Cicli Masi Booklet — The Tradition Then and Now: Gran Criterium, 3V Volumetrica, Record, Nuova Strada and Gran Corsa

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CICLI

MASI

MILANO

[Front cover on tan paper: a large black upright oval carries the Masi emblem in reverse, a shield bearing a stylized lily and the name MASI, framed by leaf scrolls, with CICLI arched across the top and MILANO on a ribbon below the shield. Three staples are visible along the left edge.]

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CICLI MASI® INC.
… The Tradition Then and Now.

The MASI® reputation goes back to post World War I when the young Faliero Masi was learning the craft of bicycle repair and design. A man to whom bicycle racing meant everything, Faliero Masi realized that to achieve greatness, one had to use the very best of not only his talents but his tools. At that time, the racing bicycle was a cumbersome and heavy machine subject to frequent breakdown. Faliero needed to improve his lot in life and in doing so, would improve the lives of countless others.

After many long years of design experience and great fame as a racing cyclist, Faliero Masi won even greater fame as the maker of the Gran Criterium — the bicycle of the Grand Champions.

Today, Faliero Masi, still belongs to the group of elite Grand Champions of the bicycle racing world. A group dedicated to the preservation of the sport in it’s best form. Faliero remains very attentive to the exacting hand-work and precise skill used to build each and every product MASI offers. Each bicycle, component group, and accessory of MASI enjoys this special type of attention by our craftsmen. That is why World Class Champions come to MASI seeking out the ultimate bicycle. Remember, you could be one of a select few destined to own a MASI Gran Criterium, Record, 3/V Volumetrica, Nuova Strada, or Gran Corsa this year!

CICLI MASI, MASI, GRAN CRITERIUM, RECORD, 3/V, VOLUMETRICA, AND GRAN CORSA are trademark and copywrite CICLI MASI, INC.
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[Pen drawing over a graph-paper grid of an older man in profile, his head bowed over a bicycle front end with drop handlebars, a brake lever and a wheel, above two columns of typewritten text on tan paper.]

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THE BICYCLE OF CHAMPIONS!

The MASI Gran Criterium has gained world-wide acclaim as The Superb Machine. The list of professional and amateur cyclists who belong to the MASI Gran Criterium family is a list of the “Who’s Who” of bicyclists.

Every bicycle gets the same exacting attention. Every bicycle used in competition is marked either with MASI or frequently carries the trade name of the competition. For over forty years MASI has been the Champions choice. Rik Van Looy rode a MASI but it said “Superia”; Tom Simpson also rode a MASI although it said “Peugeot”; and Ferdinand Bracke rode a MASI when he set the world hour record.

Even today a number of top level national team members ride MASI’S under their own sponsors names.

The list of professionals, World Champions and Olympians is long…. Fausto Coppi, Vittorio Adorni, Felice Gimondi, Patrick Sercu, Maspes (five times World Champion), Eddy Merckx, Anton Tzack (1976 World Olympic Champion), Connie Paraskevin (1983 World Champion), Mark Gorski (1984 World Olympic Champion), Ken Carpenter (1987 Pan Am Champion),— and many more.

The list of Americans riding the MASI is growing by leaps and bounds since the founding of a MASI factory in Southern California. Faliero Masi came in person, to develop a factory to produce the World Champion of bicycles. The painstaking process of selecting skilled technicians began and the result is that now you do not have to wait a year to get a MASI. We can now fill your order in a respectable period of time. It still takes a little time to be perfect, and our craftsmen know it.

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

Years of dedication to the art of making a true world-class hand-made racing bicycle, to making them identically superior for each and every customer. CICLI MASI INC.— That’s what’s in a name!

A singular dedication to the construction of the highest caliber of racing bicycles. To meticulously apply our senior craftmanship to the exacting expectations of Faliero Masi and our customers alike. To see that into each handmade bicycle goes our many years of expertise — each bicycle identical in every detail — all over the world.

We have not limited ourselves to one company or even one country for our materials. We have searched the world over to get the best in technology or the best products for our frames. In the past we have had tubing made in England and France, lugs made in France, Switzerland, Italy and the U.S.A.

A lot of what MASI has done in bicycle design and in the finishing of their product has been copied by other makers.

MASI is a Trademark of CICLI MASI, INC. Superia is a trademark of Superia. Peugeot is a trademark of Peugeot.

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[A text page on yellow paper: two columns of typewritten text under the headings THE BICYCLE OF CHAMPIONS! and WHAT’S IN A NAME?, with no illustration. Text and a drawing printed on the reverse show through faintly.]

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THE TRUTH …[?]

It is the thought of many who produce bicycles that it is a must to advertise their model as the “best” or that they lead the industry with the “true state-of-the-art” product. We at MASI have never forced anything like this on the buyer. To make such boasts would be, in our opinion, the very thing that should alert the consumer to the presentation of a mediocre bicycle.

