Cinelli Just Launched 2 Road Bikes That Couldn’t Be More Different — And We Love Them Both

Please take a seat, as this may be a lengthy first ride review given that it is actually not one bike review, but two.

Although both sit within the road market, they’re aimed at different subsets of the roadie scene. We have the slippery model for those looking for a pure race breed aero bike, the other for those after a bike that will stick with them for life, a bike that if left outside the coffee shop will have admirers undoubtedly gazing at it and running their sticky mitts over the frame to soak up the exquisite craftsmanship. What these bikes have in common is that they’re from one brand: the Milan-based, Italian heritage manufacturer Cinelli.

Let’s start with the Aeroscoop, Cinelli’s all-new entry into the aero bike market. A bike that Cinelli hopes will go up against the likes of the new Cervélo S5, the latest Argon 18 Nitrogen and Van Rysel’s RCR-F.

The Aeroscoop returns to Cinelli’s road performance roots

Today, Cinelli isn’t a brand that immediately springs to mind when thinking of race-ready, performance-oriented bikes. They have them in their lineup, including the Pressure 2, a bike used by the Team MBH Bank Colpack Ballan pro team, and a bike that will remain in Cinelli’s catalogue for 2026. Instead, today Cinelli are better known for their eye-catching, well-rounded gravel bikes, their involvement with the die-hard fixie culture, or just the left-field ethos and marketing. It’s a brand that started its life in the racing scene over 75 years ago, but the question is, has it returned to the racing world in a big way for 2026 with its first new release, the Aaeroscoop?

For Cinelli’s first wind tunnel-developed bike, the Aeroscoop will now sit as Cinelli’s top-tier race bike, forcing the Pressure II into second place. It’s also Cinelli’s first “proper” modern aero race bike. It has undergone wind tunnel treatment and even came out in the top 10 (of aero bikes) when tested independently by Germany’s Tour magazine, an industry benchmark. If you’re unaware of Tour and its testing, which uses its own leading parameters, this result is certainly something that Cinelli can celebrate.

The new Aeroscoop has been in development for the past two years; the engineering team worked alongside their race team to develop on the Pressure 2. The standout feature we need to discuss first is the double-armed seat stays. Rather than the seat stays joining the seat tube as one piece, they split and form a bridge or channel. It’s a take on a design idea that we’ve seen slowly emerge in several bikes recently, such as the Seka Spear, Windspace’s T1600, or something a bit more mainstream, like Trek’s Madone, all of which have a variation of this split aerofoil idea.

The aero gains over the Pressure 2 are achieved not just by that funky rear end but also by stripping overall away 4% of the frontal area, tubing shapes all-around have taken into account the latest UCI rules, so are now slightly deeper in the seat and down tube. Performance-wise, they’ve stiffened up the head tube junction and bottom bracket, but kept the chainstays and rear as compliant as the Pressure 2.

They’re clearly proud of what they’ve produced and aren’t trying to deceive anyone or make false claims. They seem to be understandably pleased that they can state that the Aroscoop sits in the top 10 of Tour magazine’s independent testing for aero bikes. It’s no mean feat, especially when you compare the engineering team of three to those of major players in the industry.

Geometry-wise, I’ll delve into more in the review. But it is most certainly race-oriented, with it being developed in conjunction with their race team.

Cinelli Aeroscoop geometry chart

Aero gains are all good and well, but in today’s market, riders want it all.

Frame weight alone is 950g for a size medium painted (without metal parts), and the Columbus Spirit fork comes in at 370g painted and uncut. And while we’re talking about Columbus, the sister brand to Cinelli, also supplies the one-piece bar and stem, the all-new Spirit CC cockpit. This comes in a 350g. And it is one of the more unique bar shapes I’ve come across recently, something which I’ll come to in the review. Cinelli claims that the lightest build they offer is the standard Red AXS with the Wind 57 wheel set, coming in at 6.98kg.

