Cinelli Handlebars: Criteriums ??

[azrider]

Anyone have any feedback on Cinelli Criteriums?

In my search for some narrower Cinelli bars, I've learned there are multiple pairings that'll work with my 26.4 stem.

The Criteriums have piqued my interest but a set of bars I found have drilled cable routing holes? ***? Is that normal? More prone to busting ?

https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8144/7666122706_41f74a5087.jpg

Drilled ??

http://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/~iAAAOSwLVZVqquO/s-l300.jpg

[jtakeda]

More prone to busting

I have some Cinelli 38 Crit bars in 26.4 if that's what you're looking for. Not drilled

[Tickdoc]

Mine are not drilled. Very comfy old bars.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v234/Handgod/F6E767F5-506E-424F-A079-6C289C4C5BC7_zps2eoqhm3g.jpg

[11.4]

The oldest ones had no cable grooves or holes, fit a 26.4 mm stem, and had the old Cinelli badge. Very soft aluminum, but worked fine for road and if you crashed, they bent rather than broke. The good old days.

The badge changed to the Cinelli name, the tubing went through a variety of alloy changes with increasingly thinner walls and finally some heat treating, they added cable grooves both for cables and to stiffen them up a bit structurally, and briefly had holes. During this time they switched to 26.0 mm clamp size as well. Widths varied at different times, ranging from a 46 cm max to a 36 cm narrow. The narrow ones have become particularly desirable and scarce.

All the Criteriums were good bars. People worried about holes in the later models but I never saw evidence of a broken one. The early ones were especially durable but with the limitation that you had to find a 26.4 mm stem, which basically meant early Cinelli quill stems.

Some people have complained that one can't mount modern brifters on Criteriums because the bars weren't designed for them, but that only seemed to be a problem when levers were mounted very high (and even traditional early brake levers like old Record didn't do well mounted very high). I never had problems with them. Simply good bars.

[saab2000]

Best handlebar shape ever.

[carpediemracing]

I used them for a long time, then went to the 3ttt version (Gimondi) which were substantially lighter and allowed me to use more versatile 26.0 stem.

I did drill a few of my bars, I can't remember if I did the Cinellis or not. I think I did. I definitely drilled some of my 3ttts because I still have a drilled bar.

If an old Cinelli bar failed it was because the center sleeve broke loose. You'd have a creak that was loud and could be replicated easily by pulling and pushing on the bars while stationary. At some point the bar would rotate in the sleeve (if you were lucky). In the old days the poorer bike racer would simply drill a small hole and put a screw through the sleeve and the bar. Presto, no more sleeve rotation. I remember one breaking but I don't remember the circumstances around it but I'm pretty sure it was a drilled-for-a-set-screw bar and we were riding very hard on unfinished dirt roads when it broke.

The Crit bend was unique because the tops swept forward pretty quickly. This gave some more clearance to those of us whose arms hung down to the drops rather than extended back from them. Even with crit bend bars (Cinelli 65, Mavic 315 which was sleeved like the 65, and 3ttt Gimondi which did not have a sleeve and instead had a bulged center bit) I'd have pretty solid bruising on my forearms from hitting the tops.

I am actually back on the Mavic 315 right now, experimenting with a longer stem.

As far as putting on a lever I'd put them as high as possible before they got too cockeyed. One rider that used them was Duclos Lasalle.

I haven't used the crit bend bars with the new Campy shape, just the 1st and 2nd generation ones.

I am moving to the FSA Compact bar. I like the drops better, it offers a straighter top, and because of the 3cm less reach my forearms clear the tops better than on the crit bend bar. I have it on one bike but it requires me to get a 3 cm longer and 3 cm lower stem, i.e. a custom stem. I haven't gotten such a stem for the other bike.

[dbh]

Best handlebar shape ever.

I could never get comfortable on them, particularly with early STIs.

[KJMUNC]

The Crit bend was unique because the tops swept forward pretty quickly. This gave some more clearance to those of us whose arms hung down to the drops rather than extended back from them. Even with crit bend bars I'd have pretty solid bruising on my forearms from hitting the tops.

yep, my experience as well after moving from mod 64 to mod 65 (Giro). The forward sweep gives you lots of clearance for riding in the drops, but I also like to climb with my hands on the flats, which are very minimal on the mod 64. Great bars if you can dig the shape.

[JLP]

I loved criteriums for criteriums back in the day when you rode the whole thing in the drops. They were also fine in the other positions with the Campy levers of the same vintage. I don't like them with modern integrated hoods, as I find there is not really a flat ramp going into the hood like there is on other bars.

Giros or the other shapes are better for modern levers in my opinion although not ideal. YMMV and all that.