It is true that many copy MASI yet it is also true that no one has matched our methods and consequently no one but MASI has produced the bicycle of Grand Champions. We do not make idle boasts! To start with, our materials are superior. Lugs and crankbox are of our own proprietary investment-cast design that no one has been able to duplicate; our double-butted tubing is the lightest and strongest that technology can supply.

So everyone begins with a pile of parts. But our parts, unlike those of others are more than slightly different. An excellent example of this is our investment-cast lug design. You may not know this, but we invented the whole idea of strength through investment-cast lugs and crankbox. Others are only just beginning to use this process—we are already into the third generation design! You see, we use a special alloy steel, especially blended by MASI for MASI and our castings are absolutely true. Since we build a bike from the crankbox out, it is supremely important to work with parts that are straight and true. This also reduces assembly time.

MASI is a trademark of CICLI MASI, INC.

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[Pen drawing over a graph-paper grid of a hand reaching in from the upper left to hold a dial caliper against a fan of frame tubes of several diameters, above two columns of typewritten text on yellow paper. Text from the reverse shows through faintly at the upper right.]

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ASSEMBLY BY THE EXPERTS

Our Certified Master Framebuilders (and we employ more than just one) are not allowed to deviate in any way from the original design of Faliero Masi. And for good reason. The methodology necessary to assemble such a superior cycle is exceedingly exact — to thousandths of an inch! We begin with the crankbox and work outward. Our progress is checked from a jigged master frame at all times to ensure that each bicycle frame is just like the one before it. Yes, tolerances are to the thousandths of an inch!

It takes our finest craftsmen at least twenty minutes to face and thread the crankbox. When this handwork is accomplished, we must achieve a perfect 90 face or the crankbox is discarded.

Our tubing is carefully assembled at each lug point with jigs specifically designed at MASI. Then they are lightly brazed and re-aligned before final brazing. All frames receive this check-and-double-check of alignment at each brazing point. We make absolutely certain there is no energy loss from a chain that is not driven exactly true around the chain ring.

Our investment-cast lugs are carefully inspected for imperfections. Typically, each one needs only a minute degree of fine filing before use because our casting methods have been exacted over the years. This also cuts down the time necessary for our craftsmen to build your bicycle — thus saving you money. And, our brazing process is specific in nature to ensure total filling of the lug with a special low-temperature brass. There are no open voids inside the lug because investment-cast lugs have no internal radii present.

The result is that your frame is truly one piece upon completion. There is no energy loss due to excess flexibility. The frame will not change with ordinary use and time.

MASI is a trademark of CICLI MASI, INC.

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[Pen drawing over a graph-paper grid of a framebuilder in goggles brazing a joint with a torch at a frame jig, with a square inset at the upper right on a black ground showing two hands checking a tube with a dial indicator and a straightedge. Two columns of typewritten text on green paper follow below.]

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A WORD ABOUT MATERIALS

Many bicycle manufacturers allow the assembly of materials to be done in a “much-hurried” fashion. This makes sense when a company must sell in volume. It is a shame to handle bicycles of superior quality in such a way because that reduces the value of both the product and the sport itself. We produce only a few hundred bicycles per year! This is not volume production so we are able to maintain our high standards.

Our tubes, made of a very special alloy, provide the rigidity necessary to transfer energy to forward movement. Energy typically lost in frames made by others. From top to bottom the components used to construct the MASI bicycle are, without question, exactly what you would expect fo find on (and in) a bicycle of it’s caliber. When you invest in this type of racing cycle, you can trust that your purchase is based upon quality and not a manufacturer’s ability to “exact what the market will bear” in terms of volume and pricing.

There are no little gimmicks in the construction of the MASI bicycle — take a real close look! If you want us to engrave or file pretty ornate filigre designs into the forks, stays and lugs we can — but you are obviously not looking for a racing cycle. We have enjoyed your trust for decades. This statement of confidence proves to us time-after-time that we are right in maintaining a sophisticated simplicity of design.

THE FINISH….IT’S YOUR CHOICE!

Speaking of a finish…there is a notion that the heavier the paint, the less likely a surface will rust. We have found that the thinner the paint, the less likely it is to crack and peel (then comes the rust!). However, we take careful steps to prepare the metal surface even before the primer goes on.

For example, we use ruby garnet to etch the surface before plating or painting because it does not imbed itself into the tubing. Once sand from sand-blasted treatments gets imbedded it will create a pinhole and later in the life of the component, allow it to rust. After the surfaces are treated, a thin coat of primer is applied several times. Then the paint. Just a few coats are applied while it is specially sanded between each coat to remove imperfections. Then we decal and apply our unique clear coat process. We continue to use the old world type varnish or spirit fix transfers that become an integral part of the paint job. We do not use the low quality plastic sticker that is elevated and as a result is easily peeled off or damaged.

