Stiff, compact and very responsive...goes like a bullet. Looks good and gets better with age.

Let's you feel the road with every bump

I bought this Cinelli frame some seven years ago from a shop that was clearing stock. The frame came with Zeus carbon forks and I added Mavic Aksium wheels, Cinelli Neo carbon handlebars, a carbon seat post, an old ultegra group set and a Fizik arione saddle.
The style of the frame lends itself to quite an aggressive riding style, which perhaps is not surprising given that it is an Unica 'Squadra course', with the word 'racing'written on the top tube. Because of this I initially found on long rides I would end up with some back pain after the ride.
Over time I countered this with an adjustable head stem that raised the handlebars and made the riding position more comfortable for longer rides.
The bike itself rides very well indeed making you feel like you are gliding along and it is very respensive, reacting when you tell it to.
On top of this it goes...fast. The group set is not a compact so on the flat it can get up some decent speed and when coming down a hill you can comfortably get over 40mph with some comfort in the knowledge that the bike is so responsive.
Comfort however does not stay with you for the whole ride. As the frame is so stiff and responsive it lets you feel the road in detail, which when encountering bumpy country roads on a long cycle can leave you feeling sore and a bit drained after the ride. This is despite the carbon components, so I dread to think what kind of ride it is with metal seat post, handlebars and forks.
That said it is a fun, nippy ride and every time I go out on it I absolutely love it. Added to which it looks really good, especially with a good finishing kit as due to it's age it is starting to look like a classic frame. Gets plenty of attention every time I go out.

Ride is quick & confident. Craftsmanship is superior.

Can be a chattery like any modern fancy competition oriented frame...

Very nice bike. Fast, or feels fast as I age. Reasonable weight so it is not likely to break under me. Excellent craftsmanship and materials. Not crazy expensive.

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50 bikes so far...

Fast responses, light, and very good value. Climbs well and very good for sprinting (which is more than can be said for the set of Rolfs I had).

Well there are just a few small ones if you a very picky. Need to replace the forks for carbon given the ride is quite hard and can cause hands to ache on longer rides. Need to choose tyres with care, the rear bridge is "Very" close to the tyre so 23mm is the most you can get away with and not all brands at that (Axel pros & GP3000's are ok.

I have the version shown in the picture but have replaced the alloy ARC forks with carbon ones, this is a must for comfort and a carbon seat post too. Overall I would say this bike is the most responsive I've ridden and very stiff. It's ideal for sprinting and changes direction quickly without drama. I've been thinking of a new frame but can't find anything that would be better for less than £1000 so I'm upgrading the wheels instead.

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lots of custom frames - 531, 531SL, 653, Alloy kinesis and EPX carbon TT.

Rigid, responsive, agile, great looks.

A little stiff over rough pavement, but that's the tradeoff for a good handling, good sprinting bike.

If this is the low end Cinelli, it's scary to think of how good the Starship or Starlight are. This is a great handling and awesome sprinting bike in a lightweight and great looking package. The price of the frame was only $499 and perhaps my best buy ever on equipment. If you are on a budget, I think this is perhaps the best frame you can buy under $1000.00

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Cannondale CAAD4

Awesome 2000 graphics, beautiful design of the fork, seat stays, and chain stays.

I'm still looking.

This bike is great. I'm not sure if I love it because it rides so well or because it makes people stop and stare. My husband and I have the Year 2000 versions in black with the cool blue graphics.



The ride is comfortable. The bike is responsive. I'm not certain if it is as responsive as my Giant. I can't tell at this point. I've raced on this bike and have no complaints about it at all.

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Giant TCR Team

responsive, stiff, quick handling, black/blue paint scheme

handling may be too quick for some

Looks fantastic and is incredibly responsive. For those who like more relaxed geometry and gentler steering, skip this frame. Ride is pretty standard for current aluminium - comfortable enough, but certainly not steel level comfort. A carbon fork a must. Immediate response to input, which helps makes it a good climber. Probably stiff enough for hard-core sprinters - not strong enough personally to confirm.
A fast ride that makes the necessary concessions in comfort to achieve that speed.
If you don't need TDF brand hype (and often the associated price), give the Cinelli a look.

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various aluminium and steel

Stiff, Light, Compact, Carbon Fork, Looks Good,Handles Well, Integrated AHead

None worth mentioning

Generally the boy to ride, spritns and climbs well. Looks good, its good fun to ride and races well, sounds nice,

Compact Frame

Buy It if you like racing and are hardcore and aren't stuck in the old days. I train on one too and TT

Don't buy it if your a tradiotionalist it'll blow your mind.

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Giant Road RAce Bikes and TT Bikes, BMX, DH MTB