Originally Posted by
mrjav
So I'm back! Not with the translation (yet - I like to do them accurately). BUT I did finally find this article from my archives. 1988 Bicycling magazine article of "new steel" frames. The Proto was the second one after a beautiful Tommasini MS (never seen that paint job since).
The pearl white Proto with Celeste accents and the celeste sidewalls made this one stand out for me. I thought it was the greatest bike I had ever seen. Of course, it quickly left my mind once I figured out I'd never see one in the flesh (still haven't).
Anyway... enjoy...
http://www.ciclimasini.com/images/88...ng_Thunder.pdf
You are really delivering good stuff here! I certainly enjoyed this one.
It has, at least, three pieces of info that I find interesting:
1. It says that this white Proto is fillet brazed in contrast to the Italian piece that says it is TIG-welded. This in regard to what I wrote in the first post above - that there seem to be a difference in the visual appearence between the frames I have seen. It can clearly be seen in the pictures. What value does the fillet brazed info have - though? The guy writing it - was he thinking it was fillet brazed based on the smooth execution or does he really know? One can TIG-weld and then make it smooth afterwards with different means. OR is it really fillet brazed? If the guy knows his stuff and it actually is fillet brazed that is explaining a real difference in the frames I showed in the beginning of this thread. Oohh... I am so tempted to check my frame but it would ruin the paint. To me it makes a big difference if mine would be fillet brazed compared to TIG-welded. Fillet brazed is nice. TIG not so much in my book.
2. This white frame has a totally different fork crown than the rest. Much more sloping crown than the "usual" fork crown.
3. The colour in itself. The only other one I have seen documented is the one in this Japanese catalog.
Is it the same bike? It looks like the one in the catalog at least have different tubes installed - with a much larger decal/print. If it is another one - there are at least two white ones. Your chances has doubled...
