Gios Compact?
 

Hey guys, I am looking at buying this Gios compact frame and as I look around online there is a lot of mixed reviews on gios bikes and in general a lack of good info, so I was wondering if you guys could enlighten me. What does the Cinelli on the bottom mean? Is is this frame from before the company split? Sorry for being a noob.

I don't know anything about Gios and Cinelli ever being one company and splitting. Not saying it didn't happen, just that I never heard about it. Not too surprising since I don't follow the European steel frame market all that much. What I do know from personal experience is that besides stems and bars Cinelli was famous for its investment cast steel bike frame components, lugs, fork crowns, dropouts, seat stay ends and (Ta-Dah!) bottom brackets. If the bottom bracket is embossed Cinelli on the bottom, it is likely because it was one of those. And probably (not certainly by any means) the lugs and perhaps the fork crown is also Cinelli. One design that was very popular in Cinelli fork crowns was the fully sloping one. If the Gios bike has one of those, you will recognize it immediately. Fully inserted into the fork blades with no lug-like structures on the outside of the blades. I doubt there was ever any true advantage (strength, stiffness, durability, etc.) to having a steel bike built with that brand frame components, but at the time, it was thought so and was considered very prestigious.

You can find pictures of all this stuff here: http://www.classicrendezvous.com/Ita..._frm_parts.htm. Click on the pictures for more examples and detail.

I owned and quite regularly regret selling my gios compact that was very similar to this frame. Some Cinelli parts mixed with Dedacciai tubing i believe. They're a really nice frame, and that's a great price. Its quite a short wheelbase, really nippy ride. I loved mine, but sold my soul to go carbon. the company has some great history (brooklyn gum etc) and its probably been sullied in recent years with what appear to be pretty low-end bikes under the brand, but once upon a time they were pretty awesome.

These use to be sold by Excel Sports in Colorado. You could write to them, however it has been probably 8 or more years since I recall seeing these in their catalog.
Spanish rider Escartin (sp??) rode one in the TDF back in about 1999.

I meant when the Gios sons split up the company in 2009. One is Giostorino, the others are made in asia now? I'm no expert, I just read that online somewhere. Anyways thanks for the comments guys!

My Italian made GIOS compact had adjustable rear drop-outs, and the frame was quite stiff. The top tube was short for my reach, but that was my fault for choosing extra compact geometry for my size. I cherished that bike and also have regrets selling. My experience was positive.

Awesome! Now i just have to win the auction. :)

i have a gios compact with oria tubing. might be my favorite bike! i use it as a flat bar road bike with dt shifters.