styggno1

(Part one)

In the early seventies some Swedish guys rode for the Ferretti team but because of previously agreed sponsor deals they continued riding the same bike brand as they did as amateurs at home in Sweden – Monark and Crescent. I am of course talking about the Pettersson brothers Gösta, Sture, Tomas and Erik. Many times world champions and olympic medalists and then turned pro.

I am proud to say that I this is one of their bikes.

A 1971 Masi

A Masi team bike

A Ferretti team bike

A bike with race history

A bike from 1971 in almost perfect condition

A bike I have dreamed about for many years

Any of the above, on its own, would make my day. Put them all together and imagine my state of mind when finding one that you can put “check” after all of the above. The hair on my arms actually stood right out and my brain was speeding when I found it at a local buy and sell site.

I had searched for many years.

I have had this bike since June 2011 but I knew I had to make sure no one could debate its origin, history or any other aspect of it – and therefore I did not reveal anything for almost a couple of years. I believe I “outed it” late in 2012 on the Classic Rendezvous list.

I have been in contact with all possible sources, including experts on Masi: s, the Petterssons, Alberto Masi and last but not least previous owners - of whom none has been a collector. They just had the bike because it was a good racing bike. It has stayed in the same family almost all the time since it was sold "out of pro racing". It was built as a time trial bike and has stayed like that. The provenance has been secured.

And now I felt it was time to share this bike with you on BF. I have after all just joined here and we are in the honeymoon stage.... I got to put forward my best side.

I am (still after five years) a very happy man. After years of looking for the needle in the haystack I can now just enjoy it.

Letter code F61 – more about that in part two - and it is a frame from 1971. It can securely be placed at that year thru the four slot/window BB.

The De Rosa panto parts and Omas/Cobra parts are going to stay on the bike out of respect for the former owners. It might be easy to think – restore it to Pettersson/Fåglum (more about “Fåglum” later) specs but the guys who have used the bike since were dedicated cyclists also and they and the bike deserve to be respected. It is something as rare as a real race bike that has got some period correct upgrades. The bike was bought out of pro racing around 1975 and upgraded with the Omas/Cobra lightening products at that time. The buyer then used it for time trials and won some regional championships on it. It was then passed on to his son, who used it in the same manner. They both kept it perfectly maintained and cared for it religiously.

The De Rosa panto parts were on the bike when they got it. One can only fantasize about the story behind them. When I asked Tomas and Gösta Pettersson about it they just said - "the mechanics in the team probably did not bother to keep things apart". When in contact with De Rosa experts they however doubt it being De Rosa panto and I cannot prove it is. They look good though and I am happy whatever they are.

The only things I plan to do with it is sliding the saddle a little bit forward and tilting the handlebars making the lower grips parallel to the ground. And some gentle cleaning when I get around to it… I do enjoy some spider web under the fork crown.








More pictures here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/453061...57627029488100

himespau 

cool

Chombi

Very very interesting bike!
One thing that caught my eyes first is the line bored front brake pivot bolt. I suspect enough people did that in the high drillium days, but is that an OMAS/Cobra item or a custom job by the team's mechanics?

styggno1

(Part two)


”F” as in Ferretti – a bewildering Masi study

These four are all Masis found in Sweden. They have all belonged to the Pettersson brothers. Two of them are proven as connected with individuals within the group of brothers. The frames are a couple of years apart – considering BB cut outs.

This bike belongs to Kalle Magnusson and it was one of Tomas Fåglum: s (later change of name - from Pettersson), Tomas is 186 cm tall. Marked F60 and was repainted a long time ago.

Picture by Kalle M with his permission




This one – also owned by Kalle Magnusson was one of Erik Fåglum: s (ex Pettersson) bikes. Erik is 180 cm. Marked as F58 and also has a respray – made by Monark/Crescent and wears Monark decals. When Erik came back to Sweden after his years on the continent he switched from riding for Crescent to Monark.

