New road bike-opinions?

I have narrowed (at least for now) my road bike search to two possibilities. I'm considering a Masi
Vincere from my LBS, or a Bianchi Veloce, which I would buy from Cycle Smithy in Chicago. Both bikes
are in the $1000. I was going to get a Habanero Ti bike, but just can't afford the extra $$ right
now. Any opinions on these bikes? Both should fit me OK with a bit of seat/stem fiddling. The
Bianchi is steel, more durable perhaps, although the Masi is not so thin that one can flex the tubes
with a couple of fingers. Plus the aluminum won't rust if the paint gets scratched. The Masi is
local, so repairs or warranty issues would be simplified. The Bianchi has Campy components,
pretttier for sure, perhaps more durable. The Shimano 105 on the Masi is certainly more common in my
area and easier to replace in case of mishap. If both bikes fit relatively well, any compelling
reason to choose one over the other? Thanks for opinion, advice. Paul

 

"Paul Westall" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I have narrowed (at least for now) my road bike search to two
possibilities.
> I'm considering a Masi Vincere from my LBS, or a Bianchi Veloce, which I would buy from Cycle
> Smithy in Chicago. Both bikes are in the $1000. I
was
> going to get a Habanero Ti bike, but just can't afford the extra $$ right now. Any opinions on
> these bikes? Both should fit me OK with a bit of seat/stem fiddling. The Bianchi is steel, more
> durable perhaps, although the Masi is not so thin that one can flex the tubes with a couple of
> fingers. Plus the aluminum won't rust if the paint gets scratched. The
Masi
> is local, so repairs or warranty issues would be simplified. The Bianchi has Campy components,
> pretttier for sure, perhaps more durable. The
Shimano
> 105 on the Masi is certainly more common in my area and easier to replace
in
> case of mishap. If both bikes fit relatively well, any compelling reason
to
> choose one over the other? Thanks for opinion, advice. Paul
>

IMO, steel and Campy are the way to go.

But you'll be the one riding the bike - which one do you like the feel of better? Both the Shimano
and Campy components will last a long time with proper maintenance, but ergopower vs. STI has a
definitely different feel - which one do you prefer? You'll be spending the time on the bike, so
only you can decide which is best for you. Either one would be a great bike from the standpoint of
durability/longevity.

Regarding repairs, any good shop can perform the maintenance on either component system.

 

If this is your first road bike, I'd go for the local bike, assuming the shop is known for doing a
good job with fitting people. Whether Campagnolo or Shimano, it's handy to have someone local who
takes responsible for things working right, including stuff like wheels (which are often not
stress-relieved when they leave the factory, and it's up to the shop that sells the bike to bring
them up to their potential).

The two bikes are going to ride markedly differently, by the way. Check out the geometry charts at
http://209.217.20.46/site/bikes/27_VeloceX2.html and http://www.masibikes.com/vincere.html

Curiously, both have very short chainstays; I do not understand why manufacturers do this,
particularly with aluminum frames where battling flex should not be an issue.

I would ride each and see which feels best for how you like to ride, and who's more likely to go
the extra mile regarding fit issues. Don't make the mistake of assuming that proper fit is a
static thing that can magically be accomplished in one sitting. Sometimes it works that way,
sometimes it doesn't.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles http://www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

"Paul Westall" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I have narrowed (at least for now) my road bike search to two
possibilities.
> I'm considering a Masi Vincere from my LBS, or a Bianchi Veloce, which I would buy from Cycle
> Smithy in Chicago. Both bikes are in the $1000. I
was
> going to get a Habanero Ti bike, but just can't afford the extra $$ right now. Any opinions on
> these bikes? Both should fit me OK with a bit of seat/stem fiddling. The Bianchi is steel, more
> durable perhaps, although the Masi is not so thin that one can flex the tubes with a couple of
> fingers. Plus the aluminum won't rust if the paint gets scratched. The
Masi
> is local, so repairs or warranty issues would be simplified. The Bianchi has Campy components,
> pretttier for sure, perhaps more durable. The
Shimano
> 105 on the Masi is certainly more common in my area and easier to replace
in
> case of mishap. If both bikes fit relatively well, any compelling reason
to
> choose one over the other? Thanks for opinion, advice. Paul

 

I just purchased a Masi Vincere and am very happy with it. I bought it the first of May and have
about 500 mi on it. I was also looking at the Raliegh International ( steel with Campy components).
The Raliegh was my main choice at first (a good ride, Campy components) but the more I rode the Masi
the more I liked it. After MANY test rides over 4 days and adjusting of both bikes, I just liked the
feel of the Masi. I did have the LBS put a shorter stem and swap seats. So far the bike has been
great, no problems, other than my first flat ever (over 6000 mi) while riding today. I'm faster on
this bike than I thought I could be. I will be riding it in a 24 hr personal endurance ride next
week. Chuck