Contini

[Jesper]

I am receiving a plethora of frames (Colnago, Lusa, Liberti, Libertas) coming in the back door. I'll try to post them in separate threads before they head out the front door.

Figured I would add a recently acquired Spanish Goi-Contini frameset with crimped style tubing. I believe all the "Cinelli" looking stuff is fake (logo color scheme is different); but that's purely an assumption without any knowledge regarding a possible business relationship. Not sure how they were able to copy the design, but I don't think Cinelli has anything to do with this marque unless there was some sort of licensing agreement which may be why the logo colors are different than what Cinelli had traditionally used.
I believe these models were made with Columbus crimped Nivacrom tubing (no decal to prove it on this frame), and I've yet to see an image of the frame tubing decal when viewing other Contini examples when a decal is present. If the the frame tubing is Nivacrom over Cyclex ( is GILCO crimped tubing still Cyclex pre- and post-'86?) then it would probably be very late 80s to early 90s since Nivacrom was introduced circa '86, but it may not have been widely for bike frames until a years later. Even it it is Nivacrom tubing, I have no idea as to the actual tubeset model. I purchased it fairly cheap because I questioned the fork's origin (even though I like the design). I have seen forks of a different design with the "Cinelli" logo on the crown. Goi-Contini website states that they have been around for 42 years (circa 1980).

More photos forthcoming.

 

[dnc1]

Hi @Jesper .
You are correct with the assumption that there is no connection between 'Contini' and 'Cinelli', but, as you say, how did they get away with such a blatant rip-off of the 'Cinelli' logo?
It's blatant theft, surely!
I have it on very good authority from a Spanish amigo that 'Contini' crimped the tubing themselves, and the tubesets used were either whatever 'Columbus' tubing they could lay their hands on, or whatever 'Reynolds' tubing they could lay their hands on; or, a mixture of the two!
I'm still in Mallorca at present and I'll ask my friend if his frameset examples have any tubing decals, and see if I can get photos.
He has 3 or 4 of these framesets.

 

[dnc1]

I am receiving a plethora of frames (Colnago, Lusa, Liberti, Libertas) coming in the back door. I'll try to post them in separate threads before they head out the front door.

Figured I would add a recently acquired Spanish Goi-Contini frameset with crimped style tubing. I believe all the "Cinelli" looking stuff is fake (logo color scheme is different); but that's purely an assumption without any knowledge regarding a possible business relationship. Not sure how they were able to copy the design, but I don't think Cinelli has anything to do with this marque unless there was some sort of licensing agreement which may be why the logo colors are different than what Cinelli had traditionally used.
I believe these models were made with Columbus crimped Nivacrom tubing (no decal to prove it on this frame), and I've yet to see an image of the frame tubing decal when viewing other Contini examples when a decal is present. If the the frame tubing is Nivacrom over Cyclex ( is GILCO crimped tubing still Cyclex pre- and post-'86?) then it would probably be very late 80s to early 90s since Nivacrom was introduced circa '86, but it may not have been widely for bike frames until a years later. Even it it is Nivacrom tubing, I have no idea as to the actual tubeset model. I purchased it fairly cheap because I questioned the fork's origin (even though I like the design). I have seen forks of a different design with the "Cinelli" logo on the crown. Goi-Contini website states that they have been around for 42 years (circa 1980).

View attachment 1693462

View attachment 1693461
More photos forthcoming.

The colour scheme is very restrained on the example you've shown, compared to some examples I am aware of.
Most of them are very bright 'flouro' colours, often 3, or even 4, different colours featuring on one frame, fading into each other.

 

[Jesper]

Thanks @dnc1. Don't go out of your way on my account; but I would like to know more if possible.
I would love to find a frame sporting both Reynolds and Columbus decals due to mixed tubesets being used. I might have to do that on a no name frameset just for laughs; but I hate wasting decals because they are needed for real projects.

I could have gotten one of the multi-colored frames (Carreras?), but deferred to, as you say a "very restrained" livery. I think I also preferred the chrome seat lug look.

 

[Jesper]

I am still waiting on this frame to arrive, but in the meantime I have been able to find examples of other bikes which have been built with Cinelli frame parts on them, but have nothing to do with a collaboration with Cinelli in any way other than builders who used Cinelli frame parts in their construction. Apparently, during 1982-1984 (at least) Cinelli (at that time having just been taken over by Columbus a couple years prior) was providing frame fittings to outside builders. A builder from Vetta, Antonio Taverna, stated that he made frames during the '82-'84 period for Vetta using Cinelli parts. These bikes had "CX" engraved into the upper portion of the seat stays. A Basso example has been shown with the "CX" markings and the Cinelli frame parts, but no Basso markings other than the decals (fork crown is Cinelli embellished). I don't know if the Basso was a contract build by Taverna while with Vetta, or another builder.