Picture by Kalle M with his permission



This is my bike and it is marked F61. Gösta Pettersson (kept his name) and Sture Fåglum Pettersson (seem to have just added Fåglum and kept Pettersson) are 188 and 189 cm tall. Sture passed away in 1983 but Gösta is still going strong. My bike was pointed out as Tomas bike with sureness by Alberto Masi. I have spoken to both Gösta and Tomas about it and they are not sure to whom it belonged. This was before I knew about Kalle Magnussons F60 “Tomas”. In the light of that I have come to believe Sture and Gösta rode 61: s – and that is not hard to figure out considering their similar height/lengths and in relation to the other brothers sizes and lengths. A former owner of this bike trained with Gösta in the mid 70-ies and at one training session Gösta said to him – “hey, that is one of my old bikes”.



In this there are things that point in different directions. It is all over the place…

Alberto, the brother’s lengths, the color of my bike and a little “S” marking on top of the BB shell, tales of owners after the brothers, etc.

The colour – the brothers had different sponsor deals. Gösta and Tomas rode blue Monarks and Erik and Sture rode orange Crescents. The brands were actually one – they merged in the beginning of the 60-ies. It was a big thing at the time and it was important that the brothers rode both brands – but divided in the pairs as per above. When amateurs the bikes were just what the decals read – Swedish made Crescent and Monark. When riding for Ferretti you can see them on Ferretti painted bikes but in races they had a deal to ride on/for Monark and Crescent – but the frames were of course Masi.

My bike was most certainly painted in Italy by the same painter(s) that sprayed for Masi. The yellow infills are identical in colour, texture, opaqueness, flaws, etc. If it has been repainted – I do not know but there are no signs of it anywhere where I have looked so far. Nothing in the frame on inside the steerer or on fork. Thin even paintjob and clear coat on top of decals. Decals are of the 1970-72 version. I have yet to inspect the innards of the BB though. If there would be traces of orange there everything would be clear. It would be one of Stures bikes. If not – with a somewhat high degree of certainty - Göstas.






The “S” on top of the BB shell – Alberto did not know. Gösta and Tomas have no idea. And/but with some imagining it would be “S” as in Sture. None of the other bikes have that kind of marking.





I do not know what importance or which degree of truth one can put on Alberto saying it being Tomas frame. I hold the former owners story about what Gösta said when they were training together as very unsure – the brothers were icons here at that time and - if he said it and if he actually did - what he really meant. The owner might have wanted it to be that way – or it might actually be true. When talking the size of the frame – Alberto seems off. The former owner – not of high value for true provenance 40 years later. The “S” – could be Sture - anything or nothing.

I have changed my “official” view on who was the original rider of this bike. From putting high value on Albertos memory/opinion I am now, when considering the F60 “Tomas” bike and the brothers lengths, firmly believing it is either Stures or Göstas. Who’s - ? I will probably never know to a 100%. I would of course like it to be Göstas as he is a Giro winner (in Merckx absence) but cannot put that forward with any hard evidence. If not repainted or repainted in the same colours – Gösta. If repainted and originally orange – Sture. I will do one last check - of the inside of the BB shell.

I am happy in the notion of knowing it being anyone of them, finding one after many years of searching and in this condition – was and is a dream come thru for me.

Bo Bovins picture without his permission:



“F” as in Ferretti – I cannot see any other explanation. Bob Hovey’s Masi, Italy, registry has no “F” markings listed. “F” as in Fåglum is not likely at all as the name change, for three of them, was made after their professional careers – when they moved back to Sweden.

Lastly I show a picture of another F61 used for a while as a daily commuter bike here in Sweden. A repainted and later decaled one – owned last I know of it by Peter Söderlund. He wrote on CR in 2010 – “The guy I bought it from told me he had bought it from Gösta Pettersson”. A Sture/Gösta bike too in line with all above theory and argumentation.

styggno1

Strange - I have literrally stared at this bike for hours on end and never noticed that. I just went and looked at it and both front and rear brake axle is drilled. Thanks for putting it to my attention! And they are Campagnolo.

styggno1

There once was a Gösta Pettersson autograph on this one but it has faded away from sun and sweat.

styggno1

A interesting bit of information and another part of the ever intriguing puzzle of vintage Italian bikes. This article is from Bicycling in march of 1971. I no longer remember where I picked it up - it might be at Bulgier or from Bob Hovey. I am very grateful anyway -

The piece is wrong though and that is a good thing. If it would have been right it would never have mentioned Monark as a "team". The team was Ferretti but the Pettersson brothers rode on Monark and Crescent labeled Masi: s - for Ferretti. There are a lot of publicity photos of the brothers on Ferretti labeled bikes but I have yet to see one from an actual race - and that was probably a sponsor agreement.

