Confente Brochure — Custom Bicycles by Mario Confente, with the Road and Track Retail Prices

Mario Confente’s American brochure for his custom frames, with the suggested retail prices of the Pro Strada and Pro Pista. It prints no date.

— Page 1 (front cover) —
custom-designed bicycles by master frame builder mario confente

[Front cover with a blue spade emblem over a montage of six black and white photographs: a frame builder at a jig, a brazing torch, a Confente frame with a water bottle, a hand at a frame tube, a seat lug cluster and a bottom bracket shell with spade cutouts. The down tube decal reads “CONFENTE”.]

— Page 2 —
Master frame builder Mario Confente now producing custom designed bicycles

Mario Confente has gained international recognition as the master frame builder with the Masi Bicycle Company in Italy and, more recently, in the United States. He is now designing and manufacturing custom bicycles under his own name.
A Division of Rexart Cyclery of Jersey City, N.J., the Confente bicycle operation is housed in a new, specially designed plant in Los Angeles. Made-to-order road and track bicycles are produced in the plant.
Confente is believed to have produced more professional bicycles than any frame builder in the United States. After serving an apprenticeship with Bianchi, a widely known bicycle company in Italy, he joined Masi. Here his skills matured to the point that he became known as the craftsman of champions. During a seven-year period when he was master frame builder for Masi in Italy, he produced about 1,700 bicycles. Many of them were ridden by winners of national and international races including such events as the Tour de France.
In 1972, Confente came to the United States with Faliero Masi to establish Masi-U.S.A., a new facility in Carlsbad, California. During the three years he served as master frame builder for Masi-U.S.A., he supervised production of more than 2,200 bicycles.
As his fame as an expert frame builder grew among experienced racers in the U.S., he was frequently asked to design custom-order bicycles. Responding to that demand, Confente joined in an enterprise with Rexart Cyclery in 1976.

Within a few short months, nationally known U.S. racers such as Jerry Ash, Skip Cutting and Xavier Miranda began riding Confente machines.
Confente has developed a number of technological innovations for his new plant. Among the equipment he has designed for the plant are specially fit and case-hardened steel jigs to assemble and join both road and track frames. Used to hold the frame angles and tube lengths to exceptionally close tolerances, the jigs assure production exactly according to the designated geometry of each frame. This results in frames that can be said to have excellent geometry.
Simply stated, excellent geometry in a custom frame means not only that the frame is absolutely straight, that the tubes, stays and fork achieve exactly the desired angles; but that such lengths and angles are those required for the specific rider for whom the bicycle is custom-designed.

After a frame configuration has been determined, the first step in manufacturing is to cut the tubing to desired size. These tubes are then fit to specially designed investment cast lugs, bottom bracket and crown before being shaped to the desired angles.
Special attention is given to joining the tubes, stays and lugs. Confente has developed a particularly precise method of brazing to insure that all components are joined with no pin holes or voids that could lead to possible failure under extremely demanding service.

The key to the Confente brazing technique is using a temperature that is just below the melting point of the steel in order not to damage, distort or crystallize the tubing by subjecting its molecular structure to too much heat, thus weakening the metal.
A pure brass brazing technique is used rather than a brazing alloy since this procedure results in the strongest joints—another critically important characteristic of high quality frame building. A special flux, developed by Confente to insure proper wetting (brazing) of all joints, is used.

[Two-page spread with a photograph of a complete Confente road bicycle and three detail photographs: a lug with a spade cutout being filed, a builder brazing a frame and hands at a frame tube. The down tube decal reads “CONFENTE”; the text tells Confente’s career at Masi and Rexart Cyclery and his frame building methods.]

— Page 3 —
After the frame is assembled, sandblasted and carefully inspected, it receives a pre-painting acid bath. This operation removes all impurities and oxides from the surface of the steel. In addition, the acid bath insures that all flux is removed from the joints. The latter precaution is essential since any flux remaining would eventually permit a corrosive action to take place.
The acid bath is followed by an oven drying procedure. Then two baked-on coats of primer are applied. This step is followed by two applications of primary color, both of which are also thermal cured. The decals are then applied and, as a final step, the frame is given two coats of clear finishing lacquer.
Confente uses a special acrylic paint because it provides a much harder surface than epoxy or urethane-based paints that do not stand up under the demanding service conditions of racing without wearing, chipping or corroding.
Just prior to the painting operation, the front and rear drop-outs and fork crown are sometimes plated with a tri-metal combination of copper, nickel and chrome to prevent rusting. These parts are masked during painting operations.

Only the finest components are used for Confente bicycles—Fully Campagnolo equipped; Cinelli handlebars, stem and saddle; Clement silk tires; Regina freewheel and chain; and, of course, either Reynolds or Columbus tubing.

Confente frames are produced in all types of Columbus and Reynolds tubing. Because each bicycle is individually fabricated, it is possible to mix Columbus and Reynolds main tubes and stays according to customer preferences.
For customers who are unable to come to the Los Angeles plant, Confente has developed a special skeletal form of the human body. Its use insures that the frame size and all other design parameters conform exactly to the customer’s height, leg length, arm extension, waist attitude in the down position, length from seat post to stem and all other critical variables involved in custom frame design.

[Four black and white photographs of Mario Confente in the workshop: checking a frame in an alignment fixture, a builder working on a frame in a jig, and Confente holding up a finished frame with a “CONFENTE” down tube decal. The text describes the acid bath, painting, components and Columbus or Reynolds tubing used.]