Of course, the color makes no functional difference in cycle performance — you may order the color of your choice. The difference is in the hands of a very few craftsmen at MASI and how they adhere to the different construction disciplines.

All aspects of the frame and it’s finish, from the decal work to the components, are carefully inspected. You trust us to produce a champion. What makes this possible is our undaunted effort to keep the CICLI MASI,INC tradition alive.

MASI is a trademark of CICLI MASI INC.
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[A text page on green paper: two columns of typewritten text under the headings A WORD ABOUT MATERIALS and THE FINISH….IT’S YOUR CHOICE!, with no illustration. The drawing and text printed on the reverse show through faintly.]

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MASI GRAN CRITRERIUM
“The Bicycle of Grand Champions”

The MASI GRAN CRITERIUM brings you the tradition of individual craftsmanship and the experience of countless miles with the grand champions of 4 decades. Each GRAN CRITERIUM frameset is built, from start to finish, by one skilled framebuilder. It is truly a handcrafted machine.

MASI technology has been emulated throughout the history of this great bicycle tradition. A special low temperature brazing process is used by our craftsmen, so your MASI will best retain the properties of tubing resilience and stability. The use of investment-cast lugs was pioneered by MASI research, and today you profit by the third generation of these precise frame fittings. You’ll find the MASI lugs only on MASI bicycles, and these special investment cast lugs are your assurance of a frame that is put together like no other.

The MASI GRAN CRITERIUM wouldn’t be complete without a handcrafted finish that outshines all others. The combination of rich color hues and our special MASI clear coating finish completes a bicycle which excels in appearance and handling.

Look over the MASI GRAN CRITERIUM at your MASI dealership. After you have been captivated by it’s beauty, ride this bicycle tradition and know the symmetry of bicycle frame and componentry which grand champions have brought you.

MASI and GRAN CRITERIUM are trademarks of CICLI MASI INC.
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[Pale blue page. A pen drawing over a hand-drawn grid shows the joints of a lugged frame close up and pulled apart: lugs with long pointed tangs, one with a binder bolt eye and one with a threaded cup and an oval badge, a lugged tube at right and a bottom bracket shell bearing a large “M”. Below it the Gran Criterium text is typewritten in two columns.]

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MASI 3V VOLUMETRICA
“The Ultimate Design”
The MASI tradition is one of pioneering elite quality bicycles for more than 5 decades. With the MASI 3V VOLUMETRICA, Faliero Masi brings you the latest in lightweight racing technology, and the tradition of MASI quality and racing experience.

The VOLUMETRICA is built with a revolutionary new oversize tubing which fits over special MASI investment cast lugs. The special steel alloy tubing is drawn to MASI’s own specifications of ultra thin wall thickness. This special tubing makes your VOLUMETRICA a lighter bicycle, yet the larger diameter gives a stable, more efficient competition frame. It gives 28% more beam strength and over 50% more torsional efficiency.

MASI pioneered the use of investment cast lugs in bicycle frame building, and the 3V lugs permit the use of standard components, (seatpost, headset, etc) not found on other bicycles with oversize tubing. The internal lugs, made especially for the VOLUMETRICA, permit a stronger joint which is visible to both the framebuilder as he works, and for the 3V rider to appreciate. Look at your VOLUMETRICA and see the flawless meeting of the tubing and lugs.

The 3V VOLUMETRICA is designed for the speed and close competition of the superior racer, where bicycle design surpasses the narrow line between triumph and defeat. VOLUMETRICA performance and top of the line componetry produces MASI reliability for the racer who has given everything to get there first!

MASI, 3V, and VOLUMETRICA are trademarks of CICLI MASI, INC.
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[Pale blue page. A pen drawing over a hand-drawn grid shows an oversize tube joint close up: two large tubes meeting a third tube that is drawn open at its end, each tube end marked by a band where it fits over an internal lug, with a small bracket below. Below it the 3V Volumetrica text is typewritten in two columns.]

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MASI RECORD
“The Bicycle Frame Designed for Speed”
Some companies make a bicycle to “look funny”. Ours is designed to go fast!

It gives you reduced frontal area with no loss of compatability with standard bicycle components. Research has proven this concept to be the most efficient ergonomically and aerodynamically. This design is only attainable with specially fabricated tubing made by Columbus to MASI specifications.

For individual Time Trials on the road the large front wheel is advantageous as the most efficient wheel for rolling resistance and compatability — it’s much easier to get a wheel change when you have standard equipment!

We do offer this model in 26 – 28 for both the road and the track.

The standard record frame will fit riders usually requiring 54 through 62 cm. frames.

