Cicli Berlinetta

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10 May
giro2007

Ciao Giro! Applausi Ryder!

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  • Categories Road Trips
  • Tags Giro d'Italia

23 Apr
DSC_4559

Supersonico Custom Frameset

Before this very-special-order frameset is packed up and posted all the way to sunny California to it’s expectant owner, we found the time to snap these photos. You’re looking at a unique piece, a filet-brazed track frame which comes supplied with two pairs of forks! One takes a full size front wheel, the second accomodates a smaller pursuit-size front wheel. Both forks continue the dark orange, black and white striped paintscheme which slopes forwards, accentuating the rider’s crouch. Our framebuilder paid special attention to the geometry of this frameset, to ensure that it ‘works’ with either of the forks installed. In addition to a full complement of Cicli Berlinetta Crown motifs, the owner’s initials can be seen on the underside of the downtube just above the bottom bracket shell. There’s no doubt about it, this is one hot piece of triple-butted Niobium Columbus steel!

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  • 10 Comments
  • Categories Custom Build, Custom Made
  • Tags Pista, Supersonico

22 Apr

The Life of Cycle –
Urban Cyclists in Berlin

Beyond the messenger and fixed-gear scenes, contemporary bicycle culture is more fashionable, diverse, and alive than ever before. According to Dustin Nordhus of Berlin’s Cicli Berlinetta, “people who live in a big city are becoming aware that it’s nicer to have a beautiful bicycle than a car.” Gestalten.tv talks to Dustin as well as other bike enthusiasts.

  • 3 Comments
  • Categories In the News, Obsession
  • Tags Berlin

10 Apr
Paletti's Workshop

Paletti’s Workshop

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  • Categories Road Trips
  • Tags Paletti, Workshop

10 Apr
masi's workshop

Masi’s Workshop

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  • Categories Road Trips
  • Tags Masi, Workshop

04 Apr
musiciens_lotto

Get ready for Paris-Roubaix

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  • Categories Events
  • Tags Paris-Roubaix

21 Mar
Colnago-Mexico-110

Ciao! This white Colnago Mexico now shines in the Thai sunshine!

Hardly had this tidy white ’81 vintage Mexico appeared on – ahem – that popular auction platform, before it was snaffled by a collector in far off Thailand. What was it that so took their fancy? Perhaps it was the pantographed Super Record component group, maybe it was the period 3t Record 84 stem adorned with the engraved signature of Ernesto Colnago, or might it have been the grey anodised Ambrosio ‘Durex Metamorphosis’ rims? This simple and elegant Colnago is a tidy example of the breed, and now it gleams under an Asian sun. The one thing we’re short of here at Cicli B, the home of stylish vintage racing bicycles, where the streets are currently the same colour as this bike.

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  • Categories Bike porn, Custom Build
  • Tags Colnago

22 Feb
Colnago-Mexico-blue-1

Classy! This Colnago Mexico Oro limited edition bike has departed for China.

We just sold this little beauty to a collector of classic Italian steel road bikes who hails from far away China. This particular bike is an early example of a limited series which commemorated Eddy Merckx’s record-setting 1972 Mexico City hour record.

This highly distinctive road bike is distinguished by 24 carat gold plating of the headlugs and fork crown. The blue metallic paint and yellow accent graphic decals were in remarkably good condition for a bicycle of this age. The drive side rear dropout displays a single digit serial number. We believe this to be only the fourth frameset built in this Mexico Oro limited series.

The bike was built up with a complete Campagnolo Record groupset, featuring pantographed cranks and chainrings, seat post, stem and brake levers. Mavic GP4 rims are fitted with tubular tires. Of further interest, the crankset has been subject to subtle machining and polishing to shave off even more weight, whilst retaining those good looks.

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  • Categories Bike porn, Custom Build
  • Tags Colnago

07 Feb
Orange, black and green paintwork on a custom built Supersonico Pista

An eye-poppin’ Supersonico Strada custom frameset

We just took delivery up this attention-grabbing orange, black and green Supersonico Strada frameset from our framebuilder. We’re going to build it up into a complete bike for the happy owner. Before it made it as far as the workshop we snapped a few pics for your delectation. Check out the accent painted crowns on the fork, the special order ‘big bear’ graphic on the seat tube, and the owners name on the top tube. Full custom, like nobody else builds ‘em.

