New Masi bike is here!

[uforgot]

I ordered this bike in Sept. sometime. Masi Soulville Mixte. Our school district gives longevity bonuses every 5 years, so this is where mine went this year. Took a long time to get here, had to wait through a model/color change, but I love it! It was going to be my commuter, but I think I may do many other rides on it too. It has coaster brakes and a 7 sp internal hub, which took some getting used to, and I may still get some brake levers on the bars, we'll see. They also had a faux wicker basket that would look great, but I really needed to show some restraint for now. I took it on it's maiden voyage at a bike path by the shop where I purchased it. I finally had to make my way back, but I love it so much, I stopped on the way home and rode it again. Really fun and a nice contrast to my serious (sort of) Surly. First time dealing with Old Towne Fenton Cyclery, but they were outstanding. Bent over backwards for me and were more concerned about the wait than I was. They are in a building in which I took art lessons when I was 10 years old and right in front of my old dance studio. Lots of nostalgia going on too, as I don't get back there much.

I need to tweak the seat with a level and shellac the corks. The seat may be replaced with my Brooks, it's pretty narrow.

Soooooooo, this is my final bike. I'm complete now. Road, mountain and fun. Well, until the next great looking bike shows up...

[jesvetmed]

Wow! Worth the wait! That looks like all kinds of fun.
Enjoy it!!!
J

[fastdogs]

wow, I really like the color!! Nice fat tires, it looks like it should be able to handle any commute, and zombie road too! Are the brakes hard to get used to using?
vickie

[jobob]

wow, that's a beauty!

[Biciclista]

that is a beautiful bike! i want to know more about the internal hub. what about it needs you getting used to?

[uforgot]

that is a beautiful bike! i want to know more about the internal hub. what about it needs you getting used to?

It's the coaster brakes that I had to get used to. Guess I ran that all together, didn't I? My hands kept reaching for the brake levers and you have to be careful when you coast that you don't back pedal at all. I can change that up later if I decide to. I do want to give them a shot, though. The only thing about the internal hub is that it has a grip shifter and I haven't used one of those in a long time. I'm looking forward to not worrying about a derailleur in the mud and gunk of my commute.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Oooooohhhhhh.....GORGEOUS bike!!! Looks like HUGE fun!

[dex]

Ooooo...I love it. Absolutely gorgeous.

I remember lusting after that bike when it was first released (in white/off-white, I think). It was really difficult to keep myself from running out and ordering one. And now that I'm seeing that gorgeous new color, I'm going to have to start exercising all of my powers of self-restraint again.

[uforgot]

Vickie, I had to drag myself off of it. Once I got used to the brakes it was fine and kind of fun. The hills are still a little touchy, but then I think about how I could do it when I was 12! Yeah, it will work on Zombie road unless the shadow people decide to take it. Are you going to the swap meet? Did you ride today? Is it okay to hijack my own thread?

[fastdogs]

I think I'm going to go ride al foster and maybe stinging nettle today, if stinging nettle isn't muddy. If it is, at least I'll have ridden a bit to get there. I thought about trying castlewood, but may just stick with the closer one (al foster).
probably you'll have to get the basket too, for shopping. It's just got such nice lines.
vickie

[fastdogs]

it'll be this afternoon when I ride, DH is playing golf this morning.
vickie

[Biciclista]

Interesting. I guess the one thing I don't get is those fenders. I guess if i'm going to run out and buy one, I'm getting fenders that actually wrap around the tires a bit.

[Masiguy]

Claudia,

I just wanted to say thank you for this great thread and for the wonderful email you sent me as well; sincerely, this is one of the main reasons I love the job I have. When we design our bikes, it is in hopes of getting this kind of response. We are passionate about bikes- sincerely- and when somebody else who is passionate about bikes "gets" what we've done, it makes it all worthwhile. I know it sounds kinda cheesy, but it's real to us.

The SoulVille family has been such a fun project for us. I have two of them here at home. My 7 (actually a pre-production 8) is set up with all kinds of baskets on it and I use it as my shopping bike. My SS is my all around fun bike and I ride it either fixed or with the freewheel (if I'm towing my daughter on the Trail-a-Bike). I'm spoiled rotten and have too many bikes, but I love my SoulVilles- they were very much a labor of love and I couldn't be more happy about the end results.

Again, thank you for the kind words about the bike and for that email; truly made my day.

Tim Jackson- aka Masiguy

[uforgot]

Lisa, this bike was about as close to "sweety" green as I could get. Do you remember how I fell in love with your husband's bike and you just laughed and told me the story?

Dex: True, this bike was in two colors in 2008: tan and black, and I orginally ordered the black, then changed my mind and changed it to tan and then I found out that the 2009s were only available in green. It's the color I really wanted, like the single speed that Bluetree has. It's a little darker than the pictures indicate. A rich metallic olive. The 3 speed is still white.

Mimi: I've seen pros and cons to those fenders. I feel a physics experiment coming on...

Tim: No problem. I love it when I get great customer service, beginning with you personally helping me find a dealer and they kept calling and touching base with me, and letting me know exactly where it all stood. Right back at you with the thanks.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Lisa, this bike was about as close to "sweety" green as I could get. Do you remember how I fell in love with your husband's bike and you just laughed and told me the story?

Oh yes, I remember now!- it was this (rather long) saga:
http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showp...8&postcount=48
I laughed re-reading it. We were so obsessed and so frustrated!

Your bike is truly wonderful.