Originally Posted by 3alarmer

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...the reason we are a little suspicious is that Gios, in their compact line, invested a lot in the design and casting (I think they were cast, I don't know how else they would make something like that), of special socketed frame lugs. they were similar to the ones on the socketed Trek frames. So they were sort of unique in that aspect, among Italian frame makers. I don't know why they would have abandoned that construction method, for welding. Here is the one I have.
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So not only are the dropouts unique, but also look at the seat lug, where it accepts the stays in sockets, rather than brazing the stays into the seat lug in a different arrangement. Some of the Italian makers did move on to TIG welding in the later 80's and 90's. I just don't know much about Gios in the 90's.