Cinelli gives a new spark to their road bike line-up with an all-new aerodynamic carbon Aeroscoop and a sleek, all-new stainless steel Speciale Corsa XCR made in Italy. I got a chance to head to northern Italy’s cycling mecca a few weeks back to test them both out. And each truly lived up to the hype. No matter if you are looking for a super-fast aero road bike, or a modern reinterpretation of the classic handmade Italian steel road bike, Cinelli has got you covered…
First Impressions on the Speciale Corsa XCR
I first had the opportunity to ride the Speciale Corsa XCR, climbing and descending in dense clouds, light rain, and on wet roads back and forth to the Ghisallo museum I featured a couple weeks back.
No bike feels more appropriate to ride wet Italian roads to the sanctuary of the patron saint of cyclists than a handmade-in-Italy stainless steel bike with 30mm tires on it.
At a real 8.73kg with Dura-Ace Di2, DT ARC1100 wheels, and Eggbeater pedals (because I wanted wet weather walkability and was gonna ride gravel the next day, too), the XCR bike still felt lightweight. And the big shiny stainless chainstays that taper right before the UDH dropouts felt plenty stiff on the climbs, too.
Cinelli builds the Speciale Corsa XCR with proper racy geometry, just with about 1cm taller headtubes than the Aeroscoop for a more comfortable riding position. The only thing I would change would be to make out the real 32mm tire clearance to get the best balance of comfort and low rolling resistance on this lovely Italian steel bike.
And First Ride on Aeroscoop, too!
On the other hand though, the Aeroscoop is everything you want and need in a modern aero road bike. It is sleek, light and fast. My medium Purple Dura-Ace Di2 test bike with Fulcrum wheels weighed a real 7.56kg on our scale with pedals.
I got to run the bike around Vittoria’s tight & twisty mixed-surface tire-testing track outside of the Vittoria Park Brembate HQ and was surprised how comfortable and responsive the new Aeroscoop was, even over rough cobblestones, a bit of soft gravel, and a stint in their UCI-approved pumptrack.
Then, we hit about 40km of heavily trafficked and a few rural Italian back roads to see how it fared at higher speeds. While the Reach and angles of both bikes are quite similar, the lower Stack, higher BB & shorter chainstays of the Aeroscoop made for a noticeably faster ride feel.
My first impression was a decidedly quick ride that still remained easy to control in a bunch on unfamiliar riders and close-passing trucks. I set my fastest flat road average speed of the year, and came away feeling fresh after just over an hour of all-out riding.
2026 Cinelli Speciale Corsa XCR & Aeroscoop – Pricing, options & availability
Both all-new Cinelli road bikes are quite premium in price and compatible only with electronic drivetrains – starting at 8000€ complete for the Aeroscoop and 12,500€ for the Speciale Corsa XCR. But each is also available as a frameset if you want to create your own custom build.
Full details on both new Cinelli road bikes in a separate story, here.
