Monday, January 31, 2011

Cinelli SC at 1979 NYC Bike Show


A Cinelli SC on display at the 1979 New York City bike show. Note rollers and pedals.

Photo courtesy of Dale Brown, owner of www.classicrendezvous.com

I invite you to contribute by sending in photographs of your Cinelli bike, illustrations, personal stories, and articles about Cinelli bikes and components.

Thanks for stopping by.

I can be contacted at veronaman@gmail.com

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

The Future of the Laser: Cinelli Hyperion, 1992


This story courtesy of CINELLI (Gruppo S.r.l.).

In 1992 the Cinelli Hyperion appeared in the Cinelli catalog. This was to be the Laser of the future. The Cinelli Hyperion was a sophisticated experiment in the development of the use of sheets of 3-2.5 titanium grade that would be molded around the tubeset joints and then welded. The goal was to reach a level of rigidity that could compete with steel with a weight saving that would not be insignificant. These methods led to the development of the legendary Cinelli Grammo stem (110g in 1992!).

"When Cinelli introduces a new material or a new construction technique the product is reviewed and redesigned to take advantage of the new possibilities offered, and in complete freedom. Thus, the Laser has an image of a very special bicycle, 'rationalized' for performance while at the same time being faithful to the fundamental lines of the frame but but re-proposed in a more clear and focused form."

Photo: click to enlarge

I invite you to contribute by sending in photographs of your Cinelli bike, illustrations, personal stories, and articles about Cinelli bikes and components.

Thanks for stopping by.

I can be contacted at veronaman@gmail.com

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Antonio Colombo with Keith Haring Interpreted Laser



Antonio Colombo with the iconic Cinelli Laser which had disc wheels as interpreted by Keith Haring. More, from www.haring.com, about Keith Haring who passed away in 1990:

"Keith Haring was born on May 4, 1958 in Reading, Pennsylvania, and was raised in nearby Kutztown, Pennsylvania. He developed a love for drawing at a very early age, learning basic cartooning skills from his father and from the popular culture around him, such as Dr. Seuss and Walt Disney.

Upon graduation from high school in 1976, Haring enrolled in the Ivy School of Professional Art in Pittsburgh, a commercial arts school. He soon realized that he had little interest in becoming a commercial graphic artist and, after two semesters, dropped out. While in Pittsburgh, Haring continued to study and work on his own and in 1978 had a solo exhibition of his work at the Pittsburgh Arts and Crafts Center.

Later that same year, Haring moved to New York City and enrolled in the School of Visual Arts (SVA). In New York, Haring found a thriving alternative art community that was developing outside the gallery and museum system, in the downtown streets, the subways and spaces in clubs and former dance halls. Here he became friends with fellow artists Kenny Scharf and Jean-Michel Basquiat, as well as the musicians, performance artists and graffiti writers that comprised the burgeoning art community. Haring was swept up in the energy and spirit of this scene and began to organize and participate in exhibitions and performances at Club 57 and other alternative venues.

In addition to being impressed by the innovation and energy of his contemporaries, Haring was also inspired by the work of Jean Dubuffet, Pierre Alechinsky, William Burroughs, Brion Gysin and Robert Henri’s manifesto The Art Spirit, which asserted the fundamental independence of the artist. With these influences Haring was able to push his own youthful impulses toward a singular kind of graphic expression based on the primacy of the line. Also drawn to the public and participatory nature of Christo’s work, in particular Running Fence, and by Andy Warhol’s unique fusion of art and life, Haring was determined to devote his career to creating a truly public art.

As a student at SVA, Haring experimented with performance, video, installation and collage, while always maintaining a strong commitment to drawing. In 1980, Haring found a highly effective medium that allowed him to communicate with the wider audience he desired, when he noticed the unused advertising panels covered with matte black paper in a subway station. He began to create drawings in white chalk upon these blank paper panels throughout the subway system. Between 1980 and 1985, Haring produced hundreds of these public drawings in rapid rhythmic lines, sometimes creating as many as forty “subway drawings” in one day. This seamless flow of images became familiar to New York commuters, who often would stop to engage the artist when they encountered him at work. The subway became, as Haring said, a “laboratory” for working out his ideas and experimenting with his simple lines.

Between 1980 and 1989, Haring achieved international recognition and participated in numerous group and solo exhibitions. His first solo exhibition in New York.was held at the Westbeth Painters Space in 1981. In 1982, he made his Soho gallery debut with an immensely popular and highly acclaimed one-man exhibition at the Tony Shafrazi Gallery. During this period, he also participated in renowned international survey exhibitions such as Documenta 7 in Kassel; the São Paulo Biennial; and the Whitney Biennial. Haring completed numerous public projects in the first half of the 80’s as well, ranging from an animation for the Spectacolor billboard in Times Square, designing sets and backdrops for theaters and clubs, developing watch designs for Swatch and an advertising campaign for Absolut vodka; and creating murals worldwide.

