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-   -   MASI Speciale Fixed LTD Drop/Speciale Fixed LTD Flat (https://www.bikeforums.net/singlespeed-fixed-gear/638800-masi-speciale-fixed-ltd-drop-speciale-fixed-ltd-flat.html)

jrmE 04-21-10 03:53 PM

MASI Speciale Fixed LTD Drop/Speciale Fixed LTD Flat
 
I'm curious what you guys think of these bikes (besides the fact that these guys are a bit pricey).

what do you like about it?
what don't you like about it?
Is it worth the price (U.S. MSRP : $930)?


Speciale Fixed LTD Drop
http://www.masibikes.com/gallery/p.p...03IisgIg%3D%3D

Source: http://www.masibikes.com/fixed/speciale-fixed-ltd-drop/

Speciale Fixed LTD Flat
http://www.masibikes.com/gallery/alb...ltd-grey02.JPG

Source:http://www.masibikes.com/fixed/speciale-fixed-ltd-flat/

Cheers to my first post.

AlanKHG 04-21-10 04:04 PM

They look like an attractive and reasonably-specced execution of the standard Maxway frame that lots of people are selling. But you're paying a lot for that pretty bike, and the wheels are pretty low spec for the price.

jrmE 04-21-10 04:09 PM

In your opinion, What wheels would you recommend for em

elemental 04-21-10 07:33 PM


Originally Posted by jrmE (Post 10704609)
In your opinion, What wheels would you recommend for em

If I can jump in here, I would recommend something handbuilt. If you're going for a bike that looks like that, you probably want a colored rim, and for that purpose Velocity Deep-Vs are the standard. Velocity Aeroheads are lighter and smaller, and a "faster" rim at the expense of a little strength. If it were my bike, I would get someone to build me Aeroheads to a rear track hub and a front road hub like an Ultegra (much lighter than a track hub). For a wheelset this nice, some double butted spokes would be a must. This would be a very nice setup, and my guess would be it wouldn't run much more than $300, or only a few dollars more than you'd pay for a run of the mill Deep-V/Formula wheelset. Plus it's custom, and therefore makes you much cooler.


A 6600 Ultegra front hub only costs $42 from Nashbar, and is 145g lighter (almost 1/3 pound) than a Formula. It's free weight savings.

Inertianinja 04-21-10 08:02 PM

I have a masi speciale road bike, which is presumably the same steel, and I love it.

jrmE 04-21-10 08:07 PM

by all means, share your thoughts and thanks for your recommendation!

Now how about others, how else would you alter these fella's?

PedallingATX 04-21-10 08:10 PM

i don't like those bikes very much. The blue one is really ugly. And the drop bar version looked way better in 2009. Just wait till the end of the year if you want one, I know my LBS was selling the '09 SpecialeFixedLTD bikes for <$500 towards the end of the year. Also, I just dislike "Masi" bikes in general.

jrmE 04-21-10 08:14 PM


Originally Posted by PedallingATX (Post 10705729)
i don't like those bikes very much. The blue one is really ugly. And the drop bar version looked way better in 2009. Just wait till the end of the year if you want one, I know my LBS was selling the '09 SpecialeFixedLTD bikes for <$500 towards the end of the year. Also, I just dislike "Masi" bikes in general.

Thanks for your input, i understand that there are others who prefer other bikes and i'm just curious why you dislike 'masi' bikes, what do you look for in a bike? do you have a specific brand in mind?

keep it up guys!

Ambiong 04-22-10 01:47 AM

I recently bought a '09 MASI Speciale Fixed yellow metallic in color. I test drove many bikes from Bianchi San Jose/Pista, Jamis Beatnik, Langster, but the MASI felt the best among the rest. I would recommend test driving bikes from your LBS. You never know how well it fits or feel if you haven't test drive it. If there is one of those bikes in your LBS, give it a shot.

LupinIII 04-22-10 01:55 AM

do you work for masi or something?

anyways, not bad but way overpriced. i'd say more like the $700 range. deep v's can be had for about 200. the frame looks like a basic 4130 job, nothing particularly special. cranks are nicer than the bottom barrel truvativ touro or lasco crap, but it's still a 130 bcd crank intended as a road double. would be better specced with some andels. saddle, seatpost, stem, and bars are all generic. I don't see what warrants the 930 msrp.

