Should I buy the Masi?
 

(At the risk of breaking a forum rule... cross-posting???)

I've been watching this in the For Sale sub-forum for a while now: MASI and am now interested, but unsure. I know little about this model, didn't find much on the internet and only two short topics on them here at BF. Anyone own one, had one before or is familiar and can offer an opinion? As I've never owned a bike this new (whatever year that is) not sure what to expect.

Not planning on a new build or a restoration, but to swap over the components from my daily-rider Palo Alto (excepting the rear wheel, will need 126mm hub). One thing that's great is that with my long legs but not-so-long torso and arms, I like a bike where the top tube is shorter than the seat tube -- the Masi is about 8mm longer in both directions than what I ride now, very doable.

So, and this is very subjective, will I delight in the change or be asking myself why I did such a thing?

Opinions?

Before the very patient seller puts me on his Ignore List, I should decide one way or the other.

Masks are simply great. I have a Gran Criterium from 1975. You will not regret it.

My ‘72 Gran Criterium was a fantastic bike in every riding (racing back then) situation. @RiddleOfSteel has had a Masi Nuovo Strada that he raves about.

Note that the seller says that the Masi has 130mm rear spacing.

You already know about the importance of a good fit. If this fits and the noted patina is manageable, I suspect you’ll be delighted.

I suspect you are both right -- but unable to find anything on the differences, either in specification or in the resultant performance, between the Gran Corsa and the Gran Criterium. Or between the Gran Corsa and other brands/models.

If you don't buy the Masi…

...the dingo will eat your baby.

Make sure it's not a rebadged trek.


[I sorry! I actually love that bike.]

The Gran Corsa was a pretty close relative to the Nuova Strada... actually I like Gran Corsa more.
When this bike was built, the Gran Criterium still existed but the top tier bike was the Volumetrica.
I am not sure on the angles of the bigger frames, in the smaller sizes the two GC's were closer to each other, the Nuova Strada a bit more like a Pinarello or Colnago of the period.
That written, there were geometry tweaks over the decades on the Gran Criterium.

Chardonnay out the nose! :lol:

See above!

Nice input. OK, I bit, PM'ed Brian, buying the frame. I'll need to WTB on a wheel or two, and I'll post photos when it's ready for the road. Thanks, all! :thumb:

...I have a Palo Alto bike (from the catalog days), an Italian made Masi framed bike, and two Masi made in California bikes. The Masi frames all feel "quicker", but the Palo Alto import made by BMZ feels a little more solid to me in terms of ride quality.

They're more or less comparable in wheels and setup. It will be an interesting switch for you to experiment with, but if the BMZ frame fits you well, you ought to hang onto it for a while to see how it works out for you.

Good input. I wonder if the Masi will feel more "French", lively and looser, than the PA which is my first Italian of any stripe. Not sure what I'll do with the leftover PA frame; I betcha I won't get rid of it, perhaps it will be the core of a future build - again, the tall seat tube and shorter top tube combination "works" for me and I don't run across it all that often (the PA's seller in 1998 on eBay said he had trouble selling it due to the dimensions, lucky for me).

If you like the Pali Alto, definitely keep the frame and fork! You will be able to use it again, either with the old parts or something new (and possibly better). I am still riding my original good bike, a Stevenson custom touring bike, but it has certainly been modded since I bought it. It still rides like a dream . . . .