Cinelli Solida

Price Paid:  $89.00 at colorado cyclist

Favorite Ride:
fast course riding

Bike Setup:
Campy Record, Mavic Reflex tubular rims, Coni comp 19s, Lotus (design Cinelli frame)1986 vintage (same geometry as Pinarello Prince 2008)-- killer machine!

Summary:
I am 51 years of age, and I have ridden bikes since I owned my first tri-cycle at 2. I promise you I don't ride slow, and when riding with my buddies on their colnago C-50s, Pins, etc, my Lotus flys right along with them. A big part of cycling is how your ride handles, and the bars can make or break you. Cinelli Solida, at 215 gm. is triple-butted strength in any variation you wish to put it. It is the as strong as you need it to be -- it will not give, it will provide PERFECT handling (did I say perfect)and you will be more than happy with the top quality Cinelli puts out with this bar. I highly recommend this bar if you ride at the top!

Strengths:
Light, at 215 grams. Strong, per its' triple butted design. It looks and feel are quite unsurpassed!

Weaknesses:
0

Similar Products Used:
Deda

Price Paid:  $40.00 at Online

Favorite Ride:
High Elevation

Bike Setup:
Full Dura ACe Custom Seven. Part of a weightweenie project.My bike comes well under 15 pounds and part of the lightness comes from the the 330 grams cinelli handlebar and WCS(100mm) stem set up.

Summary:
I love this handlebar. I bought it for lightness and indeed my 40 size(which is only 38 Center to center since stupid Cinelli measured their bar outside to outside)weighs about 196 grams. My comes with a 25.8/26 clamp area. I bought this in march of 2006 knowing quite well that 26. center clamp technology is very much obsolete. However, matching this bar with an older -17 degrees, 26.0 WCS stem gives you one hell of a light set up, well under 330 grams, lighter than even the most au-current, expensive, and lightest integrated bar-stem handlebar out there.

Strengths:
-cheap handlebar so very replaceable during crashes.
-very light(lighter than most carbon bars out there which I could afford but chose this for the lightness); mine is 196 grams at size 40
-26 clamp-allows a lighter set up; I'm under 140 pounds so I'm not worry about flexing this ultralight bar. However, I can imagine some flexiness with bigger guys so 26 clamp will not work for everyone
-nice cable grooves along the bar
-made in Italy...but really, who cares in this day and age?

Weaknesses:
-Caution. Cinelli measured their bars O-O, or at least this bar model.
-not too much space under the drops...one reason it's lighter
-Not as anatomical as Bontrager, Deda, Weyless, etc..and others I've used.
-requires a 26 stem....technology has progressed to 31.8 so finding the correct 26 stem is kind of hard.