Ambiong 04-22-10 02:12 AM

I agree with what Lupin said, though the msrp is 930. I don't know why its 130 dollars more than the '09 model which is $799. I purchased mine at 599. I doubt your LBS would sell it at that price but if your willing to pay that much you should consider an IRO or Surly Steamroller.

jrmE 04-22-10 04:43 AM


Originally Posted by Ambiong (Post 10706685)
I recently bought a '09 MASI Speciale Fixed yellow metallic in color. I test drove many bikes from Bianchi San Jose/Pista, Jamis Beatnik, Langster, but the MASI felt the best among the rest. I would recommend test driving bikes from your LBS. You never know how well it fits or feel if you haven't test drive it. If there is one of those bikes in your LBS, give it a shot.

Thanks!

Here's my story,
I did visit a LBS because im planning on getting a bike that'll help me get around since im always commuting to school, work, also just to get some exercise now that summer is around the corner, and maybe learn a few tricks. Im specifically looking for a fg/ss because i've always wanted one and i just prefer it best for me. I'm willing to spend $1350+(if needed) with alterations and customs because i just want a custom, durable, nice looking ride. (I've looked into other bikes like bianchi pista, IRO, mercier kilo tt, surley steamroller, etc. but i was wondering, why not masi? but please, give me your recommendations!)
anyway, once i entered the store, i dont know why but the Speciale Fixed LTD Drop just attracted me. I've never bought a fg/ss, or ever rode one which is why i'm here doing my research, getting some answers and also learning few other things like bicycle jargon before i purchase anything. I also plan to try the bike out the next time i visit that store but i'm still currently, looking for that lucky ride.
I think the reason why it costs more than the masi bike you purchased is because this one is "LTD"-limited? correct me if i'm wrong.



Originally Posted by LupinIII (Post 10706695)
do you work for masi or something?

anyways, not bad but way overpriced. i'd say more like the $700 range. deep v's can be had for about 200. the frame looks like a basic 4130 job, nothing particularly special. cranks are nicer than the bottom barrel truvativ touro or lasco crap, but it's still a 130 bcd crank intended as a road double. would be better specced with some andels. saddle, seatpost, stem, and bars are all generic. I don't see what warrants the 930 msrp.

No i don't work for masi, i'm just interested haha

Feel free to recommend me some bikes you think that would best suit you, as a rider, as well!

cleanupinaisle3 04-22-10 07:05 AM

My if-I-had-a-million-dollars advice: For $1350 you could build a hell of a bike if you built it yourself. If you're interested in making it your own, and learning a lot in the process, consider doing more research and building one up.

My real advice: This is your first fixed gear. Buy a mid-range off-the-peg bike at a REASONABLE price (for these Masis you're mostly paying for the coloured rims and fancy looks, when in reality it's an artificially-inflated price) and then upgrade what you would like later. Buy used parts and install them yourself. You'll save money, learn lots, and you can sell off any stock parts. I would recommend a Kilo (which is the same frame as a KHS Flite) or a Fuji Track or something similar. They're decent frames at extremely affordable prices, and if you keep the $1350 promise, you've got a LOT of cash to upgrade it with, IF YOU WANT. Be a cost-conscious consumer!

the_don 04-22-10 07:29 AM

1 Attachment(s)
Yeah, you don't need to spend so much cash for a decent dependable bike.
Plus, if you put so much cash into a bike, you won't be comfortable locking it up places because it is easy to break any lock if someone really wants to.

Best to get something dependable and cheap. Check out bike store last season bikes and u can get a great bike at a great price. I got my fuji track comp for $600. It is a fantastic bike, fast, great components and I feel like I don't have to worry about it too much. As soon as you start throwing money at it you are pretty much throwing your money away. New wheels are nice, but if you get a decent bike, you shouldn't have to think about getting new wheels.

the only places you really should think about new components are saddle, pedals, shoes, bars and tape. Maybe stem for getting a perfect fit. But unless you are doing 100km rides, even those are not really necessary.

