Dave White wrote:
Gary,
Have you seen:
http://ebay.com/
etc.
****
Dave's recommendations on ebay are to be commended, but may be misguided. Later Super Corsas, made once the Colombo family bought the marque, are quite different in their handling characteristics from earlier Super Corsas (to say nothing of the aesthetic differences). I have an early 70s Super Corsa, and also a circa 1980 Super Corsa, and while both are very nice bikes, they handle completely differently. The later frame, as you'd expect, is more upright, but what is most disconcerting is that is seems to have a *much* higher bb shell than earlier frames. This more recent Cinelli almost killed me one day (for those who've already heard this one, my apologies). I was tearing down a hill at about 40mph, the light was green, I thought "cool, I can make this left turn at full-tilt-boogie" I hit the intersection, leaned into the turn, and the damned bike just would not lean over. It was as if some invisible spring would not allow it to lean. I almost hit the far curb doing about 45mph, which would have been catastrophic. 2/3 of the way through the turn I just quit leaning and steered the mofo out of the turn, hitting the brakes. Took five years off my life, easy.
So, while I like my 1980 SC very much (it's very elegant and pretty, and has most of the aesthetic details of the earlier frames--and it accellerates very nicely, and has quick handling in tight spots), I find I have to *steer* it all the time. The older Cinelli, by contrast, as Jay says, just goes where I think. Simple.
So whoever it was who wanted a Super Corsa, I'd recommend holding out for one from before 1978, with the older 50s-style italian road geometry. Those are the keepers.
Charles Andrews SoCal
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