[CR]Regarding Matteos' Masi

(Example: Framebuilding:Tubing)

Date: Fri, 06 Jun 2003 09:47:47 -0700
From: "Brian Baylis" <rocklube@adnc.com>
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: [CR]Regarding Matteos' Masi

Masiphiles,

Having examined the photos that Matteo sent of his "Faliero Masi", I believe I have an opinion on it. Pardon me for revealing my thoughts here.

First, it is important to try and establish an accurate date for the construction of the frame. It has first generation Italian IC lugs and fork crown (to fit the old Reynolds 531 blades even) which has the Masi crest cast into the top of it. The BB shell is still a Fischer sand cast with the "M" cutout. The ends of the stays are stamped flat which is not how they were done in earlier times. The seat stay caps are plugs that hace been milled which is not the "old way" but predates the IC plugs they used later. Early Masi Prestige frames look exactly like this I think. The IC BB shell came a little later but Alberto may have used them and frames Faliero commissioned for his friends had the "M" shell. The decals are clearly a set Faliero had made after the Carlsbad operation started and he was no longer spending time there. IC lugs came in early to mid 1975, so the frame is a post 1975 Italian Masi that Faliero had made (I doubt Faliero was building the frames himself, he just had people make what he needed as neccessary, I'm sure) that probably was for someone Faliero knew. During the same time Alberto was building the Prestige. Notice there is no model name on the Faliero Masi frame. It just says "Faliero Masi". It's just Faliero keeping his hands in the bike business. That's my opinion.

Brian Baylis
La Mesa, CA
New and interesting Masis keep comming up!