I got the bike a rainy day in SF from some Academy Art kid. The bike was brand spanking new. It had only been released one week beforehand. I paid $250 for the complete when it retailed for $1100 at the time. Obviously i suspected theft, When Masi released the LTD, it was suppose to be a limited production run, and after purchasing it, I went to all the Masi/Haro dealers in the area asking if they had a missing bike. I posted on CL and bike forums for 2 months, but no one came forward. Maybe the kid actually bought it...
A 2009 Masi Speciale LTD Nekkid, My first track bike, gorgeous. The bike had retro decals, and only a clear coat over the raw steel. When I took my first ride, I fell in love instantly. The LTD was super responsive, super light and super quick. Granted, I was transferring from a road bike conversion to a track bike, and since that day Ive ridden many other bikes and I still would say the Masi LTD would be one of the best handling bikes out there.
San Francisco, Oakland, Vegas, San Diego, Oregon, San Barbra, Los Angeles, Those are a few places Ive raced in with the LTD. Ive taken plenty of top 10 and even 5 places on the LTD, and have won 2 races while riding it. Its been pictured and featured in many cycling magazines. For the longest time it was my only bike. The gearing was a bit tall, at 44x15 but it was always enough. I rode it on road bike routes, doing between 40-60 miles rides daily, on a fixed gear. This was the bike that trained and built me.
Then of course the accidents. Yes the bike came with a brake, but I learned brakeless so I only would considering it in the rain, likewise the LTD was running 98% of the time brakeless. My first accident on it, was someone during voting day who decided to make a left while signaling right. Clipped my rear tire and sent me flying. I was on though and kept riding. Another time I was out in Marin doing a 49mile ride, the Paradise loop, training for an upcoming race when I achieved pedal strike coming around a corner. I ended up rag dolling and going to the hospital and was injured for some time. This latest one was during a benefit race for the SF Food Bank. Racers sprinted all over the city to collect various food and back to the finish. I made it to the first checkpoint before plowing into a car and wrecking the LTD.
All in all, I loved that bike otherwise I wouldnt be typing this up. It was an amazing thing and it brought me into a community of something I'd never imagine. Ive changed the parts and upgraded it many times. Everywhere I went, it went. It was a part of me.
It will be missed. RIP Masi Speciale LTD Nekkid (RSS)
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