Dave wrote, in part:
"I hate to see this mind-set where one type of component is viewed as "correct" for a bike, as rarely is this the case when we're dealing with a period when framesets were quite frequently sold as a stand-alone item and built up to the rider's wish. I've ranted before about how Martano rims are viewed by many as THE "correct" rim for 1970s Masi bikes. So, perhaps I'm stirring the pot this morning, which can be a good thing in my mind, so heap it on, my fellow CR members. What say you? "
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Gee Dave. Seems like a lot of heat over not much... on the other hand, truth is, I've seen a handful of Carlsbad Masis (and owned a couple) as assembled at the factory, that came with the panto'd 3ttt stem and matching Masi-stamped 3ttt bars. It seems clear that, for a little while anyway, if you ordered a complete bike from Masi you could get this combination. Or maybe it was a special order...I'm sure Brian Baylis can fill us in there.
The point though, is that the panto'd stem/stamped-bar combo is super-cool, and far more interesting to see than the usual Cinelli bars-and-stem. For those of us who get pleasure from that particular coolness-factor, the Cinelli stuff is boring; the 3ttt stuff is interesting.
Whether the 3ttt stuff is "more correct" all depends on what floats your boat. I can say, for myself, given a choice between the 3ttt Masi panto'd-and-stamped stuff, or generic Cinelli, I'll take the 3ttt stuff any day. And so would most of us interested in Masis, I'm guessing.
Same goes for the winged-logo Martanos. They are, in fact, the "correct" rim if you want a bike just like one that was built at the factory. And that's the point here.
If you want a bike that was built up afterwards from a bare-frame, just about anything of the period is "correct," but not nearly so interesting.
Picture two bikes. Both starting from 1974 Carlsbad Masi frames. One is exactly as built-up at the factory (we don't know if it's *original* factory, or assembled to mimic original factory, that's not really the point here), the other has a full period Suntour cyclone group. Which bike is more charming? The "as-built-at-the-factory" bike. It's not even worth discussing. And the market handed down a verdict on this subject long ago. The "as-factory-built" bike will sell for well over 2K. The Suntour bike will, maybe, go for over a grand. Maybe.
For me, the Suntour bike isn't even worth a look. On the other hand, I could spend 10 minutes just admiring those winged-logo Martanos, and the 3ttt panto'd stem and stamped bars.
Which would you rather have? Hmm?
I thought so.
So it goes.
Charles Andrews SoCal
that's the puzzle of what has happened to the automobile world: feeling safe has become more important than actually being safe.
--Malcolm Gladwell