Very few bicycle manufacturers hold the stature of Colnago and rightly so. Since 1954 Ernesto Colnago and his family have been producing world class framesets for professionals and cycling enthusiasts alike. Colnago’s bikes have seen countless victories from the Olympics to Le Tour de France, Paris-Roubaix and under the indomitable Eddy Merckx when he took the hour record win 1972. Colnago remain one of the most iconic brands in the industry and are much coveted for their elegant design, impeccable quality and superb ride characteristics.
Colnago initially had little commercial success with their early carbon frames but learned quickly from their failings and in 1994 released the C40. Named for it’s year of Colnago production, the C40 went on to become one of the most successful Paris-Roubaix winning frames taking 5 victories for Mapei. Some 10 years later the C50 followed as a thoroughbred race machine and more recently the C59. In each incarnation the goal has been to increase the efficiency of the frame while reducing weight and maintaining rider comfort. The C60 then had some big shoes to fill and as usual, Colnago have lived up to expectation.
The C60 is one of the biggest technical leaps from Colnago and this is big news. Colnago do not believe in making changes to frames unless there is a proven reason for doing so, neither do they simply adopt the designs of others and this ethos is born out in the new C60 frames.
The most obvious and striking feature of the C60 is its tube profiles. Rather than the round tube profiles found on its predecessors, the C60 uses a Colnago signature design feature that harks back to the steel fabricated Master framesets: Star tubing is a proven design element that offers genuine benefits of increased strength and stiffness but without sacrificing rider comfort and it is around these goals that the C60 was born. The Star tubing is not only evident in the tubes but also in the lugs themselves, the shaping of both requires incredibly precise design and manufacturing but ultimately lends a higher degree of stiffness through the whole of the front triangle. So much so that the internal ribbing used to strengthen the downtube of the C59 is no longer required and the C60 has a superior impact strength. In addition, the removal of the ribbed structure allows Colnago to better control the thicknesses and lamination of the carbon tubes for a more technically advanced tubeset.
The stronger downtube is also significantly wider than that of the C59 and with a square section of 66 x 52mm is the broadest tube ever produced by Colnago, the shape lends greater lateral stiffness, yet remains lighter than that of the C59. The ability to create a broader downtube stems from the greater width of the new star shaped lugged bottom bracket area. The construction of the lug conveys greater stiffness where necessary while saving weight and increasing power transfer and the design was the direct result of a development in the type of bottom bracket system.
Colnago decided to combine the reliability and ease of installation & removal of the threaded standard with the advantage of greater frame width offered by integrated bearing systems.. The result is the patented ThreadFit82.5 system. TheadFit82.5 is compatible with all BB86 bottom brackets, but features two removable threaded inserts that are easily replaceable in case of wear. In addition to the lug and bottom bracket, Internal cable routing is now an integral part of the construction forming two structural ribs that add strength to this critical area of the bike. The overall result is a stiffer, more reliable and easier to maintain system that better conveys power to the road.
Like the downtube, the seat-tube is also significantly wider – indeed the contact patch at the BB is 51.5mm rather than the 34.9mm found on the C59. Significantly, for the first time on a lugged frame Colnago have removed the round seat tube in favour of a taper section and stellar insert tube and again for the first time the seat tube becomes asymmetric. The asymmetry arises due to the necessity of mounting the front derailleur and it is not possible to exploit the whole width of the BB, thus of the 51.5mm contact patch, 30mm is on the left and 21.5mm on the right. Despite the dramatic increase in size, the seattube is lighter than that of the C59 further increasing the stiffness to weight ratio of the frame.
It is inherent with large increases in frame stiffness that the comfort of a frame will be compromised unless the design takes account. It is for this reason that the rear triangle of the C60 has been revised over the C59. The seat stays have been manufactured in a conical profile and with limited thickness, they are broader, particularly towards the dropouts and this flatter, wider shape reduces weight, maintains the lateral stiffness and allows for vertical compliance. In conjunction, Colnago designed the chainstays with internal ribs to ensure high lateral stiffness but at the same time beautifully tapered the stays towards the dropouts to provide vertical flexion to dampen vibrations by acting like micro-suspension. An additional benefit is that it better allows the wheel to ‘track’ on bumpier surfaces; the overall result is a more stable and less fatiguing ride feel..
The stays terminate in a forged and CNC’d one-piece aluminium dropout. Colnago have long been advocates of aluminium for this critical interface and the main rib of the drop out makes it non-deformable even in the most demanding impact, ensuring that the replaceable hanger fails rather than the frame itself. The small details have not been overlooked, such as the milling on the right dropout in order to install the cable from an electronic groupset that doesn't interfere with the quick release of the wheel. The weight of the C60 dropouts is actually lighter than several carbon offerings available while being stronger and more reliable.
The C60 is 100% Made in Italy and as with all of Colnago’s Italian frames the finish is exquisite. Hand painted and lacquered in numerous stages to give a finish befitting a frame of this caliber, it is truly stunning to behold.
The C60 is being presented in 2 variants: Dual Routed which is compatible with both mechanical and electronic groups; or Electronic only. Both are available in three colour groupings. Classic (4), Racing (6) and Italia (2).
The frames are a work of art. The timeless heritage, the attention to detail, the traditional styling combined with modern construction techniques and the range of colour options make it a bike that we would want to keep for life. The Colnago C60 is without a doubt one of the very best frames on which to build up a dream bike.