Cinelli micro cast bottom bracket
 

I have just bought a Battaglin Arc Pro bike and am trying to workout what the frame is made from. It has a Cinelli spoiler cast bottom bracket and takes 27.2mm seat post.

The components used on the build would suggest it’s a frame from the 90’s. it’s got a Columbus fork, what do think the frame is made from?

Steel
Most probably Columbus.
what range? Good question.
as the bike is old now and new to you, strip it down and weighing the frame and fork without ANY parts will suggest a range, be sure to account for frame size.
not super accurate method but the bottom bracket shell is heavy, could be Alle to SP or SLX to SPX.

in general, mass is almost extraneous

Thanks, I’ve got some tools but getting the cranks and bb off could be a challenge. Would a 27.2 mm seat post eliminate any Columbus tubing?

Not really. SP and other cheaper/heavier sets will normally take a smaller post, but can be reamed to 27.2, so the post size doesn't prove it's not heavier stuff. But reaming is work, so for efficiency (laziness, cheapness) it's rarely if ever done on production bikes. You can't rule out mods done by a previous owner though.

If you take the bottom bracket bearing out and look inside the tubes there, look to see if there are raised ridges in a slow spiral, like helical splines. That would indicate something like SLX, SPX or TSX. If those tubes are all smooth bore, then you've eliminated those 3 with the X in their name but it still leaves a lot of possibilities.

My advice is don't worry about it, ride and be happy. Unless you're trying to flip it for profit and want the magic words to help sell it, the model of tubing used won't affect your own enjoyment.

This is good advice for more than just this particular bike. With two of my bikes (a Ron Cooper and an Albert Eisentraut), there is no tubing sticker and no other indication of what tubing was used, except that Ed Litton was able to identify Vitus seat stays (based on a stamp visible thought the BB hanger and Ed's knowledge from working with Eisentraut BITD). Sure, I'd like to know what tubing was used on them, but only for curiosity's sake. I long ago decided that, whatever tubing they have, if it was good enough for those builders, it's good enough for me.

Always remember, you may not want to know how the sausage is made.

It is far more important that the builder knows what he and you want and knows how to make it happen.

Their experience and expertise will get you far further than any formula, chart, spec sheet or tubing decal.

I wanted 531 for the Strawberry.

Dave Levy laughed when it was done and I asked about it, he said "I think we used 1 tube, maybe".

The length needed for a big frame were a challenge and I wanted all oldschool skinny, Dave said are you sure it will be whippy. I said that's ok it's what I want.

I got exactly what I wanted, it is amazing and rides like a dream, exactly what I wanted, all good, so good. :love:

this is just "educated guessing" but I own a CIOCC with the Cinelli "spoiler" IC BB shell which i believe was built in late 1980s or early '90s and had a Columbus SL tubing sticker. I have never seen that BB shell used with any tubing a "lower price point" than SL (or SP if a larger than 58cm frame)...such as Aelle, Cromor, Gara.

But certainly might have been used with SLX, SPX or TSX tubing, or high-grade Oria and Deda steel tubesets.

There will always be exceptions and, YMMV

But for a better guess how about posting pix of this Battaglin Arc Pro (sounds like a top-level frame but not one I'm familiar with)?

Likely some form of Columbus tubing...they make so many tubing types...perhaps SL tubing perhaps something less or better...

Here's an ended eBay auction for an ARC Pro that claims it's SLX.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/267217246...=&toolid=10050

Well, the "spoiler" bottom bracket was introduced in 1984 (according to Cinelli; some sites place the introduction a year earlier). 27.2 was a pretty common seat post dimension.

My 1989 Cinelli frame has parts from 1996-1998, so those may not be of much use in dating the bike.

If you want to believe the frame is from the 1990s, that's fine, but it also could have been built years earlier.

If the OP's Arc Pro looks anything like this eBay example, that's one hella nice Battaglin! And SLX tubing would be perfectly appropriate for a frame of this vintage and quality, IMO

Thanks all. I bought the bike to ride and enjoy. The plan is to swap components as and when needed, so I will check the inside the bb for rifling. But the main thing will be getting some miles in. Curiosity led me here and your knowledge has been super helpful.