Jeffery,
Forgot to mention that pretty much all of the '72 Masis I've seen are
either all Columbus tubes or all Reynolds tubes; the mixing seems to
have stopped in '72. Also the typical '71 GC will have the little
pump peg brazed underneith the top tube near the seat lug, whereas
the '72 and later bikes do not. Earlier than '71 the BB cutouts are
not the standard "M" and frequently they do not have the pump peg
braze-on. Needless to say, these changes probably did not take place
on Jan. 1 every year; but these dates are generally in the ballpark
in most cases.
So, if the bike is all Reynolds (fork blades and chainstays are the
key clues) or all Columbus (again fork blades and chainstays are the
telltale parts) then it's probably a '72 frame.
Brian Baylis
La Mesa, CA
Attention Masi Mafia. I recently purchased a 1971 Masi Gran
Criterium,
stamped M56A on the bottom bracket with 11 71 stamped on the fort
tube. It
is came as a very original bike with all correct dated Nuovo Record,
etc.
and what appears to be original paint. The seat post is a 26.8 and
appears
to be a proper fit. Is this correct? Also, does anyone know the
significance, if any, of the "A" suffix on the bb stamp?
Jeffery Pyzyk
Milwaukee, WI