Re: [CR] Confente ride

(Example: Framebuilders:Doug Fattic)

From: <"brianbaylis@juno.com">
Date: Sun, 2 Aug 2009 07:42:11 +0000
To: <losgatos_dale@yahoo.com>
Cc: lowiemanuel@yahoo.ca, classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: Re: [CR] Confente ride


Dale,

I know that's true; but you are correct. No one wants to state as much in public. I have heard it all from various people over the past 30 years. When it comes time to sell, they don't want to shoot themselves in the foot. That's wise and all; but it doesn't shed light on the real situation. I don't think there are any "bad" Confentes; but knowing Mario and how the frames were built, there is no magic involved. I'm still calling out. Someone bring a Confente around that's my size. Certainly it would be much better if I had some direct personal experience in the matter. But nevertheless, there is no such thing as "magic" in framebuilding. If one studies physics and metallurgy, that should be abundantly clear.

I don't ever make the claim my bikes are "the best" or even "better" than someone else's. They are simply "different" from other bikes. It's that simple. It takes me around 100 to 120 hours to build most of the frames I make. Most frames are built in 1 to 30 man hours (yes, the carousel brazed frames of the 80's involved about 1 man hour before paint). The frames are what they are in the end. I leave no stone unturned in the building process and the rest of the time I spend building individuality and character, and even sometimes a little art into the frames. I build things this way because I enjoy the process of making things. I also enjoy restoring vintage drums and building some customs, I enjoy making custom knives, I enjoy refurbishing vintage pellet guns and making customs, I enjoy taking a vintage Bentley from a pile of parts and making a new car out of it. None of these things (other than building and restoring bicycles) makes me a dime. They are things I enjoy doing for the satisfaction that comes from the end results. Same with frames. I make the way I do because that's how I like frames. They are not better or special on account of the time I spend. They are just different, and that's plenty for me. I don't really need other people to tell me or even agree with what I do. There are several people in the bike biz who don't like what I do. And for what reason? I know why. And still, none of that matters. I know where I stand on the ladder, and it's actually none of anyone's business. But you people just HAVE to decide what is good, better, or best. Really, is this necessary? No. It's just human nature.

Apparently people are more interested in myths than doing the homework. It's MUCH easier that way.

Brian Baylis
La Mesa, CA
USA


---------- Original Message ----------
From: "Dale B. Phelps"
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org, EPL
Subject: Re: [CR] Confente ride
Date: Sat, 01 Aug 2009 20:37:56 -0700


Some were (are) total clams, but no one sitting on one (or more) will state that publicly, will they?

Dale Phelps
Montagna lunga Colorado USA


--- On Sat, 8/1/09, EPL wrote:


From: EPL <lowiemanuel@yahoo.ca> Subject: [CR] Confente ride To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Date: Saturday, August 1, 2009, 7:58 PM

Charles Andrews wrote:

"The interesting thing about Confentes in general is that they may well have been the nicest-riding race-bike of that era.  Better than nearly anything else, in various subtle ways.  Ask anyone who's ridden one for awhile, they'll tell you the same.  Kind-of like a more-agile Masi GC, but not as nervous as later Colnagos, Masi Prestiges, and etc.  Nice and stiff, but not too stiff, accelerates really well, with ride-all-day comfort.  The closest bike I can think of to it is a Cinelli Super Corsa of the early 70s, but the Cinelli is not quite as sporty-feeling as the Confente." 

I would love to learn more about the dimensions and geometry of Confente's frames: BB drop, head angle, rake, chainstay length. In fact, I'd like to know more about that stuff for most of the bikes made by the masters we talk about on CR, including the still-alive-and-well designers of Wizard and Baylis and Weigle and Sachs and Cooper and all the rest.  Ironically, to me, those science-based numbers are more intrinsic to the art of the bicycle than the matching of period-correct pantography or the thickness of dried paint. I'm just saying.

Confente owners, protractors and tape measures?

Emanuel Lowi Montreal, Quebec

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