In a message dated 12/6/2005 3:38:56 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,
servadio@mail.df.unipi.it writes:
> there are times I'm flying down the road on my Gran Corsa (which commits
> the double heresy of being built by Billato ...
Since you mention this name ... .
Billato is onether Master Framebuilder in this country, little known in the large but highly appreciated by connoisseurs. A very strong young rider I know in Roma (just turned Pro this year) swears that it is absolutely the best he has ever ridden.
Sergio;
It is good to hear that Billato builds nice frames. But I must wonder if the ones that the connoisseurs value so much in Italy are of the same quality as those sent to the USA to become Masi's lowest and next-to-lowest models. The first group or two that were sent over here were so bad that they could not be sold as Masis... I believe they had to be disposed of at a loss somewhere (probably Ted Kirkbride or Jim Allen could tell you more about this). After the problems with the initial batch(es) were ironed out, the Billato-built Nuova Strada and Gran Corsa became known as serviceable and reasonably priced frames, but I don't believe they were ever prized for their beauty or collectability. I like my Gran Corsa's ride qualities a great deal but I would be very surprised if any part of that frame had ever seen a file.
Many of the bikes the members of this list admire and collect are held to a different standard than the bikes that are sold to ride every day or to race. Some of this is visual... care lavished on small details that allows the bike to transcend function and become art. But as far as ride qualities go (good geometry and proper alignment), I'm sure that most of the frames Billato made for Masi were beyond reproach. In fact, when Ekimov and the rest of the Russian team came over for the Tour DuPont one year, their bikes were either lost or stolen and Masi USA provided them with Gran Corsas which apparently served them quite well (I was told they were provided with blue/silver bikes... apparently the Russian team told the folks at Masi that they were not fussy about the color, as long as it wasn't red...).
If you've got any photo's of Billato's premium work, I'd like very much to see them. Also, any other details about Billato (when he started building, etc.) would be very much appreciated.
Bob Hovey
Columbus, GA