{"id":431789,"date":"2026-02-18T06:17:09","date_gmt":"2026-02-18T06:17:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/431789\/"},"modified":"2026-02-18T06:17:09","modified_gmt":"2026-02-18T06:17:09","slug":"1980s-simoncini-low-pro-cycling-weekly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/431789\/","title":{"rendered":"1980s Simoncini low pro | Cycling Weekly"},"content":{"rendered":"<p id=\"be6bdf72-7fb2-4e06-b8a5-b163e567f128\">If Simoncini is one of the lesser known Italian framebuilders it\u2019s largely because the Castelfiorentino-based brand spent decades making frames for third parties. Started in 1949 by brothers Renato and Oddino Simoncini, their workshop in the Tuscan countryside has built for famed marques such as Ciocc, Viner and Orbea. However, since 2017 the operation has been headed up by a third-generation Simoncini, Eugenio, and is back to making frames that bear the family name.<\/p>\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\" style=\"padding-top:66.55%;\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/nkCUWgCewt9cKMNdHyCvoY.jpg\" alt=\"Downtube shifters Simoncini low pro\"   loading=\"lazy\" data-new-v2-image=\"true\" data-original-mos=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/nkCUWgCewt9cKMNdHyCvoY.jpg\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/nkCUWgCewt9cKMNdHyCvoY.jpg\"\/>\n<\/p>\n<p>Polished downtube shifters match the chrome details<\/p>\n<p>(Image credit: Future)<\/p>\n<p id=\"d29f79f2-f8d3-416b-ac6b-4fe46db21c29\">This low profile frameset from 1988 is one of the small number from this period made under the Simoncini name. The main frame uses star shaped Columbus tubing, possibly SLX, which along with the sloping top tube and the 26\u201d front wheel gives the bike\u2019s its distinctive looks; lo-pro pursuit bikes were all the rage in the \u201880s as riders sought to find a more aerodynamically efficient position on the bike. Their success was short-lived though, with the <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingweekly.com\/tag\/uci\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingweekly.com\/tag\/uci\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingweekly.com\/tag\/uci\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">UCI<\/a> banning bikes with two different wheel sizes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\" style=\"padding-top:66.55%;\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/XDrn9EGtdBe925SGvDHUCf.jpg\" alt=\"Cow horn bars Simoncini low pro\"   loading=\"lazy\" data-new-v2-image=\"true\" data-original-mos=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/XDrn9EGtdBe925SGvDHUCf.jpg\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/XDrn9EGtdBe925SGvDHUCf.jpg\"\/>\n<\/p>\n<p>Big, wide cow horn bars were once thought to be aerodynamic<\/p>\n<p>(Image credit: Future)<\/p>\n<p id=\"e9c9a4f0-133a-418c-8eb5-ea22b29c9269\">Naturally the bike is fitted with time trial bars from the period, the Cinelli LA 84 model paired with a 1\/R stem from the same brand; the Los Angeles <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingweekly.com\/racing\/olympics\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingweekly.com\/racing\/olympics\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingweekly.com\/racing\/olympics\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Olympics<\/a> in 1984 saw low profile bikes dominate on the track. The aerodynamic enhancements don\u2019t stop there either, with a <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingweekly.com\/tag\/campagnolo\" data-auto-tag-linker=\"true\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingweekly.com\/tag\/campagnolo\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingweekly.com\/tag\/campagnolo\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Campagnolo<\/a> aero bottle and cage in situ as well as a Campy aero seat post.<\/p>\n<p>You may like<\/p>\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\" style=\"padding-top:66.55%;\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/xcqM6TBwQq89ub8cq87yTN.jpg\" alt=\"Delta brakes Simoncini low pro\"   loading=\"lazy\" data-new-v2-image=\"true\" data-original-mos=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/xcqM6TBwQq89ub8cq87yTN.jpg\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/xcqM6TBwQq89ub8cq87yTN.jpg\"\/>\n<\/p>\n<p>Campag Delta breaks are a must for a classic Italian bike<\/p>\n<p>(Image credit: Future)<\/p>\n<p id=\"c09bf6ee-3b5d-4f1e-aa9c-29487b460bf2\">The build remains an all-Italian affair. Aside from the Vittoria Competition tyres and Selle San Marco Rolls saddle, complete with a white leather cover, Campagnolo reigns supreme. The Record groupset features the iconic Delta brake calipers and includes the pedals, too. The Shamal wheels, 650c at the front and 700c at the rear, use 16 bladed spokes, with eight crossed on the gear side and eight laced radially on the \u2018off\u2019 side.<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"elk-seasonal\" class=\"paywall\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"newsletter-form__strapline\">The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"If Simoncini is one of the lesser known Italian framebuilders it\u2019s largely because the Castelfiorentino-based brand spent decades&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":431790,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[4985,101,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-431789","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cycling","tag-cycling","tag-sports","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/431789","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=431789"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/431789\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/431790"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=431789"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=431789"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=431789"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}