hahahahaha...... yeah,...right.
(hate mail and death threats just aren't my cuppa tea )

i must point out that i ride a small frame(49/50 c-c). my experiences may or may not apply to medium and larger sizes from those same builders(ie-YMMV).

ime, most builders can put out a medium sized 700c /27" bicycle that handles & fits reasonably well but when it comes to very small and very large sizes the builder is faced with compromises to make, primarily toe overlap, reach & wheelbase.

to my way of thinking, the choices made by the builder to accomodate the challenges of the small or tall rider says much about the builder's fitting experience, his design skills & particularly his priorities.

ime, de rosa was one of the few builders that didn't attempt to fudge his geometries & the bike's handling charateristics in order to fix "problems" that rarely ever present themselves or can be easily accomodated by the rider's technique.

from my personal experiences, I've come to really question the merit & validity of the praise given to many of the so-called "masters" and legendary companies.IMO, a lot of the accolades heaped on those had more to do with self-promotion/marketing skills and/or foo-foo detailing/bling rather than a mastery of bicycle dynamics, design and fitment.

k