Hello all,
I missed the original post and photos from Alex, but I agree with Mike. There is no logic to the numbering system. I have two Cinelli frames waiting to be built up with three digit serial numbers. That's right; 3 digits, not 4. I have yet to get any definitive information as to when they were made. In addition to the dimensions of the head badge, the background color is significant. The background color was a dark blue until the late 50's, perhaps even 1960. After that the background color was black. Then, of course, the badge design changed in the 70's or 80's.
The earlier (50's and early 60's) SC frames had threaded holes in the chainstay and seatstay bridges for attaching fenders, as well as a threaded hole for an oil fitting on the underside of the b.b. But this no doubt is well documented info in the archives.
Jay Sexton Sebastopol, CA
That's all I know.It is really a fools game to try to date a Cinelli by the serial number. There is no logic to the numbers. Perhaps there is a scheme to it, but until someone "unlocks" the mystery, there is no reason to use numbers as a guide. The only exception is if you know the number and its a bike that came into the US through Cupertino, sometimes they have it in the log.
One clue that I've asked Alex about is the size of the headbade. Cinelli around 1956 or so went to the typical size headbadge where previous to that a larger one was often used.
Mike Kone in Boulder CO USA
I learnt a lot from the Colnago appeal, so am trying my luck with a Cinelli
> >. Are the experts the same for both marques?
> >
> >Alexander March
> >Bordeaux
> >France=0A=0A=0A
>
> It's a beautiful bike.
>
> The Cinelli registry indicates a few early 1960s bikes with numbers
> between 5300 and 5600 - yours is 5514, so it would fit in there.
>
> However, yours has "ears" in the lugs, and those seem to have been
> deleted around 1960. So your late 1950s estimation seems likely. If
> the saddle is original, it would date from after 1957.
>
> Is it possible that Cinelli built frames for stock, but only stamped
> them with numbers once they were sold? So a late 1950s frame might
> have been sold only in 1960, received it number and then was
> chrome-plated? (When I bought my Marinoni in 1990, it was a stock
> frame that was then painted to my specs.)
>
> Chrome may be original, I have seen a few chrome-plated 1950s Italian bikes.
>
> Jan Heine
> Editor
> Bicycle Quarterly
> 140 Lakeside Ave #C
> Seattle WA 98122
> http://www.bikequarterly.com