Colnago Appreciation Society

[koen]

Just a shot of work in progress. I touched up a few paint chips and applied a few clear coats. I should have done a better job of finishing the paint when I first resprayed it years ago but we learn as we go. Final polish to come. It may be another little while before I get all the parts onto it. I can't really be bothered building up the 50th Aniversary hubs so may just use some other nuovo record wheels and put in the fancy skewers when I want to impress.

[singlespeedscott]

for those wanting to fill those dropout holes

26 euro's to post. The package would be lucky to weigh 50g. What a scam.

[Lots of steel bikes]

I seem to remember reading that Ernesto Colnago would never build a frame with more than 2cm difference between seat tube length and top tube length. Can anyone confirm this?

[koen]

Rainy Sunday afternoon and taking my time assembling the Colnago with parts I have been saving for years.
A quiet pleasure.
I will post a picture when I get some cables later on Monday.

[koen]

Italian thoroughbred, except the paintjob is mine and the decals come from Mr Softley. I don't have the full group but much nice stuff anyway.
I made a facsimile of the BB dustcaps and front brake locknut. They are gold without the logo.

[GaryF]

Very nice so far koen - very nice indeed. What a bike!!!

[koen]

Very nice so far koen - very nice indeed. What a bike!!!

Thanks very much. It is a well used groupset but polished up okay. I will ride on nice fine Sundays

[Smithy78]

Well, I was perusing e-bay a few weeks ago and came across a NOS set of Campagnolo 1010B dropouts.
As there were no bids and it was a reasonable price, I thought "What the hell!" and slapped a bid on.
Sure enough, I was the only bidder, and I now have a replacement dropout for my Colnago! Not sure what I will do with the other 3 dropouts (might make keyrings out of the fork ones), but nevermind, they cost me nothing.

So, imagine my surprise when they turned up in the post yesterday, and I discovered that the photo in the e-bay listing didn't match the actual set I was delivered!
Yes, thats right, I have a NOS 1010B rear dropout WITH portacatena holes, so will be able to do a like for like replacement.
I'm not sure if losing a rear cog is worthwhile still, but at least I can retain that option!

[morini]

Had to google that so I've just learnt something about Campag I'd never heard of. Thanks, neat bit of engineering do you own one?

[NASHIE]

Went to bike swapmeet in Perth yesterday chasing a frame for the young fella. Saw this poor Colnago super with badly repaired seat stay for $250. At 56cm its bit small for me, so grabed a Kenevans frame for the son and left. Bit of nagging to go back for bits for his bike and the poor Colnago was still there so for $200 it followed me home. Im guessing 83 Super Columbus SL. Will need to chase up SL seat stay for repair. It is all orig paint, but will need rechrome and SS repair,so bare metal respray sometime in the future

[singlespeedscott]

Nice

[Lots of steel bikes]

I seem to remember reading that Ernesto Colnago would never build a frame with more than 2cm difference between seat tube length and top tube length. Can anyone confirm this?

It was Pogliaghi not Colnago.I rediscovered where I read it. In The Custom Bicycle. Section reproduced in this blog.
http://velossimo.blogspot.com.au/2013_1 ... chive.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[WimVDD]

- As all the tubes on your bike are round, it's not a Tecnos. It could be a Superissmo, or a C98 or a C99, but I don't think so. To my eye the tubes look nice and thick, so they are oversized. This makes the tubing either Thron tubing or EL/OS. Now, the fact that there is chrome on both the drive side, and non-drive side, as well as on the seatstays tells me it's not likely to be a Superissimo or a "C" series: it's a higher range model. The last clue is the fastback stays, which was a feature of the better bikes, like the Tecnos at that time. I am confident you have a 1998 or 1999 Colnago Elegant. Not a bad bike at all... Only the Tecnos and MasterXlight were considered superier in Colnago's steel range at that time, although they were moving away from steel and into carbon and titanium for their top models by then.

...

Hello, I'm new on this forum here. I'm from Europe (Belgium to be specific) so probably you guys are asleep while I'm writing this. I found this post of "Toff" while searching the internet, trying to figger out what type of Colnago I recently bought.

The former owner sold it to me as a C94 but I had my doubts about that (it was too light and had too much chrome to be a"low budget" model). I used to race back in the mid-nineties and I remember the low-budget Colnago's to have less chrome.

So, my question is: can someone (Toff??) tell me more about my "new" steel Colnago? You can find some pictures here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/gqere87uabo0 ... cd9ga?dl=0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks!
Wim

All I found so far on the internet put together, (and if the serial number 4Xyyy refers to the year 1994) I suspect the bike to be a '94 Elegant.

