Re: [CR]built Masis

(Example: Component Manufacturers)

From: <"brianbaylis@juno.com">
Date: Mon, 12 Dec 2005 03:00:39 GMT
To: losgatos_dale@yahoo.com
Subject: Re: [CR]built Masis
cc: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org

Dale and all,

Regarding Martano rims and Masis, and 3ttt bar and stem and saddles. I b uilt hundreds of Masi wheels when I first arrive there in late 1973. Eve ry one had the wing logo Martano rims. We had the bow-tie lable rims the re, but I believe they were using the winged rims because they were olde r stock. The Bow-tie label I think is a newer label for the same rim. It 's possible that they began using bow-tie labels at some point later on, but my impression was the Carlsbad Masis always had the winged labels. I wasn't paying that close attention to wheels when I worked ther in '76 -'77. The wheels were no being built in house by that time. As a matter of fact Jim Allen was doing the wheelbuilding with Ted Kirkbride at that time. Jim, what rims were you useing (label wise)?

With many frame brands of that period it was possible to buy just a fram eset. This was quite a bit less so with the early Carlsbad Masis. I reca ll that they wanted to sell fully assembled complete bikes in the beginn ing. This may have changed later; but initially they intended to sell co mplete machines, specifically useing certain parts. Since I also assembl ed a ton of bars/stems/brakelevers as sub assemblies for bikes to be bui lt. The overwhealming majority of of bars/stems/saddles were Cinelli. Th ere were only a very limited number of 3TTT engraved bars and stems and Masi embossed saddles. They were used for "special" situations since the re was a very limited number of them. I think Alberto got most of what h ad been made and was useing that stuff as the standard for bikes in Ital y.

I believe Masi began useing Martano rims on bikes somewhere around 1967 or '68. There were rumors of disputes with component distributors and ev en tubing suppliers (Columbus). Not sure if it was true, but I suspect a lt least the Regina part is.

So for many bikes, what is period correct may be rider select; but in th e case of Italian and early CA Masis there is most deffinitely a standar d. Yes, there are a few variations; but we all know what they are also.

Brian Baylis
La Mesa, CA


-- "Dale B. Phelps" wrote:


I own MC61 01, built in 1975 and purchased by me last year. The bike was complete and original as far as I can tell/know/care, and arrived with bow-tie decaled 36 hole Martano rims on small flange campi record hubs. The entire gruppo either has no dates or 1972 (consistent with the fable d parts cage I read about in the CR archives. The stem is oval stamped l ogo Cinelli and the bars are cinelli Giro d'Italia. Saddle sueded Unican itor.

f.w.i.w. its my understanding that Martano winged decal rims were 60's to very early 70s but like all mass-produced and sold in bulk items cou ld hang around for a long long time. Theres no doubt in my mind that bot h type rims could be found in the same dealer or "factory" stock, though I'd guess that during the period they'd coincide would be with differen t drillings (ie with standard hole drillings that are used often, the ol der stocks would be depleted and replaced with newer that may have later features.

To be sure, in my younger years I saw far more Masis with fiamme red l abels than ANY other brand rim, and I'd never seen Martanos on a bike th at a racer used, ever (I know my limited exposure and world view defines this 2-decade observation.) I think the Martano rims are probably no wo rse a rim than the non-ferruled Mavics and can't be much worse than the ubiquitous (but ferruled) Fiamme reds, but when it came time to start pl anning a set of clean wheels for the Masi I own, and despite the stash o f Fiammes I already had, I didn't even think of any rims other than Mart anos for the show-off wheelset for my Masi. If the standard is establish ed by the members of the hobby, why should I bicker with them? Besides, I got the NOS Martanos and front small flange hub for relatively painles s cost, they look quite cool, and I can keep my Fiammes for other days ( and wheels that will doubtless be ridden a lot more.) I DO plan to repla ce the yellow Benotto tape though, with more of the same!

Dale Phelps Longmont CO

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