Classic & Vintage - Cignal Bicycles

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silent ride
10-04-09, 08:22 PM
Anyone out there know the history of the bike brand Cignal? American company? Foreign? How long were they in existance? I just picked up a Cignal "Sportbike" at a garage sale over the weekend for $20. Shimano components tell me it was built in 1991. It's a 12 speed hybrid style bike. 27x1 1/4" steel wheels, upright handlebars, lugged steel frame with Shimano shifting components. It also has a saddle with Cignal brand on the side. I worked on it on over the past two days and have it running very nicely. It would make a nice around town type bike for someone not concerned with having a better known brand. I tried to find info on line on the Cignal brand, but found very little. Bikepedia had data on this brand and the various models they sold from around 1993 to 2000?, but that's about all I could find. Nothing about who they were etc. Any help would be appreciated.

jacksbike
10-05-09, 12:12 AM
Cignal is the house brand for G.Joannou Cycles of New Jersey. Cannot remember exactly which town that they are located in. It is marketed as a low end bike shop bike, a la Royce Union, etc. They are OK bikes for the money.
cyclistbrian
10-05-09, 08:26 AM
Defunct sub-brand of Jamis

T-Mar
10-05-09, 08:46 AM
Sounds like a Cignal Bimini. +1 to previous comments. Cignal took over where the bottom end of the Jamis brand stopped. Joannou was from (still is) Northvale, New Jersey.
silent ride
10-05-09, 08:55 AM
This Cignal bike appears to be an OK bike - it will do the job, but I guess Joannou's claim to fame at this point is really the Jamis brand. Thanks for the info.
Chris_in_Miami
10-05-09, 09:23 AM
I had a Cignal Sportbike last year, found it at the goodwill for $15 and cleaned it up. It was a lugged frame hybrid like yours, with black paint and 27" wheels wearing Kenda K151 tires (which you can still get from Niagara.)

Mine would have stayed on as my commuter if my Specialized had not come along. The frame geometry was similar to a standard road bike and it would work well with drop bars.
schmev123
11-08-10, 08:33 AM
I just bought a Cignal Bimini this weekend that I got for $50 from someone on craigslist. I'd like to hear from anyone with experience with this bike. The price was right so I bought it. I really wanted a racing bike but I live near a rail trail and was afraid the tires on a racing bike wouldn't hold up.