The Italians are keeping up on trends too (something historically Italian brands weren’t particularly known for) with the inclusion of a UHD hanger. The seatpost clamp is clean and tidy, although I can’t comment on the serviceability or installation of the wedge at this point. However, the two-bolt system was easy enough to adjust on the first ride. It’s certainly a clean and well-hidden design.

Aeroscoop pricing and builds

There are five bikes in the range, all of which share the same frame set, fork, and Columbus Spirit cockpit. Prices start at €6,000 / £5,299, for the base model, which features a full Shimano 105 Di2 groupset, Fulcrum Soniq AL wheels, and Vittoria Zaffiro Pro tyres. The next jump up is € 6,900; for this, you get the same wheels but upgrade to Ultegra Di2. It’s then a whopping €3,000 jump up to €9,900 for the Dura-Ace Di2-equipped version, including the Fulcrum Wind 57 wheelset. If you’re looking for a SRAM-equipped version, then the only option is the Red AXS model, priced at €10,700. Finally, if you want a true Italian build, then you’re in luck. At the same price as the RED version, you can get the Areoscoop Campagnolo Super Record version. Yes, please! Framesets will also be available at €4,500 / £3,999.

There will initially, for 2026, be two colorways available, and in true Cinelli fashion, they’re bold. You either have a fetching raw carbon with purple and silver accents (this one gets my vote, and I usually dislike dark bikes), or there is the coral white and pink version, which reminded me of a tasty stick of Hubba Bubba chewing gum.

Speciale Corsa XCR

On first inspection, you may think these new Speciale Corsa XCR are Cinelli’s new all-round carbon road bikes. But take a closer look, now give it a tap; it’s steel, yeah. Columbus’s premium stainless steel XCR tubeset. The bike is fully handmade in Italy, from start to finish, from producing the tubes to final welding and assembly — a feat I’m sure no other brand can claim.

The sleek transitions from tube to tube would have many expecting a carbon bike from its look, but Cinelli has managed such a smooth-looking finish by using 3D-printed steel lugs at the head tube and seat cluster; it’s a first for Cinelli.

The Speciale Corsa XCR now sits at the top of Cinelli’s steel lineup, knocking the Nemo into second position. But it comes at a price, something we’ll get to in a moment.

Tire clearance is up to 32mm, according to the designers on hand, who feel it is more than ample for the riding they believe the bike is designed for. Though they also mentioned that if they wanted to in the future, it wouldn’t be an issue to up this tire clearance to 34mm. After all, tube shapes are pulled in-house. It’s just the rear that limits this size, the Spirit allows for a 34mm tire. Also, just like the Aeroscoop, the bike uses a UDH hanger.

Weight isn’t something that those more familiar with carbon will be impressed at, but for steel, the Columbus XCR tubing allows them to achieve 1,990 grams for a size medium frame, impressive for stainless steel. The fork weighs 392 grams uncut and painted. As a build, Cinelli claims they have got their “stock standard” lightest build option down to 8.1kg (medium) built up with SRAM Red AXS and DT Swiss ARC1100 Dicut wheels.

Regarding sizing and availability, Cinelli will offer five stock sizes, ranging from XS to XL. However, due to the hand-built nature of the frame, availability will be between 60 and 90 units per year. So if you like the look of it, get your checkbook out quickly.

Speciale Corsa XCR geometry chart

Pricing and builds

As Cinelli’s flagship steel frameset and something that even Cinelli claims will only be available in very, very limited numbers deserves a build to match its prestige. Don’t expect to be able to pick one of these up with a Force or a 105 build. Nope, the “entry” option is available at a super bike price of €12,500 / £11,000, decked out with Shimano Dura-Ace, raising to €13000 for the SRAM Red AXS version or topping out at €13,500 for the authentic Italian build with Campagnolo Super Record WRL 13s. Should you fancy building it up as a dream bike, you can get the frameset including fork and cockpit for €5,000 / £5,000.

First ride: Two very different experiences

As always, please keep in mind that these two bikes have only had a leg thrown over them on one occasion each. This is, therefore only a first look, and a rapid one at that. Hopefully, in the near future, we can get them some serious miles and testing.