Look at how many people here have a nice bike for their special rides, and a cheap bike for daily rides. A cheap bike with good parts will be just as good on the street as an expensive bike and at the end of the day, you only go 0.3% faster with a much more expensive wheelset. if you really care about performance, you should wear lycra and have good clipless road shoes.

Just to clarify my point, I had a 2009 Masi Speciale LTD. I swapped out the bars because I hated the track drops, only comfortable in the drops so I got new ones (carbon Easton Deltaforce). The wheels were fine (DP18s, low end heavy rims, relatively heavy but stayed true and resilient) but I changed them too (for carbon RevX that I had converted to fixed), I bought had my ass bones measured and bought a new saddle, I got road shoes and road clipless pedals. in the end I put so much cash into it, I was too worried about leaving it places. Of course I was riding 50km a day and 200 on the weekends, and it was great, but if I rode it and had to leave it locked up, I would worry too much about it.

I went from this
http://www.bikeforums.net/attachment...hmentid=147413



to this.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4063/...b14987c2_b.jpg

I loved it, but it was too much hassle worrying about it. so I sold it and got the Fuji, which I have only changed the tape and added aero brake levers to it and find I ride just as fast, but I worry much less and as a consequence enjoy it much more. I still have my pedals, shoes and saddle, so when I want to do a long ride I just put those on.

And as far as performance upgrades go, I think the biggest boost I ever found was when I bought a full set of lycra!

WickedOne513 04-22-10 08:20 AM

If you like the idea of the Masi bikes your LBS can also order you there frame then you can build up from there.

preston811 04-22-10 09:24 AM

It can normally be gotten for way under its MSRP, more like low 700s. Unlike Surly which doesn't seem to budge as much from their MSRP? And, I feel the spec sheet on the Masi Spec LTD Drop is actually pretty worth it at that price. It comes with decent pedals, cranks, bars, wheels, and it comes with both fixed+freewheel. The saddle is probably decent too. Show me another complete that has a similar build for low $700s? I'd like to see someone price all these parts for a build and see what the total would be.

It's a slightly heavy bike, but if you like the looks, and the ride, and can get a good price, then go for it. But get a good lock, or better yet don't lock it anywhere.

All this said, i rode both, and went with a Steamroller which has a worse spec for similar price and didn't include pedals. I just preferred the ride, subtler appearance, versatility, and a certain je ne sais quoi of the Steamroller. Test ride as many bikes as you can bro.

Frame: Masi double-butted crmo
Sizes: 49cm, 51cm, 53cm, 56cm, 58cm, 60cm
Weight: 22.8
Fork: Masi lugged crmo
Headset: Ritchey Logic V2
Crank Set: Sugino RD2 Messenger w/ Messenger 46t chainring
Bottom Bracket: Truvativ square taper
Derailleur Front: N/A
Derailleur Rear: N/A
Freewheel: 16t fixed cog w/ lock ring & 16t freewheel
Chain: KMC Z510H
Pedals: MKS Sylvan w/ MKS steel toe clips w/ leather accents & nylon straps
Handlebar: Deda Velocita Deep Drop Track, 26.0mm
Handlebar Widths: 42cm
Stem: Masi 3-D forged flip/flop
Stem Lengths: 49cm = 90mm, 51cm = 90mm, 53cm = 100mm, 56cm = 100mm, 58cm = 110mm, 60cm = 120mm
Tape: Rubber Keirin
Derailleur Shifter: N/A
Saddle: Masi SLS w/ tubular crmo rails
Seat Post: Masi alloy 27.2 x 300mm
Seat Post Clamp: Alloy SL
Wheelset: Weinmann DP18 rims, Formula flip / flop sealed bearing hubset w/ track nuts, stainless spokes
Tires: Vittoria Zaffiro Pro 23c wire bead
Brakes: Tektro 510A alloy dual pivot calipers
Brake Lever: Tektro RL720

PedallingATX 04-22-10 09:54 AM

for that much money, you should just build up your own bike.

