An early Christmas! Bellissima is here!

We're not one to jump into "fads", so we like to take our time to investigate, listen and learn. We've been evaluating what has been happening in the market for the past few years, relative to the constant growth and evolution of the "women's specific" products out in the world. Some of what we've seen is really good and some is not as good- just like anything else in the world, there are "winners and losers".

We've taken our very stable, sturdy and reliable frame platforms used on the Alare and Gran Corsa bikes and have put our own twist on creating what we're proud to call our new Bellissima series of bikes.

The prevailing logic behind most bikes marketed to women is usually broken down into these simple words; "shrink and pink". Though it makes things easy to explain, it isn't exactly the best way to make a bike fit or ride well. The other drawback is that not every woman is shaped like every other woman, not do they all like pink. Ladies- help me out here.

Some of you gals have longer legs and shorter torsos- which is what has become the default basis for bikes designed for women. But that isn't the case for all of you, is it? See, the thing is, you ladies are no different than men- outside of the glaringly obvious ways- and come in all different shapes and sizes. If we're willing to accept that proper bike fit for a man requires a little time to set up, why would we simply expect to pull a small pink bike out of a box and assume it is "perfect" for a woman?

Using our Alare and Gran Corsa frames, and now a new smaller 48cm size of the current 3VC 105, we have created some options that are not just great for women but for any rider looking for a smaller bike. Rather than compromising geometries that we love so much and trust, we've added narrower handlebars, zero offset seatposts, shorter stems and brake/ shift levers with shorter reach. This creates an overall shorter/ smaller cockpit without requiring the use of geometries that place the rider too far forward or with head angles that create sloppy handling.

Gran Corsa Bellissima- Cielo Blue

Alare Bellissima- New Pearl White

Alare Bellissima- Rosa Pink (for thos who DO like pink!)

Here's the point; we want ALL of our bikes to handle and ride "like a Masi" because after all- it's all about the ride!

When you combine these new models with the step-through mixte options available with our SoulVille line, we've assembled a nice offering of bikes from race to relaxation. The all new Alare Bellissima and Gran Corsa Bellissima have just arrived and they are ready to ride! See your local retailer for details and get your hands on one of the sweetest new bikes on the market.

Tim

Too much beautiful

A former boss of mine used to walk by a bunch of product laid out to look at and with his sense of humor say "too much beautiful" and just walk away.

Well, I have a hard time just walking away- all of us here have that problem.


The samples of our new products are here being photographed for the new catalog and we're now neck deep in too much beautiful.

Needless to say, you're going to be really happy with what you see... when you get to see it!

Tim

Who says being single is a bad thing?

There are people "out there" who would have you believe that being single is a bad thing. Have you heard that song with the lyric "one is the loneliest number that you'll ever do"?

How misguided those poor souls are. Obviously they've never experienced the singular joy of riding a Masi fixed gear or single speed bike! For those who know, there really is nothing quite like the sweet joy of spinning along on a perfectly adjusted fixed gear/ single speed bike- the chain quietly rolling over the teeth of the cog and chainring, barely whispering a sound, and your pedal stroke in harmony with your Zen-like state of mind. Zipping through city streets with the quiet calm inside that only comes from the uncluttered mind of riding a single... it's more than just a little poetic in its beauty.

Speciale Fixed LTD

We don't just "make some fixed gears", we very much live and breathe the gammut of fixed gear/ single speed cycling. It's this level of connection to the bikes that allows us to create so many great bikes that are so enjoyable to ride.

Speciale Fixed- Shamrock Green

Whether you are bombing through the urban jungle humming "derailleurs are for failures" to yourself, or rolling the hills outside of town collecting winter training miles on a fixed gear to create the ultimate in suppleness and smoothness in your pedal stroke, we are on the same page with you.

Speciale Fixed- Metallic Yellow

If you just like the idea of getting out on a long country road- maybe even unpaved dirt or gravel- and need to remove ALL distractions from your ride, then the Speciale Commuter may be more your (single) speed.

Speciale Commuter- Metallic Blue

Speciale Commuter- Orange Creme

Sometimes, the ride to the corner market or the favorite java spigot requires a little more style than just a rusty old clunker (not that we don't love rusty old clunkers). If that's the case, then maybe you need to swing a leg over a SoulVille/ SS and let the graceful elegance of the curved steel tubing transport you to a new level of cool.

SoulVille/SS

Then there are those of you (like most of us here) who like to let their own inner Product Geek shine through and prefer to design and build your own wunder bike creation. For those of that inclination, we provide two amazing cool framesets to suit that desire. If you're creating the ultimate sprint beast for the banked boards of the velodrome, then the Coltello is the platform you have been seeking. With its high BB and aggressive geometry, the super stiff frame will launch you into the lead with such ease you'll swear you're on a bigger gear than you normally ride.

