Dumb question I know, but one can never be sure.

I un earthed 2 Cinelli "Aero" stems from my secret stash for my Faggin project, and need to determine age.

One has the angled binding block quill, with the inset Cinelli logo being perfectly flush.

The other has an aluminum conical expander, with the Cinelli logo being inset (recessed slightly).

I am assuming the former is older, and would be correct for my 84/85 Faggin.

Is this correct?

Pics would help, but I'm guessing here that the first one mentioned is a XA stem, the other one is a 1R. The latter is the oldest model, the XA came in I think in the second half of the 80s. You can google both names and see if they fit your stems.

Strange.

They appear to be both XA's, but with one being considerably heavier (the angled binding block for securing within the steerer) than the other. They are both 120's.

The handlebar clamp on both is the exposed slash cut clamping design, but the stem with the gold anodized conical expander has the rubber "aero" insert, and the expander bolt is black with what appears to be .075 thread pitch (do not have it here, just memory) versus the obvious .1 pitch of the other.

The conical expander bolt version has the internal splines/serrations in the handlebar clamp allocation, versus the smooth of the heavier angled wedge version.

I could use a 120 cinelli stem if you feel like selling or trading one.

Erzulis, somewhere in your explanation you lost me (no disrespect to you or me!), and others too for all I know. Pics would really help, if only to further our common knowledge of Cinelli stems!

I will bring them in tomorrow, and post pics.

I have an XA like the second one you mentioned with the conical expander bolt. I've yet to encounter an XA with the wedge style, though I'm betting it's an older version. Personally, with the minimal differences that are visable once installed, I'd go with the lighter conical exander XA. Word of warning though, that rubber insert is a major pain to remove and an even bigger one to put back in - just in case you get any ideas about that. When I bought mine - it had a yellow insert in it, and the seller included a white one. Well my bike was blue and white so logically I went to replace it. 45mins later I finally got the job done with some sore fingers and a broken mini-screwdriver.

someone else did a lot of hard work, I just copied the link.

https://www.43bikes.com/cinelli-bars-stems.html

unfortunately it doesn't help you with XA's but I'm pretty sure that XA post dates the 84-85 time you specified.

Thanks Luker! I have A 1R in black, it's got a few marks on it but I think the hidden clamp is really slick.

These are the 2 stems for comparison.



One Cinelli logo insert is flush with the leading edge contour, the other recessed.



Left expansion bolt is black anodized aluminum, with a gold anodized aluminum conical expander with a stainless steel threaded insert installed. The stem is super light with this setup.

The angled wedge quill is the standard Cinelli chromed steel bolt, with a diecast (zinc alloy?) wedge block. This stem is much heavier feeling of course.

The aluminum expander and bolt could be an old school aftermarket accessory, I do not know.

I have several Cinelli stems, and they all have the expanding cone and bolt fixing system. If anything, the one with the wedge is a modification. The conical arrangement would be, in general, nicer to the steerer tube, and lighter, I think.

I think you are right, too - the bolt on the left looks like a hot rod deal...

The locking wedge version is definitely a factory item, because if a conical version was modified, a slot would still be present on the backside of the angle cut, and the machined tapered/conical recess would still be there internally. As the stems penetrate the steerer at equal lengths, the wedge block is most definitely factory.

I traded a Record Offroad crankset for a bunch of parts from a collector in town, and these were in the deal.

If anything, the locking wedge version is probably a later rendition, as this design is easier to manufacture, and the Cinelli logo insert is not as quality (shiny and crisp) as the conical version's.