Vintage Cinelli Advice
 

I've inherited an early 70's Cinelli from my uncle and I'm looking for some advice about what I should do with it.

My uncle took it in trade for some work he did for a Cinelli dealer but my uncle wasn't a cyclist and this is a go-fast bike, so he & the bike didn't get along.

The bike is 100% original with less than 25 miles (probably less than 10). It's in seemingly poor condition because it's been hanging in an unheated Michigan barn for at least 35 years.

However, I did a quick clean/lube on the drive train, pumped up the old tires and took it for a spin around the block. I'm amazed that everything works!

The question is: Is this a collector's item that I should sell in its original condition or is it just an old bike that I should fix up and ride. I need a new road bike but I don't want to be stupid and trash a nice Cinelli.

What do you think? Photos here:

http://www.planesoftware.com/downloa...li/Cinelli.pdf

Thanks for your help.

Man - what a shame about the condition! If that bike can be rescued, it has definite collector value - though it needs a lot of money put into it to return to anything like its former glory. My bet is that's a 1950's Cinelli - that's an Altenburger Champion rear derailleur - very cool. It's a major project, that's for sure - those Cinelli fenders have a good deal of value by themselves if intact, and I'm sure the derailleur does, too.

"Seemingly poor condition'? What would you consider 'actually poor condition?

Toss it on eBay as is. Offer to ship to Japan for $350.

Besides the rust/corrosion that is not a 25 mile bike so I would take that out of your description as it come across as kind of lame.

It is a collectors item but it is in really rough shape with almost all the plating destroyed. The problem with that is that even the metal underneath is bad which means that a re-plate (important to some collectors) would probably be out of the question.

It is most likely early 60's, a Mod. B judging by the fork crown but it does have a fairly rare Altenburger derraileur which I have only seen on one other Cinelli.

You won't likely get much as is... not much left to trash, remove the rust and ride it.

vjp

That would be one great project, but not cost-effective, just fun to do.

Agree. I think if it was 50's I'd expect the extra ears on the lugs. No oiler port underside of the BB, though (can't see all of the upper side).

Even with spending money on rechroming, which I would never recommend, it would be cost effective.

Model Bs never had an oiler port.

As is, I would guess $1,200-$1,500. The fenders alone will get you $500.

Where in MI are you? I would be willing to drive to see it in person if you are not too far.

Merci. Didn't know that. That Cinelli is before my (very limited) Cinelli knowledge commences (mine is circa '67).

(I did check out JB's Model B, but there was no pic of the underside of the BB shell.)

New to my eye are the rear-facing adjuster/position screws on rear dropouts. Also, the hubs. Anybody got a comment on them.

J

I said "seemingly" because it's not as bad as it looks. I guess it depends on perspective. The rust is obviously a huge problem, but I lubed the chain and pumped the original tires and this bike rides.

I'm in Ypsilanti Township near Ann Arbor's eastern border. 734-389-8989

>> not a 25 mile bike

I'm just guessing about the mileage but my uncle wasn't a cyclist and the gear ratios are pretty tight on this bike. I don't think he rode it more than a few times around the neighborhood. Look at the tire wear.

I know if I had that bike, I would baby it. Polish every aluminum component, do the very best job I could derusting everything. I suggest stripping the bike down, including the headbadge, and giving it a good oxalic acid bath, see how it is after that. If the frame still seems down after that, a professional restoration may be in-store.
I agree with iab about the value. I don't know much about Cinelli's, but one that old WILL bring good money, no doubts.
-Gene-

That's a hot one. There isn't any chrome left on it. No point in running bronze wool over the thing; there's nothing but bare metal beneath.

Perspective? Try looking at it from the perspective of the fellow you want to sell this thing to, and not from your own wishful thinking. Be sensible about what you say or claim, or you'll end up coming off like a used car salesman to your prospective buyers.

That said, I once fished a Huffy out of a canal. It had been languishing there for quite a few years. I lubed the chain and pumped up the tires. Guess what? It worked.

Tires don't match, and they look to be from the mid-1970s or thereabouts; newer than the bike, at any rate. The nubs and mold lines are gone, which takes quite a bit more than 25 miles to accomplish.

-Kurt

P.S.: Picchio, can you ID those hubs? I have one sitting around like that with a solid axle. Doesn't really strike me as a high-end piece.

Here is the other one I have seen, archived on Velo Sniper.

http://velosniper.blogspot.com/2008/11/sold-1126.html

vjp

The fenders are indeed valuable, but be aware that the front fender is broken and the stays need to be rechromed, so I'm not sure they will get you $500. The last "good" set I saw, sold for $600.

I think they're Altenburger hubs.

The hubs are Altenburger - they were also sold uner the GB name in the UK. I think they came out in the early 60s - 62-63 and that would appear to be when this Cinelli Model B comes from. Because it is so original and complete it will fetch very good money despite its condition.

Translation: leave it as is, and put it up on ebay. Don't attempt any restoration beyond what you've done - let the buyer do it. Because this cost you nothing, I'd start with a $0.01 opening bid and no reserve. Use the HTML editor on the ebay form to include large photos in the auction - don't simply provide a link to your photos. And cudak888 gives a good suggestion: only write the facts as you know them, without rhetorical embellishments. Good luck.

I hope that stem is not stuck in there , it is a very sought after Cinelli stem with a headbadge + I think you have a Cinelli headset. I agree with others that you shouldn't do too much , maybe soak the bike in oxalic acid so it doesn't look as bad. The sale (should you sell it) should get you a nice new bike .

+1 Sell as is on ebay. Imbed full size pictures.

+1 I would attempt to see if the seat post and handlebar stem are not stuck. If they are stuck, I wouldn't do anything crazy trying to free them up. If not stuck, just lube them up and reinsert them.

Do not do anything to remove rust, clean it or whatever. A good collector will be very particular about how it is restored.

Clamp your bike stand to the seat post, and not the seat tube. Then retake all the pictures. A collector will not be happy seeing the clamp on the frame tube.


Good luck, should bring quite a bit!

I just saw the bike. It is definitely restoreable, not sure if the OP has any desire to actually sell it. The decals are in decent shape, worse part is the seat tube. The pedals actually spin smoothly.

I told him to try a few drops of PB Blaster on the stem/seatpost, and just wait.

It looks like I've misrepresented this bike's provenance. Especially the part about being 100% original and having less than 25 miles on its clock. Old Fat Guy stopped by to check it out the other day and he quickly noticed that the tires are not original.

Here are the facts that I know personally:

My uncle traded for it in 1971-1972 and he says it was new. He's 87 now and maybe his memory has faded, Or maybe the Cinelli dealer didn't tell him the full story at the time. I'm 60 so maybe my memory is fading too, but I was there at the time.

We rode around the neighborhoods a few times but this bike was too much for him. It got banged around in the garage for awhile before he hung it by the wheels in the barn. It's been there ever since. There's no way he could have ridden this bike more than 20 miles. And he never took it to a shop for maintenance.

That's what I know for sure. I appreciate all your advice, even the oxalate/don't oxalate. I won't attempt to restore it because it will be expensive, I'm not a Cinelli specialist, and I don't need another project. The final decision will be whether to bring it indoors into a stable climate and save it for my kids, or to sell it and use the proceeds towards a modern road bike.

Thanks for all your advice, especially Old Fat Guy (who isn't fat)

Jay