Coltello

There are some who prefer the unbridled sharpness of a race frameset even for their street/ city fixed gear bikes and for those we have the Speciale Sprint frameset. The smooth ride of the Reynolds 631 tubing makes the choppy streets seem a little more like the smooth surface of a polished pearl! And if you've been storing an old Campagnolo or Suntour Superbe Pro track group in a dusty box in your garage or under your bed, simply waiting for "that perfect steel track frame"... then wipe off the dust and get out your tub of white lithium grease!

Needless to say, we're kinda sweet on the whole fixed/ single thing. We love it and we live it. Hopefully you'll see the fruits of that love when you put your hands on one of the several bikes/ frames we have created for you.

Tim

RFK Criterium

Pretty cool race around RFK Stadium in the Capital City. 1.2 mile course and flat as a pancake. Kenda rode great and we were active the whole race. We lined it up perfect at the end for yours truly but with 1 lap to go I flatted. Had great legs today and was in search of a great result. That's racing!

Chad B rode great and was top 10. After the race we spun around DC and did some sight seeing. We ran into the big motorcycle parade which was super cool. Its really cool to see everything in DC. Every time I come here I still get overwhelmed with the history and patriotism all around. What a feeling!

We packed up the car in route to Somerville and scooped Ty up in Philly on the way. A nice team dinner and now time for bed.

Feeling a bit under the weather for some reason tonight. Feel like I got a bit of a bug as well as my allergies being bad. Good nights rest should cure it.

Tour of Somerville tomorrow. Great race with lots of history. Time for some rest and I look for great things tomorrow.

M@
(Note; A little bit of a time warp here- this post was originally written by Marco Aledia back in late May, but just showed up! Ah, the joys of technology!)

Black Gold

Carbon fiber has been touted as the miracle material for bicycles for decades now. Since the first carbon frames of the 80's up to now, people have been in love with the material and the potential it has always represented.

Not all frame designs or uses of carbon have been perfect- some frames and components have been too soft, too hard, too heavy, too ugly... yet we've continued to lust after the woven black carbon material. Manufacturing processes and designs have improved very dramatically over the years and we're still watching the evolution of carbon today. It's safe to say that we have not reached the end point yet, but where we are already is pretty darned nice!

Meet the Masi 3VC; constructed with a monocoque front triangle mated to the rear stays with lugs at the seat cluster and bottom bracket area. The ultra stiff and super light front triangle minimizes twisting at the head tube for sprinting power and cornering precision. The lugged rear end allows for fine-tuning of the ride; the rider of a 51cm bike doesn't require the same stiffness in the stays as the rider of a 61cm bike.

Speaking of rear stays... dig the curves on those seat stays. Looks sexy and adds to a ride that can only be described as "magical". The curve of the stays adds power to the rear brake by prevening the stay from "bowing" towards the seat tube when the rear brake is used. This means you get more braking power when you want it, instead of that braking power being absorbed by the frame. Those curves also help minimize the wheel skip that is common with carbon frames especially. Wheel skip is common on all rigid race bikes with short, quick stays, but carbon frames are especially prone to it since carbon has a naturally springy characteristic to it. With the stays curving away from the seat tube, rather than bending in towards the seat tube, they act as a lever helping the rear wheel hug the ground better over rough surfaces. Sure, no stay design can eliminate wheel skip completely, but a litle less skip is a great thing! An added benefit of the reduced skip is increased power transfer to the rear wheel and rear brake by virtue of the fact the wheel is contacting the ground more... pretty simple if you think about it.


Putting the shape of the stays aside, they provide excellent stiffness for climbing and sprinting but with the tuned lay-up of the carbon, they also provide just the right amount of comfort too. The frequently overused "stiff yet compliant", "rigid yet comfortable" and "firm yet supple" all come to mind... but they actually apply with the 3VC.

The 3VC series uses the exact same frame from the 105 up to the Team Issue- so you get the same race-proven frame from the least expensive model to the most expensive model. And, you're in good company when you ride a 3VC, since the Kenda Pro Cycling p/b Spinergy team has been racing on the 3VC for 3 years now and with great success along the way.







So whether your new bike budget is limitless or more modest, we've got a model ready to suit your riding needs. And if you're more the DIY type, you can even get the 3VC as a frameset and build up your own uber wunder bike!

The 3VC is light, stiff, compliant and drop-dead gorgeous... all the things you dream about in a dream bike, right?