Hi All,

Not sure if this is the right place to post this as it's not quite vintage - yet.

Please help me identify this frame and what year it might be. Is it really a Cinelli? My roommate, who also rides, laughed at me when I showed it to her.

I bought it as a Cinelli for $70 on eBay... I know - a gamble. But I liked what I saw and thought it was worth the risk.

Check the pictures...

https://www.skycrawford.com/cinelliPics/cinelli.html

From what I know:

It looks like a late 80's early 90's italian frame. The decals are on the surface and peeling. The forks are Cinelli stamped and appear to match the frame. The frame is super light. At first I thought it might be aluminum - over sized tubing, but have since checked it with a magnet and they are steel. The rear stays are really tall - they look like flattened hot dogs. The rear dropouts are semi-vertical and stamped "T124". The frame appears to be chromed all over, with bright red paint over. The forks are oval, but roundish - like large asparagus. There is one Columbus Thorn Decal on the seat tube - also peeling.

Serial Number and size are stamped on the BB - "49426" and "61"

What do all of you think?

Thanks.

i don't know but either way at $70 it looks pretty nice to me.

Well $70 + shipping from Florence ($70 + $120 = $190)

Columbus Thron is considered an entry level tubeset, nothing wrong with it at all, but entry level. I am not familiar with a steel Cinelli Unica. I thought the Unica was an aluminum bike, there may have been a steel version as well, especially in Europe. I would put the date more in the 90s than the 80s. The rear spacing should be a tip off.

For around $200 delivered I'd say you didn't get the 'Catch of the Day', but not the 'Numbskull' either. If the frame is straight and you can build it up at a reasonable cost, you may have a decent bike. Pay special attention to the rust that seems to be evident. Are the threads in the bottom bracket okay? Hard to tell from the picture.

Good Luck.

it's a 90s bike without question.

A 90's Cinelli for $200 plus a small can of touch-up paint plus a bit of time cleaning it up equals a pretty good time in my opinion. Chuck in a search for the right components, build it up - you will have hours of riding pleasure. Sounds like a great deal.

Clean her up. Build her up. Ride the hell out of her.