Product(s) Review: Masi 3VC Carbon

I recently upgraded my race bike from my (former) trusty steed, Trek 2200 Ultegra, to last year's Team Becher+ Radsport 'team bike', Masi 3VC Carbon. A HUGE thank you to James Becher (our team Director Sportif) for going the extra mile and making this upgrade happen for me. I am forever thankful. Before I get into my thoughts on the frameset and components, here's some eye candy (and yes, she rides as smoothly as she looks):

SPECS:

'09 Masi 3VC Carbon 58cm (compact)
Campagnolo Groupset:
-Centaur Aluminum Power Torque Crankset
-Chorus shifters/brake levers
-Chorus front/rear derailleurs
-Record front/rear brakes
DT Swiss RR 1.1 Wheelset laced to Campagnolo Record hubs
Ritchey PRO stem
Ritchey WCS bars
Masi Carbon seatpost
Masi bartape
Fizik Arione saddle (yes, I can touch my toes)
Speedplay pedals (not shown)

Unloaded, I'm sure she dances close to 16lbs. So light. There is nothing about this frameset that I don't like. It's "laterally stiff, and compliant" as they like to say. This frame was dubbed the "workhorse" and I completely agree. Although I take special care of my bike, I do, so to speak, "ride the shit out of it". She gets raced on and trained on 14hrs a week. I tend to be more of an aggressive racer so there's a little more force being delt out, if you will. I have noticed more than anything how quickly the bike accelerates, thus affirming it's nickname. Strong and quick. Upon first glance I feel like the steatstays stick out, quite a bit. I don't mean wide either, I'm talkding about that unique slope that seems to be the opposite shape of most frames out on the market today. The idea behind the slopped seatstays was to eliminate wheel-skip when braking hard by redirecting the force of your inertia equally throughout the frame. When I first heard about this, I thought it was a crock of shit. You can quote me on this, but I have yet to lock up my rear wheel since owning this bike and putting over 1000 miles on it. Keep in mind, I live in Seattle where the hills rival the infamous ones in San Francisco, which means I am very familiar with having to stop quickly after descending a very long and steep hill. Nothing. I've locked up countless times on my Trek. I'm not saying that it's impossible to skid out, just that I haven't yet. That should say something about the craftsmanship over at Masi. Theres one more thing I found rather crucial about this 58cm compact frame, no toe overlap. I'm 6'3" 160lbs and wear a size 47 (12-usa) shoe. Yes, this frame is probably a little small for me, but the fact of the matter is I have big feet, and race this machine. Having more rake on the fork allows for full range of motion without worrying about the tyre hitting my foot causing me to eat shit infront of miscellaneous strangers. Having more rake on the fork also keeps the bike from being too responsive thus creating that "squirrelly" effect we're all familiar with. I've ridden frames that were probably too big for me and still experienced the complete opposite. When you're racing crits to road races, it's important to feel in complete control with your bike and know that you can rail that corner at irresponsibly high speeds without worry of wiping out. I'm very pleased with the geometry of the 3VC Carbon, and only hope that they continue to use innovative design to produce bikes that exceed the already sterling reputation they've had for decades. Aside from the impressive specs and handling of the Masi 3vc, I can feel good looking around at races and group rides knowing that I've got the only one around. Theres something special about having a rare and tough carbon frame set, if you don't know that feeling, I hope you will soon. But don't take my word for it, check out more unbiased opinions over at Masibikes.com. ;) If you made it this far, thanks. And go easy on me, it's my first real race frame. I'm still unsure whether that warrants me the right to do an unofficial "product review".