I bet it will clean up real nice. It definitely an early 70's, pre-Columbus days.
Many years ago, I found a 1980 Cinelli that was filthy. I took it apart and cleaned it. It came out great. The paint is a bit flat and it has a few scratches, but it is a gem.

Great find, great story. That's pretty much the only bike I still covet. And to me, that is the ultimate Cinelli SC color - not the only one I like or would gladly accept, mind you, just the top of the heap IMHO. And while I will admit to a slight twinge of envy, it always makes me happy to learn that a bike of that magnitude (for lack of a better word) finds its way to someone who appreciates it for the wonderful piece of functional art that it is.

BTW, cyclomondo currently has replacement Fiamme rim labels up on eBay for $10 BIN - https://www.ebay.com/itm/Fiamme-rim-d...item45f47bdb0f. He has five designs form which to choose; from what I can see from the photos, option B or C are the rights ones for your rims, with B looking to be closer to the disintegrating originals. Obviously, your on-the-spot eye can tell more than I can.

Very interesting, noting the colors and the wheels.
I wonder if that's why Cino chose Fiammes and that color for one of his '85 projects.
I think the bike will be stunning once cleaned up. I'd really like to know the geometry.

You and I think alike. There isn't another bike I would rather have than one of these early 70's SCs ...but I remember the black one my pal in Utah had for a while. That was THE bike in my mind.

When he sold it, he had just shown it on the CR list. Many of the guys there picked it apart, saying it was a re-paint, decals were a quarter inch off, etc., etc. He knew it hadn't been touched. Sold it to the one guy who wrote in and said he still missed the one he had in college, but could never afford the asking price. My pal sold it to him for about half of what it was worth.

Great find, wonderful bike.

Below are some dating guidelines that I compiled, and that iab added to in a previous thread. It's not the gospel, but might be helpful in dating your bike.

Late 50s – Larger head badges with dark blue paint discontinued
· 1960ish – Decals lose metallic quality silver and gold
· 1960/61 – Campy Sport RD hole no longer (occasionally) appears on rear dropout?
· 1960-62 - Wolf ear head tube lugs disappear?
· 1962 – Cinelli buys Nitor saddles
· 1962-64 – Model B occasionally equipped with Altenburger dropouts, derailleurs, and brakeset.
· 1963/64 - Alloy Cinelli bars introduced
· 1964ish – BB shell shifts from occasionally 74 to consistently 70mm?
· 1965 – Oil ports discontinued
· 1968 - 1A stem introduced
· 1968 – holes in lugs appear
· 1968ish – Brass head badge becomes aluminum
· Early 70s – fender eyelets taper off?
· 1973 – Seat post binder bolt changes?
· 1974/75 – bottle braze-ons appear?
· 1977/78 – Change of logo on stems
· 1978-81 – Change of logo on bars
I'd say the wolf ears disappeared by 1960.
The 74mm BB was 1960-64?
1946-48 were Giotto Cinellis
1948-1950 maybe 52 the seat-stay cluster is very Frejus-esque.
1950-1955 Model Bs had internal rear-brake cable guides.
Never seen a B with an oiler port.
B production went into the early 1970s.

Edit: I forgot to add, I have never seen Cinelli branded cranks (likely Magistroni) after the 50s.

Unbelievable find. And +1 for your description, very funny!

Yes. The story is bigtime. I can just imagine being on the receiving end of that phone call. "C.....I......N....E.....L......."
Oh man. Dream stuff.

Timmy!!!!!!! Great bike ,great find,great price,you are a lucky man!

Wow. What a bike!

Any sensible person would get an amazing amount of pleasure cleaning that machine up... if it was my size I would find out where you live and hunt you down

sure hope (hint!) that this is just the beginning of an epic thread in which you document all the steps between "before" and "after". We can't all get a vintage Cinelli of our own, but we can live vicariously through your opus. Bravo!!

I am not sure what I am going to do with it. I got on it today and it's too small for me. I feel like I was hit by a bus.


I will measure it tomorrow.

Bummer. Sorry if you are not going to be able to make it work for you. Something tells me you're about to be deluged by PMs. It's days like this I wish my bike fund was not so depleted, as it looks to be my size and this would certainly make my grail bike shortlist.

What an amazing stroke of luck and a beautiful bike - I have spent the last 2 years on exactly the same project - building a silver early 70's Cinelli SC - it took me a year to find a '72 frame (a size too big but I figured I could live with that) and I am still looking for some items to complete the build. To have an all original bike handed over - what a dream!

In terms of the vintage my research would tell me that it is no later than a '73 - all the photos I have found of SC's up to '73 had the Columbus downtube sticker you have (Garantiti in bold on the bottom line and gold metallic foil colour) whilst 74 onwards had a different version with Columbus in bold on the bottom line and the sticker is a flat gold colour. I cannot give an accurate earliest likely date although the brake calipers are stamped with Campagnolo rather than blank like the first edition Record version so I would say '69 to '73. The Patent number on the RD will likely give you the year.

I really look forward to watching the project unfold in someones hands.

Frank, you can just flip that real quick to me, for maybe $250 plus shipping?

Kidding, that is an awesome find - it sure looks complete and original. Dang!

I echo Robbie - dying to know the geometry.

Too small!?!? I wouldn't care if it was mine, just raise the seatpost and get a longer stem. For example, my ideal size is 56cm, but I can ride anything from a 52 to 59 or 60 if I really like the bike. Just make some adjustments and then tell yourself "All this time I was a 56 and I didn't even know it!" then you won't worry about it anymore. Your bike looks like a 56cm square to me. Anyway don't let a centimeter or two spoil your fun, that's for sure..

I will try a couple of things for sure to try to get a better fit and ride the bike a bit. Most of my vintage bikes are 58 or 60 TT.

73/73, 30mm drop, 428 chainstays to middle of wheel slot. seat tube 560 center to top, 560 TT.

I noticed one of the rims was a super champion. There are also two high-flange sets. One is Weinmann and the other may have been Nisi.

Where can I find more info on this gem? I have seen the CR info.

I think I would be inclined to get it very very clean, polish the rust spots on the chrome, do some paint fill and level on the tubes and do my best to bring out the color on the frame details.

On the components, clean and repair any crash damage and replace any bent or damaged fasteners etc. I looked the frame over and found no dents.

I have another saddle about 20% better but this one is perfect.

The paint is very thin but it's pretty solid like the transfers. The owner kept it well lubed and it's perfectly tuned and as smooth as warm butter on the stand. The shifting is intuitive. I have some perfect levers and hoods for this bike as well.

What would you guys (and gals) do with this bike? I am still in shock really and feel like the Dali Lahma borrowed my van to "move some stuff" or something. It's a little too small and haven't worked around that yet.

its my size!

I'm a 60 too Frank, but if I found that, I'd keep it. Those don't come around much anymore, but I'm happy to see there's still one to found now and again. Keep it, admire it, even ride it.

Frank,

IMHO, this is karmic payback to you, if you know what I mean...

Couldn't have happened to a better guy.

I'm sitting here enjoying this story along with everyone else.

Clean it. Ride it. Enjoy yourself.