This is my first track bike build. I initially wanted to do a Bianchi Pista Classica in Celeste green, but when I ran across the stock version of this bike in a small town Ace Hardware store, (yeah I know), I had to jump on it.
I don't have my own photo of the original bike so here is a look at the retail photo.
Pretty much a store bought bike, but the frame and wheels were outstanding. After tearing it down, I realized that the crankset was made by FSA. It is made specially for Masi. It is an F. Gimondi but available in anodized red with a white M for Masi etched into it.
It also came with chrome plated fork ends and seatpost, both with Masi written on them under the clearcoat paint.
The color is called Nekkid and as you will see in the following photos it is left natural around the braze ons and dropouts. I like it and the red works off of it real well.
I removed the seat, handlebars and stem, as well as the pedals, brakes, labels on the wheels, seat, chain, fixed gear, chainring and freewheel.
So basically I ended up with the frame, wheels, crank arms, seatpost and forks.
I really liked the chainring, but it was an 1/8"-48t, and after a quick ride when it was new, I felt it needed an easier riding gear set since I am not planning to race it but ride it as an urban cruiser.
(click on photo's to enlarge in a seperate window)
As you can see by just removing the labels it gave it a sleeker and cleaner look. My first upgrade purchase were the handlebars, brake levers and brakes. The factory brakes were Tekro 510's in black and they are really just an inexpensive entry level style and perfromance.
I knew going in that I wanted Bullhorns and TT brake levers and the SRAM 500's in anondized red were the obvious choice. I would have preferred using shorter standard bullhorns, but since the SRAM's are internal routing only, my choices were limited. I ended up with the Profile TT bars and wrapped it all up with Brooks Leather bar tape.
I searched for a unique cable shrouding since I wanted a more industrial look and found what I wanted at Velo Orange. It is a clear plastic coating overlaying a stainless steel mesh which I think looks killer! Internally I used Jagwire teflon coated brake cable not only for performance but since it is black, it doesn't take away from the cable shroud.
Also I wanted a major brake upgrade and the folks at Chain Reaction Cycles came through with a deal since I originally wanted some Campy's but they weren't in stock after I ordered them. So I got the SRAM FORCE brakes at a very good price and had them send the levers and handlebars too!
Next up was the seat. I recently purchased a Raliegh One Way single speed road bike and it came with a Brooks. I swear on my first ride I was a convert! Since then I have ridden that bike without bike shorts on 50 mile rides and I can only say that everything you have ever heard about Brooks saddles is true! I will never buy anything else. with that said, my new friends at Tree Fort bikes hooked me up with the Brooks Swallow saddle and bar tape.
While we are talking about handlebars, I wanted to show the Velo Orange Stem that I purchased at the same time as the brake cable shrouding. Great place for some obscure, but very cool bike stuff!
The next step was the drivetrain. The stock bike had the chainring that I mentioned earlier and a basic KMC chain and some no name freewheel and track cog. Luckily the Brev M wheels.....which I love, came with flip/flop hubs. At first I was going to get rid of the fixed gear cog and just run 2 freewheels on the flip/flop, but since the word fixed is in the name, I kind of felt obligated to keep a fixed gear on it!
I knew I wanted a White Industries Freewheel since they are the best....plus they sound real cool! While searching I ran across the DOS ENO. This is actually a 2 cog freewheel (17t-19t) so you just have to loosen the wheel and move the chain up or down depending on the terrain and I could still run a Fixed gear on the other hub. Cool!.........except that I didn't know anything about 1/8" and 3/32" chainrings or chains.My last build was my Giant TCR carbon road bike and I used all Ultegra stuff. (Didn't need to know anything except keep it all the same. EASY!) Apparently Masi did, because they kept this bike true to it's heritage and outfitted it with an 1/8" track chainring and cog/freewheel and chain. SO WHAT? well, the Dos Eno only comes in a 3/32" size as does all of their stuff. Now I have to change out everything in the drivetrain to use it including the really pretty red FSA chainring! BUMMER. OH WELL.
I think the upgrades look righteous! The chainring is a 44t Surly stainless steel 130mm BCD and the Fixed gear is a 19t Suzue track cog. All of it is polished stainless steel and 3/32". The chain is a Wipperman all Stainless steel chain from Tree Fort and I gotta say it looks sweet too!
So in the end I got the bike as a model year closeout for $460. The retail is $799, remember it was being sold at an Ace Hardware store (they had a seperate bike shop...very old school) so it probably sat around for awhile! I have another $800 into the upgrades and I still need pedals! So the final tally is going to be over $1000 in upgrades....and it doesn't even have any deraillers!
I can't wait to ride it and I am looking forward to doing something I have never done before, pedaling without coasting! WooHoo.
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| My favorite ride of them all! Update 12/5/2015 Aerospoke upgrade!  |
Feel free to comment and thanks for reading!
Special thanks to the guys at Tree Fort bikes in Ypsilanti and Joyride Bicycles in Utah. Other online retailers were Chain Reaction cycles and Velo Orange.