In April 1986, Haring opened the Pop Shop, a retail store in Soho selling T-shirts, toys, posters, buttons and magnets bearing his images. Haring considered the shop to be an extension of his work and painted the entire interior of the store in an abstract black on white mural, creating a striking and unique retail environment. The shop was intended to allow people greater access to his work, which was now readily available on products at a low cost. The shop received criticism from many in the art world, however Haring remained committed to his desire to make his artwork available to as wide an audience as possible, and received strong support for his project from friends, fans and mentors including Andy Warhol.

Throughout his career, Haring devoted much of his time to public works, which often carried social messages. He produced more than 50 public artworks between 1982 and 1989, in dozens of cities around the world, many of which were created for charities, hospitals, children’s day care centers and orphanages. The now famous Crack is Wack mural of 1986 has become a landmark along New York’s FDR Drive. Other projects include; a mural created for the 100th anniversary of the Statue of Liberty in 1986, on which Haring worked with 900 children; a mural on the exterior of Necker Children’s Hospital in Paris, France in 1987; and a mural painted on the western side of the Berlin Wall three years before its fall. Haring also held drawing workshops for children in schools and museums in New York, Amsterdam, London, Tokyo and Bordeaux, and produced imagery for many literacy programs and other public service campaigns.

Haring was diagnosed with AIDS in 1988. In 1989, he established the Keith Haring Foundation, its mandate being to provide funding and imagery to AIDS organizations and children’s programs, and to expand the audience for Haring’s work through exhibitions, publications and the licensing of his images. Haring enlisted his imagery during the last years of his life to speak about his own illness and generate activism and awareness about AIDS.

During a brief but intense career that spanned the 1980s, Haring’s work was featured in over 100 solo and group exhibitions. In 1986 alone, he was the subject of more than 40 newspaper and magazine articles. He was highly sought after to participate in collaborative projects ,and worked with artists and performers as diverse as Madonna, Grace Jones, Bill T. Jones, William Burroughs, Timothy Leary, Jenny Holzer, Yoko Ono and Andy Warhol. By expressing universal concepts of birth, death, love, sex and war, using a primacy of line and directness of message, Haring was able to attract a wide audience and assure the accessibility and staying power of his imagery, which has become a universally recognized visual language of the 20th century.

Keith Haring died of AIDS related complications at the age of 31 on February 16, 1990. A memorial service was held on May 4, 1990 at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City, with over 1,000 people in attendance.

Since his death, Haring has been the subject of several international retrospectives. The work of Keith Haring can be seen today in the exhibitions and collections of major museums around the world."


I invite you to contribute by sending in photographs of your Cinelli bike, illustrations, personal stories, and articles about Cinelli bikes and components.

Thanks for stopping by.

I can be contacted at veronaman@gmail.com

Monday, January 24, 2011

"The Bike Shop" by Maynard Hershon



My thanks to Dave Martinez for searching through his attic and finding this article in an old issue of WINNING magazine. You can click on the images to enlarge them.

I invite you to contribute by sending in photographs of your Cinelli bike, illustrations, personal stories, and articles about Cinelli bikes and components.

Thanks for stopping by.

I can be contacted at veronaman@gmail.com

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Cinelli "Rapha" XCR Criterium Racer





Beginning January 2011 and for the next two years, Rapha has partnered with four masters of framebuilding to offer four distinct, hand-made bicycles. Each partner has been selected because of the mastery of their craft and passion for road cycling. With each partner we have created a model constructed uniquely for a particular style or purpose of riding. The collaboration between Cinelli and Rapha has resulted in the XCR Criterium Racer. From Rapha:

The choice of the Criterium racer. Fabricated with oversized Columbus XCR stainless tubing, this bicycle is made for diving fearlessly into corners.

Cinelli has been a leader in bicycle design since 1948. Sitting only 10 miles outside of Milan, it stands to reason that design and art also influence Cinelli products. Cinelli is a brand where competition, history, passion and performance have long melded to bring beauty to the sport of cycling.

In an adjacent factory, Columbus Steel is a close compatriot to Cinelli. Columbus began making bicycle tubing in 1919 and has a decorated heritage of powering the likes of Coppi, Merckx, Pantani, Armstrong and countless others.

For this collaboration, the seamless Columbus XCR stainless steel tube-sets are literally passing across the factory floor to Cinelli to make the Rapha Criterium Racer. With geometry specified by generations of building for the strongest, fastest and most fearless in the sport, this frame and fork are intended for the aggressive racer. The Columbus XCR tube material exceeds anything in the market for technological quality and has a higher stiffness to weight ratio than titanium or aluminium, delivering great feel and total confidence at high speeds. Painted Pearl White, except for a polished reveal of the beautiful stainless, and with pink, black and grey race bands, the Criterium Racer marries tradition and performance.

