Unica
UNICA (Nitor)
Later co-branded as Cinelli, these “plastic” saddles revolutionized the saddle
business; virtually all saddles before Unica being those of thick stretched leather.
Updated 11.1.2006
Click on model name to see illustrations of that model:
Mod. 50 black (uncovered plastic)
Mod. 55 black perforated type (uncovered plastic)
Mod. 65 “CAMPIONE DEL MONDO” leather covered (no padding)
Mod. 65/C covered with chamois leather (no padding)
Mod. 65/N covered with buffalo leather (no padding)
Mod. 70 “CAMPIONE DEL MONDO” leather covered, quilted type
Mod. 75 #1 “Tour de France”, covered with chamois leather, and cross-stitched
Mod. 75 #2 “Tour de France”, covered with chamois leather, softened type (padded)
Mod. 75 #3 “Tour de France”, covered with buffalo leather, softened type (padded)
Mod. 75 #4 “Tour de France”, covered with smooth leather, softened type (padded)
Thanks to Chuck Schmidt
Overview:
“The oldest/rarest Unicanitors (other than the uncovered ones that don’t say “Cinelli’) are covered in plain Leather and have labels in aluminum foil on the underside of the saddle. I have such a saddle and it came stock on a 1970 Cinelli Super Corsa.”
“Next come the saddles with no name on the back but with the logo on the side like all the others. Also ultra desirable are the Unicanitors which have the legend “Cinelli” on the rear end in block letters. More recent (80’s) have the legend with the flying C logo in the spelling and have a Flying C at the nose of the saddle. These ride just as well but sell for less as they aren’t as “vintage” and aren’t the saddle from the 1970s peloton.”
“Most (but not all) saddles are covered in smooth leather, Pakistani buffalo hide or suede. Some sellers erroneously describe suede as buffalo hide. There is nothing wrong with buffalo hide or suede but most prefer the smooth leather. I own all three types and vintages and they all work fine. Prices on Ebay have ranged from seven dollars to $525 for the foil label ones. …… Also the old foil label models are just a tad wider.”
Roland Porter
"Nitor 63" seatpost"
Introduced in 1963, this seat post was a GREAT improvement over both Campagnolo’s 2-bolt style micro-adjusting post or the steel seat pin clips for straight posts.
The two cap head screws would be tightened independently. The convenience of this accessibility compares to the traditional seat clips which used a central axle and external hex nuts. But, a 6 mm. Allen wrench was much easier to use than a box-end wrench (spanner) which would need to be repositioned repeatedly… Naturally, a ratcheting socket wrench worked fine in the shop, but a hex-key was something you could easily carry along in a small tool kit.
The single bolt on each side would grip the saddle rails and press the cradles against thick plastic discs around which the steel cradle inner frame will rotate to provide an infinite range of saddle level adjustment. The main section of the post is one piece forged alloy with only the saddle rail clamps in plated steel. Very effective and super easy to adjust. Especially nice compared to the two top-mounted (and nearly inaccessible) Campagnolo bolts… And, this mechanism really does not slip out of position!
The Nitor 63 was really a VERY expensive seat post. — In 1963, they sold in England through Ron Kitching for MORE than a Campagnolo post – and Campagnolo components were always at the top end of any component price ranges.
These were very short posts intended to minimize weight for racing, and although there is no “limit line” around half of the 6″ straight shaft is exposed here… which is just enough for me to use on this bike. This low post position was common for proper frame fitting of the era… and just the way I still prefer my bikes today.
