Show us your vintage Cilo
#1
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Show us your vintage Cilo
I didn't see a thread dedicated to Cilo and Cilo-Swiss, and I know several of you have or had one in your stable, so let's see them! I'll kick us off.

Additional photos:https://imgur.com/gallery/xLMPQ
This is my 1981 Cilo. The details on the seat stays and fork crown refer to Fredy Ruegg, who was a Swiss professional rider. I haven't been able to find any other examples like this. It also oddly doesn't have a serial number that I can find, just the date stamp. It was originally built with full Dura Ace first generation black, which was sold before I got the frame. I made enough progress today to take it out for a shakedown ride, and I'm really happy with it... very light and snappy.

Additional photos:https://imgur.com/gallery/xLMPQ
This is my 1981 Cilo. The details on the seat stays and fork crown refer to Fredy Ruegg, who was a Swiss professional rider. I haven't been able to find any other examples like this. It also oddly doesn't have a serial number that I can find, just the date stamp. It was originally built with full Dura Ace first generation black, which was sold before I got the frame. I made enough progress today to take it out for a shakedown ride, and I'm really happy with it... very light and snappy.
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Very nice, can't wait to see more!
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#3
feros ferio
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I have not seen many Cilo bicycles in my life. Thank you for starting this thread -- I really like your color scheme, and of course I am always a sucker for a Brooks saddle.
I also have a fondness for circa 1980 road bikes, such as my Bianchi and your Cilo.

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"Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." --Theodore Roosevelt
Capo: 1959 Modell Campagnolo, S/N 40324; 1960 Sieger (2), S/N 42624, 42597
Carlton: 1962 Franco Suisse, S/N K7911
Peugeot: 1970 UO-8, S/N 0010468
Bianchi: 1982 Campione d'Italia, S/N 1.M9914
Schwinn: 1988 Project KOM-10, S/N F804069
"Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." --Theodore Roosevelt
Capo: 1959 Modell Campagnolo, S/N 40324; 1960 Sieger (2), S/N 42624, 42597
Carlton: 1962 Franco Suisse, S/N K7911
Peugeot: 1970 UO-8, S/N 0010468
Bianchi: 1982 Campione d'Italia, S/N 1.M9914
Schwinn: 1988 Project KOM-10, S/N F804069
#4
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Thanks! It has been a joy bringing this back to the road. I'm also a product of 1981, so it seems appropriate that my bicycle would be, too--though it is in better shape than me.
#5
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Here are a few shots of my ~'72 Cilo Pacer, which has been upgraded with T.A. cranks, Campagnolo bits, Ideale saddle, and Lyotard Berthoud pedals.
As found:

After rebuild:

With some of my own patina:


With 34mm tubulars:
As found:

After rebuild:

With some of my own patina:


With 34mm tubulars:

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Here's my ~1985 Cilo SLX. No longer own it, as it was too small and the wife already had multiple bikes in her size.
With DA 7400

With 105 (as sold)

More images in this album: https://www.flickr.com/photos/673386...57664744454711
Needless to say, it would not have been sold if it were a few CM bigger.
With DA 7400

With 105 (as sold)

More images in this album: https://www.flickr.com/photos/673386...57664744454711
Needless to say, it would not have been sold if it were a few CM bigger.
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#8
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Don't own one myself but they are pretty common around here. On the "swiss version" of craiglist there is currently 150 hits: https://www.tutti.ch/de/li/ganze-sch...r/velos?q=cilo
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My early 1970s Swiss Cilo Pacer
[QUOTE=gaucho777;19568689]Here are a few shots of my ~'72 Cilo Pacer, which has been upgraded with T.A. cranks, Campagnolo bits, Ideale saddle, and Lyotard Berthoud pedals.
Very cool gaucho777
Your pics inspired me to fix up mine! Mine isn't too far from original. I still want to replace the bars, saddle, and tires, and also clean up the wheels and hubs. Other than that I'm really looking forward to putting some miles on my Cilo!



Very cool gaucho777
Your pics inspired me to fix up mine! Mine isn't too far from original. I still want to replace the bars, saddle, and tires, and also clean up the wheels and hubs. Other than that I'm really looking forward to putting some miles on my Cilo!




