57cm Cinelli Model B: Original Paint/Parts - Record - Stronglight - Universal - Nisi - Way Assauto - Unica-Nitor - Red

Very clean and nearly all original Modello B from the 1960's or very early 1970's! This would be an amazing L'Eroica bike. Paint and details are original, and all but a few parts are original. It has the typical Model B standards like Stronglight cottered crankset, Unicanitor saddle on Nitor seatpost, chrome-plated bronze Campagnolo Record rear derailleur, and Universal 61 centerpulls. The only non-original parts are a 1980's Cinelli 1A stem, Suntour freewheel, and slightly newer Nisi rims from ~1977.

The Model B was introduced sometime around 1950 as Cinelli's top level racing bike, alongside the (Model C) lower end Riviera aimed at the townie market. It wasn't their first racing bike though, that was the Modello Super Corsa Lusso circa 1947-1951.  Sometime in the 50's Cino Cinelli released the Modello "A" Super Corsa, which was the foundation for the Supercorsa that ran into the 90's and is being produced again. The "A" was a reaction to the roads becoming paved and overall much nicer in Europe, which allowed for lighter steel and tighter angles. It became the "road racing" bike where the Model B became the defacto B-Road bike capable of riding dirt, gravel, and pave.  Dating the Model B is almost a fools errand, as there is minimal surviving marketing materials or solid dates when features were changed. They often appear older than they are due to the more traditional components like that cottered crank and centerpulls.

The frame number is 103, and frame numbers aren't a reliable predictor of age on these.  This is an outlier though, the vast majority of frames in the Cinelli Registry are over 2000, with only 3 or 4 frames below 1000. 

Condition

Lovely original survivor condition! Zero dents/dings. Paint and decals are 100% unrestored and look amazing for it's age. Decals are exceptionally nice with minimal wear with exception of the "Made in Italy" at top of the headtube. The chrome lugs, crown and dipped stays are very clean with only light aging. The only significant wear is sweat wear that has been touched up on the top of the top tube (largely hidden well by the cable housing) and a bit of touched up wear on the non-driveside downtube just to the BB side of the decal. Otherwise only minor chips and scratches not worth noting individually.

Components largely are excellent to mint with very little wear to note. Brakes/levers, derailleurs, post, crank, wheels, pedals/clips, are exceptionally clean. Gum hoods on levers are supple and clean, tires have slight cracking on the sides of the tread and the rear has a slow leak. Saddle has some rub wear to the leather. 

Frame details

• Frame number: 103
• Top tube: 57cm
• Seat tube: 57.5cm c-t
• Head tube: 148mm

Components

• Wheels: Campagnolo Nuovo Record on Nisi Mercurio D'Oro 1977 rims
• Crankset: Stronglight 55 Competition steel cottered w/ Simplex rings: 170mm x 52/49t half-step
• Derailleurs: Campagnolo Record
• Shifters: Campagnolo Nuovo Record
• Brakeset: Universal 61 Centerpull
• Saddle: Unicanitor w/brown leather
• Seatpost: Nitor
• Pedals Way-Assauto Zenith w/ Balilla toe clips & unbranded red leather straps
• Chain: Regina SC
• Handlebars: Cinelli Giro D' Italia old crest/shield logo
• Stem: Cinelli 1A Flying C
• Tires: Clement Futurox
• Freewheel: Suntour 5sp 13-26t