[CR]Cirque bike show winners up (finally) on the web site

Now that Dale has posted the winning bikes from this year Cirque:

http://www.classicrendezvous.com/Events/Cirque/2007/winners.htm

it is time for a public confession.

This post is meant to be a somewhat educational one. I would like to help a few of you better understand the whole history and origin of the Maasi bike which won the Trompe L'Oeil award and how I was told the judges at le cirque looked at it.

To do so, I would like to direct your attention to the following links:

http://arthistory.about.com/od/glossary/g/t_trompe_loeil.htm

The bike was awarded the prize for the best "trompe l'oeil" bike at le cirque. It was therefore proclaimed to be the bike that best "fools the eye". I was told that this prize was awarded in part because many simply walked past the bike without even realizing that the down tube said Maasi with a double 'A' and not the Masi that everybody would expect to see at le cirque. In part because it is not what you might expect it to be.

http://www.wordreference.com/iten/bravata

The chainstays of the bike are decaled "Bravata Maasi", instead of the customary Brev or brevettata Masi seen on Faliero and Alberto's bikes (see close-up here: http://www.wooljersey.com/gallery/maasland/Esposito/Maasi+Prestige+pant o+chainset+and+chainring.jpg.html?g2_imageViewsIndex=1). The proper translation of this Italian word Bravata was pointed out to the judges as well as anybody who asked. These decals are therefore proclaiming to all that it is a bit of bravado to call the bike a Maasi.

I believe at this time, it should become abbundantly clear that the whole bike is a spoof. I spent about 9 months putting the bike together. The intent of the bike was to make people realize that a simple name on a down-tube is not indicative of much, and as a group we should strive to learn more about what is behind the bike. Secondly, we shouldn't be taking things too seriously with our collecting. It should be a fun endeavour. (I can guarantee that all that were in on the joke had an absolute hoot at le cirque!)

I would like to thank all of the people who helped me pull off this, from my Italian friends who built the frame, did the painting and pantography, to Greg Softley for the custom decals produced in record time, to Bob Hovey for some photographic retouching, to the friends who helped me source the many rare bits and pieces, to Dale, Lou and Scott who all facilitated the arrival of the bike on the show floor without it being linked ot me, as well as all the rest who were in on the joke.

Steven Maasland Moorestown, NJ USA

PS: Given that my nickname was Maasi back in high school, and the model name Prestige is not copyrighted for a bike, I feel completely justified to use the name Maasi Prestige. Beside which, I am informed that Alberto was preventively informed of the whole hoax.

PPS: The framebuilder and pantographer friends in Italy who built the frame and did the panto work are willing to take on jobs for anybody interested in a custom frame and/or personalization. Please contact me off-list for details.