I thought that the list would like to read the following article by Maynard Hershon
Colin McFerran
Brisbane Australia
>
> Greetings Friends and Citizens of Planet Ultra!
>
> Maynard Hershon lives in Tucson. He's been writing about bicycling and
motorcycling since 1983.
>
> We've been fans of Maynard Hershon's cycling columns since he first
started writing them. Recently Maynard graciously sent us some of his work
to host on the Planet Ultra site, including one exclusive,
never-before-published article that follows below.
>
> While we were at it, we went ahead and built an "Unofficial Maynard
Hershon Webpage" that includes links to all of the other Maynard articles
that we could find on the 'net. Of course, this is just the tip of the
iceberg. He's as prolific as his words are enlightening and entertaining.
So, we extend a big thank you to Maynard for providing some of his great
articles. And we ask you Maynard fans to send us links to any of his other
articles that you may find elsewhere on the 'net. Enjoy!
>
> (If you like his work, please let us know and we'll pass along your
comments to Maynard.)
>
> What's a Masi?
> By Maynard Hershon
>
> In the '70s, Masi bicycles were super-popular in the States. Faliero Masi
had a fine reputation, having built bikes for many stars, some of whom rode
Masis disguised as other brands -- their teams had bike sponsors but the
stars preferred Masis. Or that's what we heard.
>
> Few of our Masis were Italian. Ours were made in San Diego County in a
shop set up by Faliero or his son Alberto to make bikes identical to Italian
Masis. They looked identical, anyway.
>
> We heard in those days that our Masis weren't brazed up in that factory,
but were made cottage-industry-style by small builders scattered around the
country. We heard that one guy built 56s, another 57s. We figured all the
frames were painted and decaled at Masi in San Diego.
>
> That was fine with us. No matter who had made them, they looked the same:
same fork blades, same lovely scalloped seatstay caps, either of two styles
of fork crowns. They looked like Masis.
>
> In the mid-'80s, my friend David Schnitzer was lucky enough to live and
work in Milan. He'd always admired Masis, so naturally he visited the Masi
shop under the Vigorelli velodrome. He and Alberto became buddies.
>
> Schnitz bought a white track frame from Alberto, with a road fork in it
drilled for a brake. Nearly 15 years later, it's still Schnitz's winter bike
and maybe his favorite bike. To this day, he treasures a photo of the two of
them, Alberto and Schnitz, in the Masi shop. They're standing behind
Schnitz's Masi, arms around each other, big grins on both faces.
>
> Schnitz did suspect, hanging around there, that all the bikes weren't made
at the Masi shop. He figured little builders here and there were making
frames that would eventually be painted and decaled at Masi.
>
> Because it all happened to some Masi's order, Faliero's or Alberto's, it
didn't bother Schnitz at all.
>
> In the mid-'90s, Schnitz saw a used but newly repainted black US Masi road
frame at a shop in the States. He bought it to replace his 17-year old
Lighthouse. So for the last half-decade, Schnitz has owned only Masis, the
Italian fixed-gear bike and the black US-made road bike.
>
> Schnitz is a Masi kinda-guy.
>
> Recently, when he began thinking about a new bicycle, Schnitz went right
to the US Masi importer's web site. He saw photos of the familiar
shrine-like workshop under the velodrome and of Faliero brazing on a frame.
>
> He read about the glorious history of Cicli Masi, about the hands of the
master, the magic of Masi. He read about why a guy might pay serious money
for a Masi instead of less money for some less mystical brand.
>
> Telling that to Schnitz was, duh, preaching to the choir. He located a
dealer in a nearby city and ordered a new Masi road frame.
>
> The frames, he learned, arrive from Italy primered but unpainted. The
customer chooses a color and has certain decal choices. Schnitz liked the
Masi 60th Anniversary decals and specified them.
>
> He paid for his frame and waited a reasonable length of time for its
arrival. When it appeared at the dealer, he drove there to pick it up and
got the big surprise.
>
> The frame did look great, painted inches-deep bright red. It didn't look
so much like a Masi Gran Criterium, as the old externally lugged bikes were
called. It looked GOOD, for sure, but not so much like a Masi.
>
> As he was about to leave, the shop guy asked Schnitz conversationally if
he'd ever owned a custom bike. Just one, Schnitz answered, meaning his
Lighthouse.
>
> The shop guy then said: Next time you buy a bike, you should think about a
custom Mondonico. After all, he went on, pointing at Schnitz's new Masi,
that's what this bike is...
>
> Schnitz's new bike is NOT a Masi. No one at Masi, no one at the little
workshop under the Vigorelli of which Schnitz has glowing memories, ever had
anything to do with Schnitz's new "Masi."
>
> The US importer who sold the bike to the dealer bought the right to use
the Masi name and Masi logos. He has license to use photos of various
shop-coated individuals named Masi. In order to sell "Masis," he can cite
the long history of Cicli Masi.
>
> He can do all that to sell bicycles here -- whatever bicycles he wants.
They're Masis because he says they are.
>
> We are congratulated in his ads and on his web site for our taste, for our
wisdom in seeking out Masi bicycles, bicycles with a past draped in laurel
leaves. Then we're sold whatever he wants to sell us.
>
> There are also real Masis, or cottage industry Masis, or SOMEthing, coming
into this country. They are called another name. Legally, you can't call
THOSE bikes Masis; the "Masi" guy has that name locked up.
>
> The "Masi" guy doesn't sell just "Masis." He also offers bikes with his
own company name on them and bikes with another Italian framebuilder's name
on them, plus "Masis."
>
> Perhaps they're all made on the same jigs in the same building by the same
crew. Or by smaller builders in nearby towns. Who knows. Whoever makes them,
whatever they say on them, Schnitz doesn't want his. He'll never build it
up, never ride it.
>
> He feels misled. The distributor, with whom Schnitz had several helpful,
friendly phone conversations, should have told him the bike was a Masi only
by business agreement. Both the dealer and the distributor knew of Schnitz's
personal relationship with, and loyalty to, Masi.
>
> Schnitz didn't want a generic Italian bike. Didn't want any bike at all
BUT a Masi. He thought all along he was buying one. He wasn't satisfied when
the distributor assured him that Mondonico was the "spiritual heir" to
Masi...
>
> Folks I've surveyed about this murkiness fall into two categories. Half
are cynical; They expect this kind of marketing, even in cycling. Others are
baffled that an imitation can be sold as a true Masi -- or any other bike
with a craftsman's name on it. How can that be? Or how long has it been
going on?
>
> What is a Masi, anyway? Why do we care? Aren't all bicycles pretty much
the same? When we buy a "craftsman" bike, are we buying just-a-bike, or are
we paying a premium for an art object, a useable, limited-production item
that we may feel is somehow collectable?
>
> Are we easily duped because we've established associations with certain
products or brands, with the mysteriously established images of certain
craftspersons? Are we manipulated because we're sentimental or
image-conscious in a callous sales environment?
>
> If the shop guy hadn't blabbed, would Schnitz now be riding his "Masi"
happily down Pacific northwest roads? Was ignorance bliss?
>
> Is a "Masi" as good as a Masi? Can anyone see to the bottom of this?
>
> Copyright Maynard Hershon
>
> For more Maynard, click http://www.planetultra.com/
>
> - Minister of Entertainment and Enlightenment
>
>
> The Planet Ultra Event Production Team
> http://www.planetultra.com
> ------------------------------------
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