Is not the correct way to judge a bicycle frame not on how it looks but too judge it on how it does it intended purpose. Charles Nighbor Walnut Creek, CA
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I don't think there is one "correct" way. The question regarding lugwork, fancy or otherwise, isn't whether it enhances the performance of the frame, but at least partly whether it enhances the visual experience of the person viewing it. Admittedly, the bike first has to function before aesthetics matter. And visual elements that detract from performance ultimately are a minus rather than a plus. But I would argue that when Hetchins was creating the Magnum Opus, visual enjoyment was in fact part of the bike's "intended purpose." I don't see why that couldn't have been true of Confente as well. This is part of the frame's "quality" understood in a broad sense. (And I think it includes little framebuilding touches that only another framebuilder might notice, not just obvious elements like fancy lugs or clean shorelines.)
Ed Granger Lancaster, PA, USA
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