Cinelli knockoff? or great frame

[McGrath1864]

uys,

I know its an old story. I bought the frame off eBay. Came with a Campy bottom bracket and headset. Cinelli marked on the forks, brake bridge and top of the seat stays. Campy dropouts. It takes a 27.2 seatpost. Cinelli decals. The question any idea who made it, it seems like a quality frame. Thinking of sending it back. My research says that the seat lug is wrong and missing the serial number - likely not Cinelli. However is it worth keeping for $200?

Photos available if you email me Bike Forum will not let me post photos as I am new

ANY assistance is greatly appreciated

Gerry

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Cinelli made frames as well as castings for the open market. You can buy Cinelli BBs, fork crowns, the lot. Cinelli also invented and patented the internally-lugged fork crown like the one in your photo. It is the real McCoy.

Frame makers often mix and match castings, as is the case in your frame. It has Campag drop-outs and some Cinelli stuff.

Nothing wrong with the frame. It seems well made, which I can see from the quality of the brazing at the BB lugs.

 

[Cycleops]

Looks kosher to me. Nice frame.

 

[McGrath1864]

Cinelli made frames as well as castings for the open market. You can buy Cinelli BBs, fork crowns, the lot. Cinelli also invented and patented the internally-lugged fork crown like the one in your photo. It is the real McCoy.

Frame makers often mix and match castings, as is the case in your frame. It has Campag drop-outs and some Cinelli stuff.

Nothing wrong with the frame. It seems well made, which I can see from the quality of the brazing at the BB lugs.

Thanks that is good news. So you would say, not Cinelli factory but still and quality build with a lot of Cinielli parts. Any speculation as to the tubing. I only know about Reynolds.

 

[fossyant]

Looks a nice frame - proper lugs and BB and Campag drop out. Likely to be genuine (find a frame number) - even if not it's likely to be a Columbus tubed frame.

Have a look inside the BB and see if there is any 'rifles' (spirals) on the chain stays, down tube and seat tube. This would be Columbus SLX if it has.

 

[midlife]

Is a nice looking frame . Have you got a pic of where the seat stays meet the seat tube lug?

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Thanks that is good news. So you would say, not Cinelli factory but still and quality build with a lot of Cinielli parts. Any speculation as to the tubing. I only know about Reynolds.

I

Thanks that is good news. So you would say, not Cinelli factory but still and quality build with a lot of Cinielli parts. Any speculation as to the tubing. I only know about Reynolds.

It could even be from the Cinelli factory because Tulio Campagnolo had a patent on certain types of drop-outs and many frame manufacturers used Campag drop-outs at the time because they could not legally copy it. I'm not sure when the patent expired though.