Chuck Schmidt wrote:
>
> Brad Orr wrote:
> >
> > This is the first time I have seen a Cinelli "Domino" stem on a
> > Colnago and, as Grant states below, it too looks rather out of place
> > on this bicycle much like the rims....
> > Anyone know when these stems were produced and sold? I don't think
> > they were made for very long, as you don't see them very often.
> > Also, were there any earlier attempts by Cinelli (prior to the Domino)
> > to have a front-opening stem for easy handlebar removal?
>
> I think the Cinelli Domino first showed up in the mid 1980s. Pretty
> strange; the whole upper half is rubber/vinyl? that hinges forward for
> bar removal. The lower half of the forward extension is half-round
> aluminum with a vertical rib that keys into the upper half. Since the
> stem's forward extension is more like half a stem, as you can imagine,
> it's very flexy in torsion (sprints, climbing etc). It is the earliest
> front opening Cinelli stem I'm aware of.
I'd add that there _is_ some aluminum in the upper hinged half too, inside the rubber/vinyl?, but it's not the best choice of stem for strong riders...
Chuck Schmidt
South Pasadena, CA