CR Masiheads:
Just a note to confirm as correct the information Brian relates below. I'd like to clarify that I was employed at Ted's bike store (Hidden Valley Bicycle Store) in Escondido at the time. I was assembling and truing the wheels on a per piece basis. Later on Ted paid some of the juniors in out local club to assemble the wheels, and I continued to finish them. Usually did 10 or so at a time.
At one point Gian Simonetti suggested I come to work in Carlsbad. I looked at the number of bikes being produced and guessed at the various salaries being paid as well as the overhead and decided it might be fun, but it probably wouldn't last long...
Jim Allen Last official Masi painted in 2002
Brian Baylis wrote:
> Bob,
>
> I haven't a clue where Ron Smith is. I've tried to locate him on several
> occassions with no luck. I really wish I could find him. He seems to
> have disappeared.
>
> Jim Allen was not directly employed at Masi, Carlsbad in the early years
> but was directly connected to Ted Kirkbride who was involved in various
> ways from the very beginning of the project. I believe Jim Allen was the
> first "outsource" for building wheels for Masi once they stopped doing
> it in house. Jim Allen became the official Masi painter somewhere around
> 1978 and also held the position much longer than anyone else, working as
> the painter until sometime around 1994 or '95.
>
> If someone could turn up the real Ronald Earl Smith, I would be
> eternally grateful. Any hounddogs out there?
>
> Brian Baylis
> La Mesa, CA