Masi Special

Price Paid:  $300.00 at Craigslist

Model Year:
2007

Favorite Ride:
Pill Hill from Sellwood going North

Bike Setup:
2007 Masi Speciale all steel frame; Shimano 105 shifters, derailleures (F&B); FSA triple comp cranks; SRAM cassette; Carbon forks & seat-post; aluminum stem & bars; Vuelta Zerolite wheel-set; conti-gatroskin tires.

Summary:
I was looking for a second road bike for winter riding and found this one on craigslist one morning and had to check it out. I went and looked at the bike and pretty much bought it on the spot. It has a mix of components (105 shifters & derailleurs, FSA triple cranks, SRAM cassette, Look Keo Carbon pedals, Carbon fork), but the set up is really smooth. The key on this bike is how comfortable a ride it is-I love the steel bike frame ride so much I have rode this more than my 'summer' road bike over the last few months (a Specialized Allez with all Utlegra 10speed double set-up).

I have told many friends about this bike I have become an instant fan of the Masi bikes. Super handling on down-hills; very responsive on a break; and amazing for long rides.

Strengths:
Super comfortable, responsive on the break, and great handling for downhills.

Weaknesses:
The triple set up is a little heavy, but so am I-when I lose around 20 pounds I can start complaining about the 2-3 extra pounds on my bike ;)

Similar Products Used:
Scattante XRL, Specialized Allez, Kestrel all Carbon, Masi Speciale fixed, Bianchi Veloce, Centurion Elite.

Price Paid:  $1500.00 at Belmont Wheelworks

Model Year:
2007

Favorite Ride:
hilly backroads

Bike Setup:
Replaced "pretend" carbon seatpost with Thompson aluminum post.

Summary:
Why has roadbikereview.com not updated the review form to cover any bike newer than 2007? And why can't a reviewer distinguish between the Speciale and the Speciale CX when trying to post?

2009 Masi Speciale 105. This is not the Speciale CX cross/touring bike. This is purely a road bike, and 2010 model is just called Speciale. Weighs just over 21 lbs for 56cm frame.

I prefer this bike's steel ride to similarly-priced aluminum bikes from Trek, Specialized, and Cannondale. Also, not able to spend more than 2K for a carbon bike, and no intentions on racing, so I went with this bike for the ride and the looks (lugged fork, ruby red).

Strengths:
Forgiving steel ride, predictable handling, Ultegra rear derailleur, somewhat traditional look to frame.

Weaknesses:
Stupid carbon-wrapped aluminum seatpost. Weights about 3 lbs more than similarly-spec'd aluminum bike, but cyclists who want steel won't make that a top priority.

Similar Products Used:
Masi Speciale CX is completely different. Weighs 24.5 lbs for 56cm frame, ready for racks, more of a touring bike than a cross bike.