During Bob Hovey's reply to Steven Maasland, Bob made the comment: "..the hardest part of doing a proper '74 twin plate restoration is finding those engraved Masi ttt bars..". Bob, I mean absolutely no disrespect, so please don't misunderstand me, but this comment bugs the %$&# out of me. Why does a properly restored twin-plate Masi GC need to have engraved Masi 3t bars to be "correct" or properly restored? Is your comment based on the fact that some twin-plate Masi frames were equipped with these bars when purchased as a complete bike? In putting forth these types of comments, some are loosing touch with the fact that these Masi GCs were bought as bare frames and built up with period components of the time. So it would be correct to see these period correct components on a "properly restored '74 twin-plate Masi, wouldn't it? I'd say engraved Cinelli bars were the most commonly seen bar on any high-end Italian road bike from from the 1970s. Perhaps Bob's comment is based on the fact that engraved Masi 3t bars are very rare? I just don't think that in any stretch of the imagination should a '74 twin-plate Masi GC w/engraved Cinelli bars be viewed in a lesser light than the same bike w/engraved Masi 3t bars. 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?
Dave Patrick
Chelsea, Michigan (no, I haven't had ANY caffeine this morning)