My New Masi Speciale Fixed

I recently acquired a 2007 model of the Masi Speciale Fixed.  Fixed bikes are all the rage right now, and I just couldn’t be the only one without one.  The 2007 Speciale Fixed is a beautiful bike.  It has simple lines and the graphics are very Euro Traditional.  I had ridden a fixed bike on the velodrome in Houston once, but, until a few weeks ago, I hadn’t ridden one on the streets before.  I was a little apprehensive because I didn’t know what to expect.  It was similar to the feeling that I had the first time that I attempted to ride on rollers.  It really isn’t hard, but you don’t really know until you try.  Three weeks into this little fixie experiment, and I am addicted.  I find myself riding the fixie much more than my real road bike.  It is, quite simply, fun to ride.  I compare it to driving a sports car with a stick instead of an auto transmission.  You always have to be thinking….no auto-piolot.  It is true that you don’t have to shift gears, but you do have to think about every bump in the road.  On a fixed bike, you can’t just coast over a bumpy patch of asphalt…..you cannot stop pedaling.

So here is my Masi.  I am truly in love with this bike.  I have owned quite a few bikes over the years, but this is by far my favorite.  It is 100% stock with the components the cycling gods created it.  I love the orange paint job.  It is all steel, which only adds to the euro feel of the bike.  The frame rides like a dream.  It comes stock with a Tektro front brake and Tektro brake levers.  The back hub is threaded on both sides, so you can run a fixed gear on one side and a traditional freewheel on the other.  I stick to the fixed because it is more fun. 

The best thing about the Masi is that you get lots of looks from other bikers.  Just last week, our town had a bike to work day.  I showed up at the meeting spot on my Masi.  There were several people riding very expensive road bikes.  One of the riders on a very expensive carbon road bike told the group, as he was pointing to my Masi, “That is the nicest bike here!”  I was very proud at that moment.  I was the envy of the whole group.  My $700 bike was crowned as the nicest bike.  What an honor. 

Masi is a revival of sorts.  It was an Italian brand, and the name was purchased a few years ago by Haro Bicycles.  The brand has taken off in the United States because of fantastic looks, great riding bikes, and grass roots marketing.  Tim Jackson, Masi’s Brand Manager, runs a blog about his life with Masi.  It is a great insight into what it takes to build a bike brand from the ground up.  You must check it out:  masiguy.blogspot.com.  Tim has a love for track riding and racing, so the detail he puts into the fixed bikes is amazing.  One thing that Tim does on the blog, is ask for your opinions.  As he is building the line, often times he will ask if a certain product is appealing or not.  By reading his blog and interacting in the comment section, you are giving opinions directly to the person that is making the decisions.  That doesn’t happen anywhere else. 

If you are thinking about a fixed bike or a new road bike, you owe it to yourself to check out Masi.  I guarantee that you won’t be disappointed.  The entire line can be found at masibikes.com

18 September 2007 | Product Highlights | Comments