72 Masi GC

1972-74 MASI Gran Criterium

M-58 (57 c-c)

Made in Italy

I bought the frameset a few years ago and built it up as a rideable showbike. When I bought it, the frameset had been recently refinished by CyclArt. As you will see in the photos, CyclArt did a masterful job. The paint is perfect; very thin, allowing the lug work to shine, but still rich and even throughout the entire frameset.

The fork does not have a date stamp on the steerer tube (early frames like this one didn't always get stamped), but the frameset has been identified by several knowledgeable people as most likely a 1972, but possibly a 73 or 74 at the latest.

I built the bike as period-correct and high-end as I could, and I embellished it with some details that are a tribute to Faliero Masi's way of setting up his bikes. I also took the liberty of using a cool pair of modified Nuovo Record brake levers that allow for aero/hidden cable routing, as well as traditional cable routing. Ultimately I wanted to build a Masi GC that was out of the ordinary, but still classic looking. I hope you like it.

Please note: most of the photos show the bike with aero cable setup, but recently I changed it to traditional routing, so I've included some photos that show the new setup. If you buy the bike, and you prefer to have it with the aero setup, let me know and I'll change it for you before shipping.

Price is $3,200 OBO. Shipping will be at cost. I welcome any questions or comments you may have. You can write me, or you can call me at 786-423-4024.

This is the current setup with traditional brake cable routing.

These are the same brake levers used for the aero setup that you will see in the photos below.

The housing holder by Roto is looks great and is period-correct.

Of course you don't need to use the Roto cable holder, but I like the way it looks.

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The following photos show bike with its previous, aero brake setup. (the bike will be shipped with either aero or traditional cable routing, whichever you prefer.)

The seat tube is 57 cm, measured center-to-center.

The top tube is 56.5 cm, center-to-center.

The stand-over height is 82.5 cm.

The paint color is generally known as Champagne, and it is probably the most traditional Masi color.

I routed the the brake cables through the bar, but the brake levers have an ingenious modification that allows them to be used for both traditional or hidden cable routing, so the cables can easily be changed to traditional cable routing.

3ttt Record stem (120 mm) and 3ttt Competizione bar (41 cm. center-to-center). The stem is polished, the bar has its original finish.

The paint and decals are flawless.

Campagnolo Record and Nuovo Record throughout.

Period-correct and polished 170 mm. Record crank arms.

Beautiful and unusual Fischer fork crown with square grooves front and back.

The black cotton bar tape is by Ciclolinea of Italy. (The model name is CICLOLINEA 80, and the box describes it as Nastro Telato Brillante Per Manubri Corsa.)

For me, this is the ultimate vintage saddle. This particular saddle is NOS, never ridden, but with a few storage marks which actually give it a nice patina. The lettering on the emblems is excellent, with no smearing.

The seat stay caps and the seat lug are beautifully executed.

Notice how nice and thin the paint is.

This seat post was NOS but I polished it anyway. The good thing about that is that it came out perfect.

This is a Faliero, not an Alberto - an important difference, at least for me.

The cable clips are the period-correct chromed version, which is earlier than the stainless steel version. The chrome clips have a deeper, more lustrous shine and color.

This is one of the fluorishes that I added as a tribute to Faliero's way of setting up his bikes. Faliero used to cut the ends of the clip fastening bolts, flush with the nuts, and then he would paint the whole thing yellow. This was an aesthetic accent and also served to prevent rust where the bolts had been cut. I wimped out and didn't go so far as to cut the bolts, I just painted the ends of the bolts.

The "globe" gum hoods are genuine Campagnolo, not replicas, and they are soft and supple, with no cracks or discoloration. The lever blades are also flawless, with absolutely no scratches.

Aside from the inconspicuous pins at the top of the blades, the brake levers look stock.

The hidden cable setup actually works very well. Despite the added friction caused by the internal routing, the lever action is smooth, with plenty of return snap. Of course I used lined cable housing and I lubricated the wires very well, so that helps.

The location of the roller allows these levers to be used for traditional cable routing as well. At the buyer's request, I will be happy to set up the bike with traditional brake cable routing, free of charge, prior to delivery.

The Ciclolinea cotton tape has a very nice pattern and sheen to it. And, it is perfectly wrapped, if I may say so myself.

The Nuovo Record headset is in perfect working condition, and in beautiful cosmetic condition as well.

The 3ttt Record stem polished up quite nicely.

Another accent I added is the paint-fill in the stem bolt socket. The paint is only at the bottom of the socket, so it won't affect the fitting of an allen key wrench. It's a subtle detail, that you can only appreciate from certain angles.

The bar engravings are in very nice shape. By the way, I think that the contrast between the polished stem and the satin finish of the bar is subtle and makes for an elegant combination, so I decided not to polish the bar.

Here you can see how the cables exit the under bar through cleanly drilled, and perfectly placed, holes. All work was done by yours truly.

Beautifully shaped and thinned lugs, with crisp edges and sharp points. The expertly applied, thin paint allows us to appreciate these details.

The chrome on the fork crown is original, so it has some very light peppering, which is barely noticeable with the naked eye. It's actually in amazingly good condition for being about 35 years old.

