[CR]Cinelli SC of the 1980s..

(Example: Racing:Roger de Vlaeminck)

Date: Tue, 28 Nov 2006 22:42:49 -0500 (EST)
From: <chasds@mindspring.com>
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: [CR]Cinelli SC of the 1980s..

Signore Kone wrote:

Hee Hee -

I knew the DeRosa comment would generate some feedback. But I'll stick with it - I've seen the Cinelli frames of the period with their paint off (down to the chrome) and they are really nice. Maybe the DeRosa is equal as Chuck says - but certainly the early-to-mid 80's ones and some of the early 70's ones had too many braze imperfections for my taste.

Mike Kone in Boulder CO

***********

I agree with this assessment, from experience (De Rosas could be very sloppily brazed and I have one to prove it, and the 80s De Rosas are a bit crude, imho, compared to the early 80s SC)...one caveat however:

I think the early 80s SCs were designed with the bottom bracket a little higher than is ideal. You really have to steer the bike, in my experience. When you lean them at speed, they tend to want to pop back up. Not especially dangerous, although I almost killed myself on mine, one time, because I didn't realize this thing about it. Once you know, you can compensate accordingly.

Otherwise, the early 80s SC with the holes in the lugs is a very refined beast..lugs nicely filed and thinned too, at a time when most italian makers were not doing that anymore.

Personally, I think the 60s/70s SC reached some kind of apotheosis of italian road-bike design, and while I've occasionally thought of selling mine, I never will. The SC, and the 70s Pogliaghi road, are my favorite "of the period" road bikes, I think, mostly for their ride-quality.

my plugged nickle.

Charles Andrews
SoCal