Cicli Berlinetta engraved rear dropouts
Cicli Berlinetta BB shell with crown cutout
Bottom bracket crown cutout
Accent detailed 'dual crown' Cicli Berlinetta fork crown
The difference is in the details
Cicli Berlinetta headtube art and seat tube 'big bear' art
Orange, black and green paintwork on a custom built Supersonico Pista

 

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  • Categories Custom Made, New in the shop

05 Feb
Black beauty! Gold accents and a few individual details make this frame stand out

A dark and lovely black Doppia Pista frameset, sporting a great big bear

What city is the home of Cicli B again?
Golden crown details on the seat stays, head lugs and fork crown
Cicli B engraved dropouts back and front, 'St Van' blackletter detail
Black beauty! Gold accents and a few individual details make this frame stand out
Big bear graphic, SL tubeset decal
BB shell crown detailz

No, not a Berlinale Golden Bear, you’ll have to wait a few more weeks for those! This Doppia Pista track frameset features a black Berlin bear on a gold panel to the fore of the seat tube, and a special ‘St Van’ blackletter graphic as requested by the owner aft. A full complement of golden crowns makes it plain that this, like every Cicli Berlinetta bike frame, really is regal.

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  • Categories Bike porn, Custom Made

29 Jan
Clearcoated steel bespoke frame and fork adorned with top components

Another personalised build for another discerning customer

We recently completed this bespoke bicycle for a client who brought us a Campagnolo 50th Anniversary Groupset, sans derailleurs, with which to adorn a clearcoated steel frameset. Our trademark high quality frame and fork construction is thus made visible to the beholder.

Straight Deda bars with Brooks leather tape
Cicli Berlinetta Pista drop-outs
Gold dust caps finish off the 50th Anniversary brake calipers
CB 'dual crown' BB shell
Bright red brake cable sleeve emerges from concealed top tube routing
50th Anniversary Campagnolo crankset adapted to singlespeed use, sloped crown CB forks
Clearcoated steel bespoke frame and fork adorned with top components

This frameset is distinguished by our special Cicli Berlinetta BB shell, fork crown, rear brake bridge and concealed brake cable routing. It combines Pista rear drop-outs with a drilled brake bridge and fork crown, to enable the fitment of caliper brakes. And just check out them there brakes! 24carat gold plated dust caps! Diggy damn. Another fine machine from Berlin’s leaders in made-to-measure bicycles.

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  • Categories Bike porn, Custom Build, Custom Made, Obsession

24 Jan
The Cicli Berlinetta storefront in snowy wintry weather

It’s sure snowy out there, but we’re keeping warm by keeping busy!

The temperature outside is well below zero, but we’re not going to let that stop us. We’re up to our usual business, building beautiful bicycles. Hiroshi is hard at it in the workshop, wrenching on whatever our customers bring in for repair and maintenance. Grit and ice aren’t kind to bikes, and not everybody is tough enough to ride in this weather, so why not use your bike’s ‘down time’ to bring it in for a tune-up. We can get your bike in fine fettle ready for warmer weather when spring arrives.

A selection of our own brand Cicli Berlinetta bikes and frames

A selection of our own brand Cicli Berlinetta bikes and frames

Perhaps you’re in need of a new bicycle this year. We offer a range of handbuilt steel framesets in a wide variety of options and almost unlimited colourways. Alternatively, if made-to-measure is not what you’re after, we carry a selection of new and used framesets of fine pedigree, which we can build up into a complete bike to your specification. Come and pay us a vist, there’s lots in store to see and buy.

Colourful display of high-end frames hanging in the Cicli Berlinetta showroom

Colourful display of high-end frames hanging in the Cicli Berlinetta showroom

 

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  • Categories In the shop

02 Jan
SCIC Cycling Team

New year, new shoes, new cycling caps, new look …

First off, Happy New Year to all of you.  We hope that you and your families may be able to enjoy a healthy and happy 2013—filled with lots of cycling and a no flats (yeah, right…)!  Like we said in December, since last spring we’ve been changing things here and there.  For 2013 we’ve added a host of new products to our line up—we’re certain that you’ll be happy with what we have in store!

Cicli Berlinetta cycling caps are available for €10,—

We’ve finally gotten our first first shipment of our 2013 Cicli Berlinetta cycling caps in. This year’s style, which is currently available in a bright yellow (we figured something bright will help chase the winter blues away), features 3 black racing stripes paying homage to the old SCIC cycling team of the 1970s. Our classic Cicli Berlinetta cycling caps (in pink, black, blue, white, and green) are also available.

