Masi Nuevo Strada
 

I am looking at picking up this bicycle as it should fit perfectly and I love old steel bikes. This is the information I have on it:
Masi Nuevo Strada vintage road bike in excellent condition. I bought this bike new in 1987 and have taken extreme care of it and still ride it. New tires, tubes, saddle, chain, and freewheel. Campy Chorus group. 56cm frame.

http://images.craigslist.org/3nc3oe3...39af521073.jpg
http://images.craigslist.org/3n83m73...6cc172134d.jpg

Asking price is 750 right now, is it worth all of that or should I talk him down a lot or a little?

thanks

If it's really in tip-top shape, I'd try to talk the seller down a little, though I don't think the asking price is out of line. If you really like it and it fits and the seller won't budge, I'd definitely go the $750. It's not a collectible Masi, but then that doesn't sound like a motivating factor for you. It's "Nuova Strada," by the way.

what is the difference between this and a collectible masi? good to know about the Nuovo, seller has it spelled wrong then.

"Nuova," not "Nuovo."
That Masi was built for the USA Masi folks by Billato or a similar contract builder in Italy. They're meant to fill space in the lineup below the top-end models as "price-point" offerings, though that doesn't mean they're not well-made and fine riders. They lack a real connection with either the Masi shop in Milano, established by Faliero Masi and then taken over by son Alberto, or the famous Carlsbad California operation run by Mario Confente, or, for that matter, with the fine Masi builders like Joe Starck, David Tesch, and Dave Moulton who built bikes for the Masi USA ownership after Carlsbad (and subsequently San Marcos) shut down.

ahhh interesting. The world of bicycles runs so deep and has so many tributaries it's amazing. I plan on going to take a look at the bike when I head back to school as it is on the way. That will be next week and maybe by then he will go down a bit on his own and then I can work from there. Also wish my bike would sell haha.

Or it might be sold by then. Pretty good chance of it, I'd think.

could be but have to get rid of mine first to fund it.

First of, cool to see a fellow Austinite :). If you do get it, post good pics, and I'll hope to see you around town on that ride.

I would probably try to talk him down a little - for some odd reason, the market for nice bikes over $500 seems to have really slowed recently - but if he won't budge, that's a reasonable price too for a near-NOS condition US MASI.

EDIT :: out of curiosity, which one's yours?

ya I was born and grew up here. I will be riding the crap out of it if I end up with it.

Mine is a Jamis ss mtb. problem is it's hard to sell mtbs in the winter because fewer people get into the sport during winter.