The Cinelli Supercorsa is the world’s most iconic steel bicycle frame and has been in uninterrupted production for almost 70 years.
The first Supercorsa was designed by Cino Cinelli, together with his framebuilder Luigi Valsassina in the early 1950s. His stated goal was “the perfect functional harmony between the three main parts of the frame: the fork, the main triangle and the rear stays.” This harmony was to be achieved through the development of stiffness, elasticity, aerodynamics and aesthetics, with each component of the frame completely redesigned according to the radical criteria of Cino, the stubborn perfectionist.
After 15 years experimenting with and refining what he described as the most “philosophical” piece of equipment produced by his brand, Cino and Valsassina arrived at the iconic solutions still so clearly recognizable in today’s Supercorsa: the proprietary sloping fork crown, the double-bolt fastback seat stays, pointed lugs and perfect Italian stage racing geometry.
Since then – the mid-1960s – the frame has undergone only two significant modifications: a new graphic system for the frame designed by Milanese legened Italo Lupi in 1979 to complement the introduction of his “winged-C” Cinelli logo and, in 1984, the introduction of the Cinelli Spoiler bottom bracket, the only microcast bicycle frame part to ever be granted a patent.
All other modifications to the frame have regarded subtle and “under-the-bonnet” technological updates of steel materials and manufacturing techniques, allowing for the original ride quality and aesthetic of the Supercorsa to remain respectfully unchanged.
ENDURANCE
CLIMB
CRITERIUM
GRAVEL
Description
| Taglie (c-f) / Sizes 48 to 61 (1 cm) - Made to Measure | Telaio / frame COLUMBUS SL Double Butted Tubeset |
| Serie sterzo / headset EC30/25.4-24TPI | EC30/26 | Reggisella / Seat Post Ø 27,2mm |
| Stringisella / Seat Clamp Integrated | Scatola movimento / BB standard ITA 70mm |
| Deragliatore Anteriore / Ft. derailleur Braze-On | Passaggio cavi / Cable routing Rear brake internal routing - Downtube shifter bosses |
| Colore / Color Rosso Ferrari - Bianco Perla - Azzurro Laser - Titanium Grey Verde Jaguar - Black Tie - Blu China - Giallo Curry | Passaggio ruota / Tire clearance up to 700x25c |
| Forcella / Fork Columbus SL 1" Threaded | Peso / Weight Frame 1830 g (size M) - Fork 670g |
| Standard freni / Brakes standard Standard road caliper | Interasse mozzi/Hub spacing Front QR 100mm Rear QR 130mm |
| Frame Kit/Kit Telaio Frame / Fork | Caratteristiche / Features Pure italian Cino Cinelli geometry / Proprietary lugs / Cinelli spoiler |
Geometry
| 48 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59 | 60 | 61 | 62 | 63 | 64 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T | 510 | 515 | 520 | 525 | 535 | 540 | 545 | 550 | 560 | 565 | 570 | 575 | 580 | 580 | 590 | 590 | 595 |
| a° | 72 | 72 | 72,5 | 72,5 | 72,5 | 73 | 73 | 73 | 73 | 73 | 73 | 73 | 73 | 73 | 73 | 73 | 73 |
| b° | 74,5 | 74,5 | 74,5 | 74 | 74 | 74 | 73,5 | 73,5 | 73,5 | 73,5 | 73 | 73 | 73 | 73 | 73 | 73 | 73 |
| R | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 |
| C | 401 | 402 | 402 | 402 | 403 | 405 | 405 | 405 | 405 | 406 | 407 | 408 | 409 | 409 | 409 | 410 | 410 |
| F | 557 | 571 | 573 | 573 | 583 | 579 | 579 | 584 | 594 | 599 | 600 | 604 | 609 | 609 | 619 | 619 | 620 |
| WB | 948,5 | 963 | 964,5 | 964 | 975 | 972,5 | 973 | 978 | 988 | 994 | 995 | 1001 | 1007 | 1007 | 1017 | 1018 | 1019 |
| E | 66 | 69 | 70 | 73 | 73 | 73 | 73 | 73 | 73 | 73 | 73 | 73 | 73 | 73 | 73 | 73 | 73 |
| Stack | 486 | 495 | 505 | 513 | 523 | 533 | 541 | 550 | 560 | 570 | 578 | 587 | 597 | 606 | 616 | 626 | 635 |
| Reach | 374 | 377 | 379 | 377 | 384 | 387 | 383 | 387 | 394 | 396 | 393 | 396 | 398 | 395 | 401402 | 399 | 401 |
Today the Supercorsa is built with identical tube diameters to those of 1960s Supercorsas, but the steel used to draw the tubes, Omnicrom, has intrinsically superior metallurgic characteristics which allow it to be worked in such a way to allow the Supercorsa to benefit from a very contemporary steel “ride feel”.
To your right, a photograph of the original 1960s Supercorsa sloping fork crown (right) next to the more streamlined and aerodynamic sloping fork crown introduced in the 1980s and still in use today.
Luigi Valsasina, the framebuilder who, under the guidance of Cino Cinelli, built the first ever Cinelli Supercorsas in the 1950s.
The iconic fast-back seatstays of a recently brazed Cinelli Supercorsa
“My whole life has been informed by my two passions: wind and water and the “Spoiler” bottom bracket is the fruit of these two passions in its most – for me at least – compact expression” Engineer Gianni Gabella, inventor of the Spoiler bottom bracket, the only die-cast bicycle frame part to ever be granted a patent and the only significant hardware alteration to have been made to the Supercorsa since the 1960s.
A “Blu Laser” Supercorsa photographed on the factory floor that Columbus shares with Cinelli
