearly identical, if you need a top tube protector(kashimax style) you can get the same protection with a 6inch strip of bar tape and some electrical tape to hold the sides down, if you want to match color home depot sells a variety pack of colored electrical tape for like 2.50, good luck with your bike

And to let some of you guys know a higher priced frame is based on the quality of the tubing, welds, perks of the frame(e.g. lugged, attached coller, headset...) ect. not the way it looks or the sticker (to an extent). while a Motobecane Team Track or Raleigh Rush Hour Pro seem practical and look the same, Bianchi and Masi are better quality frames that are built the meet the demands of the rider not the market. i just wanted to clear that up, anyways.

Okay, if you know everything about bikes why are you asking for advice? What evidence do you have that a Masi frame is of better quality than a Raleigh or even a BikesDirect bike besides the stickers that are on it? You don't sound like you have much first-hand experience with any of these bikes.

even if Rubear knows everything, I'm interested in both frames he likes and would like to know the differences. Let's say we're only talking frames here, what's the upside of a Masi or Bianchi vs the Moto/Merciers at BD

a masi would be perfect for you, rubear.

my vote is on masi

why do you say that?

Because the Masi bird goes cheep!

ok hold up.... if i was buying based on looks i wouldn't need an oppinion you get me? And to let some of you guys know a higher priced frame is based on the quality of the tubing, welds, perks of the frame(e.g. lugged, attached coller, headset...) ect. not the way it looks or the sticker (to an extent). while a Motobecane Team Track or Raleigh Rush Hour Pro seem practical and look the same, Bianchi and Masi are better quality frames that are built the meet the demands of the rider not the market. i just wanted to clear that up, anyways. thanks for that "ridge" detail i thought it was just round. can you still fit a lil top tube protector thing on it so the drops don't dent the frame?(not the foam one the njs type one) And yea that video was sick i'v seen it before hand and it really sold me the frame XD but yea obviously bianchi has too :P also good to know a coltello can hold up in a crash, im kinda prone to those lol

this.

uhh... the coltello can't hold up in a crash. i've seen more than a couple that are dented from just regular plain city riding.

neither can the ftp but that's what you get riding a lightweight track frame.

i like my visp for city riding but that's because it's a tank. i think it's more sturdy than my kilo.

the only bianchis i've seen damaged were in real crashes. like hit by cars. or tricked on. which is the epitome of stupid, trick on a trick frame.

this.

you're not fooling anyone

lawlz. support the economy.

I really loved my Super Pista, when deciding on a replacement frame I debated to get a new Super Pista a few sizes larger or the Masi. While the Super Pista is not void of stickers, the Masi seemed slightly more obnoxious than the Bianchi with the amount of Masi all over the place. Aesthetics aside, the ride on both were nice and I would gladly own either in the future.


I went with a steel bareknuckle frame in the end. I miss my Super Pista at times though.

lawlz. support the economy.

+rep

uhh... the coltello can't hold up in a crash. i've seen more than a couple that are dented from just regular plain city riding.



youre right, I mustve dreamt that crash

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y44/sharkxattack/masicrash.jpg

uhh... the coltello can't hold up in a crash. i've seen more than a couple that are dented from just regular plain city riding.


Wut do you expect? All aluminum track frames are just soda cans on wheels... :rolleyes:

I've had "crashes" before where I was going a substantial speed, yet the most severe damage was a scratched up brake lever or a torn up Oury, but my body wasn't so pain free. How you fall and where you fall will dictate how you and/or your bike fair. Not all crashes are that severe. Are we talking about a 25mph crash or a crash at the velodrome, or are we talking about a I-suck-at-tarckstanding "crash"?

are we talking about a I-suck-at-tarckstanding "crash"?
Some bro here fell when he was tarckstanding and dented the hell out of his Super Pista with his super dope B123.

Some bro here fell when he was tarckstanding and dented the hell out of his Super Pista with his super dope B123.

Ouch unwrapped?... I always unmount and sit on my top tube and act that it's overly comfortable in those larger intersections....

uhh... the coltello can't hold up in a crash. i've seen more than a couple that are dented from just regular plain city riding.

neither can the ftp but that's what you get riding a lightweight track frame.

i like my visp for city riding but that's because it's a tank. i think it's more sturdy than my kilo.

the only bianchis i've seen damaged were in real crashes. like hit by cars. or tricked on. which is the epitome of stupid, trick on a trick frame.

you are now entering sweeping generalization city.

Some bro here fell when he was tarckstanding and dented the hell out of his Super Pista with his super dope B123.

He just upped his cred brah.

you are now entering sweeping generalization city.

cc700 posts for the rider, not the market.

I have no clue where this thread is going, looks like a bunch of arguing over nothing.

the coltello and the super pista are identical alloys. they both share similar short chainstays and steep 74-75degree HT/ST. personally i'd pick the super pista just because they offer a 55 top tube bike (i like 54.5), wheras the coltello jumps from 53.5 to 56. that's just sizing though, so this may not be a criteria for everyone.

the motobecane track is a lower grade aluminum (6066 vs 7005), a longer chainstay/wheelbase, and a slightly lower bb. i don't know if these would be deciding factors for you. some people would prefer it for a less twitchy ride, others might miss that responsive handling.

personally (so this will probably be ignored), i'd definitely consider the sst-al for an around town street fixie. 7005 aluminum frame (according to the geometry chart), carbon fork, more roadbike-like 73deg HT/ST. don't know how it would compare to a super pista, but it looks like a solid deal. with the money saved i'd get some nicer tires, decent pedals, saddle, and probably different handlebar/stem/wrap.

I have no clue where this thread is going, looks like a bunch of arguing over nothing.

the coltello and the super pista are identical alloys. they both share similar short chainstays and steep 74-75degree HT/ST. personally i'd pick the super pista just because they offer a 55 top tube bike (i like 54.5), wheras the coltello jumps from 53.5 to 56. that's just sizing though, so this may not be a criteria for everyone.

the motobecane track is a lower grade aluminum (6066 vs 7005), a longer chainstay/wheelbase, and a slightly lower bb. i don't know if these would be deciding factors for you. some people would prefer it for a less twitchy ride, others might miss that responsive handling.


If you do some googling you'll find that most people say that isn't how Aluminum works (for example, Tiemeyers are made of 6061).

Also, where are you finding what Al the SST is made of? Or the BB drop of a Super Pista? It's 50mm on the Team Track, which is by no means low.

If you do some googling you'll find that most people say that isn't how Aluminum works (for example, Tiemeyers are made of 6061).

Also, where are you finding what Al the SST is made of? Or the BB drop of a Super Pista? It's 50mm on the Team Track, which is by no means low.

my quick googling shows that 6061 is a good alloy, but requires extensive heat treatment after welding. 7005 is self temerping and doesn't need heat treatment. it just needs to cure (which will likely happen as it is shipped overseas). Tiemeyer is a master of his craft, and i'd imagine he's properly taking the time to heat treat his frames. When going with a generic frame though i'd be less sure of the proper amount of care and time being taken. 7005 is a more sure bet, there's just less to mess up after fusing tubes.

clicking on the sst geo chart shows "7005 frame geometry" or something to that effect. Bikesdirect is full of fail with labeling though, so it's possible that isn't true.

and i think i must've transposed the bb drop between the coltello and the super pista. one of those was listed at 45mm.