We’ve constantly offered a wide range of vintage cycling apparel to include shoes,
jerseys, arm-warmers, caps, and a lot more. This year we’re proud to let you know that in addition to our selection of vintage offerings, we’re introducing a variety of hand-made products that utilize classic patterns (from old leather works, shoe shops, and textile mills) to bring you the best of cycling history.

Bicicleta Vintage shoes are available for €195,— orders may take up to 4 weeks

We’re proud to offer made-to-order shoes from Bicicleta Vintage, a company created by an awesome Spanish couple who have painstakingly refurbished a shoe shop in Barcelona. They have thoroughly steeped themselves in old cobbler lore and are now producing classic looking shoes just like those of the glorious bye-gone cycling era of the 1960s and 1970s. For 2013 we’re offering Bicicleta Vintage shoes in brown, grey, and black—made to order.

Stop by the shop or drop us a line at info@cicli-berlinetta.de if you’re interested!

  • 1 Comment
  • Categories In the shop

14 Dec
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Winter Bikes, Empty Streets, the Snowy Fall & where we’re headed

We’re seven days shy of this Fall’s end and two weeks shy of the new year.  We can feel it and see it all around us. We’ve already been given the Berliner Fall gifts of rainfall in 1-2º Celsius, the joy slick wet October leaves, the pleasure of November black ice, and the 620 kilometers of bike paths and lanes that for at least the time being, seem happy to remain as ice-packed and snow covered as possible (if you haven’t seen it yet, there’s a picture of the snow covered storefront on Schönfließer Straße from this past Wednesday on Facebook here).  The beautiful machines that we take to the Brandenburg country roads when the sun is high in the sky, rest at best idly in our apartment hallways or hang patiently waiting from hooks in our bedrooms, and at worst they sit silently alone in our garages or basements, almost forgotten.  Simply put, its a lot different outside now than it was even one month ago.  The new Winter season of riding has started.

Although the new Winter season means that the weather is getting nippy and the streets are looking worse by the day, we’re still up on our steel steeds.  It’s okay to hang the race bike up once the salt and sand is strewn on the streets—in fact, we’d suggest it.  We’ve done just the same.  We’re riding our crossers and old fixed courier workhorses with Continental Cyclocross Speeds or Schwalbe Marathons (while visions of warm spring days spent with Vittoria Open Corsa Evo CXs dance in our heads…).  We’ve got our fenders on and lights that can actually light up the way.  We’re checking our chains every week and cleaning our rims and brake pads as best we can.  And that’s only the beginning of what we’re up to.

Along with this new season of riding and corresponding bike change, we at Cicli Berlinetta are starting a new chapter in our already storied existence.  Maybe you’ve noticed, maybe you haven’t, but as we’ve changed out our Summer race machines out for our faithful Winter companions, we’ve changed a lot of things both online and in the store, and continue to do so even now.  With all of these changes, we’ve been less than prompt with our emails and have certainly frustrated some of you.  For that, we are sorry.  We want you all to know however that we think the end result will be something that will be good for everyone!  We’ve taken our old .de website down, we’ve embarked on the expansion of our custom steel frame offerings, and have reorganized the shop.   The new website, which will include a webshop (we’ve heard you all, and are finally giving you what you want!), will give you a better overview of what we have in the store, along with, of course, a few surprises that should make for an all around more enjoyable experience.  Look for that to be up sometime in January.  In addition to the changes as of late, we’ve been lucky enough to be involved in a number of cool projects (bike builds with Adidas and Urban Motor, photo shoots with Brooks England and ic! berlin, involvement with the publications Zitty and Tour, and were a main contributor for a publication from Gestalten that will be coming out this spring).  Like we said, we’re super happy with all of these changes and are looking forward to their final and complete implementation!

But wait, if you know us at all though, you know that for us it pretty much comes down to riding, which means we’ve just digressed a little by getting into the details above.  We assume, in fact, that riding is why you’re reading this right now anyway.  So what does the above have to do with riding?  Well, it’s our way of making sure that more people are afforded the opportunity to explore our passion even more, and maybe, just maybe, once you take a look at what we’re about, you’ll get out there and ride a little bit more than before.  We’re in the position to give back to this wonderful sport what is has so patiently given to us in the last 30 years.  And that’s what we’re aiming to do with all of our changes.

