Re: [CR]Was: Windsor v. Cinelli,. Now "Cinelli" crowns

(Example: Production Builders:LeJeune)

From: <"richardsachs@juno.com">
Date: Mon, 22 Nov 2004 15:53:33 GMT
To: OROBOYZ@aol.com
Subject: Re: [CR]Was: Windsor v. Cinelli,. Now "Cinelli" crowns
cc: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org

snipped: "Maybe one of the CR list pro frame builders can tell..."

davis components.
e-RICHIE
chester, ct


-- OROBOYZ@aol.com wrote:


In a message dated 11/22/2004 7:47:29 AM Eastern Standard Time, jerrymoos@sbcglobal.net writes:

<< Of course the Cinelli fork crown was widely copied, my 1975 Raleigh Pro has one. Or did Cinelli sell the crowns to companies like Raleigh? >>

Here's a basic bit of info that all vintage bike buffs need to learn:

The integral, full sloping crown is widely referred to as a "Cinelli crown" but is usually not that at all. Most all British bikes of the OT era used other crowns, French or British made, which were made to fit the deeper front-to-back and narrower Reynolds blades (so called "Imperial oval" shape) This was a 29 mm x 18 mm if memory serves. Reynolds later switched over to the fatter Columbus style blades in the late 1970s /80s(?)

The genuine Cinelli crown was sized to use the fatter Columbus-introduced "Continental oval" which was 27 mm x 20 mm or so. Very few British bikes used this crown.

Placed side by side, the two look quite different.

Here's a unbuilt true Cinelli.

http://www.classicrendezvous.com/images/Italian/Cinelli/SC_crown_2.jpg

Cinelli never made the SC or the SCA crowns to fit the older style Reynolds blades.. (They did make the "semi sloping" external MR crown to fit either though.. I have some Imperial sized spares if anyone needs one!)

Here's a French crown using old style Reynolds blades (on one of my Hurlows)

http://www.classicrendezvous.com/images/British/Hurlow/Hurlow_DB2_2.jpg

Maybe one of the CR list pro frame builders can tell us who made those "Cinelli style" full sloping crowns; Brampton? Haden? Prugnat?

Dale Brown
Greensboro, NC