Did someone say rootbeer and cream? One of my modern Masi bikes... Cross posted from the SS/FG forum.

Damn.

That's the one I wanted. We had one left in stock, and it was my size. By the time I had the money together to buy it, the owner took it as his personal commuter bike. Hence the EP of the orange creme 2009 model. lol.

I lust for the root beer and cream. Have I mentioned that?

Well, they still make a Root Beer bike.... it's just a cyclocross bike this year instead of the commuter.



Note that the CX frame STILL has full braze-ons for racks, fenders, etc.

Here's how it looks today....

Ok, I'm getting close to the "moment of truth".

Here are my options, based on what I have here at home to pick from:

1) New Dura Ace 9 speed STI
2) Almost new Ultegra 10 speed STI
3) well-used Dura Ace 8 speed bar-end shifters.

Which would you pick, and why. I like bar-ends, but I still prefer STI/Ergo/DoubleTap. Convince me....

To answer the original question - there's nothing like a lugged-steel, straight-top-tube road bike. Everything from my '79 Pro to the Vanilla touring bike is spectacular.

Furthermore, I'm a sucker for old technology of any sort. I build and race old cars, I live in an old house, I'm 23 and I wear a cardigan, etc. Give me bar end shifters or DTS any day - I can't stand indexed stuff.

Actually, that vanilla touring bike really gives me wood - especially the photo that's on their website in the cream color...mmm...

Here's Bianchi's neo-classic, the Dolomiti, reminiscent of the chrome lugged super corsa or specialissima. The carbon fork just doesn't work for me though; they should have just gone with a fully chromed Columbus fork.



stan

I'd like a "new" Cinelli lugged steel Super Corsa w/Campy 10-sp Ergos. I priced one at $3200. I also looked at a new Cervelo. There really is no comparison in the aesthetics, to me. Classic lines and lugs are still where my preference lies.

Ditto. Cervelos do nothing for me.
I am, however, getting a Look 566 in a month or so. But....it's a Look. It's not a Cervelo. Looks excite me. lol

I have a Cinelli, but it's an aluminum one. A NOS 1999 Aliante. It has a mish-mash of Campy on it - from Veloce to Record.

If I had unlimited finances, I'd own many, many steel lugged bikes; both old and new.

I have 2 lugged steel bikes, that's plenty for me. I still ride my carbon fiber bike on any long or fast paced rides. I use the steelies for the slower days in the park. One is ready to roll, the other needs a few things at the moment.

Double damn!

anything with a threadless stem just ain't retro enough for me... i don't get it.

My Masi is "done".

https://therandonneur.com/node/10

DA 9-sp.

I was going to..... But I have DA shifters (triple), a DA triple front derailleur, but NO triple cranks, and no DA rear derailleur. So, for now, I'm using the full Ultegra 10 speed group I already had laying around. Eventually I'll probably go to a Campy or SRAM setup.

I reckon I'll have to get rid of the DA stuff so I can buy a Rival or Centaur group.

Until you get to that threadless stem. Ugghhh.

Very nice Masi there, PlatyPius.

I just got my first neo 'semi' classic. Neo in the sense that it has an 8 speed STI group and deep-V rims, classic because it is lugged steel, and, finally 'semi' since this frame possibly is too young to have been handbuilt in Dieren, Holland, yet not new enough to be seen in the company of the other bikes in this thread.

Mostly I just want to chime in about aesthetics and modernity. I agree wholeheartedly with the general consensus regarding threadless stems. Awful. What is also very disturbing to my eye, at least as much as the stem issue, are those ergo bars or whatever one calls them, that has all kinds of breaks to the otherwise so sweet curve of the classic drop bars. My neo 'semi' classic came with one, and although I knew it was going wayward quick, I gave it a 35 mile test ride. Certainly didn't experience any revelations justifying that weird shape. They are now available via the link in my signature. Have at it!

Brifters I'm getting used to. Or maybe it is just that my early Dura Ace set up is more conventionally shaped than newer ones? I'm come across pictures of modern bikes, particularly smaller sizes, where all the eye is drawn to are those two big huge black towers sitting up there on the bars. Together with a massive threadless stem, ergo bars wrapped in 1/4" thick black cork, AND a sloping toptube, well, can it get any worse?

Besides that, it is certainly encouraging that several of the big manufacturers are offering lugged frames again.

I like it, but for that price, I think I'd go custom.

Sorry I'm a little late to this discussion, but this popped into my head while at work yesterday, and this is my first chance to post it. As far as neo-classics go, I think there is actually one brand/person that does carbon fibre the right way, Nick Crumpton. They're the only modern CF bike I know of that maintains classic style, and a horizontal TT.

Personally, if I were in the market for a brand new top-tier road bike, I'd be looking his direction.
-Gene-