You wait for a story for years, and then three come at once. It’s fair to say that Cinelli has been somewhat quiet in recent years. A couple of controversial marketing decisions and the unrelated departure of key figures, including the brand’s founder, Antonio Colombo, have left Cinelli and Columbus – two of Italy’s most revered and historically significant cycling brands –in the hands of Texan investors.
However, with new investors come fresh ideas and, importantly, new funding. This influx of confidence is evident in the fact that we haven’t seen a ground-up bike design from the brand in quite some time, let alone two new designs at once. To underline its expertise and new direction, Cinelli has chosen to launch a new aero carbon platform, a modern steel bike, and a third, virtual bike, that exists only in the metaverse, whatever that means.
