Cinelli Nemo Tig review

One of the oldest names in mainstream cycling, just about every old cycling fanatic can tell you a story about a Cinelli product they owned and adored.

Converting that past adulation into ongoing business is never an easy task, yet it’s just what Cinelli has managed with panache.

Still making a fabulous range of components, the company has expanded frame options over the years and lately, with steel once again rising in popularity, it has added new models to its stable, including the Nemo Tig.

Constructed from tubing provided by sister company Columbus, it makes for a thoroughly Italian affair.

Chicken Cycles offers the Nemo in two formats, either as a frameset or a complete bike. The former option allows you to tailor the build to your budget and requirements, but plumping for the latter shows what is possible if you’re prepared to spend a bit.

Cinelli has taken a less traditional route for steel and designed it for the needs of a racer, giving a much more contemporary look with larger diameter tubes and a pressfit 86.5mm bottom bracket.

With its triple-butted, oversized tubeset, Cinelli has done a great job as it’s a firm ride but not overly so, despite the increase in tube diameter.

Those who try the Nemo and compare it to carbon will be pleasantly surprised as it delivers much of the focus but without the punishing ride.

Intriguingly, though, the front end doesn’t always feel the most direct, which we put down to a couple of things: the tyres, while good, aren’t true race options; and the positivity of the rear end that makes the front feel slightly lacking.

The Nemo is available in both frameset and complete build, so you can choose just where to invest your cash or use Cinelli’s experience.

In this case, we went with the factory option that builds the Italian theme – Campagnolo Chorus groupset, Miche SWR RC 36 wheels plus Cinelli carbon components.

Without doubt it’s the wheels that stand out the most with carbon construction and a feel to them which led all our testers to comment on the ride quality.

Ratings

Frame 8/10; Components 9/10; Wheels 9/10; The ride 8/10

Verdict: Cinelli has come up with a focused bike that certainly wasn't created by committee. The result is a highly capable machine which, while working well, has curiously lost some of the soul that can make steel so appealing. Nevertheless, it's very agreeable machine if you're after a bike with a racing edge.

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