In this photo you can see the light peppering. This is the most I could get it to show. From most angles it is not visible at all.

Another nod to Faliero is the painting of the alloy cable end caps. Notice also the great condition of the caliper hardware.

Lovely, period-correct, Fiamme Ergal wheels. Fiamme Ergal rims are super light and make for a lively ride - many people consider them the ultimate vintage rims. With 36 spokes each, these wheels are strong enough for most riders and roads.

The four leaf clover symbol on the spoke heads indicate that the spokes are by Berg-Union of Switzerland. They are chromed, single butted 15-17 gauge.

The Berg-Union spokes are laced 3-cross to smooth-spinning and shiny Record hubs.

The rims show a couple of spots where the finish is no longer perfect, but overall they shine like chrome and look great on this bike. The rim decals, which are in perfect condition, are a perfect match to the frame color. What more can you ask of a rim?

The tubular tires are Vittoria Pro L 19, from the late 1980s. They are new and show nicely on the bike. Of course a pair of yellow label Clement Criteriums would be ideal, but you'll have to supply those yourself (and if you have a extra pair, let me know!).

Perfect and correct clamp-on shifter assembly; notice the raised lettering on the levers, the flat washers, and the stop plates with incorporated cable guides. Also note that the band is not cracked - this can easily happen when you open it too far during installation.

Beautiful and distinctive Fischer fork crown with slots front and back.

By the way, the yellow paint on the end of the caliper mounting bolt is yet another nod to Faliero. He used to cut or file the mounting bolts, flush with the nut, and paint the bolt ends to prevent rust. I didn't cut or file the bolts, but I did paint the ends, just like he used to do.

Correct downtube decal with "cross-hairs."

I tried to build this bike as light as possible while still using correct vintage components, so I opted for this TA alloy cage instead of the chromed version. By the way, the bike, exactly as you see it in these photos, weighs in at 19.5 lbs. Not bad for a bike this size!

The plastic cap on the cage happens to be an incredibly close match to the frame color.

Polished crank arms, original finish rings, and another yellow detail.

The crank arms polished up perfectly. The 52-42 Nuovo Record rings are very lightly used, with no scratches. They look great but you can take them out for a ride without feeling guilty.

I painted the concave section of the crank fixing bolts, again as a tribute to the Masi way of setting up bikes. I like the look, but in case you don't so much...

I will include a pair of the chromed dust caps you see in this photo, so you can choose which way you want to roll.

The dust caps really make it an extra subtle, almost hidden, flourish. I like both looks - I would probably alternate between the two.

By the way, you can choose between the light grey bolts, or the black ones pictured here (which are period correct, while the gray ones are not).

Period-correct, top of the line Regina SC chain. This is not your ordinary Oro chain!

Both crank arms are 170 Strada no-date-code, which is period-correct for this bike. And both crank arms are polished front and back, like this one.

The front derailleur is NOS. By the way, in case you want plain, unpainted cable end caps, I will be happy to oblige.

I didn't clean in between the teeth so you wouldn't feel bad about riding this baby ;)

Note the correct setup with the wound steel derailleur housing, and perfect-fitting ferrules. A proper setup is a thing of beauty!

Pat. 74 Nuovo Record rear derailleur in very good condition.

NOS Regina Oro five speed freewheel; 13-15-17-19-21.

Correct straight lever quick-release skewers on shiny and smooth-spinning Record hubs. Note that the rim decals on the rear rim are perfect, just like the ones on the front rim.

The Ergal rims shine like chrome.

I normally use cable liner on the derailleur cables under the bottom bracket cable guides, but I just realized that I didn't on this build. I will supply two pieces to buyer.

The Record bottom bracket is in perfect condition - it spins smooth and tight, and there are no signs of negligent or abusive wrenching on the cups.

Correct Campagnolo bottom bracket protective plastic sleeve is in place - but I didn't orient it so the logo shows through the cutout! Aargh!

As you can see, I used Campagnolo grease for this build.

The non-drive side of the seat tube decals.

Perfect decals, perfect paint.

Just another pretty photo.

Nicely detailed cutouts on the brake bridge ends.

Shiny, happy hardware on the calipers, and another of those yellow details that help make this a special bike.

In this photo you can really appreciate the quality of the Ciclolinea cotton bar tape. It has a very pretty and uncommon sheen (cotton tapes generally have a flat finish). You can also see the cool and unusual REG plug, made in Italy, which I believe is period-correct.

No detail is too insignificant when building a proper bike! That's why I used brass valve caps, which are cool enough that they didn't need to be painted yellow. You can also see on the tire tread that I have blacked out the not-period-correct Vittoria label. And of course I have the tire mounted so the offending label is on the non-drive side. As I said, no detail...

I'll wrap this up with a couple of parting shots (pun intended), suitable for your desktop wallpaper.

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There it is, my early 70s Italian Masi GC. There aren't too many around, and I put a lot of thought and heart into building it, so I hope you like it and agree that it is a special bike. I also hope you enjoyed the presentation. By the way, if you're still with me, I forgot to mention that I have a bottle of touch-up paint from Cyclart, which I will include with the bike.

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