Need help identifying a Masi!?!?!
 

I just purchased an older Masi from a friend who has a friend who was a friend...

It seems to be a really nice ride, but I'm trying to discern WHAT it is: year, model, etc.

The serial numbers are MC63 and CU7912. I found these on the bottom bracket alongside the 'M' cutout. The bike is completely chrome. The components are all Campagnolo, although I can't find any markings that tell what series they are, except for the stem which says Record.

The wheels aren't original, I think. They are Mavic AV2's with Ultegra hubs. From the look of them, I'm quite sure they are replacements. It also has a Brooks saddle which is scuffed and worn, but holding up quite well.

This bike has amazing lugs and despite the age, the chrome still looks pretty good. There is some rust around the bottom bracket, but it all looks like surface rust.


Does anybody have any info on this? I've found a few websites, but nothing definitive. Thanks...

Pictures, dude! MC makes it a Carlsbad (CA) masi, with a frame size of 63 cm.

a good start on web research is e-ritchie's page -

http://www.campyonly.com/retrobikes/sachs_masi.html

and

http://www.bates-lee.com/masi/ is a good page for retro kind of information.

Pictures!

http://www.savepic.com/freepictureho...g=DSC02520.jpg
http://www.savepic.com/freepictureho...g=DSC02521.jpg
http://www.savepic.com/freepictureho...g=DSC02522.jpg http://www.savepic.com/freepictureho...g=DSC02523.jpg
http://www.savepic.com/freepictureho...g=DSC02524.jpg
http://www.savepic.com/freepictureho...g=DSC02525.jpg

Here's one batch...

http://www.savepic.com/freepictureho...g=DSC02526.jpg
http://www.savepic.com/freepictureho...g=DSC02527.jpg
http://www.savepic.com/freepictureho...g=DSC02528.jpg http://www.savepic.com/freepictureho...g=DSC02529.jpg http://www.savepic.com/freepictureho...g=DSC02531.jpg [IMG]<img src="http://www.savepic.com/freepicturehosting/is.php?i=424298&img=DSC02532.jpg" border="0">[/IMG]

Nice! I've never seen one fully chromed, but there are lots of things I've never seen. The group looks to be period correct except for the rear wheel, cluster and rear derailleur...

Are the brake levers slotted Campy or something else?

There's something bent on the front derailleur, btw, the curve should follow the shape of the chainring...

we need to see the fork crown in more detail, too. The correct vintage and model can be extracted from the fork crown and lug details.

Are there dates on the rear derailleur and the crank arms (circle or diamond with a number in it)

sorry. got a little hasty and didn't see the second set of pictures. The parts are mostly nuovo record, the rear derailleur is a 90's chorus or athena, and the rear hub stuff is all Shimano - you really want to swap those things back to nuovo record, they hurt my eyes. The frame fittings, etc, look almost identical to my Gran Criterium (MC0255, I think), but that came dressed in paint. You need to clean up that crap on the bottom bracket so you can get a good assessment of the extent of the rust.

MC0250, I just went and looked. You'd be astounded at what the bike is worth, I'll bet.

This is a California Masi, but not a Carlsbad example. Carlsbad was done making bikes in late 1976. This bike has the short dropouts and the fork crown indicates what used at San Marcos for a time. The frame number is also post Carlsbad. The lower head lug looks different from others in the period, the cut out is narrower and wider at the extremes. Also this frame is very different as there are no down tube water bottle braze ons, yet it has shifter bosses brazed on...Chrome is probably a later modification.

sorry, my feeble mind confuses carlsbad and california some times. I too was thinking that this was a refinish thing, because of the odd assortment of different brazeons, and the fact that I'd never seen an all chrome one before. Didn't the Italians think that chroming weakened the steel? (well, I suppose it does a little...)

You guys can see pics from those links? All I get is greek!

leadbutt format for image is [img] URL [/img] without the
"<img src=" in front of url and ">" at end.

marty

edit. or click go advanced and use the lmage button on top.

I had to hunt for the ones in the <img> tags, otherwise I can see 'em alright....

