By Iâm riding up a tiny, Swiss road that has 27% gradient and it keeps going up at this rate for 3 kilometres. For a couple of months of the year, itâs impassable due to snow. Itâs only a very narrow road with rough tarmac and itâs not used enough for
A big white Yorkshire horse and a Swiss Cilo horse
Iâm currently in North Yorkshire, UK, and I have for sale on my eBay site, two vintage Cilo road bikes. The slightly higher specification of the two is a Columbus framed, Cilo Challenger. It is priced very competitively for a bike of its age, condition and specification. Iâm obviously interested
When Cool becomes Cilo Cool
Have you noticed how some things are cool straight out of the box and others gain coolness over time? More importantly, cool doesnât have to be proven because itâs gained global recognition. Cool is a social perception and not an inherent quality. A Cool thing is much more than just
The 1981 Cilo (alternativeđ€Ș) road test and review
All bicycle road test and reviews are stereotypically the same, and have been since Robert (known as Bob from here on) Lillywand, first thought of a new and innovative way to market and sell his bikes back in 1807. Bob reckoned that by using the villageâs local key opinion leader,
A soulful bicycle which carries the name of a true cycling raconteur; Raphael Geminiani
My soulful, 1956 French Randoneur needs a new headset. I shouldâve replaced it when I brought it back to life 4 years ago, but it worked reasonably well and itâs an odd size to find a new replacement. I bought the bicycle as a âprojectâ on eBay from a location
The fascinating world and psychology of âThe bicycle Collectorâ
A common dictionary definition of the word âcollectorââ is; a person who collects things of a specified type, professionally or as a hobby. This is obviously a broad definition, and after looking around my bike shed, and after a quick look in the mirror to see if I looked like
Cilo – The opportunities and pitfalls of re-launching a brand
A number of readers have noticed that the Swiss bicycle brand of Cilo has been re-launched, and its prompted me, whilst being inspired by watching the Alabama Shakes message their brand https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sNNTpORtDQ to take a look at some brands that have gone through a similar re-vitalisation. Firstly, you don’t need
More about Swiss Cilo cycles & their owners
In the early-ish days of club and national cycle racing, like the 1940s and 50s for example, riders had one bike, which they rode to races, and possibly, if they were good riders, he/she would have a second set of lighter wheels that they would use for the race, then
Going Underground (also the title of a well known song by The Jam) & hill climbing
I press the lift button to take us down to level 5. There are two of us in the lift and each with a bike. I’ve brought along my Cilo track bike as I’m not anticipating the need for brakes in this event. If I do need brakes, things have
The story of the Swiss Cilo bicycle company
In the 20th century, it is estimated that Switzerland was home to 200-300 bicycle brands, and the national Helvetia Bicycle Museum is in BrĂŒgg, near Biel, in the Canton Bern. With 16 manufacturers in the town, Biel was the Swiss bike capital. The top Swiss brands like Tebag, Staco, Cilo,
