Good memory. I finally pulled the trigger on repainting the Cinelli earlier this year. I ended up not being able to get the chrome re-done (Covid-related tale too long for here), so the frame is just paint. The fork had already been rechromed (another long story) and I decided to keep it all chrome. One thing for sure - no one else has a Cinelli quite like it.

It isn't quite the standard issue Cinelli silver, but it pops a bit more in sunlight. I like to think Messrs. Cinelli and Valsassina would be okay with it. I know I am. And it still rides fantastically.

The Cooper and the Eisentraut ain't too shabby, either.

Like the original, I have not found it and I am not sure what it looks like or even if it exists.

There is a bucket list. Some have been crossed off. Others are unobtanium. Then there are categories of them.

Deep down, I would like to have a race bike from 1950 with the latest technology of the time, preferably Italian but I would be happy with what ever was the prevailing favorite of the time. Don't know what that is either!

You have just been Cinelli "swap'n" .
I look at mine and appreciate it, but would prefer an early 60's example instead.
Might be time to pass it on soon.
I need to finish a long wheelbase project for my son. He likes "calm" bikes.

Not too extravagant but a bike I’ve always wanted. Thanks to a fellow BF member now I have it! A 1975 Colnago Super

Don't give up on the search for a 1960s Cinelli. They are out there, although they tend not to be cheap. But at least in my experience, the wait (and the weight - they are not light) is worth it.

I have never really had a hankering for a "grail bike". I knew little when I first got into vintage road bicycles. As I acquired bikes and learned more and more about them, I reached the point of being totally happy with what I just found. However...

Now, twenty years later, there is a special steed that I dearly want to acquire and I am even willing to pay for it. My "grail bike", which I do not have so no pictures, is the more exotic version of this Legnano Grand Premio. I want a fifties or sixties Legnano Roma in my size with: chrome socks and head tube lugs, a head badge and, of course, the Legnano green paint. My Grand Premio, one of three Legnano bicycles that have come my way, over the years...

Confente, Weigle, Chapman

mine needs paint- the early bikes suffered in the finish- Mario got snookered on the chrome, no copper, and from the looks, no nickel layer.
the paint was done outside - not optimal.
yours confirms that a painted fork crown is OK
Nice shift levers too. Only real bling on mine is the original pantographed chainring, will probably use a hi-lo rear hub as I cannot figure a better use for it.

Indeed, the bike shop rumor was between the cast parts, and the SP tubing, Cinelli was on the heavy side.
I have plenty of bikes, but if a Black 60's in a 55 or 56 presented itself... maybe. At this point, appropriate to sell off some to manage the purchase.

Don't know how many noticed this frame has no wheelbase adjustment, chain tension is done with what I am pretty sure is an eccentric axle. Even that requires a lot of work for the builder to plan, especially to get the fender line correct too.
Solid effort.

That Chapman is sexy!

I read someplace (can't recall where now) what the tubing wall thicknesses were for Cinellis before the terms "SL" and "SP" had been coined. Up to 60cm or 61cm (not sure which), the dimensions match up exactly with what is now known as SL. Above that (like mine), the measurements match up exactly with SP.

That is pretty nice.

I suppose a Raleigh Team bike, built with Reynolds 753 tubing by the Specialist Bicycle Developments Unit in Ilkeston might qualify....



the drilled dropout faces are a fun detail. The front dropouts are similarly drilled.


I'm not sure why they had a special decal on the chainstay, but it is one of the details of these bikes...


Steve in Peoria

Good eye, it’s a White Industries ENO rear hub. Brian did such an amazing job, so happy with the bike.

Still one if my favorites.

Just popping back into these forums after some time away. Fun necro reboot on this thread. I'll play.

Being a child of the 60's-80's, my list is pretty predictable (pick any 3):

- Colnago Super in Molteni colors
- Masi Gran Criterium
- Cinelli Supercorsa
- Merckx MX-Leader
- Pogliaghi

I'm building up a recent acquisition now that will suffice, and have a frameset on the way that will also do (Mondonico built Torelli Nitro Express EL-OS in mint condition with 9sp Record and Merckx Corsa-01).

Gorgeous bikes. Just gorgeous.

My grails - my bikes - are all built on frames I lusted after as a teenager with no chance of ever getting one. Largely because they don't have that extra nostalgic kick for me, none of these are on my "God, I want it" radar. (Okay, maybe the Confente if it were in my rather large size. Maybe.) The same is true of the other bikes that have been posted in this thread. But I still love seeing and hearing about them and I am admiring the heck out of peoples' choices. Not a "WTF" in the bunch, but tons of bike porn.

It's big fun to see what floats whose boat. This is about as good as "YMMV" gets, at least in the C&V world.

1941 Viscontea - First-gen cambio corsa and is the earliest known Faliero Masi-made frame.
1920-something Maino - Raced by Learco Guerra and has the most bizarre digital derailleur.
2020-something custom - I want to design and make my own bike, someday.

Aren’t grail bikes supposed to be something you are pining for , and not something you already have?
Anyways mine are the Trek Y Foil. Almost bought one selling for $600 locally but it had some unexplained cracks on head tube paint:


and pink Look KG171:


in general I tend to collect components: I will buy any and all carbon 26.0mm drop bars that come my way, as well as Forte/Wellgo titanium spd pedals, Profile and Ritchey CrMo Stems, Ritchey WCS seatposts, Cinelli Mutant stem: