"I was fortunate to spend a few years living and working in parts Italy and I hope I have the correct perspective on why the bikes from Italy are mostl y road racing machines. Amateur race's are a huge event each year - even if your 40lbs ove r wt. your out on the road with your friends riding. Magazines will (C iclo Tourismo) feature the top 12 amateur racers (age's from 26 to mid 50 's) from the prior year, each one having a color photo, a one page brief listing his date of birth, interests, how he trains, what his 'real' job is , and aspirations for the coming year. In a normal year they expect to h ave 25,000 participants in the amateur events across Italy and these are events up to 180km, with from four to nine climbs up to 1900meters. The bike frame builders produce are built for these events because t his is what their customers want and this is what works for them. R Sachs only makes racing bikes - mostly..... " _____________________________________________
I wonder how much the Italian mystique has to do with the rise and eventual dominance of Campagnolo as the maker of the most sought-after racing (and for most of its history, only racing) components. These two objects of reverence -- Italian frames and Campagnolo parts -- seem to go somewhat hand-in-hand.
Ed Granger
Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA