Masi History | A Century of Italian Cycling

100 YEARS OF CICLI MASI

1926 to 2026. From a workshop in Sesto Fiorentino to a Centenario edition in Vista, California.

A CENTURY OF ITALIAN CYCLING

Faliero Masi began brazing frames in 1926 at the bench of his mentor Antonio Campostrini in Sesto Fiorentino, Tuscany. The work would carry his name to the Vigorelli Velodrome, to the bikes of Coppi and Merckx, to the road and track victories of a dozen world champions, and ultimately to a workshop in California where the Italian philosophy of fit and ride continues today. This is a century of Cicli Masi, told in thirty-one milestones.

1908

BORN IN SESTO FIORENTINO

Faliero Masi is born May 11 in the small Tuscan town of Sesto Fiorentino, ten kilometers from Florence.

Two cyclists wearing red jerseys ride on a tree-lined country road. The foreground features blurred purple flowers, and the background is filled with greenery and trees under a clear sky.

1920

APPRENTICED TO CAMPOSTRINI

At age twelve, Masi spends hours staring through the window of the Campostrini workshop. The old man takes him in.

A black and white image of a metal object with a cutout of the letter M. The object is cylindrical and has claw-like extensions at the bottom. Its placed on a textured surface.

1926

THE MARQUE ARRIVES

At age eighteen, at Campostrini's bench, Faliero brazes his own first steel racing frame. CICLI MASI is born.

1932

SHORT-LISTED FOR THE LA OLYMPICS

A broken chain in the final qualification race ends his Olympic bid.

1933

HIS ONLY PROFESSIONAL VICTORY

Wins the eleventh edition of Coppa Zuchi, riding as an independent in a Ganna jersey on a Ganna bike.

1936

HIS OWN WORKSHOP IN SESTO

Masi sells his own bikes and secures the highly regarded Ganna agency.

1939

RECRUITED TO MILAN

Begins a two-year period at the AMF Gloria factory in Milan, possibly replacing Galmozzi as head builder.

Two cyclists are engaged in conversation, both wearing sports attire with logos. One has a dark slicked-back hairstyle, and the other has light, wavy hair. The setting suggestively involves a sports-related event or discussion.

1942

AT COPPI'S HOUR RECORD

Masi attends Fausto Coppi's successful hour-record attempt at the Vigorelli Velodrome on November 7. The relationship begins.

1948

WORKSHOP IN MILAN

Masi establishes a workshop on Via Michelino da Besozzo and begins building for private clients.

A cyclist in a race rides uphill, surrounded by a crowd of spectators on both sides. The crowd includes men holding newspapers and wearing hats. A support car follows the cyclist closely. The scene conveys excitement and focus.

1949

MOVES INTO THE VIGORELLI

Masi negotiates a subsidised lease with the city of Milan. The Vigorelli Velodrome becomes the address of Cicli Masi for the next two decades.

A cyclist wearing a numbered jersey walks on a velodrome track, holding a tire. Another person walks beside him, carrying a bicycle over their shoulder. The background is filled with a large crowd of spectators.

1949

ANTONIO MASPES

Builds Maspes' first Speciale Corsa Pista. The relationship will run six years, through seven professional world sprint titles.

1950

FIORENZO MAGNI'S TOUR

Builds a Ganna track bike for Magni, who famously finishes the 1950 Tour de France with a broken collarbone.

1956

COPPI AND CARPANO

Faliero becomes head mechanic for the Coppi-Carpano team. He designs and builds road and track bikes for Il Campionissimo and his squad.

1956

ANQUETIL BREAKS THE HOUR

June 29: Jacques Anquetil breaks the hour record at the Vigorelli on a frame Masi built.

1959

BAHAMONTES WINS THE TOUR

Faliero supplies the frame Federico Bahamontes rides to victory in the Tour de France for the Tricofilina-Coppi team.

1960

NENCINI WINS THE TOUR

Masi supplies the frame Gastone Nencini wins the Tour de France on, for Coppi-Carpano.

Group of bicycle riders near the finish line

1960s

VAN LOOY AND THE CLASSICS

Builds for Belgian Rik Van Looy across Faema, Libertas, and Solo Superiore. Van Looy wins the UCI World Road Championship and a string of one-day classics on Masi.

Two cyclists race on a road lined with trees, pursued by a motorcycle. The lead cyclist, in a black and white jersey, is closely followed by another in a yellow and black jersey. An officer and a blue vehicle are visible on the roadside.

1967

EDDY MERCKX, THEN EVERYTHING

Merckx begins riding custom Masi geometries, first decaled as Peugeot, then as Faema. A large proportion of his 525 professional victories ride on Masi-built frames.

1972

THE AMERICAN DEAL

A deal in principle is agreed between Faliero Masi and California businessman Roland Sahm. Masi is coming to America.

1973

CARLSBAD

Faliero arrives in San Diego in July. The Avenida Encinas building in Carlsbad becomes Masi's American factory. Mario Confente arrives in October to lead the brazing bench.

1973

FIRST TWENTY-FIVE US FRAMES

In November, the first batch of US-made Masi frames is completed. All twenty-five are 57cm. The American chapter begins.

1975

INVESTMENT-CAST LUGS

Confente returns to Italy to develop investment-cast lugs at Microfusione. The technology defines the modern Masi.

1985

THE CARLSBAD FAMILY

Through the mid-1980s, the Carlsbad workshop becomes the training ground for a generation of American framebuilders.

1990s

VISTA, CALIFORNIA

Masi joins the Haro family of brands and the workshop relocates north to Vista. The Italian philosophy of fit and ride continues on American soil.

2014

FALIERO PASSES

The founder dies in Vista, having spent his last years still close to the work that began at Campostrini's bench in 1926.

2016

NINETY YEARS OF MASI

A book is published chronicling nine decades of frames, riders, and the small Tuscan town where it all began.

2024

TITANIO

A new flagship titanium frameset enters the Masi line. The modern expression of the Italian philosophy of fit.

2025

OLTRE STRADA

A new line for the unpaved Italian roads where road racing began. Heritage as a riding surface, not just a story.

2026

ONE HUNDRED YEARS

A century since Faliero brazed his first frame. The Centennial year begins on May 11, 2026.