Last edited by CriticalThought; 01-20-21 at 10:16 AM.
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#11
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@CriticalThought That turned out great! Your paint is in much better condition than mine. Mine gets a lot of use as a commuter (or at least it did in the pre-COVID era). Every couple years I strip it down and give it an oxalic acid bath. As a heavy sweater in an foggy, ocean climate, it's a losing battle. I like that "Made in Switzerland sticker" which mine never had or was long lost when I acquired it. Nice work on the polishing. Gorgeous crank, too.

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#13
Newbie
Here's my Sport 105...sort of
This one was literally saved from the dump earlier this year and is shown here in "as found" condition. I'm not sure of the year but guessing late 1980's / early 1990's? It came with decent Shimano 105 components and Biopace chainrings.
And yes: it came with a 24" wheel with a MTB tire on the front and a 26" wheel with a hybrid tire on the back. The brakes didn't have quite enough reach for the pads to hit the rims...go figure. I could not let this unique bike suffer this sort of indignity so it now resides in my sanctuary awaiting rehabilitation.
And yes: it came with a 24" wheel with a MTB tire on the front and a 26" wheel with a hybrid tire on the back. The brakes didn't have quite enough reach for the pads to hit the rims...go figure. I could not let this unique bike suffer this sort of indignity so it now resides in my sanctuary awaiting rehabilitation.

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Cilo--90s rehab
I was given this Cilo right around 1990 by a friend who owned a bike shop in New Orleans. It was in sad shape. The frame had a lot of rust and someone had wrecked the bottom bracket threading by trying to force the wrong cups. I had the bottom bracket reamed out and threaded to Italian. I then sent the frame off to Franklin bikes to have it painted. I built it up with whatever I had in hand circa 1990 including the very first wheelset I ever built (specialized hubs and MA 2 rims). I then ended up giving the bike to my brother who just shipped it back to me. It has a 26.4 seatpost and a 22.0 stem. The stronglight competition headset might be original to the bike. The bike was originally white with red lining. It looked just like gaucho777 and CriticalThought 's bikes but it has no chrome. It has the same braze ons though for the cables. The bike is a full Reynolds 531 frame with campy drop outs. The serial number is pretty close to Gaucho's bike (70789).
The bike rides great. Other than the pedals, this is how I fixed the bike up in 1990. Those are dinosaurs on the bar tape . . .
I think I may have to order some cilo stickers from velocals.


The bike rides great. Other than the pedals, this is how I fixed the bike up in 1990. Those are dinosaurs on the bar tape . . .
I think I may have to order some cilo stickers from velocals.



Last edited by bikemig; 04-30-21 at 11:47 AM.
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at this time there was the Sprint X model which came kitted with all Campag NR save for Weinmann centrepulls
worked on one of these for a friend who had purchased it from Bass Sports in Colorado
his example ~1973
then there is the Pacer model such as that of @gaucho777 which came through wearing the Campag Sport chainset, white with red trim is the only livery have witnessed on the four examples of this model have had the opportunity to view
-----
at this time there was the Sprint X model which came kitted with all Campag NR save for Weinmann centrepulls
worked on one of these for a friend who had purchased it from Bass Sports in Colorado
his example ~1973
then there is the Pacer model such as that of @gaucho777 which came through wearing the Campag Sport chainset, white with red trim is the only livery have witnessed on the four examples of this model have had the opportunity to view
-----
Last edited by juvela; 04-30-21 at 12:03 PM. Reason: addition
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at this time there was the Sprint X model which came kitted with all Campag NR save for Weinmann centrepulls
worked on one of these for a friend who had purchased it from Bass Sports in Colorado
his example ~1973
then there is the Pacer model such as that of @gaucho777 which came through wearing the Campag Sport chainset, white with red trim is the only livery have witnessed on the four examples of this model have had the opportunity to view
-----
at this time there was the Sprint X model which came kitted with all Campag NR save for Weinmann centrepulls
worked on one of these for a friend who had purchased it from Bass Sports in Colorado
his example ~1973
then there is the Pacer model such as that of @gaucho777 which came through wearing the Campag Sport chainset, white with red trim is the only livery have witnessed on the four examples of this model have had the opportunity to view
-----
Last edited by bikemig; 04-30-21 at 12:11 PM.
#17
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I'm really glad to be back to in-person work as a teacher, now that my school has re-opened--not only because it's easier to teach in-person, but also because I've resumed commuting on my Cilo Pacer. I really do enjoy riding this bike. Here's a more recent photo, taken last week on my commute home.

