Cinelli SuperCorsa Build

[Velo13]

I decided that she'd been sitting in a box for 6 years too long. I have had all the bits together for nearly a year, but not the time or the impetus to build her up.

A very late 90s, and as a result actually has an aheadset steerer. They switched back to threaded again in the 00s.

She's going to get a full '97 Record Ti 9s group (apart from FD and Seatpole, both Chorus), with my 24h/32h Campag 10s training wheels, Cinelli Groove stem and Giro bars, and a Rolls.

This one is very special to me - a bit like owning a Ferrari Dino 246GT (not that I ever have) - seems a shame to have such a beautiful piece of machinery just sit in the garage. This one is going to get ridden.



Sorry, inside photos with big tungsten lamps and yellow walls!



Just a peek at the chrome lugs.



Neuron tubing means that it can still be quite stiff and light, but have a classic look with standard diameter tubes.



Very understated (at least compared to the shiny lugs).



The finish is unreal, and the attention to detail sublime.



Semi-vertical drops - but this is NEVER going to be a fixie!



Some copper slip and the build has officially started.

[Dan]

4 days til Raturday. My guess is its half done by now

[vaeske]

dan its prolly built and he's taken it for a spin already!

[GaryF]

"SPECIAL" is the word that comes to my mind.

Fantastic frame - Parts list is mouth watering. I can hardly wait to see the finished article.

[Velo13]

4 days til Raturday. My guess is its half done by now

Yeah. Just needs wheels and cables.

[Dan]

Steal, beg, borrow - I want to see this come raturday! Perhaps a challenger for bike of the year, alongside mustang's pinarello?

[munga]

now i'm truly disappointed i'll be working this raturday

[Dan]

J, is neuron what max aimed to be, but with a standard diameter and regular section?

[BRLVR.v2]

Love that brake bridge.

[Velo13]

J, is neuron what max aimed to be, but with a standard diameter and regular section?

Neuron is the same grade of steel (Nivacrom) but very thin wall, and yes, standard diameter. I believe it was released in the late 90s though.

MAX was Nivacrom as well, but released about 1991. It has lots of very funky shapes, and all oversize. MAX is my favourite tubeset. Of all the steel I have ridden, MAX rides the best - stiff as, comfortable, and known to be bombproof. It does come at a slight weight penalty (probably less than 10%). The standard lugs were very heavy though .... but there were ways around that.

I do admit to some emotion during this build





It better not rain on Raterday.

[munga]

if it rains, you can bring it and ride someone else's spare bike.

[Dan]

if it rains, you can bring it and ride someone else's spare bike.

Act 1. Where munga considers ditching work on Saturday, loads spare bike into van, then calls cloud seeding service...

[Velo13]

Done. 9.3kg as you see here (Campag Nucleons - some of the best factory wheels I have ever seen).

Took her for a ride yesterday, and she's great (1500g wheels always help). Racier than I expected: steep seat & head tube + super short stays = short wheelbase. Certainly feels more "spritely" than my CAAD9 (at least in the steering department). This will be a great descender I feel.



Got a ride up Mt Nebo planned for today. Will report back.

[singlespeedscott]

One of the nicest rides I've seen on here in awhile. Just beautiful!

(Whispers, just needs a nicer stem to match the rest of the build and maybe some classic Veloflex master skin wall tyres)

9 speed Record titanium, IMHO, is Campagnolo's nicest ergo groupset. The carbon stuff just isn't as pretty.

[Velo13]

One of the nicest rides I've seen on here in awhile. Just beautiful!

(Whispers, just needs a nicer stem to match the rest of the build and maybe some classic Veloflex master skin wall tyres)

9 speed Record titanium, IMHO, is Campagnolo's nicest ergo groupset. The carbon stuff just isn't as pretty.

Thanks Scott for your kind words.

I agree about the stem. Ideally silver, but Cinelli didn't make many aheadset stems that work with 26.0! Certainly not in silver anyway.

9 speed Record is my favourite too - less "clunky" than 8 speed, and seems smoother in the shifts than 10s. I have not tried 11s yet.

[Dan]

+1, that's a very nice looking ride. Would've joined you for Nebo if I'd known. Will see it tomorrow though - not much descending to be had on the raturday loop though!

[tripstobaltimore]

Very nice, love the look. Well done

[GaryF]

How long was that lying around in the box for?

It would be very interesting to measure the head and seat tube angles. I wonder just how upright they might be?

I was also interested to see the seat cluster wasn't half chromed like earlier Supercorsa's but that is neither 'here nor there' as it is simply beautiful. I could look at it for hours.

I quite like the stem (which just has to be Cinelli) with it's gentle downward bend. The Campy 9 speed is really at home mate to your beautiful frame.

(This post has taken me quite a while as I keep going back to the photos - I just can't stop looking at the photos)

[Velo13]

How long was that lying around in the box for?

Six years on my watch. Previous owner hadn't ridden it for about 6 years prior to that.

It would be very interesting to measure the head and seat tube angles. I wonder just how upright they might be?

She doesn't feel twitchy at all. However coming down the corkscrew today, I noticed the short wheelbase every time I hit the brakes hard on steep sections, into those hairpins. Faster weight transfer (forward) than my CAAD9, even though the brakes aren't quite as good. Perhaps the deep bends on the bars, or the short chainstays, but likely, both!

My riding partner was on a CAAD10, and we both thought that his rear chainstays were at least 15mm longer than the Cinelli.

Down through the big sweepers though, my bro in law couldn't get away (and he's a very good descender).

I was also interested to see the seat cluster wasn't half chromed like earlier Supercorsa's but that is neither 'here nor there' as it is simply beautiful. I could look at it for hours.

For some reason when I acquired her, there was some rust on that chromed lug, so I had it sorted by Peter at Star Enamellers. Re-chroming meant doing the whole frame again, and this bike is not a show piece anyway.

I quite like the stem (which just has to be Cinelli) with it's gentle downward bend. The Campy 9 speed is really at home mate to your beautiful frame.

I don't mind the stem, but I'll keep an eye open. Even a Groove in Silver would be an improvement. Campy 9 was the obvious choice, and when it came on my Merckx (the next retro resto planned) I knew that I had finally found the group that would do the Cinelli justice.

Thanks GaryF, I am glad you like her.

[dubrat]

Did this make it up to ride Raterday

[Dan]

Did this make it up to ride Raterday

It did indeed - check the vids in the Raturday thread for a few close-ups AK

[humanbeing]

Awesome, very cool

[dubrat]

Looking forward to getting 2 x Cinelli SC to a Raterday ride....

my new purchase sneek peak

[Dan]

glorious!

[munga]

bloody hell, we (by "we", i mean "I") might have to step up a bit if we keep getting these sweet rides along.
repco's just aren't cutting it anymore!