— Page 4 —
Suggested retail prices for the Custom
ROAD Bicycle by CONFENTE:

Confente Pro Strada
Frame and fork (Campagnolo dropout and Columbus SP tubing) …. $445.00
Campagnolo Headset installed …. add | $20.00
Campagnolo Seat Post (27.2) …. add | 20.00
Campagnolo Bottom Bracket installed …. add | 40.00
This includes (if requested) brazed-on:
1. Down tube shift lever bosses
2. Down tube water bott!e fixtures
3. Rear stay derailleur cable stop
4. Bottom bracket front and rear derailleur tunnels
5. Top tube brake cable guides

Confente Pro Strada frame and fork fully equipped as follows:
Handlebars …. Cinelli #64 aluminum alloy-taped
Stem (7 to 14cm) …. Cinelli Model 1/A with recessed expander bolt
Saddle …. Cinelli #2 (suede), #3 (buffalo), or #4 (smooth)
Pedals …. Campagnolo Strada
Front derailleur …. Campagnolo Record
Rear derailleur …. Campagnolo Nuovo Record
Brakes …. Campagnolo Nuovo Record—Short Reach
Bottom Bracket …. Campagnolo Nuovo Record
Cranks (170, 175, or 180mm) …. Campagnolo Nuovo Record
Chainwheels (42/52 or to choice) …. Campagnolo Nuovo Record
Freewheel (14-24) …. Regina Oro
Hubs (36° hole) …. Campagnolo Low Flange Record
Rims …. Nisi, Mavic or Martano
Spokes …. Berg-Union chromed double butted
Tires …. Clement Silk
Toe Clips …. Christophe
Straps …. Christophe or Binda
Water Bottle Cage …. T/A
Water Bottle …. Confente
Pump …. Silca contour with Campagnolo head
Seat Post …. Campagnolo Nuovo Record
Headset …. Campagnolo Nuovo Record
Chain …. Regina Oro
Complete …. $955.00

Color and size to selection.
Options available:
Chrome …. add | $100.00
Jasik sealed bearing headset …. add | 25.00
Seat Post cut, fluted, and painted …. add | 10.00
Phil Wood hubs …. add | 10.00
Phil Wood bottom bracket …. add | 25.00
Personalized stem …. add | 10.00
Campagnolo Super Record …. add | 300.00
Columbus SL tubing …. add | 25.00
Cinelli “Record” stem (from 10 to 14 cm) …. add | 10.00

It must be borne in mind that these prices reflect the purchase of a custom built bicycle. Specifications such as bottom bracket height, frame angles, length of tubes and stays, fork rake and wheelbase will be decided upon after consultation.

[Price list for the Confente Pro Strada custom road bicycle: frame and fork at $445.00, the fully equipped bicycle with Campagnolo Nuovo Record parts at $955.00 and priced options.]

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Suggested retail prices for the Custom
TRACK Bicycle by CONFENTE:

Confente Pro Pista
Frame and Fork (Campagnolo dropouts and Columbus PS tubing) …. $400.00
Campagnolo Headset installed …. add | $20.00
Campagnolo Seatpost (27.2) …. add | 20.00
Campagnolo Bottom Bracket installed …. add | 40.00
This includes (if requested):
1. Drilled fork (for front brake)
2. Down tube water bottle fixtures
3. Columbus PL tubing

Confente Pro Pista frame and fork fully equipped as follows:
Headset …. Campagnolo Nuovo Record
Bottom Bracket …. Campagnolo Nuovo Record
Seat Post (narrow cradle) …. Campagnolo Nuovo Record
Saddle (narrow cradle) …. Cinelli unpadded
Handlebars …. Cinelli #65 alloy—taped
Stem …. Cinelli (type & length to specification)
Cranks (165mm) …. Campagnolo (170 & 175mm also available)
Chainwheel (48 teeth) …. Campagnolo (44, 45, 46, 47, 49, 50 & 52 teeth also available)
Pedals …. Campagnolo Pista-Black
Chain …. Regina Oro
Sprocket (12, 13, 14, 15, 16 teeth) …. Campagnolo
Rims …. Mavic 300 gram
Spokes …. Berg-Union chromed double butted
Toe Clips …. Christople
Straps …. Christople or Binda
Hubs (36 hole) …. Campagnolo
Tires …. Clement Silk No. 3
Complete …. $805.00

Color and size to selection.
Options available:
Front brake (short reach)—Campagnolo …. add | $40.00
Seat Post cut, fluted & painted …. add | 10.00
Phil Wood Hubs …. add | 12.50
Phil Wood bottom bracket …. add | 25.00
Personalized stem …. add | 10.00
Campagnolo Super Record …. add | 200.00
Chrome …. add | 100.00

It must be borne in mind that these prices reflect the purchase of a custom built bicycle, Specifications such as bottom bracket height, frame angles, length of tubes and stays, fork rake and wheelbase will be decided upon after consultation.

Custom Bicycles by Confente, 3238 Union Pacific Avenue, Los Angeles, Calif. 90023 Phone: (213) 262-3212
Rexart Cyclery, 1183 West Side Avenue, Jersey City, N. J. 07306 Phone: (201) 792-6350

[Price list for the Confente Pro Pista custom track bicycle: frame and fork at $400.00, the fully equipped bicycle with Campagnolo Nuovo Record parts at $805.00 and priced options, above a blue spade emblem and the Los Angeles and Jersey City addresses.]