Originally Posted by
Doug Fattic
I was thinking the geo looked like a Gran Criterium too. Of course that is where they learned so it makes sense. I just stuck my 72 Italian Masi on my fixture to see check its geometry and it had a 72.5º seat tube with a 73º head. The top tube sloped about 1º up to the head tube. The water bottle bosses on the Wizard look like an even distance from the BB shell so the seat tube ones don't look low to me. I wouldn't be surprised that Brian repainted it sometime in its life and might have added a 2nd pair at that time.
I can always remember when Brian died because my framebuilding protege Herbie Helm was visiting his brother at the same time as the 2016 Olympic marathon trials in SoCal. I told Herbie he had to visit my buddy Brian while he was out there. It would be very educational. So he did and called me the next day. I asked how is Brian? Herbie said he looked terrible but we didn't understand how terrible until we heard about the end a day or so later. One time Brian told me he almost went into a monastery to live but unfortunately I never got to ask him more about that.
You are correct, when I initially looked at it, I thought the seat tube bosses were lower. Going to have to hold a seance to find out if the bike has been reworked. As Brian kind of criticized the typical Masi bottom bracket drop, not really "road" or not "criterium" in his view, it would be interesting to see what this frame has for Bottom Bracket drop. Brian obliquely praised Colnago frequently. I have a number of both, with the exception of a bike from 1968 that is longer, The Colnago is more entertaining and fun to ride for under 3 hours, The Masi I would give the nod to for a bike to ride all day. This is for bikes in that middle size range, 55-56 cm measured the old way, center to top.
Brian was tough, and like another friend, not a fan of Doctors. Sometimes one cannot do that. My other friend never saw 53.
Another classmate in school advised in the 80's, "there are no old Imron painters"
Possible answer on the paint, might be if it had a paint by R Brian Baylis on the chainstay, those did not show up till well after Wizard.