I have just bought a Cinelli bicycle in Italy, but it has not arrived here as yet.

I believe that it dates from the early 1990's and the Seller has told me that the frame tubing is Columbus SL and I have no reason to doubt that. All the fittings are Campagnolo Veloce and the wheels have Campagnolo rims.

The photographs on ebay show that the tubes are fluted, similar to Gilco - but apparently not actually Gilco. The tubes are not fluted for the total length of the tubes, to allow for braze-ons etc.

Can anyone please explain how the Gilco tube fluting came about, who made it / used it and who adopted the fluted design ? It appears that somehow Columbus did - or did they ?

The Seller told me that the frame was built originally for a professional racing cyclist and it was from this person that the Seller obtained it.
I am fairly certain that the professional [or team] would not have used Campagnolo Veloce items !

A friend in Italy who has an indepth knowledge of post 1950's bicycles has commented that it is peculiar that the bottom bracket does not have the raised Cinelli name. If this frame was a "special" perhaps a different bottom bracket was used ?

Or is all of this a load of waffle - I don't know !

The fluted tubing does interest me and the Seller has told me that the chromium plating and paintwork is origianl, as are the decals. He's probably correct.

When the bicycle is delivered I can take some photographs of it but being an ancient old geezer I haven't a clue how to put them on here - an electronically brain dead geek ! I could send them to someone's email address and let them put them on here ?

Keith