It was googledegook in safari, had to use the borg, (internet exploder)

How well is the history known? Perhaps a downtube was replaced. This after comparing some IC and stamped lug examples of various years.

ah hah! doesn't work in Firefox. . . went back to IE and got em.

History? who knows...

Really, I bought it froma friend who just thought it was a cool bike. He had no idea what a Masi was or is. Whether any tubes have been replaced, rechromed, chromed or altered is a mystery to me.

I appreciate the help with identifying the model and where it was made, but what year is it?

I was thinking 79', but I'm not sure.

"MC0250, I just went and looked. You'd be astounded at what the bike is worth, I'll bet."

Luker, was the information you found on the MC0250 available on the 'net?

Thanks again for all the help...

http://www.classicrendezvous.com/USA...al_numbers.htm

sorry if it wrapped.

C would be 3rd quarter of 1979, in this case the U is odd.

So 1979 is good, 3rd quarter U could be middle of the month?

There are other small oddities in Masi frame numbering. Things were in a state of flux at the time as far as employees / contractors. Chrome is def. a later thing. That the downtube lacks down tube water bottle braze ons is very curious.

Folks, I do appreciate all the help, but I believe I'm going to sell the bike.

For one, I don't need five bikes in the house right now (I don't need but two, but I'm sure all know the story).

Secondly, I'm not equipped or financially able to restore this bike to the condition it may be worthy of.

Also, it doesn't fit me that well. I have rode it around the neighborhood and I must say, it still feels GREAT. Even with the older, oxidized cables, it shifts great and brakes like it has discs...

Realistically, it could probably become a better bike than my Trek 1000.

What is this bike worth?

For top dollar, let ebay tell you. to show well, fix the front derailleur, its got some funkiness with the tape under the clamp and is perhaps even bent, the cage with that size of chainring should follow the ring almost perfectly when set about 3mm above it. Don't go over the top with a description, there will be lots of questions from the bidding crowd, I would remove the down tube water bottle cage just to confirm whats underneath, possible that a boss stripped and the owner took the clamp-on route to make it functional.

This one is not as desired as the Carlsbad bikes, but is from an interesting time in Masi history.

Too bad it does not fit, I would sell the other ones and keep this, when are you going to get another?

its a big one, and that's gonna hurt the resale some...and the garbledegook stuff at the rear wheel is gonna hurt the resale as well...look at this thread (it is an entertaining read) -

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...highlight=masi

the guy found his in a dumpster, and eventually sold it for $500 - I would assess yours to be in better shape than his by quite a ways...there are several other masi price related threads here, btw...do a search on Masi.

That orange dumpster dive recovery from Venice (Ca) had some problems, mainly the wrong fork, but was an Italian frame. This one while the fork is correct, has other perplexities (love that word, thanks James Thurber)

Perhaps someone should start a pool on the selling price, remember both being discussed were about the same size.

Well, folks, it is listed on ebay now and number 6, the questions are pouring in. I did remove the bottle cages and the tubes are actually perfectly smooth, no bosses whatsoever. I mulled over the idea of parting the bike out, but it seemed almost sacreligious to do.

I got an e-mail this morning saying it isn't a Carlsbad version, but a Rancho ???? ???? version by Rob Roeberson. I'm not questioning any of this information, as I don't have any documentation to back anything up with. Right now it's just a he-said/she-said game. Like most of you, I think I've found EVERY website available on Masi's. However, this guy claimed to have an actual build list...???

I would love to keep the bike, but as we stated, it doesn't fit. I will keep my eyes open though. I'm very interested in these bikes (well, all bikes for that matter).

The fellow is correct, it is a California Masi, but not a Carlsbad. Carlsbad stopped production in late 1976, there were some NOS frames sold for a period thereafter, along with some contract built bikes. Albert Eisentraut even built some. Your bikes numbering scheme and placement indicates for sure After Carlsbad.

Very well could be from the Rancho Santa Fe period, when they were built in an outbuilding of an estate. This is prior to San Marcos. Rob Roberson works for Joe Bell bicycle refinishing in San Diego currently.

The Roberson built bikes are gaining a following, he is known to be very detailed in his work. So are the Dave Moulton built frames.

Ended at $565...just in case anyone was curious how it turned out.