Okay, let’s begin with the young, rapid, youthful machine, the Aeroscoop.

There are still several Italian brands with heritage that have aero bikes in their lineups. And for many, but not all Italian brands, they can at times lean heavily on the “Italian” part of what makes their bikes their bike.

Let me indulge a little here, in fact let me generalize a little. As I often find that Italian race bikes always feel Italian, sometimes it’s down to relatively traditional geometry or a reluctance to adopt new technology by the brand.

There are a few Italian aero bikes that I haven’t felt as though the brand simply scattered or shoehorned aero flourishes into the design, rather than starting from scratch and designing the aero bike from the ground up. It’s not a bad thing; some customers are looking for “that sort” of bike. But it often doesn’t make for the most aero machine on the market when compared to what is available. On the other hand, you have the international brands, which utilize all the technical data they can generate and then design their bikes around that. Again, not always, but sometimes, producing rapid, great-performing bikes that can be soulless with cookie-cutter characteristics to them. The Aeroscoop, I’d argue, slips nicely between these two worlds. Far from the cookie-cutter bikes on the market, but not Italian enough to have you questioning its quirks.

Instead of it being an Italian bike with aero flourishes, it’s an aero bike with Italian flourishes.

Yes, it’s had wind tunnel data thrown into the mix. Yes, it’s got some unique features, but it’s still got that Italian charm.

You can examine the geo chart and compare and contrast, but it’s out on the road where a bike actually lets you know what it’s made up of. The Aeroscoop certainly feels slightly longer than some aero bikes I’ve used recently, but it encourages you to fall into a racing position. You’d think this would mean the playful and nippiness factor would be diminished, but that’s not so. Unlike some aerobikes that feel they need to reach a certain speed to “feel fast” the Aeroscoop has a certain whip to it at all times. And it makes for a standout, fun bike to play on.

I’ve tested several aero bike of late, the new Argon-18 Nitrogen stands out for being a superb all-rounder, light, agile and rapid, the Van Rysel RCR-F for its aggressively fast take on aero, but due to its limited hand positions, and need to keep it at a fast speed to perform, should be the reserve for pros. The Cinelli Aeroscoop is again something different, it just has character.

That foil behind the wheel, is it a gimmick? At first, I was skeptical, but something is happening there. It’s a sensation that I’ve not noticed on other bikes. Does it add to the aero gains? I can’t say, but if we listen to what the tech heads at Cinelli claim, it does.

All that speed means nothing, though, if you can’t get comfortable, so is it comfortable? Simply put, yeah. Some of it comes down to the usual carbon layup and tire choice, but I attribute a lot of it to the Columbus Spirit bars. Although the bike feels long-ish and low, the shallow bars allow you to sit comfortably in the drops without having to be bent double. For some, the narrowing of the bar at the bottom of the drop where it starts to straighten out may not be agreeable. It’s a unique design that they claim is more ergonomic in the palm. I certainly wasn’t 100% sold on it, but I also didn’t dislike it. It’s just one of them quirks. The flair and top of the bar also allow for plenty of comfortable hand positions.

For part of the test ride, we got to dash around the Vittoria Park cycle center, a dedicated venue featuring tracks, pavement, pump tracks, and trails suitable for all bikes. The road circuit is where Vittoria tests their road tires, and because of that, they have paved, Roubaix cobbles and Strada-style gravel. So, yes, we got to throw the Aeroscoop on a mixture of surfaces. Each lap, you could veer off and hit about 100 meters of either surface, giving me enough insight to know that the bike handles Strada dust without worry. Flanders’ pave nicely enough, but unsurprisingly, it wouldn’t be the bike you’d want to hit Roubaix cobbles on for too long.

The only critical road type that isn’t available to test at Vittoria Park or on our test ride was how it handled uphill. It’s not the lightest aero bike on the market, I think the new Argon 18 Nitrogen can claim that prize, but it’s no slouch in that category. And under you, with its nippy handling and low weight, it feels sprightly enough.