[dubrat]

"Super" happy to have this on the way after 2 years of searching for a early 70's Colnago......

1972/3 Colnago Super....




Now to find a PAT 73 SR or NR groupset

if anyone has a 70's Cinelli Colnago pantod 100mm do let me know

[rustychisel]

if anyone has a 70's Cinelli Colnago pantod 100mm do let me know

Don't suppose a 1990s 115mm ITM Goccia would excite you? Colnago panto. See my sales ad for many things...

[morini]

In my 2 minutes of net surfing Elegants I found this and it looks pretty similar. If you want confirmation email Colnago, I think they're happy to give out information.

http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=119468" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[singlespeedscott]

Nice find Dubrat.

[GaryF]

Nice find Dubrat.

+1

Very nice indeed.

[dodgiebros]

My only Colnago, '83' Saronni track bike I'll restore... one day

[GaryF]

Your Colnago built Saronni looks to be in good nick from your photo and it's in a colour that will always be associated with Saronni himself.

[dodgiebros]

Except for the rusty forks she's in great nick. Those Record hubs are still smooooth as better than any of my more modern bikes

[dodgiebros]

.. yep, Saronni Red

[WyvernRH]

Now I know very little about Italian bikes so I apologize if this is a silly question. I recently acquired a nice quality frame and it has a 'Colnago' branded headset. I have never seen one of these before, are they common on Colnagos? Pretty sure this frame is not a Colnago

Richard

[GaryF]

Those Colnago headsets pop up occasionally on ebay. I don't know which company actually made them but I would like to come across one for my early 80's Colnago. I've never come across one in my travels but I don't think they are ultra rare just very unusual. I agree with you Richard, your frame doesn't look like a Colnago frame but it is pretty nice all the same.

[apewearingclothes]

Hi All.

I'm a noob to contributing to this forum (although read it a lot) and to retro bikes generally outside my own bike, I hope you don't mind me dropping in to post my old steel 'nago and to invite some responses to my guesses...

I own what I believe to be circa '83 Colnago Super, (or Superissimo, or Mexico although not likely)

She was a training/ fitness bike I purchased early '90's and sadly with the advent of kids, bad back etc, my riding has been neglected for many years, and now currently not possible due to recent back surgery, and possible future back surgery. (#(AT)$%!!) So she hangs in the garage gathering dust. In my darker moments I have considered selling her but my mates always talk me round, convincing me to keep her for posterity, with a view to restoring the original components, and cleaning her up for the day I may get back in the saddle, or simply to hang her on the wall.

She's got a bit of standard wear/tear, but no rust, dings or bends. see dodgy pics below;

The frame has;
• 2 flutes in top tube
• 4 flutes in down tube
• flat caps to seat stays stamped colnago
• braze on down tube shifter mounts
• braze on front derailleur mount
• 2 braze on bottle mounts
• no crimps in chain stays

The current components are (I think, from referencing velobase)

Rear Derailleur - Campy Croce d' Aune (velobase says late 80's)
Front Derailleur - Campy Super Record
Crankset - Campy Strada Super Record
Brakes - Campy Super Record (v2)
Seatpost - Campy Nuovo Super Record, Panto'd
Saddle - Selle San Marco Rolls
Handlebars - Cinelli (I need to check after ripping dodgy 90's tape off)
Shifters - Maybe cheapies, but look a bit like Simplex SLJ

The current brake levers, pedals, stem, are basic stuff added early '90's, the original components I had in a box that I think I may have lost in a house move. (still kick myself HARD every time I think of this) Will have one more good look but most likely will be a $600 plus mistake... the stem was a lovely panto'd 3ttt campy I think.. damn it...

The wheels are Shimano hubs (not sure which) with Wolber T340 alpine rims, and came with the bike.

I'm thinking that I will need rear derailleur, wheel hubs, brake lever/hoods and shifters all in Super Record, and I will have to source a stem as above. My plan is to keep her paint as is, clean/polish/service generally and source second hand gear rather than NOS, due to the condition of the current bits. I'm thinking of getting the current rims laced to the replacement hubs, as they are in good nick, going with new gumwall tyres and gum coloured brake hoods with white cables/bar tape.

I'd appreciate any comments/suggestions/corrections etc, as I'm really just forming my opinions based on internet research. The trouble is that not being able to ride, I'm not out on the road, talking to other cyclists, just my armchair TV racer mates, & blokes who are into modern pricey bikes. (not that there's anything wrong with that!)

The bike was great to ride, and I always marvelled at what a pleasant beast she was/is, even after sampling the modern bikes. I reckon its worth at least getting her back to original, even if it's not concours condition.

Cheers.

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