I am going to be looking at a Cambio Rino bike that was listed on a local BBS . The owner says it is at least 30 years old. Searching the postings on this site there seems to be a consensus that the Italian Cambio bikes are very desireable and the Toronto ones are of spotty quality. The age he gave me makes me suspect it is Italian ( 2009-30=1979) I got the impression that they started building in Toronto in the early 80's. Am I correct? Does anyone know the date they crossed the pond? Is there a sure way to tell? Thanks John Foster

What makes you take the seller's word that it is at least 30 years old? I don't think any bikes carrying the name Cambio Rino existed in 1979. Look at the lugs to see how neatly brazed they are. Then take the bike for a spin, if it rides well, who cares where it was built, the bike will never be a high collectible unless it was once ridden by some world-class athlete.

+1 Unless the seller was the original owner (bought the bike new), I would have zero confidence of his date. I have yet to meet a seller that was correct on bike age, except for the guy that bought the bike new.

Sellers are often full of misinformation.

the first that i became aware of cambio rino was approx 1981. there was no 'crossing the pond". joe gardin in toronto imported the cambio rino bikes & components from rino radiaali outside of milan, italy and sold them under the cambio rino and excel brand names. later he got into trouble with cambio rino, italy as mr gardin expanded his line with bikes and components produced locally and/or sourced from asia ,which he marketed without agreement under the cambio rino and rino brands.the two companies parted ways and joe gardin continued on selling his domestic and asian bikes as gardin's. cambio rino in still in business today.

the mid & upper end bikes of both companies are rare and desireable for their ride qualities but not particlarly valueable as collectibles.

I just bought two cambio rino bikes... any way of telling if they are "better quality" ones?? they are both Columbus Zeta Tubing and have engravings in the frame. Both have RINO engraved in the rear seat stays by the seat post, on one of them the top of the forks are flat and slanted down with "Cambio Rino" engraved and the other has rounded smooth fork tops with the same engraving... both take current allen key bolt brakes

I only bought them because I collect bikes with engraved frames because of how unique they are (and I got a good deal) but I'm just curious if they are the better ones. One was $200 and the other one was $300 (the $300 one had been switched over to all campy victory components)

thanks!

Hi, Shutter-

Zeta tubing was hi-tensile steel. They are entry level Rinos.

I have owned quite a few Cambio Rino bicycles, over the years. Some were pretty darn nice, such as my Cambio Rino 2000 or my Cambio Rino SP and some were not all that nice at all.

Here are some shots of other CR bikes I have owned...








This one is not mine...

While Zeta was technically a hi-tensile steel, one should be cautious about lumping it with all other hi-tensile steels. Zeta was substantially thinner than the hi-tensile tubes found on your typical entry models, making it quite a bit lighter and a popular selection for the club racer models. Depending on the components, Zeta bicycles typically ranged from upper entry level to lower mid-range.

Hi, thanks! One is red with Zeta tubing and the other one is some other Columbus tubing and is actually the exact same bike as this one...

Rino components were cheap, ,and looked it.

Yea, they look kinda like campy coppies... But you have gotta love the engravings in the frame and forks, I'll post pics of mine later...

From what I have read, the frames were good quality, but the components were all in house stuff that was so-so

The frames are great if you swap out to real campy (one of mine was already swapped to campy victory) and the other was a bare frame that I will make into a fixie Or SS with all campy super record

ok... here's the pictures of the better frame of the two (Those are just some wheels I had kicking around... they won't be used on the frame)

It is not ZETA... it's some other Culumbus... it's a really nice frame... at least I think so =)
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Very nice indeed. Gorgeous frame.

Nice frame!

Thanks! Still not sure of my plans for it... Might swap out the tri- colour shimano 600 group from a different bike I have onto this frame... Currently that group is on a lower end Miele frame... Haven't desided yet...

Those look like Columbus SL tubing decals. If so, and if they are original to the frameset, that's undoubtedly the top-level frame. Does the inside of the bottom end of the fork's steerer tube have rifling (spiral ribs)? Is the seatrpost size 27.2 mm? That would also be a good sign....

Those are Columbus SL decals on the blue bicycle. Despite the presence of the Columbus decal on the fork, it is not a full SL frame. The stays are lesser grade steel. The model is a Crono. The Zeta equipped frameset is a Corsa.

Hi, yes the seat post is 27.2 (the other RINO I have is like 26.8 or something like that)

I will check the steer tube tonight

Thanks!

So I. Your opinion, is the blue one a Top of the line RINO frame then??

[QUOTE=Shutter;13820098]So I. Your opinion, is the blue one a Top of the line RINO frame then??[/QUOTE**

It depends on your viewpoint. Cambio Rino did make higher end frames but my understanding is that they were not offered in Canada at the time, so as not to provide direct competition with the Gardin bicycles. At the time, Gardin and Cambio Rino were offered via the same company in Canada, with Gardin covering the high end and Cambio Rino covering the mid-range.

[QUOTE=T-Mar;13820282]Hmmm... Well... With my experience with Gardin this frame is pretty high end then... I have seen some nice Gardin bike frames, but nothing this nice... But this is just from my own experience...

[QUOTE=Shutter;13820421]After the falling out with Cambio Rino, Gardin did move into mid-range and I 've also seen some early ones with pretty shoddy workmanship. However, they did clean up their act and I've seen some very nice Gardin.

[QUOTE=T-Mar;13820608]True... I have seen one really nice Gardin frame... Almost bought it but It was Reynolds tubing and in partial to Columbus... It was also a tiny but too small and a tiny bit too pricey for just the bare frame ... It was a Gardin TNT frame with nice engravings in the frame for $275...

As I mentioned earlier, I have owned quite a few Cambio Rino bicycles and several of their sister line, the Gardin bicycle. And what I believe is this...

If the frame is Columbus SL, or better, and fitted with Campagnolo drops, then it is a top of the line frame set. If both of those requirements are not met, for either Cambio Rino or Gardin, then you do not have a top of the line issue. Remember, that is my opinion, and a very general one, based on the actual dozen or so bicycles I have seen and/or worked on.

The only Joe Gardin product I have ever run across that I would consider top of the line was my Gardin Special Anniversary(my name), and a special issue one, at that, commemorating Campagnolo's 50th anniversary...


Rino components do leave much to be desired, as a rule, however..;

T...the ones fitted to my Cambio Rino 2000 were pretty darn nice and worked just fine...

Damn!!! That's a sweet Gardin... well.. I know that most companies have an exception to the rule... one or two models that are VERY high end... but In general I think it's safe to assume that my Cambio Rino Frame is High end (but probably not TOP end)...