[CR]Holy Grail, I've Found it!!

(Example: Component Manufacturers:Campagnolo)

From: <LouDeeter@aol.com>
Date: Thu, 30 Mar 2006 20:36:13 EST
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: [CR]Holy Grail, I've Found it!!

This is an incredible story. Last night Jonathan Greene and I went to an old guy's house here in Orlando who used to race in Italy. We had heard about him about a year ago, but our riding buddy, Oscar, hadn't found time for us to meet him. We got to the guy's house and he was very enthusiastic about seeing us. His English wasn't great, but Oscar speaks Italian and was able to give us a good translation. He had some old bicycling memorabilia, such as jerseys and trophies, but nothing that I recognized. But, he took the time to tell us about every one of them. I'm guessing the guy is in his 80s. He says he raced in the 40s and early 50s in Italy which makes sense. He had two bikes. One was his old Legnano, somewhat rusty, but it had mostly Campagnolo parts. I'm guessing it was from the 60s and not one he actually raced. The other is what might be the "missing link". The old man tells this story about how he went to races in Northern Italy all the time after he stopped racing. He says he was at a race in the late 60s or maybe 1970 and a young man was introduced to him as a framebuiilder. He doesn't remember the guy's name or where he was from, but just that it was one of the many races he attended in Northern Italy at the time. The guy sells him a bike that he had built. He says the young guy needed the money to get home. So, he buys it. So, he takes us into the back room and there is this bike frame with no decals, ratty paint, but with Campagnolo bb and headset. Jonathan picked it up and checked it out, telling me that it looked like a very well made frame. The old man says through our friend, "do you want it?" I'm thinking, what is this guy up to. Oscar tells us, he wants us to have it. He says he rode it a few times, but he likes the Legnano. Plus, it is too big for him as he is only a short guy and the frame looks to be about a 56 or 57. I tell Oscar that we will have to pay him. The old man understands what I said and protests. No money. For us, his American cycling friends. Jonathan and I left. I brought the frame home. I remove the bottom bracket to look at the tube ends. I'm looking at them with a flashlight and I see something in one of the chainstays. It is a rolled up piece of paper, dry, yellow. I unroll it and there, in script ink, like a fountain pen as it is faded a bit, is what appears to be "M. Confente". I'm floored. I start shaking. I called Oscar and asked him to call the old man to see if he has ever removed the bb and whether he would recognize the name. Tonight, Oscar called me back to tell me the man doesn't remember the name, but he never removed the bb. Jonathan now has the frame. He's going to take some pictures of it and load them on his website this weekend. Meanwhile, what do you guys think? Has anyone ever heard of a framebuilder doing this--putting a piece of paper like this in a bb? Is it possible that this could be THE Mario Confente? Lou Deeter, Orlando FL