2011 Masi Speciale Commuter, thoughts?
 

Has anyone heard/read anything about this bike? I'm probably going to pull the trigger on it soon but haven't found much as far as reviews/information outside of the Masi site.

Thanks for the help!

I started a thread a couple of months back. It is one sweet bike, but I don't care for the one place in town that can order it. Other than that, I'd love for it to be my first foray into SS.

No but now that you mention it it might make a good replacement platform for the San Jose8 type conversion.

I really liked how the San Jose's looked also but want the versatility of horizontal dropouts

I also looked for any information on the 2011 model because that bike dropped two hundred or more dollars off the MRSP from the previous years and I have to ask why? I emailed Masi and they said it had the same frame as last year so what changed? It still may be a great bike but until I see one in person or get someone to really look one over, I am not convinced it is the same bike as last years. I have an older version and I really need a larger size so I have been keeping my eyes open for 2008-2010 model. Sun and Ski still have limited size models on sale but I need a 56 and they have 51, 58 and 60.

With that said I really like my Masi. It does what it is suppose to do for a commuter. It has a very stable ride, likes to go straight. If you want zippy, this isn't the bike for you.

I'm not looking for a speed demon or anything but would you describe it as sluggish then?

Mainly the reason I'm looking at this over anything else is the versatility. Are there any other bikes with full horizontal dropouts that could be geared or single speed like this out there?

Very cool looking, but i have not heard anything really ...

Sluggish would be an understatement. Long wheel base because of the super long stays, 32c tires, a little heavy makes this bike sluggish. As I said these are things I was looking for in my commuter, I didn't want a twitchy bike. The thing I like about this bike is the forward facing drop outs because with fenders, the wheel is easily removed for fixing flats. I will never go with rear facing drop outs ever again. The long wheel base also helps if you put panniers on, you won't get heel strike. I am also a sucker for flat crown forks in this style of bike. The bike looks good.

The only other bike I know with forward facing drop outs would be the Surly Cross Check.

I like how they have that scratched up eyelet still in their stock photo. LOL It looks like a good bike overall though.

Looks good. The price seems very good.

How would this ride compared to a Surly Cross Check?

I have never ridden a Cross Check so I don't know for sure but I think the Masi is more like the LHT from Surly. There is another thread on here comparing the LHT with the CC and the consensus is the CC has a livelier feel. The CC may be a better bike for you but it will cost more than the Masi and it uses cantilever or V brakes rather than caliper brakes. Another thing is the CC may have a higher bottom bracket, which I dislike. But this is a personal pet peeve of mine, I am very particular about the height of the bottom bracket on bikes.

Hm...yeah the more I look at it, the more I think I may have to save up a little more and go for something like the cross check or similar. I want something a little more 'fun' than the Masi Commuter. Decisions, decisions.

It's a lot of fun! A different kind of fun than a Cross Check, but certainly fun. I wouldn't say "sluggish" but it's not an aggressive geometry, definitely the comparison is with Surly's LHT vs CC. And the Masi is the only complete bike I found that had the room for big tires and fenders, horizontal dropouts, normal road bars with two brakes, and a flip-flop hub.



https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_h...0/P9220030.JPG

Instead of reading assessments and guessing how the masi feels you should go ride one. Ride the Masi and the Cross Check and let that tell you which one has the feel you want.

Though this may have been answered in the other thread, how wide of tires with fenders did you mention to fit?

I could ride a cross check but nobody that I can find around here has the Masi in stock. They have other Masi's but none with that kind of geometry. Maybe I should ride a LHT and a CC?

The fenders are 45mm, and the tires 32mm. I haven't tried any other combinations, but I'm positive I could fit 35 with those fenders and at least 37 without fenders.

Slicks or CX tires? Also, you wouldn't happen to know what the OLD is, by any chance?

Ask the shop if they would order one for you to try out. The shops around here fall into varying camps on special orders:

-No refund, maybe exchange
-Charge a restocking fee (I think I was quoted 25%)
-Will order one just to have one on the floor if they think they could sell it easily

Commuter tread, not knobby (Kenda Kwik Trax) - and the rear is spaced 132.5

Stock photo, not my bike:
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_h...gue%20Shot.JPG

Man, I forgot just how sexy this Masi is. It may be too pretty for my multi-modal commute, but the geo is about as close to perfect as I could hope for on a budget.

The more I look at stuff the more it seems like I could definitely get something with track ends and eventually get an IGH.

Enjoying these posts. I am thinking about ordering this bike too (Speciale Commuter) for my commute. Like others, i cannot find one in stock. For the price, it seems like about the perfect option for my commute. Other than the comments on it being a little sluggish, any other negatives from those who ride this bike? Any mechanical problems? I have to admit, I am getting excited.

Diablo, do you mind me asking what saddle you use? I am assuming you use this ride for commuting...Do you recommend any other changes from stock?