Re: [CR]Holy mackerel, 77 Masi Prestige Fiera

Harvey Sachs wrote: <>In commenting on my post about the slots mutilating chainstays on a Masi, Chuck Schmidt brought in some new perspectives which deserve response:

(snip) Chuck: Like the twin plate fork crown used for a while which I love, but which is functionally no better or worse than the Fischer (well, maybe not as elegant as the Fischer, but more interesting in an unusual, retro way).

Harvey: This is a small point, but I don't think the comparison is really relevant. I like twin plate crowns, too. I agree that they are likely to be functionally equivalent to other designs (and less work than the internal tangs of Cinelli sloping crowns, which I also love). The difference is my assertion that the Mutilated Masi chain stays are functionally worse -- until I'm shown to be wrong (which I'd really love, in this case). As far as I can tell from the pictures, these slots aren't even structurally lined, unlike Pino's Peculiar Penetrations, which had tubing brazed in place on both sides, and might even have had some benefit, had they been put in horizontally in the chainstays. And, being modestly small, they were much less likely to harm performance, even if they were purely decorative.

<>And I respond: Chuck: I thought it was pretty obvious when viewing the pictures http://www.speedbicycles.ch/234/win_004.html http://www.speedbicycles.ch/234/win_040.html http://www.speedbicycles.ch/234/win_039.html http://www.speedbicycles.ch/234/win_024.html http://www.speedbicycles.ch/234/win_023.html http://www.speedbicycles.ch/234/win_021.html http://www.speedbicycles.ch/234/win_005.html that the holes are indeed structurally lined with tubing.

To support this, the following was posted by Brian Baylis: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Date: Wed, 2 Nov 2005 15:02:00 GMT Subject: RE: [CR]Holy mackerel, 77 Masi Prestige Fiera

I saw a photo of how it was done. After the holes were milled in the chainstay, a sheet of thin steel was formed to fit the hole and inserted through the stay. Then some thin steel rolled into an expanding spring-like coil was inserted to hold the thin stock against the edges while the sheet was tacked in place. The coils were removed and then the finish brazing was done. Pretty simple once the holes were milled in the stays.

The purpose was to add some truss to the chainstays, according to Alberto Masi.

Brian Baylis ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So yes the holes are stupid but in this case structurally sound. An answer to a question no one asked. And of course High Italian Style!

Chuck Schmidt South Pasadena, Southern California

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