Cicli Berlinetta bike at Chrome Pop Up Store

We were at the Chrome Hub Opening Party / Alleycat last Friday (one of our Doppia Pista Track Bikes, pictured here, is featured in their pop up store at Torstraße 66)— we saw a lot of people who came out, embraced the changing seasons, rode their bikes in the ice and snow, stayed safe, and had a good time (although, we have to say, there were a lot of walkers / U-Bahn riders there, too :( ).  Group rides, night rides, and Alleycats have been in no short supply thanks to the boys and girls at Fahrtwind, who have been constantly engaged in keeping the bicycle culture in Berlin moving forward.  Our continued involvement in this culture—something that has been very important for us since we’ve been riding in Berlin since the early 90s—will be seen with our revival of a Cicli Berlinetta tradition, our Tiergarten Ice Race, sometime in January or February 2013.  We know that there are many reasons to not ride this winter, but not one excuse.  We’d be doing you a disservice if we let you forget that!

Anyway, enough already!  The Winter is coming and the streets are empty—there’s no better way to enjoy the season than to get dressed warm (but not too warm) and see what Berlin (or your hometown, wherever it may be) looks like when many give in to the U-Bahn and automobile temptations brought on by the brisker months of the year!  Besides, your co-workers will probably give you mad props—or think you’re utterly crazy—when you show up to work with ice in your beard or hair :) .

Just like us, change it up and keep riding!

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  • Categories Collaborations, In the shop

10 Nov
CB12021 2

Obsession: Custom frames, forks, and bicycles since 2005

Custom Frames, Forks, and Bicycles

We’re obsessed with the little details of design.  We can’t help it.  We think that without expert attention to detail and customer interaction, a “custom bike build” is nothing more than a 5 minute data entry that finds its way slowly into the never ending rats nest  of assembly lines thousands of kilometers removed from the birthplace of our beloved cycling culture.  Because of this, we take a different approach to our frames and bikes.  Customer interaction is the keystone of our the creation process.  We take our time to understand exactly what you want so that the end result meets or exceeds your expectations.  It’s an obsession that we’re frankly pretty proud of.

We’ve been creating truly custom made bicycles, frames, and forks—with tailor made geometries, a range of tube sets, unique graphic schemes, and a variety of components from the 1960s to present—since 2005.  We know what works and what doesn’t; our goal is to share that know-how with you during the design process.  We help you from the very beginning to the very end with our knowledge and experience, allowing you to focus on getting everything just right.

We’ve selected some of our most recent designs and placed them next to the end results, so you can see exactly what we’re so proud of.

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2012 base prices* for our handmade frames and forks are as follows: 

Cicli Berlinetta Doppia (Columbus SL or Dedacciai Replica Zero Uno)
€800,00

  • as built for CB12013, €810,00
  • as built for CB12015, €850,00
  • as built for CB12021, €890,00

Cicli Berlinetta Supersonico (Columbus Life)
€900,00

  • as built for CB12012, €930,00
  • as built for CB12017, €910,00

If you’re interested in creating a frame with us, drop us a line at:
custom@cicli-berlinetta.de

* all orders where a deposit is received before 00:00, 1 January 2013, will fall under this price structure; orders after this deadline will be subject to the 2013 pricing guide.

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  • Categories Custom Made, Obsession

30 Oct
L'Eroica 2012

L’Eroica 2012

Alright, so we finally are letting you take a look at what we were up to for the first two weeks of October.  If you were fortunate enough to be in Siena on the 7th of October, you know just how a fantastic time it was.  If you weren’t, well, there’s always next year, isn’t there?

We left the pancake of Berlin for the rolling hills of Siena on the 30th of September, finding our way down into wine country by the afternoon of the 2nd of October.  We spent the following four days by riding through the storied dust of the strade bianche, basking in the sun filled rolling Tuscan country side, enjoying the local wine produced directly across from our villa, and relishing the unmistakable pre-L’Eroica ora that radiates from all those knowing.  The anticipation of the very special day to come was often enough to induce a placid euphoria.

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We rode the hills with the great steel giants between our legs: Masi, Rossin, Chesini, Legnano, Somec, Colnago, and a Peugeot for good measure.  We were humbled by the plodding veterans in their sixties and seventies who we never once saw pushing their bikes and humored by those totally unfamiliar—less than half the age of the experienced wise-men—who set out to conquer L’Eroica at a 40 km/h pace who four hours later fell victims, cramped, dusty, and dejected, to their own youthful hubris.

The early October wine sweetened ride through the Elysium fields of Chianti country was the best we’ve experienced at L’Eroica so far—we wish life was always so.

