Anthony Mezzatesta

[magoo]

I just read where Anthony passed away unexpectantly last Fri. He was a custom builder in the Pittsburgh area. Anthony did some modifications for me a few years ago. Very nice work and very inexpensive. I've often wished I could have afforded him building a frame. He was only 63 years old.

[William]

Wow, I'm very sorry to hear this. He was kind enough to participate in one of our Builder's Spotlights a couple of years ago. RIP Anthony.


Take a moment to check out and remember his fine work...

Spotlight on Mezzatesta Cycles... (https://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=152819)








William

[keevon]

Very saddened to hear this. I took rwsaunders' Weigle up to Mezz a number of years back to have the fork straightened and frame aligned. Ended up spending an hour or two talking bikes and shooting the breeze with Anthony - it was a very enjoyable afternoon.

He'll be missed!

[CSKeller]

So sorry to hear this. I discovered him when I was looking for a custom bike back in '98/99. His frames are stunning! A frame from him was near the top of my list until I met Rich Gangl, who lives only 80 miles away from me.

Anthony Mezzatesta will be greatly missed by the cycling community.

Godspeed Anthony!

[mhespenheide]

Ah, shoot. Very, very sorry to hear this. In '88-90 I was a junior racing with the Hudson Valley Velo Club and Tony sponsored our team with custom frames. There were a lot of evenings in those winters that I hung out in his basement watching him work, pestering him with questions. He was unfailingly polite and gracious and took me seriously even when he totally didn't have to. I'd always had the notion in the back of my head to get a frame from him ... "someday".







.

[paredown]

Wow, I'm very sorry to hear this. He was kind enough to participate in one of our Builder's Spotlights a couple of years ago. RIP Anthony.


Take a moment to check out and remember his fine work...

Spotlight on Mezzatesta Cycles... (https://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=152819)



William
Thanks for the link--some lovely lug work on some of those bikes....

[rwsaunders]

Like keevon said, I had a pleasant experience with Anthony a few years back and a funny side note, before he worked on my JPW, he called Peter to make sure that that it wasn't stolen...they were friends from years ago.

I recall asking him why he wasn't building more frames as his day job was working as a service technician of some sort and frame building was a side job. He said that when he relocated from the east coast, he lost most of his business as it was local and through word of mouth and the internet was non-existent at the time.

[mosca]

I thought I remembered that name from the old Hot Tubes column in Bicycle Guide. This is sad news, he was one of the originals of American custom frame building. http://bulgier.net/pics/bike/Articles/bicycle%20guide%20magazine/hot%20tubes/Mezzatesta%20p1.jpg
http://bulgier.net/pics/bike/Articles/bicycle%20guide%20magazine/hot%20tubes/Mezzatesta%20p2.jpg

[weisan]

Who would you want to build a bike for you?
Only me. There are a lot of great builders out there , but I know my capabilities and I believe I'm the best.

This is not arrogance, but speaking truthfully.

[djg21]

I just read where Anthony passed away unexpectantly last Fri. He was a custom builder in the Pittsburgh area. Anthony did some modifications for me a few years ago. Very nice work and very inexpensive. I've often wished I could have afforded him building a frame. He was only 63 years old.

Anthony was a good friend. He built bikes for my team in the 90s when he was in the Hudson Valley, and we tried to stay in touch when life pulled us both out of NYC, but in different directions. I last spoke to him last year,

I still have my 25 year old Mezzatesta frame built from Columbus multishape tubing in my basement, and it has been doing duty on my Computrainer for years. My wife has her old Mezzatesta frame, built of “NBI” (Nothing But Initials”) tubing (actually vitus). It’s on my bench waiting to be rebuilt,

Tony was a trained as a jeweler, and hand cut some of the most beautiful lugs you’ll ever see. He was multi-talented — an opera singer and a great Chef as well. I fondly recall having an Italian dinner with his wife Cathy and him at his home in NY, and meeting his mom in her apartment on Bleeker Street in the City. Tony will be missed. My thoughts go out to his wife Cathy and his family.

[bob heinatz]

He sure did great work. Beautiful lug work.

[djg21]

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/postgazette/obituary.aspx?page=lifestory&pid=187928854

[Ed-B]

My Mezzatesta is the red bike shown in the builder's thread starting at post #84. I think I read that Bicycle Guide article about him in 1998, but I didn't recall it when I bought this bike on eBay a few years ago. It's one of my favorites, and I feel fortunate to have this example of Anthony's craftsmanship.

Ed.