Nice that a thing being wrong can be able to put things sort of right a lot of years later.

repechage

What I find interesting on the "Monark" Masi are the fluted seat stay caps, not flat. This is not unusual by the time of the M bottom bracket cutout, but is unusual with the multipart cutout type. In approx. 1971, the Gran Criteriums get the fluted seat stay caps, water bottle braze ons for the down tube, M cutout, brazed on pump peg under the seat lug. Revised graphics too, but a contract Team bike would of course not have Masi graphics.

Worth mentioning that while the magazine article is dated March '71, graphic and print lead times were much longer than today.

styggno1

Yes, that is unusual. When taking in acount the descriptions of BB cut outs in the Masi, Italy, registry at Bob Hoveys site and crossreading that with what he writes in the "bits" section about seat stay caps "...until the introduction of the famous 'fluted' stay in the spring of 1971." it puts mine in a probable six month time span around - let us say - late 1970 to around summertime 1971. One could debate when spring is and we will never know exactly about when different ports, slots (and combinations of them) and the "M" actually started or stopped. There were very probably transitional periods. I try to never make strong statements when it comes to dating bikes. I try to get a more of a probable time span.

Here are two pictures of Gösta - photos by Bob Bovin. Same race so we can be 99.99 that they are of the same bike on both pics. Fluted stays and port cut outs in BB.

styggno1

Does it not look like the seat stay caps are fluted on that magazine Masi? Or am I seeing wrong? How long would a graphic and print lead time be in those days?

Edit. Just checked Kalle Magnussons Masi - mentioned in the "part 2" above. The blue repainted (former orange in colour) one that used to belong to Erik Fåglum - the shortest brother. Four slot BB and fluted caps. I would hold it probable that they come frome the same "batch" as they share the BB and SSC features - and both not having braze ons for waterbottle cage

Sir_Name 

A beautiful set of bikes with a great lesson in their history. Thank you for sharing them here. Yours is striking, and it sounds as though it may be in your size (you mention sliding the seat forward). Having a 'matching' cap is icing on the cake. Enjoy.

repechage

The details do not always follow "convention".
Interesting that in one of the historical images, it shows the Monark with a
masi Signature at the aft end of the non drive side top tube. (sneaking in the "truth")
Interesting orientation of the quick release skewers too!

styggno1

Digging up this ol thread as this Christmas one little detail was added to the puzzle. I see it as a Christmas gift to me... ;-)

For the first time "on the record" Gösta Pettersson tells about the fact that his and his brothers professional bikes were actually Masi. It has of course been known since very long but the brothers have always been very loyal to their former sponsors and kept the official line. Now he tells it like it is in a Swedish magazine (Classic Motor).

One thing that is extra interesting and that confirms what I have put forward earlier on different forums - they were painted in Italy and decals were sent down there from the Swedish Monark and Crescent factory.

The translation reads (Gösta saying):
"It was all Italian Masi bikes that were painted in Monark blue or Crescent orange and got decals that were sent from Sweden."

Text and pictures: Thomas Sjölund.

qcpmsame 

Well, they were in plenty of good company, and at least its out and in the open now. Nice Christmas present/find/sleuthing.

Bill

Bikerider007

Great bike and story. What fun it is to seek out the mysteries and find the answers.

Also the seatpost is both purposeful and aesthetically pleasing.

repechage

There is a opaque blue Ferretti Masi replica on ebay right now.
Looks the part of the era where the team bikes showed Ferretti graphics.
I would have painted the lug windows…

A good conclusion to the Monark Masi story.

CrankyFranky

Wonderful - a complete ironclad provenance! Salute from one frozen north to another frozen north (perhaps moreso!).

ps. Interesting skewer ends.

styggno1

Getting ready...