bironi

Is there a year when this was adopted on Medici Pro Strada models?
I'm trying to determine the vintage of bicycle I recently purchased.
It's serial number is missing from the incomplete number lists I've surveyed on the web.
Any help?
Suggestions?
Thanks much in advance.
Byron

spudly

My circa '85 Pro Strada has it, while one I had that was perhaps two to three years earlier didn't. The later one also has more of a sloping fork crown.

bironi

That sounds very similar to mine. My only other reference is a previous Pro Strada that was clearly an earlier product, but both ride much the same.
Thanks!

Bianchigirll 

Pics? There is a great Medici group on facebook

Kabuki12

I have a 1982 that has the braze on guides. It is a Columbus tube bike . They also went to Tange tubing later on. I like it even though it is a bit small for me. I normally ride a 63cm but I couldn’t pass on the deal for this and it actually rides nicely for a 60cm. These bikes are amazing deals mainly because of the whole mess that was going on when Masi California broke up .

bironi

Might you give me a link to the Facebook group.
I don't do Facebook, but I may use my wife's account to view the Medici group.
I tried, but did not get there on my own.
Thanks much in advance.
Byron

repechage

just say no to FB

I have a Medici, I thought I bought it cheap, many since then have gone cheaper.
only owner I have seen do well on eBay.
it was very clean and sold for $1,650 plus ship to France!

they ride pretty well.

repechage

Masi was on its way to doom in any event, actually the departure saved it possibly as sales had plummeted. Masi were good but not "bike of the month".
that I think was part of the error in the business strategy, there needed to be a new or alternate model, in Italy there was a migration to the Prestige. Marketing textbooks describe the rise and decline of products as a basic tenant.
the USA Masi did evolve but was behind, it should have been given a different name, especially by later 1983.

Masi USA did figure out some of this later, but it sure took a long time!

Bianchigirll 

"I Ride A Medici" https://www.facebook.com/groups/7098524053 I'd offer to post pics for you but I am in FB jail yet again!

Kabuki12

I would love to see this group and photos but I don’t do Facebook, maybe I can cheat and use my wife’s . I tried numerous times to get ahold of the Wordpress Medici folks but they haven’t updated for a few years so maybe gone? Classic Rendezvous has some pretty interesting information from when Brian Baylis was involved. I think that was just before my bike was made. All I can say is that for just north of three Ben Franklins it is one heck of a bike! The paint is still nice after many years .

repechage

thanks, private...
yeah, don't want to public ally admit to owning one.

bianchigirl, they Are after you? What's a nice woman like you disrupting the FB world?

Drillium Dude 

Oh, I dunno why not. Medici's are fantastic frames, built to a high standard, paint is hit/miss (but only miss if Simonetti painted it, apparently). The rest of the story? Who cares? There are many versions of what actually went down, and I've had dealings with one of the characters in the story - I'd also characterize those dealings as "not stellar" and the particular character as "less than completely truthful". So yeah.

Look at this thing - it's a beauty, and it rides even better!



I'll tell anyone anything they want to know about it, warts and all. The proof is in the ride. The rest is all bullshirt.

Btw, there's an "oro" version on eBay right now, with internal top tube brake routing. Pretty cool - didn't even know they made an oro version.

DD

Kabuki12

^^^^ yup , agree! Great bikes and fortunately I own one . Proud of it. I did see the “Oro” on eBay.

bironi

That looks just like the one I had to retire, same fork crown.
The replacement is a 1986? Tange Pro Strada.
Rides the same.

repechage

I was joking about the FB group. It is well known here you own one, as I recall even a different green one, I have one too.
decent enough they are.
the painted fork bikes with the early graphics as that Red one have are probably the best.
things got meh later.
the villain would be Recht, I would describe his business plans as NY or NJ, works fine for big corporations, does not scale down very well when the labor has more motivation than money.

Drillium Dude 

What happened to the one you had to retire?

Interesting that the Tange-tubed model still had the Hayden fork crown; I thought by the time they began using Tange they'd gone to the later, fully-sloping crown (which is a prettier crown, IHMO). Personally, I think the versions with the later crown, chromed forks and rear triangle, plus internal brake cable routing look the best - with the exception of the decal set. I've always preferred the original set without the additional stars on the downtube decal and the shield around the lion on the head and seat tubes.

Will we get to see a photo of yours? I hope so

DD

Drillium Dude 

As you should be - especially as yours is orange

DD

Drillium Dude 

Ah, yes - I was part of that group (yup - private it was/is) before I dumped FB a year or so ago. Haven't looked back, neither...

DD

bironi

I think this is a 1986 Tange version.
I think it will be the bike I use for Cino this year, I never bought into the mtb world.
Concerning the FB Medici private group, I checked it thru my wife's account but only saw three posts?
Anyway, I hate FB.
Concerning the fate of my first Medici.
It was an earlier version with the decals Drillium prefers and I do as well.
I crashed it into a cyclone fence close to the upright posts at a road gate.
It was at night, I was trashed after leaving a bachelor party to ride home.
That was a mistake, I should have called my wife.
I thought I was on a road that I wasn't and found myself rolling down a hill I did not remember at an unsafe speed in the darkness.
I got back up after giving some thought to just sleeping right there on the ground.
Got up to check out the bike.
The damn front wheel would not spin, I kicked the bike a bit hoping to free it up but to no avail.
So I tossed it into some brush and limped to the nearest porch light.
Called 911 and my wife.

The Medici needed the top tube and down tube replaced.
This was done by our Olympia frame builder, Bill Stevenson.
He made some modifications to accommodate it for fixed gear use.
The derailleur hanger was removed, an extra water bottle bosses added, new cable guides.
A nice pearl white powder coat from Spectrum Powder coating.
With close replicas of the original graphics.
I did put a small Lion facing aft on the seat stay close to the seat stay junction.

I rode that version for several more years before noticing questionable cracks along the edges of the lug where the top tube meet the head tube.
After flip flopping about for a year or two, I decided to retire the bike with advice from a trusted frame builder in Olympia, Corey Thompson.
An that's why I have the new to me shiny red Medici.

On a side note, I did rather enjoy the dramatic history of the Medici brand that I read years back.
By