JulesCW 

Yowsers -- pushed a raw nerve, I guess! My apologies. I had no idea you were looking at a bike so far away. My comment about measuring it yourself was based on the reality that many sellers do not know how to accurately measure bikes and that, especially when you are getting into specifics like bb drop, etc. it's best to determine actual tire size, inflation, etc. in person when you're measuring standover, etc. Otherwise you might well be basing your conclusions on an error -- and in the end all the measurements in the world don't equal the feedback of a test ride, especially as preferences and impressions of ride characteristics are often different from rider to rider.

My waste of time comment is reflective of my own annoyance with a gentleman with whom I exchanged multiple emails about a bike I was selling, took more photos, measured, etc., who then told me he was never actually seriously interested, just curious... In my opinion that needs to be stated up front -- let the seller decide if he wants to indulge in any exchange at all with someone who states he's a non-buyer. FWIW, getting responses on a public forum where you asked a question is a lot different than asking a private seller questions -- the expectations are (or should be, IMHO) a lot different.

I'm also wondering, with all due respect, why you have such deep and detailed interest in a bike that you say you have no intention of buying? Was a Moser on your dream list from years ago?

Regardless, I hope you enjoy your speculation, and I hope that the seller of the bike finds someone who actually wants to buy it!

Trakhak

Thanks for posting that link---I was about to do a search for it.

That was one of the most valuable cut-through-the-crap articles ever written with respect to demystifying bike frame characteristics.

The results reported in the article were a rude awakening for me and many others at the time. As the title of a Firesign Theater album put it:

DiTBho

yup, it's the dearm list from years ago when it was advertized as the "best bicycle of the year" by local bicycle clubs. Not being a member I never asked why, and due to various strange life circumstances I have never owned one, as every time I see one it's always a stalemate. Too expensive when I was a student, too distant at the moment, and, by the way, I'm already focused on the titanium bike I'm building.

I've always been told that frame is in particular better than ever produced frame at the time (early 90s) by Bianchi, I'm studying a bit of biomechanics applied to bicycle frames, so it's interesting to note both the materials used and the geometry.

JulesCW 

Some of what you were told is undoubtedly marketing hyperbole repeated by the faithful, but it sounds to me as though you need to join the N+1 club and buy yourself that Moser (or a different one) -- it's the only way you'll ever actually know. If you're lucky the dream will be just that -- if not, you can always move it along to the next dreamer!

unworthy1

I was looking for the thread in which the current "main dude" for the contract-builder for soooo many brands was listing all the frames his outfit (was that Billato?) built for over the years...but of course I need better details (and a brain) to get search results!
But IIRC Moser might have been one of the brands, mentioned. Maybe not.
But this was a firm that did use Deda tubing for some of their steel frames, tho mainly Columbus.

Point being: if this era Moser frame was built by them my bet is it's going to ride like a champ!

EDIT: I did find that thread wherein the son of the founder (Roberto Billato) recounts some of the brands this firm has constructed frames for, probably not the last word but it's a long list in any case, and did NOT include "Moser". Here's a run-down:

...brief history of the firm from the Son's Facebook page, wherein he mentions *some* of the brands that Billato has been associated with (by building their frames):
"Vicini , Legnano, Coppi, Boeris, Bianchi , Scapin, Ganna, Piave, Berma...

Detto Pietro , Alan Looyd, Butler , Brewo, Bikecology , Cicli Masi Inc., Ten Speed Drive USA, Nichinao Sochai-JPN, IKO-DE, Le Taureau-DE, and others...

big companies like Concorde- Marin- Greg LeMond, Look, Fondriest gave us the production of their team custom frames... "

BUT, I'm sure there were others that he doesn't mention, some would be rumors but what about brands like:
CIOCC, Battaglin, Pinarello (which was news to me), and "Fill-in-the-blank". Funny that Tommaso, Guerciotti and Giordana aren't even mentioned (by name anyway)."

DiTBho

why? what is the difference?

smd4

I think his point is there will be no difference. They’ll all be awesome.

DiTBho

So, I bought it!

I took the train early in the morning, four hours later I was there, in a remote place, to pick-up the bicycle that I was looking for years!

Exactly that model, made with Dedacciai tubing for the Atlanta Olympics. I found it semi-abandoned in a cellar - as the previous owner said - it was his father's bicycle in the 90s (passed away during the COVID pandemic). So, I paid for it, removed the dust, degreased the derailleurs and the chain, cleaned it thoroughly, re-greased it, inflated the inner tubes, and I was ready to go back home with a new bicycle!!!

Eight hours cycling, 190km, two stops
(powered by liquid caffeine and two red bull cans)

I am really tired today, but very happy

DanseMacabre

Looks nice, congratulations.
It does deserve better pictures

By the way, the tubes are round? I was under the assumption that Forma would stand for hydroformed tubing. I can understand some people would call that "the best bike ever" because of stiffness, even though such a thing as "the best bike ever" does not exist.

DiTBho

I guess "Forma" doesn't stand for "hydroformed tubing", but rather for "lower center of gravity", as I had speculated above.
Tubes are all round, brazed, so pretty early-90s-ish.

The tubes are Dedacciai, so... CrMo type, nothing special.
Compared to my 1992 Coppi with Columbus tubes (CrMo), both frames have the same rigidity, but with less 13mm in the bb_drop, the Forma is more stable.

1989Pre 

I appreciate that low bottom bracket height on my Moser, whenever I find myself doing over 20 mph in the gravel strip beside the road. Also, with a lighter tube-set than my chrome-moly, I might not get the same rigidity, so its the bike I want to be on if something unexpected happens to the road surface.

Original Gipiemme Dual Sprint pedals

with narrower pedals (Xpedo C260)