Cinelli Saetta Radical Plus review

An antidote to its exuberant Italian rivals, this all-black Cinelli Saetta looks anything but ‘radical’. It might still have plenty to shout about, though

Cinelli Saetta Radical Plus

(Image credit: Chris Catchpole)
Cycling Weekly Verdict

If you’re in the market for an Italian bike you might want something slightly more visually exciting, but the Cinelli’s subtle looks belie a great all-round machine that has little compromise on its spec sheet and performs really very nicely. Forget about the bling and enjoy the ride.

Reasons to buy
  • +

    Great looking frameset

  • +

    Full Campagnolo Athena groupset

  • +

    A proper all-rounder

Reasons to avoid
  • -

    Gearing may not be to everyone's taste

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Compared to some of its fellow Italian rivals, the Cinelli Saetta Radical Plus is the dark, brooding one in the corner. The all-black frame and hard-to-see decals are in stark contrast to the can-we-fit-our-name-in-anywhere-else paint jobs from the likes of Colnago, Pinarello and Wilier. It’s so subdued, in fact, that you wonder how the bike could possibly feature the word ‘radical’ in its name.

Look closely, though, and the bike has plenty to say for itself. The frameset is really beautifully finished in matt black, and the aforementioned decals are in gloss. In the right light, these shine out. Some might say that if you spend two grand on a bike it should be more bling, but there’s as much a place for this as there is for wild extravagance and fluorescence. It’s all down to taste.

Smooth flow

The top tube is noticeably slim in the middle, which Cinelli has designed to minimize weight but retain strength.

This tube flows into the seatstays, a look which is mirrored from the down-tube and through the bottom bracket into the chainstays. Side-on, the frame looks very sleek.

Immediately, we were very impressed with the comfort of the Saetta, which helped to smooth out some of the rougher tarmac offered up on Britain’s roads. It does this with no compromises, the bike feels good on descents, on the flat and climbing — if that sounds like faint praise, it isn’t.

This is an all-rounder that could just as easily suit a sportive as it would a road race. We would say that the bike’s gearing possibly more leans towards the latter with a 52/39-tooth chainset and 12-25-tooth cassette, though.

Cinelli Saetta Radical Plus

The Cinelli Saetta Radical Plus features a full Campagnolo Athena groupset
(Image credit: Chris Catchpole)

Complete Campag

Cinelli has specced a full Campagnolo Athena groupset, including the chainset and brakes. This no doubt helped the smooth-running of the drivetrain, which did not suffer from the dropped chains we have found on bikes equipped with FSA chainsets and Athena.

We also liked the Miche Altur wheels, which were fitted with Vittoria Rubino Pro tyres in 25mm rather than 23mm width. Though the extra air volume is small, there is an element of comfort and security with wider tyres that many riders are currently switching to.

Cinelli Saetta Radical Plus

Cinelli Saetta Radical Plus
(Image credit: Chris Catchpole)

Cinelli is well known for its handlebars and stems, so it’s no surprise to see the company’s own DNA models present on the bike alongside a DNA seatpost and ubiquitous Selle Italia X1 saddle. All good.

With a full Athena groupset and a good quality parts package, you would expect the all-in weight of the Saetta to be competitive — and it is. At a shade over eight kilograms, the bike compares well with its rivals.

This review originally appeared in What Cycle magazine, Spring 2015

Cinelli Saetta Radical Plus

We found the Radical Plus to be a solid all-rounder
(Image credit: Chris Catchpole)

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Nigel Wynn
Former Associate Editor

Nigel Wynn worked as associate editor on CyclingWeekly.com, he worked almost single-handedly on the Cycling Weekly website in its early days. His passion for cycling, his writing and his creativity, as well as his hard work and dedication, were the original driving force behind the website’s success. Without him, CyclingWeekly.com would certainly not exist on the size and scale that it enjoys today. Nigel sadly passed away, following a brave battle with a cancer-related illness, in 2018. He was a highly valued colleague, and more importantly, an exceptional person to work with - his presence is sorely missed.