'Faster than a Tarmac SL8' - Cinelli launches new fastest-ever Aeroscoop road bike

Cinelli has launched a brand new aero road bike today named the Aeroscoop, and it's said to be the Milanese brand's fastest ever road bike.

The Aeroscoop is actually part of a tandem bike launch from Cinelli; accompanying it is the stylish, Columbus XCR steel framed, Speciale XCR road bike... but first, the Aeroscoop.

This will now be Cinelli's range topper, sitting above the current Pressure 2 model with a claimed improvement in frame stiffness, drag and weight. The bike literally features an 'aeroscoop', or double arm seat stay design at the seat stay cluster; it's probably the frame's most eye-catching feature, and draws comparisons with the Trek Madone's frame design, one of the best aero road bikes.

Cinelli has also included some data and test information. The Aeroscoop has been tested in the Tour Magazine wind tunnel using Tour's own testing protocol. Cinelli claims the bike ranked within the Tour's top 10 fastest bikes, though this list hasn't been shared. Notably, it was also with specific wheels. A standout claim is that this bike is faster than a Specialized Tarmac SL8 in frontal flow or at zero degree yaw.

AEROSCOOP | Cinelli's fastest road bike ever - YouTube

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The Aeroscoop uses Japanese Toray T700, T800, and T1100 carbon fibre to blend stiffness and weight. A Red AXS-equipped model (I assume in a size M) weighs a claimed 6.98 kg, and a medium frame in purple weighs in at 950 grams.

The double arm seat stay design is said to have been inspired by 'aerospace dynamics', and the stays are split into arms, which aim to guide airflow around the frame to reduce drag.

The frame is UDH compatible, with clearances for up to 34mm tyres, though all models come with 28mm rubber. On the topic of tyres, it's disappointing to see a flagship aero race bike arrive with lower-level, and slower Vittoria Rubino and Zaffiro Pro tyres as standard.

The frame itself has lots of tube profiles that look familiar in the context of a modern aero road bike. The down and seat tube both have an aerodynamic aerofoil shape, and the downtube has been widened to shield the water bottles, to reduce turbulence in this area. A little like the recently launched Wilier Filante SLR iD2.

There's a revised fork crown design, and above it, a headset bearing top cover that integrates neatly with the headtube to help minimise front-end turbulence.

The usual suspects, like an integrated seatpost clamp, handlebar and cable routing, are all present, and an adjustable seatpost clamp that will accommodate -10 to 0mm offsets.

A medium-sized frame has a stack of 539mm and a reach of 385mm. For a quick comparison, this makes the bike 8mm shorter than a medium Canyon Aeroad CFR, and 21mm lower.

Aero tested

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Cinelli appears to have preempted the people's demand for bike testing details and has outlined some results for the bike, though the information that has been shared may just create more questions.

The Aeroscoop was tested by Tour Magazine to help verify the brand's CFD modelling. I'm told a bike is also being tested more comprehensively by the brand.

I also believe Tour uses the Abus wind tunnel in Germany for this testing, and Cinelli shared details of the tunnel setup and testing procedures, something you don't always get.

As is often the case, it's a top-line overview. Tour tested the bike with a half-body static mannequin at 45 km/h. Data was then converted into weighted average CdA values across multiple yaw angles.

It appears the bike was tested with a Zipp 404 rear wheel with Continental GP5000 28mm front tyre, and an as yet unreleased front wheel with Continental Aero 111 29mm tyre, though to be clear, the bike will be sold with Fulcrum wheels.

As can be seen in the supplied graph above, the Aeroscoop appears to have performed better than the Tarmac SL8 across a range of Yaw angles when tested with the same specific wheel combination, which the bike won't come with.

The steel Speciale Corsa XCR

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The second bike in the launch news today is the steel, classic-looking model that uses Columbus XCR tubing. Columbus XCR is a seamless, stainless steel tubeset that is cold drawn and triple butted, certainly one of the best steel tubesets on the market today. Cinelli says it is its highest expression of artisanal framebuilding, and it's nice to see a brand name famed for its steel components still flying the flag.

Certain frame parts are 3D printed, and all TIG welds are hand-finished and look super smooth. The frame material is also said to be corrosion-proof.

Elsewhere, the bike is bang up to date, it's electronic groupset only, with 32mm clearances, UDH compatibility, integrated cabling and super clean lines.

The Speciale is a top-end bike; prices start at €12,500 for a top-end Dura-Ace build.

Pricing and specs

The Aeroscoop will be available in two colours, purple fibre and coral white, and in five complete builds. Notably, groupsets from the big three manufacturers of Campagnolo, Shimano and SRAM are all used. Sizes range from XS-XL.

The Speciale XCR will be available in one colour and three build options, using Super Record, Dura-Ace and Red AXS, all with DT Swiss Wheels and an integrated handlebar. Sizes will range from XS-XL