Our unique design gives you the handling stability of your regular bicycle. Check with someone who has ridden one!

This championship design has already added to our list of accomplishments with wins, championship gold medals, and new records.

MASIand RECORD are trademarks of CICLI MASI, INC.
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[Pink page. A pen drawing over a hand-drawn grid shows a bare frame in side view with its fork and seatpost, dark lugs, a derailleur hanger dropout and bottle bosses on the seat tube and down tube. Below it the Record text is typewritten in two columns.]

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MASI NUOVA STRADA

“Finally a Racing Machine built Only for Racing”

CICLI MASI INC. the craftsmen of Olympic Gold Medal and World Championship racing bicycles proudly presents——NUOVA STRADA. A marriage of Italian performance, design and geometry with the use of standard products. Investment cast lugs that are used on the “top of the line” frames and Columbus Special SLX/SP tube combinations. A special mix of SLX and SP tubing is used to give you maximum efficiency and performance.

MASI’s standard of excellence, developed over 40 years of striving toward superior performance is the heritage from which NUOVA STRADA has been created.

NUOVA STRADA is simply a no frills, lean machine. Get down on it, feel the efficient strength, enjoy the comfort of a well designed bicycle that gives you the winning edge. Share in our enthusiasm and excitement — we want you to compare — try one and we know you will buy one!

NUOVA STRADA is absolutely the most for your money in a racing bicycle.

MASI and NUOVA STRADA are trademarks of CICLI MASI, INC.
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[Pink page. A pen drawing over a hand-drawn grid shows a complete road bicycle in side view, with drop handlebars and brake levers, a saddle, a double chainring crankset, a rear derailleur, a bottle in a down tube cage and lettering drawn on the down tube. Below it the Nuova Strada text is typewritten in two columns.]

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GRAN CORSA
“The Traditional Road Frame”

With the development of new Columbus chrome-molybdenum steel alloy tube sets we are able to bring you an exciting new bicycle at a reasonable price. This innovative technology incorporates the wall thickness dimensions of the SL chrome molybdenum steel alloy tube set for the three main tubes. The rear triangle and fork blades are comparable to the SP chrome molybdenum steel alloy tube sets.

In MASI’s usual tradition, you will find an investment-cast bottom bracket and seat lug — not commonly found on bicycles in this price range. The all chrome fork has a semi-sloping investment-cast fork crown with Columbus drop-outs.

It has stainless steel top tube cable guides, two water bottle mounts, rear chain hanger and a pump peg.

The frame incorporates the same racing geometry as the Nuova Strada with a slightly longer rear chain stay.

This is a truly handcrafted free brazed frame set — in the tradition of custom frame building. It is not machine brazed or an assembly line product.

This Gran Corsa frame set will be finished with our usual high quality Dupont Imron paint system. Do not be mislead by a “Dupont paint process” sticker. There is a big difference between that and the quality finish obtained with American technology and American Dupont products.

Again in the fine MASI tradition we will be incorporating the old world varnish or spirit fix decals which become an integral part of the paint. Not thick plastic stickers as found on mass produced bicycles.

MASI and RECORD are trademarks of CICLI MASI, INC.
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[Pale yellow page. A pen drawing over a hand-drawn grid shows the front of a road bicycle close up: drop handlebars with brake levers and their cables, the stem and headset, the top tube and down tube with a down tube shift lever, the fork crown, a sidepull front brake and the top of the front wheel. Below it the Gran Corsa text is typewritten in two columns.]

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THE LIFE OF YOUR FRAME!

In Europe it is standard practice for the racing cyclists to strip the paint from their frames and to examine them closely for any sign of cracks or brazing deterioration. After which the bicycle is repainted and reassembled. This is done after the first year of racing. After the second season they purchase a new frame! They have found that a frame does fatigue with use. It is generally considered by the racing community that a frame should be raced for only 2 years.

It is difficult for us to come up with a magical number of years or perhaps even miles within which we should consider “warranting” our product. After all there are so many variables one would have to consider: body weight, strength, type of rider, road conditions, miles ridden as opposed to miles raced, weather conditions, etc. It is interesting to note that the tubing manufacturers do not offer any guarantee.

Big companies, who have mass-produced bicycles, offer confusing warantees for inexpensive production models. These companies offer these warantees to “buy” credibility with the unknowing general market. Over the past 40 years MASI has proven it’s credibility with a superior product.

MASI is a tradmark of CICLI MASI, INC.
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[Pale yellow page. A pen drawing over a hand-drawn grid shows a complete road bicycle in side view, with drop handlebars, a saddle, a double chainring crankset, a rear derailleur, a bottle in a down tube cage and lettering drawn on the down tube. Below it the warranty text runs in two columns, the left column continuing into the right in mid sentence.]