Sold Out Barolo i/0 Gravel Bike Sports a Fazua Drivetrain and Trades You Joy for $6,000

Folks, the history of Masi Bicycles is one that begins in 1926, according to the video on the Barolo. While the company is also known for bikes that came out of Milan during the 1950s, after some botched business deals, Masi magically transformed into an American brand and is now being sold under the Haro Bikes umbrella.

As for the Barolo, oh man! Exploring the machine, I understand why it's sold out. Gravel biking is one of, if not the hottest cycling trend happening now, and when you throw on a drivetrain support setup like Fazua's Evation system, you can start to understand why this trinket has been swiped from the proverbial shelf.

Just to kick things off, what we see in the gallery will cost you no less than $6,000 (€5,900 at current exchange rates), and as you would expect for something of this price, it's a frame built out of carbon fiber dubbed MC-9. It's not clear what that may mean precisely, but what is important is how it integrates electrical components to be a gravel bike suitable for the noobs and pros among us.

If you're up to date with Fazua and what's going on with that company, let me just point out that their tech is so good that Porsche decided to buy this drivetrain manufacturer. Why is the tech they build so game-changing? Well, one benefit of the Evation system is that it acts like a mid-mounted motor, but once the 'Drivepack' battery is drained, there is no resistance applied to the BB, and your cycling experience will then rely solely on your legs and the lunch you had earlier.

With these electronics integrated into the down tube and BB of the Barolo, you'll be able to play around with three levels of assist, while the 250-watt motor will be assisting your adventures with 55 Nm (40.5 lb-ft) of torque. Best of all, this puppy is limited to 28 mph (45 kph), so a tad faster than your average trinket popping up on the market.

But what about range? As you're aware, range is rather tricky to determine as every little bump, loss of grip, extra gram of weight, and tire pressure will affect how much this system can offer. Nonetheless, according to the manufacturer's website, we're being shown up to 80 miles (129 kilometers), and you can bet that's in optimum conditions. But I can believe it as I've covered other bikes with a Fazua Drivepack, and the result is about the same.

With a carbon fork, a 2X drivetrain Shimano GRX drivetrain with 11-34T, and a pair of DT Swiss rims with Kenda Alluvium Pro tires, you'll be riding a monster that weighs no more than 31.7 lbs (14.4 kg). Yes, even with GRX brakes and all the other knick-knacks needed to complete a bike.

Before I leave you to your day, there's one last feature I want to point out on the Barolo. If you view the gallery, there's an image that displays the section where the top tube, seat stay, and seat tube meet. In that picture, I can't help but ask myself if I'm not looking at a sort of rear suspension integrated into the design. Since there's no mention on the manufacturer's website, questions are all I have for now.

At the end of the day, this machine really is sold out on the Masi webpage, but don't lose hope; one of these puppies could be hidden in some far corner of your neighborhood. Oh, if you find one, I'm sure you can take a test ride but have the $6,000 ready to trade.