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#19
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@jucela, that's a nice example above. ^ What year & model? I like the petite cable guides and unusual stay bridge reinforcements (for lack of a better term).
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it is a machine located online several year back in the course of searching for Cilo illustrations
do not know/recall if listing gave a model name or date
cycle from well before the boom time; note presence of provision for lubrication fitting on shell
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it is a machine located online several year back in the course of searching for Cilo illustrations
do not know/recall if listing gave a model name or date
cycle from well before the boom time; note presence of provision for lubrication fitting on shell
-----
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#22
bill nyecycles
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Just happened to see this thread today! I picked up a what we think is a 1987 Cilo last year from a lady on Facebook Marketplace. It was in pretty decent shape, but tore it down and cleaned it up and now it's even nicer. Full Shimano 600 - but I think a year or 2 shy of when they went to SIS, so it's still all friction shifting. Everything on it is still original except for what I replaced: tires, bar tape, stem, bars, cable/housing. It's one of the best fitting bikes I've owned, and I really truly love it.
Here's what it looked like when I got it (pic from the original for sale listing):

I swapped the 3ttt stem & bars because the stem was too long, the bars were too big, and I hate bars of that shape. So I put on my Nitto Pearl and my Soma Highway 1 bars. I rocked the old 105 brake levers for a while as well. But recently swapped to my Cane Creek levers.
Here's what it looks like currently:

The decals were a mix of real bad, and pretty good. The main Cilo decals on the down & seat tube are in great shape. But the ones on the fork were mostly ripped off, and the colored bars on the seat tube were also in real bad shape. I took off the fork decals and didn't bother replacing them because I love the clean shiny fork as it is. Thankfully, I found a site that sells replacement decals and here's a before/after:

If you want to see all the pics I took from getting it to restoring it, here's the full album: https://www.flickr.com/photos/rattle...57716521761633
Here's what it looked like when I got it (pic from the original for sale listing):

I swapped the 3ttt stem & bars because the stem was too long, the bars were too big, and I hate bars of that shape. So I put on my Nitto Pearl and my Soma Highway 1 bars. I rocked the old 105 brake levers for a while as well. But recently swapped to my Cane Creek levers.
Here's what it looks like currently:

The decals were a mix of real bad, and pretty good. The main Cilo decals on the down & seat tube are in great shape. But the ones on the fork were mostly ripped off, and the colored bars on the seat tube were also in real bad shape. I took off the fork decals and didn't bother replacing them because I love the clean shiny fork as it is. Thankfully, I found a site that sells replacement decals and here's a before/after:

If you want to see all the pics I took from getting it to restoring it, here's the full album: https://www.flickr.com/photos/rattle...57716521761633
Last edited by the sci guy; 05-04-21 at 07:32 AM.
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#23
Malcontent
I have a Cilo I built up. Not sure what year it was made. Columbus SLX tubing, with full 7400-era Shimano Dura Ace, Cinelli Spinacis and Wilber Aspin tubulars. I kind of made it as a 1993-1995 model, since Spinacis were used during that time. This quick pic was taken after our 60 mile club ride.

I’ll show more pictures, if you’re interested.

I’ll show more pictures, if you’re interested.
Last edited by Writenride; 11-05-22 at 11:16 PM.
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#24
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I have a Cilo I built up. Not sure what year it was made. Columbus SLX tubing, with full 7400-era Shimano Dura Ace, Cinelli Spinacis and Wilber Aspin tubulars. I kind of made it as a 1993-1995 model, since Spinacis were used during that time. This quick pic was taken after our 60 mile club ride.

I’ll show more pictures, if you’re interested.

I’ll show more pictures, if you’re interested.
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“One morning you wake up, the girl is gone, the bikes are gone, all that's left behind is a pair of old tires and a tube of tubular glue, all squeezed out"
Sugar "Kane" Kowalczyk
“One morning you wake up, the girl is gone, the bikes are gone, all that's left behind is a pair of old tires and a tube of tubular glue, all squeezed out"
Sugar "Kane" Kowalczyk
#25
Malcontent
Yeah, I really don’t know. It rides beautifully. Not all splatter tape meets Ray Dobbins’s approval, but the Cinelli tape and Spinaci bar ends match well.