Hi, all!
I can finally post! I've been a CR lurker for a while. Chuck Schmidt's suggestion to share the measurements of our own bikes is pretty cool.
A brief intro: I'm a former Chicagoan and Denverite, having moved around to take a series of high-tech engineering jobs. I've owned a late 60s Falcon, a 1970 Rossignoli (wish I still had it!), a 1980 Masi, an early/mid 80s Mondonico, a 1984 Trek 610, and a recent Breezer Liberty (wife's). The Trek is being transformed into a city/weather bike, and the Masi and Mondo are my riders. The Mondonico is my best fit, but not as good a ride as the Masi.
I can share a partial list of measurements on my 1980 Masi. Right now the bike is taken apart getting its headset cleaned, but I can add the trail after the wheels are back on. I'll use Chuck Schmidt's straightedge method to produce an estimate. Bottom bracket stamps: MC53, D8003. It rides smooth and supple over bumps, both stable and quick to turn. The bike tracks straight when I shift gears or drive over pavement irregularities (unlike my Trek 610!), so I guess the trail is near the 6 cm level. It's also a piece of cake riding no-handed.
Seat tube c-point 53 cm Top tube 51 cm Chainstay 40.7 cm Wheelbase 94.8 cm (lots of toe overlap!) BB height 26.9 cm (with Servizio Corse tubies) Fork rake can't really tell Head angle 72.5 deg Seat angle 73.5 deg Head tube length 9.8 cm
The short wheelbase and high-ish BB probably account for the quick turning. I use a 13 cm stem on it.
A few curiosities and just plain facts:
- the short top tube (who was this made for?) - down tube decal only has "MASI" name, no flags or "Gran Criterium" - steer tube and head tube have no marks or imprints, so I think it is 531 - fork blades are oval - fork blades curve toward the thin ends, not a continuous curve beginning at the crown - color, seat tube decals, and lug cutouts seem identical to Scott Ramsay's bike, shown on the CR Masi USA site - original purchase was at Hidden Valley Cycles, in Escondido, based on steer-tube sticker.
There seem to be a few SE Michigan Masi owners on the list - maybe we need a SE Michigan Masi ride this Spring!
Ken Freeman
Ann Arbor, MI