Dan and Dave,
One thing I can say for sure. In small sized frames (50cm c-t) or so, there is no doubt in my mind whatsoever that the Colnago has superior geomerty for the kind of riding I do. The small Masis of the period had rediculous steering geomerty which steers slow and can't carve high speed decents the way I require. Out of the saddle the Masi swerves and is unstable while the Colnago jumps straight forward out of the saddle. I have 3 vintage Masis, '62, '69, '71. I had 5 more Carlsbad Masis I got rid of. I have 2 Colnagos '70 and '74. I ride them all, and frequently. There is NO question in my mind about bikes my size. The Masi geomerty isn't quite so bad in the larger frames, but they still will never handel or ride like a Colnago.
I have a Cinelli track bike of that period, but I've never ridden a 60's or early 70's road Cinelli. Maybe someone will drop one in my lap someday so I can see for myself what they are like. I've heard lots of good things about the way Cinellis ride.
I understand that various people have different preferences for how a bike rides and handles, and there are those who love their Masis. I know what I like and how I ride; and for me Masi geomerty or simular is dangerous, since it won't go the way I like it. They also tend to feel sluggish as compared to my Colnagos that seem to practically ride themselves. Everyone has a right to their opinion, and each is valid. But I know what I like. As a framebuilder, I know what everything rides like, which allows me to make a bike that works the way you prefer, up until I decide that what you want is either impractical or dangerous. One design philosophy does not cover all the possibilities for frame designs.
Brian Baylis
La Mesa, CA
In a message dated 3/18/2004 6:04:26 AM PST, dartley@co.ba.md.us writes: We have such a Masi following on this group. Then again we've got an awful lot of Colnago fans. And yes, we can't forget the Cinelli Super Corsa people out there. For those Cognoscenti out there who own two or all three of these late 60's/ early 70's Colanagos, Masis and/or Cinellis, could we get a comparison (totally subjective of course) between these classic marques? I'd like to know how my early 70's classic compares to the others and I'd like to know just how they stack up. I know there are so many other bikes that might be compared, but these three just seem to have the most long term mystique to me. ----------------------------------- Dan- (IMHO) when you push away all the fluff, all the hype, all of toes that get stepped on, etc., Colnago consistently comes out on top. cheers-
Dave Anderson
Cut Bank MT