More stuff

Finally getting more accustomed to being home and the time difference- slightly less jetlagged at this point. Lots has been going on, all over the world and at home, so there is just so much to try and catch up on.

Taiwan was great, again. Going to Taipei and seeing cool stuff and cool people was awesome. As a bike nerd, I live for that stuff.

Keirin beer... how could I possibly pass that up?

The happy Haro family, heading off to dinner at the Velo/ Wellgo party the night before the opening of the tradeshow. (They're flipping me off because I wouldn't stop taking pictures all day...)

Jill Hamilton and I with the incomparable and really wonderful Stella Yu of Velo. She's an icon in the Taiwan bike industry and a true force to be reckoned with- as well as a damned nice person.

You can't go to Taipei without seeing the Taipei 101- world's largest building at 504M high with the world's fastest elevator (600M a minute). It's an amazing building... truly.

I saw this frame and fell in love with it. It's all aluminum, but I might have to find a way to work something like this into the line. I mean, the tube shapes and curves were amazing- and the thing was very, very light. With Masi geometry and sizing, it would be mighty cool.

I know I've been skimpy on development news. So I thought I'd let one of the many cats out of the bag, just to get you all salivating and begging for more...

So meet the new Speciale CX!


It's steel and it's real! Flat crown lugged fork with lugged dropouts. Full chromoly frame. It will be a complete bike, aimed at crossers, commuters, light-touring riders and anybody looking for a sweet steel bike with gears and the ability to mount fenders, fat tires and looking for a great ride. Pricing is TBD, as is final spec, but the target is to keep it at $1,000 or less- if at all possible. It might go a little over that, but not by much... I hope. This will be a late summer intro, or maybe even sooner. As I've said before, we are trying to get away from model years for bikes and simply produce bikes and deliver them to the market when they are ready, rather than waiting for a big product release at one or two points during the year. I mean, why wait to unleash a bad ass bike on the world? (Oh, the lighting in the office does not do the metallic burgundy color justice at all.) I know... I'm a genius.

The seat tube decal was placed a little high on this first run sample, but it is otherwise what we will be planning to ship to shops. A few things may get tweaked, but what you see here is mighty close to what will be sitting on shop floors in the near future. Yes, I love me too.

Ok, I'm going to bed.

Tim
(PS- A special "get better" wish for the Masibestfriend, Blue Squirrel. The Squirrel crashed during a race over the weekend and broke his collar bone... again. Good news is that the Masi was unhurt- I knew you would be concerned. Get well brother!)