One of a kind, Masi Aero Bike
Mon, February 21, 2022 
I arrived in San Marcos, California in October 1980, and began work building Masi frames. One of the first projects I worked on was building an aero bike for the 1981 New York Bicycle Trade Show. Masi had been presented a New Shimano AX group of components, and a set of Tangi aero tubing.
The aero shaped tubing presented several problems, one of the being the seat post, which were normally round, however, this new Shimano group had a fully aero shaped seat post, that matched the inside profile of the aero seat tube.
I seem to remember making a steel insert that I filed to match the shape of the trailing edge on the aero seat post. A single screw pressing on this insert facilitated height adjustment and clamping of the seat post. A rubber gasket sealed the top of the seat tube to prevent moisture entering.
The aero tube set, and the fully aero seat post never made it past the experimental stage, or into full production. I am sure sample sets would have been sent to various bike manufactures worldwide, and it would be interesting to know how many ( Or indeed how few.) actually produced a show bike from it.
One also has to remember this was some years before aero handlebars came into use, and carbon fiber allowing for aero designs, so really the whole concept was ahead of its time.
Frames could not be assembled in a standard frame jig designed to accept round tubes. For the same reason the tubes could not be machine mitered but had to be painstakingly hand shaped with a hacksaw and file. There were no lugs to fit the tubes, so the whole frame had to be fillet brazed.
The bottom bracket shell is stamped SMC 56 on one side for San Marcos California, 56 being the frame size. The other side where the serial would normally go, it was stamped DM1. There never was a DM2 or any others built by me.
You will notice there are no cable guides under the bottom bracket. This is because the rear brake and gear cables are run through steel tubes inside the frame. (See pictures.) The paint was done by Masi’s painter Jim Allen.
Ted Kirkbride who owned the Masi shop and was contracted to build the Masi frames, kept this bike until about 2010, when he sold it to a German collector. The bike resides in this collector’s private museum in Germany.
I never considered the Masi Gran Criterium frames I produced as mine, because they were built strictly to Faliero Masi’s design. But this particular frame I seem to remember I was given a freehand in the design and construction. Therefore, I appreciate the fact that it was stamped DM1, in recognition of my work.
Normally the Masi frames were stamped A,B,C,D for each quarter of the year. “A” was for Jan, Feb, March, and so on. Followed by two digits that was the year. The last two digits was the number frame that quarter. I started with Masi on October 1980, so the ones I built were D80**, A81**, B81**, C81**, and D81**. Coupled with the stamp SMC for San Marcos, California, as there were other Masi frames built at another location.
Here is an article on how my involvement in aero tube bikes started.
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Reader Comments (7)
I’ll be traveling in Germany this year. Is this in a public museum?
Richard Sachs commented on a post sharing the bike being for sale, and mentioned that he refurbished this on at some point and sold it. Though I do not recall any credit given to you for the original build. Am oversight? Possibly IMHO.
NEAL,
The current owner emailed with the pictures, and said he bought it from Ted Kirkbride. He also said when he received the bike it was covered in thick grime from being in storage for 30 years, so this frame has not been refurbished, and still has the original paint. Possibly Richard Sachs built one himself. I was present in the Masi Shop for over two years after I built this frame, and I never saw another produced.
Dave.
I confused this, with another earlier Milano Masi Richard refurbished. Too overwhelmed by similar beauties landing in my feed simultaneously.
I have an aero Cecil Behringer that was likely built under the same circumstances as your Masi. Except for the joint between the seat tube and the seatstays, it is lugged. The aero seatpost is definitely its Achilles heal.
Describe the head tube fairing, and the chainstay 'bridge'. Were these provided, or builder fabricated? I'm picturing sheet material fillet brazed into place.
Brian Roth,
The fairing behind the head tube and between the chainstays were my own personal touches and were fabricated from sheet steel, and fillet brazed like the rest of the frame.
Dave