Buy a Bob Jackson Vigorelli frameset, Sugino 75 cranks/BB, formula to Open Pro wheels, a random seatpost, your choice of saddle, GR9 pedals w/ straps. Add a front brake, and you're good to go. All of that can be done within your budget.

and, Don, you really messed that bike up haha. Has anyone told you that yet?

nutcase 04-22-10 09:56 AM

I love my Masi speciale commuter SS/flip flop hub. 350 trouble free miles. I got what I think was a good deal. I bought a 2009 just a little over a month ago for $549.00 ($200.00 off list) so I had to do it.

Ambiong 04-22-10 10:39 AM

With a budget up to $1350, your well off building a bike to your own preference. You can start off by choosing frames that have track geometry or ones that have more of a road geometry, from there its all preference.

LupinIII 04-22-10 11:13 AM

lbs owner showed me the book he got from masi when he was considering becoming a dealer for them. i think the lowest price you can sell it without losing your license was still like 770-800 dollars, we both agreed the bike was more appropriate for 650-700.

1350 i'd be looking at a road bike (for fast) or a commuter with an internal gear hub (i'm pretty keen on the swobo baxter: http://www.swobo.com/catalog/product...Path=201_1473# ) I wouldn't build a lockup track bike for 1350 (I'd do a fun ride bike: 2010 cinelli vigorelli, sram omniums, formulas to aeroheads, still leavs like 400 for everything else). for a lock up bike i'd just build up a scrambler, maybe treat myself to a king headset (though probably not)

cc700 04-22-10 11:27 AM

i'd much rather have a felt tk3 for the price and still be able to buy brakes and a different stem/gearing.

and if you're willing to spend 1350, the masi is really just nowhere near a nice enough platform. you could probably even build an EAI godzilla for that if you did all your own wrenching and got a couple deals, maybe willing to go cheap/heavy on stuff like seatposts and handlebars.

but for the most part, i'd agree with other people- a lockup bike shouldn't cost 1350 unless you can stand to see it walk away. a torker u district or a cheap swobo would be infinitely better with their bigger tires and more streetable theft level. or just a bikesdirect bike.

Inertianinja 04-22-10 11:50 AM

dude, just remember that you're not buying pens or copier paper.

it's okay to spend a little more for something you're excited about, even if it isn't technically the best value.
if you just want a bike, well then the Kilo TT is a bike..
if you want a bike and you really like the Masi, get the Masi.

LupinIII 04-22-10 11:57 AM

sorry, but buying a lockup bike is exactly like buying pens or copier paper.

you can buy a G2 which is plenty nice and reasonably priced (like a kilo) or a mont blanc which is probably not a great deal different in use but looks nice and has a good feel. in the end the fat mouth breather in the next cubicle will steal it from you, which would you rather have taken?

scrambler is $150 for frame fork and seatpost (headset too, but it's probably garbage and your budget can cover a sealed unit). the whole thing can probably be built up for 500 or so without even hunting for the best deals.

Inertianinja 04-22-10 12:07 PM


Originally Posted by LupinIII (Post 10708552)
sorry, but buying a lockup bike is exactly like buying pens or copier paper.

you can buy a G2 which is plenty nice and reasonably priced (like a kilo) or a mont blanc which is probably not a great deal different in use but looks nice and has a good feel. in the end the fat mouth breather in the next cubicle will steal it from you, which would you rather have taken?

scrambler is $150 for frame fork and seatpost (headset too, but it's probably garbage and your budget can cover a sealed unit). the whole thing can probably be built up for 500 or so without even hunting for the best deals.

i didn't see the OP say that he wanted it to be a lockup bike. I wouldn't have any problem locking this bike - singlespeed version - in most places east of me.
i live in NYC, though, so i would not ever lock any bike up for more than a little while and not expect it to be stolen.

if he just wants a bike to lock outside then hit up craigslist for a beater.

preston811 04-22-10 12:28 PM


Originally Posted by LupinIII (Post 10708552)
scrambler is $150 for frame fork and seatpost (headset too, but it's probably garbage and your budget can cover a sealed unit). the whole thing can probably be built up for 500 or so without even hunting for the best deals.

Really? Is this with new parts, from the ground up? I mocked up a build around one of those chromed KiloTT frames a while back and seem to remember looking at >$700 with a fairly bare minimum parts spec

Completes are the best deal


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