> What Angel said,makes me think that a name like POGLIAGHI > is unknown around here, MASI is known by a circle of > few/older dudes,Cinellis were/are known,but not many around. Teo,
In some ways that isn't surprising. What I noticed while cyclo-touring in Italy is that nearly every town had a skilled frame builder, and the local riders were loyal to that builder. In a big city - especially in the north - you could find a builder in each distinct neighborhood. So whenever we rode with a group from the same club, it would seem as though most of theriders would be on bicycles built by the same local frame-maker.
Things were a bit different in the south, although people seemed to spend a bit less on their bicycles in those regions. That is, you'd see serious racers on Bianchi, Atala, etc. rather than custom frames. (And I don't recall meeting anyone on a custom frame in Puglia, for example.)
Occasionally, some of these builders would do something extraordinary to establish a reputation outside the country. By "something extraordinary" I mean establishing a relationship with a famous racer or establishing relationships with shops in North America. Yet that still didn't guarantee that the builder would be more well known in Italy.
This situation might well have been what motivated Confente to leave Italy.
Ciao,
Fred Rednor - Arlington, Virginia (USA)