[shovelhd]

I had them on all my race bikes in the 80's with downtube shifters. I used 40's, which were nice and narrow in the field but they didn't bruise your forearms in the sprint. I don't think I'd like them for STI's for the reasons previously stated. Fine for retro, not fine for modern.

[zmudshark]

yep, my experience as well after moving from mod 64 to mod 65 (Giro). The forward sweep gives you lots of clearance for riding in the drops, but I also like to climb with my hands on the flats, which are very minimal on the mod 64. Great bars if you can dig the shape.Just to clarify, Mod 64 is Giro, Mod 65 is Criterium and Mod 66 is Mondo.

Good descriptions here:
http://www.bikepro.com/products/handlebars/cinell_drop.html

[azrider]

I prefer bars that have more of a flat platform-to-hood transition but since I already had the cinelli stem I'm opting to stick with Cinelli cockpit for this build (for now) and of the different models that came in 26.4 the criteriums are most appealing.

Not sure if it makes a difference, but I'm using simple Tektro brake levers as this build will have DT shifters.

I too like to ride in the drops and it seems the design of these bars will also help with the top bumping into my forearms (which seems to happen to me with old school 'type' setups)

Thanks for the input all. Much appreciated.

[bikinchris]

Just to clarify, Mod 64 is Giro, Mod 65 is Criterium and Mod 66 is Mondo.

Good descriptions here:
http://www.bikepro.com/products/handlebars/cinell_drop.html

And 64 was shallow drop and 66 was deep drop. I still have some around here.

[KJMUNC]

Just to clarify, Mod 64 is Giro, Mod 65 is Criterium and Mod 66 is Mondo.

Good descriptions here:
http://www.bikepro.com/products/handlebars/cinell_drop.html

Yep....typo on my part. Meant going from Criteriums to Giro. I've also tried the mod 66 but didn't need to deep drop.

Now I just need to find a 120 Cinelli XE to match my Giro bars on the Z team and I'm good to go!

[soulspinner]

Think I have a 64/40 set of bars in my basement. Just needed wider...........

[Ti Designs]

The first bike I built up myself when I was racing as a junior had Cinelli 65's. Those bars moved from one bike to the next, I just didn't like anything else. Just a few years ago on this forum, the question came up about how many miles could you get on a set of aluminum bars before they were unsafe. Almost a quarter million is clearly too much.

[carpediemracing]

I loved criteriums for criteriums back in the day when you rode the whole thing in the drops.

I still do.

In fact based on the massive improvement in bike control from the drops I don't understand why people race on the hoods so much, especially in crits. Hills, fine, and also when it's easy or slow. However if during a crit I can be on the hoods then I can certainly be on the tops. If I can't be on the tops (because I want brake or shift control) then I really should not be on the hoods.

Generally speaking in flatter crits I am either on the tops or on the drops. With a hill I'll do hoods if I'm climbing out of the saddle, transitioning back to the drops after the hill. If I'm climbing seated I am usually on the tops.

It helps that I am most comfortable on the drops, but for a race bike shouldn't that be the case anyway? I understand that lots of people will have too much drop so they end up on the hoods for comfort but that's a different discussion.

[El Chaba]

I think the Criteriums should be renamed "Duclos-LaSalle"

[azrider]

Think I have a 64/40 set of bars in my basement. Just needed wider...........

I have some 66/44's.........wanna trade ?!?!?

http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=186857

[saab2000]

I think the Criteriums should be renamed "Duclos-LaSalle"

Or the "Sean Kelly" or the "Roger de Vlaeminck"....

http://photos.grahamwatson.com/Print-Gallery/Sean-Kelly/i-cKF3Zf9/0/M/Untitled%20274-M.jpg

http://4fd2ff8dbb0bab7ee6ce-5e693d13e4e5fc4722f7dc4cd9762849.r89.cf2.rackcdn.c om/637ae9506ed1d546a839a62983221427-95e33e32b35ebf573ad55983bec1b870.jpg

[carpediemracing]

Vanderaerden.

http://www.cyclinghalloffame.com/riders/pics/Vanderaerden_e%20reduced.jpg

[soulspinner]

I have some 66/44's.........wanna trade ?!?!?

http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=186857

gotta find em and prolly u can have em for postage. no longer have the retro bike to put these on...

[azrider]

gotta find em and prolly u can have em for postage. no longer have the retro bike to put these on...

Reason #87 this place rocks :beer:

[19wisconsin64]

I'd find a set in better condition / without the drilled out section.

One thing to keep in mind-newer versions of these have groves for cables. Older models do not have aero-routing groves.

I ride these bars 99% of the time. Love them. Very comfortable in the drops.