I loved this thread about shimmy, since I've had a couple of frames that shimmied something awful on some hills. I quit riding one of them because it was so bad, although I suspect part of the problem was it was really too small for me and I was using a loooong stem. I never had the problem that bad on any other frame. Some frames I have will shimmy down-hill with no-hands, but will stop on their own--I suspect the damping effect of largish tires in these cases.
Seems to me it's a defect only if it happens when you have your hands on the bars and gets worse instead ceasing. On one frame I have that shimmies badly downhill with no hands, if I have my hands on the bars there's no problem; if I deliberately induce a shimmy, it stops at once when I stop trying to induce it. Mr. Sachs is right I suspect: good technique helps.
Masis in order of preference (I know, I know, I shouldn't. I can't help it. I had to learn all this the hard way--ie, with lots of moola--I might as well spare someone else the pain, yes?):
1950s Masi Speciale Impossibly rare, you'll never find one, but, hey, it's the coolest (right Jan?)
early 1960s Special with the chromed nervex lugs and the smoke/fade paint in original condition. Super-deluxe cool, very hard to find. You find one in a 56cm c-t give me a holler, ok? I'll be more than happy to provide a home for it.
late 60s italian gran criterium/special. these transition frames are very neato simply because they're transition frames...although I have my doubts about how much difference there really is between a 60s special and GC, ride-wise...limited data suggests to me (I've measured a few) that the top-tubes were shorter on the GC by about a centimeter on average, in most sizes. That might have been about it though. Geometry sure looks similar to me, although I've not measured the angles. If they're different, it ain't by much.
Mid-60s special with the old-style spearpoint lugs. I like these, but I think the transition frames are more interesting. Workmanship on the few mid 60s specials I've seen has been very, very nice.
Italian gran criterium, early 70s. Some are crude, all are charming. A nice artifact.
Carlsbad Masis to the end of the pressed lugs. Some of these are unbelievably tasty. The earliest ones can be very cool, the spoon on the underside of the headlugs is not cut-away as with later Carlsbad Masis, a unique look; I suspect only a few hundred were made this way.
A later one with the more usual cutaway-spoons that I had for awhile--in the 600 range--was so beautifully finished off, I still drool over it whenever I see it, now ridden by a friend. Twin-plate crown is especially nice, if you can find one. Those guys down there in Carlsbad were building one hell of a frame for about three years...
Once the cast lugs enter the picture, I lose interest. They're still tasty bikes, but it just ain't the same.
I'd like an italian 3V in my size, but it's not urgent...the older frames are more appealing, imho.
I can't emphasize this enough as a general principle, with apologies to the restorers among us: original is always better than a repaint, hold out for an original if you possibly can. Even a somewhat-beat original, if that's all you can find. It's better because you'll be happier with the mojo...what can I say? I just know it's true--for me, anyway.
Charles "shoot me if I even think about posting about Masis again for at least 6 months, thanks" Andrews.
pleasant SoCal (we weaklings on the Westside get that seabreeze, unlike the tough guys in NoHo. ;> Although it is rather sticky today. Hardly like Akron in July however.)