Thursday, February 26, 2009

Team Kenda Pro Cycling

Our team really kicks butt!
It's going to be a fantastic year and the guys are itching for the racing to begin.

Tim
(More to come...)

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Kenda Pro Cycling p/b Spinergy team training camp 2009

Tomorrow begins the team camp for the Kenda Pro Cycling p/b Spinergy team that we proudly sponsor. I'm jumping on a redeye flight out of San Diego to Columbus, Ohio so that I can join my friend Stefano Lumbaca of Kenda Tires and drive down to Greenville, South Carolina. The camp is being held at "the Hincapie compound"... Hincapie, as in George Hincapie and Hincapie Sportswear who are the team's clothing sponsor for 2009.

As I usually do, I'll be carrying a couple cameras, my iPhone for quick posts and pics and an HD video camera. I hope to get plenty of images for the blog and website, as well as informal interviews with the riders. Camp runs until Sunday, so I'll have plenty of opportunities to get something worth sharing here. Since I am not totally sure how much access to the internet I'm going to have, posting may be a little light until I return, but I'll be working on updates as much as possible.

Stay tuned for more- it's gonna be good.

Tim

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Rider's Gallery up and running!

The Rider's Gallery is now up and running!

Check it out and then send us your pictures as well. Whether you're on a new Masi or one from 1968, we're happy to see you and your favorite ride.

Tim

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Masi Speciale Fixed LTD

If there is a better looking fixed gear complete bike that shows up ready to roll as pretty as the Speciale Fixed LTD, we haven't met it yet!

The Speciale Fixed LTD has been such a popular selling bike since its introduction that it has been almost always sold out, which means that if you were not lucky enough to find a shop with one in stock, you had to wait for them to arrive at our warehouses so that you could get in line for an order! THAT is a popular bike!Well, for the time being at least, we finally have some in good supply and you can now wet your appetite for the nicest fixed gear complete bike on the market.

The frame is all double butted cromoly steel with a lugged steel fork. The cranks are the Sugino Messenger with Messenger chainring and red anodized chainring bolts. Deda provides the Velocita chromed steel sprint handlebars and the MKS pedals with MKS steel toeclips (with leather toe accents) are one of the crowning touches. Toss in a few more red anodized bits like the headset spacers, seat collar and spoke nipples and you have a bike with so much slobber appeal you're gonna want to carry a few towels to wipe it down.

Last, but certainly not least, is the amazing finish- which we affectionately call Nekkid. This finish is really more of an un-finish; the frame tubing is unpainted, but given a chemical bath after welding and then decals and clear coat are applied. This means you see the raw and unpainted steel tubing with all its subtle characteristics, as well as all the bronze brazing material on the frame and fork. But with the clear coat, the finish takes on a very deep luster that compliments the subtle decals.

Don't just take our word for it- take a look for yourself. You will not be disappointed!

Tim

Monday, February 16, 2009

Ready to ride!

The Kenda Pro Cycling p/b Spinergy team training camp and media launch is a little more than a week away and I can't wait to get there to Greenville South Carolina and the Hincapie Compound to see the guys again. Many of the riders I met 3 years ago at the first training camp, but there are a lot of new faces on the team now and the team has evolved greatly from "giant killers" to serious threat in major races across the US. I've said it before, but we are extremely proud to be the bike supplier to the team for the 4th year in a row now. To see the growth of the team over that time is something that we're all quite proud of and the new season can't get started soon enough!

It'll be exciting to see these fine looking rigs in action in the top races across the US this year!

Tim

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

The beauty of steel; Speciale

The allure of steel within the cycling world is impossible to ignore or deny- it was the first material used for bicycles and is still one of the most popular and loved, nearly 200 years after the bicycle was invented. It can be argued that no other frame material produces the quality of ride, especially when you consider relative cost. Modern steel tubing has come a long, long way and even "inexpensive" steel tubing today has weight and performance qualities similar to the "high end" tubing from 20 years ago.

For some people, steel is a new "fad" to be exploited within the market, but it's never left our blood even for a day. Our love of steel runs deep... way deep. It has always made us chuckle a bit when we read magazine reviews or marketing from other brands that tout their latest new Uber Material bike as having "a ride quality similar to steel". Why settle for similar when you can have the real thing? Nothing embodies our motto of "it's all about the ride" better than our steel series of bikes.

Meet the Speciale.

Pure beauty...

The Speciale is the origin of the steel series for us. Beautiful double butted chromoly tubing with sexy seat stays, beautiful compact rear dropouts, a gorgeous lugged steel fork and a parts blend that produces an incredible bike for the money. And, before we forget, you just can't beat the looks of the bike with every detail tied together- the metallic Ruby Red paint, the white cable housing, white saddle artwork, white tires, white bar tape and the classic black and white panel graphics... the Speciale is a thing of absolute beauty.

Not just a pretty paint job over some nice steel tubes, the Speciale is a fantastic riding bike too. The geometry is a perfect blend of performance and stability- quick handling with a very stable feel for all day riding. You can race the pack or just chase your dreams- your choice.

The Speciale is ready and waiting to join you on your journey from hectic to happy.

Tim

Monday, February 9, 2009

Are you ready for KPC?

Hello all, and welcome to the new era of Masi's team, formerly known as Team Inferno. 2009 is bringing a new name, under the same program; Kenda Pro Cycling presented by Spinergy. Are you ready for KPC?
With wins in the USA Crits Series, Athens Twilight and even UCI World Championships, what cam the team expect under its UCI Continental banner? Unity, fireworks and more importantly, consistent results. We will no doubt be the shock of the pro peloton in 2009. We have a well rounded roster and a huge announcement coming soon.
Be sure to follow along, right here at the MasiBlog, in ROAD Magazine and at http://www.kendaprocycling.com/ for the beforementioned announcement and the string of media coverages throughout the year.
We are proud to rock the pin-stripes again in 2009 and beyond. We are even more proud to continue the team's growth in a time where cycling and the country as a whole suffer economically. But, we are most proud to do it all on Masi Bikes . . . . 4 years and counting!
We hope to see you all at the races and hope you will all have a chance to see the front of our bicycles at some point (LOL).
See you out there!

Saturday, February 7, 2009

Team Update; Say hello to the hottest bikes in the US pro peloton!

As you likely already know, Masi Bicycles is the very, VERY proud bike sponsor of the Kenda Pro Cycling p/b Spinergy cycling team. We've been with the team from the beginning, in 2005, and we're extremely proud of the wins that have come along the way. Sincerely though, what I am personally most proud of is the evolution of the team over the years. From humble beginnings as a giant killer to becoming one of the teams all the other teams have to watch- and increasingly from behind them when the team gets the win.

The first of the team's bikes are built and getting prepped for the team's training camp/ media launch at the "Hincapie Compound" in South Carolina. Hincapie Sportswear has come on as the team's clothing sponsor as well as host to the team's training camp (which I will be attending, so stay tuned for some exclusives).

Check out the team's new rigs for 2009;

It really should be photographed from the rear so that all the other teams will recognize it when they see it...


And the super cool team jersey- pinstripes just never go out of fashion!

We're looking forward to another great year with the team. Stay tuned here for rider bios, conversations with the riders, video and more- as well as guest posts here by the team. 2009 is gonna be very exciting!

Tim