The Rapha & Cinelli XCR is limited to only 30 frames/fork per year because of the scarcity of the material. Delivery of your frame/fork is estimated for 4-months from time of order. Cinelli will take orders direct, go to www.cinelli.it to buy your XCR Criterium Racer.

Price: Frame/fork starting @ €3,500 + shipping; please note: Prices do not include import tax and duty which will vary by country.

Related blog story: Cinelli XCr Stainless Steel

I invite you to contribute by sending in photographs of your Cinelli bike, illustrations, personal stories, and articles about Cinelli bikes and components.

Thanks for stopping by.

I can be contacted at veronaman@gmail.com

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Anésio Argenton and His Cinelli Pista


Anésio Argenton, born in Boa Esperança do Sul, São Paulo, 1931, was four-time Brazilian cycling champion and the only Brazilian who won a gold medal at the 1959 Pan American Games in Chicago. In the 1963 Pan American games of Sao Paulo he took the bronze medal. Argenton also raced in the 1956 and 1960 Olympic Games.

Thanks to Matteo for the information.

I invite you to contribute by sending in photographs of your Cinelli bike, illustrations, personal stories, and articles about Cinelli bikes and components.

Thanks for stopping by.

I can be contacted at veronaman@gmail.com

Friday, January 14, 2011

Cinelli Tribute Jersey to Viktor Kapitonov's Victory


Cinelli has issued a tribute jersey for Viktor Kapitonov's legendary victory aboard a Cinelli at the 1960 Rome Olympics in which he out sprinted the home town favorite to claim the gold medal. Kapitonov had also mistakenly thought he had won earlier only to discover that there was one lap remaining:


In full size here.

The limited edition numbers 300 jerseys. Available from Cinelli here and Probikekit here.

Related story: 1960 Rome Olympic Champions Celebrated

I invite you to contribute by sending in photographs of your Cinelli bike, illustrations, personal stories, and articles about Cinelli bikes and components.

Thanks for stopping by.

I can be contacted at veronaman@gmail.com

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Cinelli Pursuit Concept by Erik Nohlin


An independent design study undertaken by Erik Nohlin, see his portfolio here.

I invite you to contribute by sending in photographs of your Cinelli bike, illustrations, personal stories, and articles about Cinelli bikes and components.

Thanks for stopping by.

I can be contacted at veronaman@gmail.com

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Formula Bici: An Almost Cinelli Story



This story courtesy of CINELLI (Gruppo S.r.l.).

Formula Bici: An Almost Cinelli Story

Recently we received some photos from a Cinelli collector asking whether a track frame he had recently acquired was a Cinelli or not. It had a graphic schema similar to that of the supercorsa, utilised Cinelli investment cast frame components and had a small Cinelli decal on the seat tube, the stated brand of the frame, though, was Formula Bici and on the top tube there was the signature of a builder called “Andrea Pesenti”. Andrea Pesenti indeed has more than a strong link to the Cinelli brand, he was the Cinelli framebuilder for over ten years and famously has built every single one of the Laser frames ever produced, without exception, and continues to do so for next year’s reissue of the model.

Formula Bici was a subsidiary company of Cinelli formed in the early 80s, around the time when we Cinelli began tig-welding BMX frames– the famous CMX series – the first frames built by Andrea, an early proponent of this construction method, with Cinelli.. Around the same time Cinelli decided to create a subsidiary brand, named Formula Bici, which would produce simple, slightly more economical variants of the classic Cinelli steel models of the day for Cinelli to sell, primarily but not exclusively, in its shops it had at the time “Gran Ciclismo”. Just as some of the later Laser frames include Andrea’s engraved signature on the underside of the bottom bracket shell, some Formula Bici frames are also “signed” by Andrea. The style of these frames was simple, restrained and elegant, usually only in one solid colour with single colour decals, a sort of early parent to our current line of Gazzetta frames.

The legacy that remains of this brand lies in a few simple classic frames made with functional good quality components made by Cinelli, and, unusually for the period, evidencing the name of its own framebuilder. The photographs below are courtesy of Stefano Pedrini, owner of the frame. Note the particular fork crown with the two point to match the Formula logo and personalised Italian Cycling Federation details on the seat stays."






I invite you to contribute by sending in photographs of your Cinelli bike, illustrations, personal stories, and articles about Cinelli bikes and components.

Thanks for stopping by.

I can be contacted at veronaman@gmail.com

Monday, January 3, 2011

A More Affordable Cinelli



I invite you to contribute by sending in photographs of your Cinelli bike, illustrations, personal stories, and articles about Cinelli bikes and components.

Thanks for stopping by.

I can be contacted at veronaman@gmail.com