Cinelli is known for wild and eye-catching graphics, and the Aeroscoop doesn’t deviate from that. It’s bold, and what’s more, that Italian styling is exceptionally well finished. It has some of the smoothest paintwork I’ve seen on mass-produced bikes.

All in the Aeroscoop should be a bike worth checking out if you’re in the market for something fast. It offers a dash of character that many bikes today lack. It’s a bike that boasts aero credentials but doesn’t rely solely on numbers for its overall performance. Just like the little face on the inside of the fork crown, you’ll be smiling if you take it out.

OK, on to bike number two

Speciale Corsa XCR first ride

I’m no longer the fast guy I used to be. I’ve drifted away from being wowed by tech specs, for the most part, and all I want now is a bike that, when I get out on it, puts a smile on my face. And the Corsa sits squarely in that camp. It’s just downright lovely. OK, end of review!

Steel certainly is very real in the case of the Corsa; what Cinelli and their sister brand, Columbus, have produced with the Corsa sits squarely in the camp of “forever bike.” Everything about it feels premium; it’s an absolute delight to ride. For a forever bike, the Corsa offers exactly what you’d expect with a healthy extra dollop of lush-ness (is that even a word?).

Sure, I didn’t get to ride it much, but the brief spin in the pouring rain still allowed it to show its true colors. Heck, if you can come back grinning ear to ear in the weather we rode in, there has to be something about the bike.

Smooth, yep, in the most velvety of ways. It just glides along, smoothing things out, while at the same time feeding back all the road information you want. Where some steel dulls every surface, the Corsa’s Columbus XLC doesn’t; instead, it talks to you. You know what road surface you’re on. And because of this, it also descends with conviction, sticking to the road and going where you want it to without fuss or flurry.

As I have mentioned, I didn’t get a great deal of time on the bike, but even so, I’m convinced it would be a bike you could head out on, day after day and come back feeling only beaten up by how hard you’ve pushed yourself, rather than the surfaces you’ve tackled.

Cinelli has been producing bikes for long enough now to have well and truly nailed what geometry a bike like this needs, and it’s as you’d expect, on the racier side of endurance.

Apart from its performance, it possesses the quality that every top-tier bike should have: the desire to run your hand over it. It’s just luxurious. But all that comes at a hefty price, or at least sits in the same camp as every other superbike in today’s market.

Any negatives, yeah, for sure. It obviously isn’t a wispy light machine. At 8kg, it carries a little extra bulk compared to a fancy carbon bike of this price point, but if that’s the concern you have about this bike, then you’re missing the point, and this bike probably isn’t for you. It’s not UCI rule-breaking light, but with a top-end build, it’s impressively light for a stainless steel bike.

Can you feel that extra weight under you? Honestly, I struggle to say. The torrential rain storm we had while testing the bike and the climb up to the Ghisallo Museum and Church had me smiling, but not suffering. That has to be a good sign for the bike’s climbing chops. It allows you to climb unencumbered.

Other slight niggles I had with the bike are the tire choice. At this price, I’d like to see a step up in specs over what the wheels come shod with. The new Vittoria Rubino Pro tires were actually a surprise, given their performance-to-price ratio. It’s a significant step up over the old Rubinos, but on a bike of this premium, it deserves premium rubber. Give us some Corsa Pros, please.

Lastly, some might find the 32mm of tire clearance limiting. Personally, I can understand why they’ve not upped the width. A bike like this, with 32mm tires and its ride characteristics, should be smooth enough in any given condition that it’s designed for. Also, from experience, I can often find that 34mm or bigger dull handling.

Okay, the nitpicking has been done. Two bikes from one legendary brand. Two bikes that, in their own way, surprised me. For anyone asking the question, “What would you go for, Dave?”. Well, if you haven’t worked it out already, I may as well throw the laptop away.

It’s an interesting choice by Cinelli to launch two bikes on the same day; I don’t recall a brand doing this before. But heck, Cinelli is renowned for straying from the norm. And with both of these bikes, Cinelli is sticking firmly to that ethos, offering two bikes that stand out from the norm.