this is my opinion...
dale has created CLASSIC RENDEZVOUS as a cyber-salon
in which lovers/appreciators/coveters/aficianados of bicycles
and bicycling from a 'pre-determined era', an era which
ended a long time ago, can discuss our interests with
civility. as such, this salon encourages veneration of
certain things and the people involved with these things.
this said, mario confente may likely have forgotten more
about frames at age 33 than most of us will ever learn.
he should be put on a pedastal and revered, if for no
other reason than that it will never be known what his
full potential could have been, and what impact that potential
may have had in the subsequent years. i thought he was an icon
in 1974, and i believe similarly today.
furthermore, to suggest that all that framebuilders do
is " stick bits of tubing together....", is like saying, " george
nakashima made nice coffee tables".
while some of the recent posts relating to the 3M's, masi,
medici, and mario may be long, tedious, and/or seemingly
self serving, i find it to be useful information that has served
to shed light, (and heat), on an important part of the
CLASSIC RENDEZVOUS timeline. at times, it has taken
over my email inbox and has been a real time sink.
when this has happened, i hit the delete button.
e-RICHIE