Re: [CR] Masi Prestige Versus Masi 3 Volumetrica

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References: <mailman.11.1263412801.64322.classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>, <daniel.dahlquist@gmail.com>, <dmart84815@yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 14 Jan 2010 02:35:30 -0500
In-Reply-To:
From: <rdf1249@aol.com>
Subject: Re: [CR] Masi Prestige Versus Masi 3 Volumetrica


I bought a Masi Prestige from Alberto in 1982. A friend who was a rep for a local company that imported Masi wine (no relation of course) thought it would be cool if we got Masi bicycles, so on one of his trips over there he ordered one for himself and one for me. It was only a few months later that I opened Elliott Bay Bicycles, so we wrote to Alberto to find out if we could buy some and he said yes. At the time they were between distributors in the US. High Country Imports was being taken over by an East Coast guy named Randy Buckley (no relation to the Shawn of my last post) and his new company was called Masi Worldwide or some such. He found out about our order and called me up to say we wouldn't be getting them. He sounded angry. I said who the heck are you anyway because we had not heard of him before. Anyway, long story short we did get the shipment of Masi Prestige bikes, about a dozen of them, and a few more after that. Our friend got us a case of some exotic and expensive Masi wine with hand lettered labels, and we gave one away with each bike. They were quite a hit at the time. A few of my customers of those days still have them.

So there were at least some that were legally imported. They wanted to emphasize the 3V though, and their new creation, the Masi Nuovo Strada, which we had little interest in. So we were obliged to order a few of each to remain a dealer, but the magic had gone out when they were no longer coming from Alberto.

My own Prestige came totally assembled, then barely disassembled for packing, and completely wrapped in crepe paper. It was so carefully assembled, the Masi name was underlined on the fork, and all the little bits were painted in yellow, including the cable crimps. All pantograph Campy Super Record with titanium bb and pedals. The pure Italian superbike. I rode it a lot for many years, but in the mid 90s when restoring VWs was eating me out of house and home, I reluctantly let it go (to a list member I might add). Do you still have it Dave? He offered it back to me a few years later but I was still not in a position to keep it. Here are some pics http://www.flickr.com/photos/8379107@N03/sets/72157623082578895/ Last year I got a beater frame from Italy that I am restoring so I will have it back one of these days. Won't be quite the same but I bet it will ride pretty nice. One thing about the ride of that bike: Masi in those days used Reynolds tubing, and for some reason they still had "English Oval" fork blades. These blades as most of you know are narrower and longer in cross section. That bike was firmer riding than most of the racing bikes I had experienced before, and I think that was one of the reasons. One long ride of 100 miles or so on the Masi, I came back and my hands were quite sore. And it had sewups by the way. A week later I took out my Davidson Impulse, with narrow clinchers, which I normally think of as harsher riding. I was in a hurry and forgot my gloves. We rode 100 miles that day too, and lo and behold, my hands were not sore even though no gloves. I don't know if it was the .7/.4 tubing of the Impulse or what, but I sure noticed a difference. I still liked the Masi though. Rode as if it were on rails.

Date: Wed, 13 Jan 2010 10:45:35 -0600 rom: Daniel Dahlquist <daniel.dahlquist@gmail.com> ubject: [CR] Masi Prestige Versus Masi 3 Volumetrica o: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org> essage-ID: <a68df3271001130845p2ddb775bx90f7c4efc7d2e8ef@mail.gmail.com> ontent-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1" Hello Group, I hope some Masi experts on the list can enlighten me on the asi Prestige and the Masic 3 Volumetrica. My knowledge is limited. I have eard that the Prestige is the decendent of the Gran Criterium, and is esireable in the U.S. because they were never legally imported. The 3V is nown for its oversize tubing, internal lugs, and its stiff ride. This is bout the extent of my knowledge. Which model is considered most esireable? Does one model outperfom the other? Lastly, which is the most aluable? Any insights you can provide will be most appreciated. Warmly, Daniel Dahlquist, alena, Illinois

Bob Freeman
Elliott Bay Bicycles
2116 Western Ave
Seattle, WA 98121
206-441-8144
http://www.elliottbaybicycles.com
http://www.davidsonbicycles.com