We dream of Siena

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  • Categories Road Trips
  • Tags L'Eroica

01 Oct
L'Eroica 2012

L’Eroica bound

We’re on our way (well, at least two thirds of us) to this year’s running of the classic L’Eroica.  Over the next two weeks, the food, the wine, the stories, the beautiful bicycles, and idyllic countryside will all slowly make their way to our blog—so that those of you not fortunate enough to make it to Tuscany this year can see exactly why we love L’Eroica.

Because only one of us will be back in Berlin, the shop will only be open at relatively irregular times (Please note, repairs and projects will be received but will not be worked on until as late as October 16th).  In shop appointments (outside of the times below) can be made by emailing James at cicliberlinetta@gmail.com.

The shop will be open on:

Tuesday, 02/10 from 1100 to 1400
Wednesday, 03/10 from 1100 to 1400
Thursday, 04/10 from 1100 to 1400
Tuesday, 09/10 from 1500 to 2000
Wednesday, 10/10 from 1500 to 2000
Thursday, 11/10 from 1500 to 2000
Friday, 12/10 from 1500 to 2000
Saturday, 13/10 from 1100 to 1400

 

We’ll see you soon!

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  • Categories Road Trips

13 Sep
De Rosa

Hot De Rosa Frames, Forks & Bikes

If you’re looking for smokin’ hot De Rosa frames and forks, we’ve got you covered.  Our current selection includes the De Rosa Super Prestige, pictured above, Super Record, Professional, EnduRace, and Neo Primato frames.  Interested?  Drop us a line!

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  • Categories In the shop
  • Tags De Rosa

05 Sep
Pista Supersonico1

Pista Supersonico

The Cicli Berlinetta Pista Supersonico, the top level Cicli Berlinetta offering, is constructed from the Niobium doped Columbus Life oversized tube set (as are the Road and Cross frame variants of the same Supersonico ilk).  For this variant, we have created an elegant yet understated classic look using a matte black with matte gold pantographed accents and lettering.  This Pista Supersonico features a Miche Advanced drivetrain—running a Gold KMC 1/8″ chain—which turns the Campagnolo “Pista” wheel set.  The narrow clearance bullhorn time trial bars held by an ITM “Racing” stem are wrapped in black Brooks “Bar Tape”—which is coordinated with a black Campagnolo “Centaur” front brake controlled by the black Tektro “RL720″ cross-bike brake lever.   The black leather print (raw and pressed leather) San Marco “Rolls” saddle, race number holder, and internally routed brake cable for a possible rear brake complete the attention to detail.  Enjoy responsibly.

Base model Pista Supersonicos start at €1400,–; available, as seen, for €2500,—

Supersonico Frame & Fork sets start at €900,—

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  • Categories Bike porn, Custom Made, New in the shop

17 Aug
Freddy!

Maertens crushing the ’78 Omloop Het Volk

Freddy Maertens made it his business in both 1977 and 1978 to win the Flanders single day classic Omloop Het Volk (now known as Omloop Het Nieuwsblad).  Here he is after legging it out against Dietrich Thurau and Jan Raas to take his second consecutive victory in East Flanders [video].

If you’re curious and in the mood for traveling, the photo pictured here can be seen in large format at the Centrum Ronde van Vlaanderen.

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  • Categories History

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  • Recent Posts

    • Ciao Giro! Applausi Ryder!
    • Supersonico Custom Frameset
    • The Life of Cycle –
      Urban Cyclists in Berlin
    • Paletti’s Workshop
    • Masi’s Workshop
    • Get ready for Paris-Roubaix
    • Ciao! This white Colnago Mexico now shines in the Thai sunshine!
    • Classy! This Colnago Mexico Oro limited edition bike has departed for China.
    • An eye-poppin’ Supersonico Strada custom frameset
    • A dark and lovely black Doppia Pista frameset, sporting a great big bear
  • Tags

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  • Cicli Berlinetta

    Schönfließer Str. 19
    10439 Berlin

    Tel: +49 30 960 88 323
    Tue-Fri: 12-20; Sat: 12-17

  • Information

    • Contact & Imprint
    • Hiroshi’s japanese blog
    • Stefano Pedrini artworks
  • About us

    Specialists in new and used road bikes, and track bikes, components, accessories, courier bags and cycle clothing. Our passion is for Italian pedigree bicycles and equipment. We ship worldwide.
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