A tradition of innovative winning bikes
It is time I learn more about Colnagos, I have thought of the brands such as Colnago and Pinarello as the luxury line of expensive toys, not as affordable fast racing machines. Yet there I was a few weekends ago, watching Neils Albert race and win on his 2012 winning world champion cyclocross Colnago Cross Prestige bike. Albert rode with such smooth strong impressive bike handling skills during his win at Cyclocross World Championships in Belgium, that he made me take notice of his bike. He clearly was not fighting the machine; I wanted to learn more about Colnago bikes and their designer.
I read that Ernesto Colnago was already an accomplished mechanic when he started his own bicycle company in 1954. He first mastered the art of wheelbuilding after breaking his leg racing and needing a trade while recovering at home. He broadened his mechanical skills eventually becoming a mechanic for Eddy Merckx and a few other Italian and Belgian racing teams before returning to a small town outside of Milan, Italy, to build his own steel bikes. Just 6 years later at the 1960 Olympics, Italian Luigi Arienti won a gold medal racing on a Colnago bike. By 1972 Colnago had again teamed up with Eddy Merckx and built an innovate light weight frame ridden by Merckx to beat the world one hour record.
 |
| Ernesto Colnago and Gianni Motta |
One day-classic wins, Grand Tour wins, and World Champion titles came year after year. You may give a word of thanks to Ernesto Colnago for being one of the first to use carbon fiber, for pioneering the use of titanium, for drilled chains and for 24-spoke wheels. Riders such as Gianni Motta, Michele Dancelli, Eddy Merckx, Giuseppe ‘Beppe’ Saronni, Joop Zoetemelk, Maurizio Fondriest, Johan Museeuw, Franco Ballerini, Paolo Bettini, Stefano Garzelli, Oscar Freire, Erik Zabel, and Alessandro Petacchi can say thanks to Ernesto Colnago for providing them with excellent bikes over years of racing victories.
If you like old bikes, read and see more about the history of bike design by Colnago (2002): Creating the best bikes – Part 1: The man & the collection and Creating the best bikes – Part 2: The bikes, A visit with Ernesto Colnago and an exclusive look at his personal museum.
 |
| The old Colnago Eagle and Arrow " La Freccia" logo created in 1954 |
 |
| Asso di Fiori - Ace of Clubs Colnago Logo was created in 1970 |
Colnagos
Here is the basic line-up of Colnago bikes click any image to enlarge
 |
| Colnago C59 |
 |
| Colnago CX-1 Evo |
 |
| The new Colnago CLX 3.0 Ultegra Di2 2012 |
 |
| Colnago Cross Prestige |
 |
| Colnago Flight time trial bike |
This was Neils Albert's recent 2012 Cyclocross World Champion winning cross bike - the Colnago Cross Prestige. See more photos and read about how Neils Albert's bike was set up for Worlds - World Champion Bike Profile: Niels Albert’s Colnago Prestige Cyclocross Bike By Cyclocross Magazine.
 |
| Neils Albert's World Champion cyclocross bike Photo tweeted by |
 |
| Photo by and tweeted by Graham Watson |
Colnago Sponsored Bike Teams
Colnago will officially sponsor five bike teams in 2012: Team Europcar, Colnago CFX Inox, Landbouwkrediet, Team Type I Sanofi, and the Colnago Mtn Bike team. Thomas Voeckler of Team Europcar earned 10 days in the yellow jersey during the 2011 Tour de France. The Colnago-CFX Inox team will be racing in the 2012 Giro d' Italia. The Colnago team together with Team Type I with both compete at Milan-San Remo this year. Colnago supports the cause of Diabetes awareness, testing and supplies through sponsorship of Team Type I Sanofi (a U.S. Professional Continental Team).
Colnago will officially sponsor five bike teams in 2012: Team Europcar, Colnago CFX Inox, Landbouwkrediet, Team Type I Sanofi, and the Colnago Mtn Bike team. Thomas Voeckler of Team Europcar earned 10 days in the yellow jersey during the 2011 Tour de France. The Colnago-CFX Inox team will be racing in the 2012 Giro d' Italia. The Colnago team together with Team Type I with both compete at Milan-San Remo this year. Colnago supports the cause of Diabetes awareness, testing and supplies through sponsorship of Team Type I Sanofi (a U.S. Professional Continental Team).
This is Team Europcar's new Colnago road bike for 2012 shown at the team presentation last month. It looks similar to the model their squad used at the 2011 Tour de France with a few changes.
 |
| Ernesto Colnago in 2012 with Pierre Rolland and Thomas Voeckler Photo tweeted by |
 |
| Colnago matt black and neon green Europcar team bike |
You will be seeing the team on the black and green frame and also on the white and green frame C59 models in 2012. Here is the team at the Grand Prix d'Ouverture La Marseillaise seen below, and with a fleet of C59s at the recent Tour of Langkawi.
 |
| Photo tweeted by |
 |
| Team Europcar at the 2012 Tour de Langkawi |
 |
| Team Europcar's Colnago Flight time trial bike |
View lots of wonderful pictures here from the 2011 TDF: On the road and behind the scenes look at Colnago & Team Europcar
For the Italian Colnago CFX Inox team they will ride the Colnago C59 with Campagnolo Super Record 11 V.
For the Italian Continental team Colnago-CSF Bardiani, their 2012 bike is Colnago + Campy:
 |
| Colnago-CSF Bardani 2012 team bike |
 |
| The Colnago C59 frames are still made in Italy! ©Photo by PedalDancer™ |
 |
| Colnago TWENTY IX mountain bik |
Colnago Ferrari Partnership
Just as Specialized teamed with McLaren to develop the McLaren Venge, Colnago joined forces with Ferrari to design their joint effort - the CF8 and CF9 road bike models introduced in July 2011, and the Limited Edition.
The Colnago Ferrari CF8 ($15,799.00) buy it
Just as Specialized teamed with McLaren to develop the McLaren Venge, Colnago joined forces with Ferrari to design their joint effort - the CF8 and CF9 road bike models introduced in July 2011, and the Limited Edition.
The Colnago Ferrari CF8 ($15,799.00) buy it
 |
| Colnago Ferrari CF8 |
 |
08 March 2012 - Tech Update: Colnago launches disc brake road bike By VeloNews
Colnago C59 road bike with disc brakes
Video: Colnago's K.Zero and C59 Disc at Taipei Cycle By Bike Radar
2012 Taipei Cycle Show | Day 1 gallery By CyclingIQ
Update March 2012: 2012 Colnago K.Zero time trial bike
Photos by Pedal Dancer of Colnago bikes at races in the United States (the Continent) in 2011
Video: Colnago's K.Zero and C59 Disc at Taipei Cycle By Bike Radar
2012 Taipei Cycle Show | Day 1 gallery By CyclingIQ
 |
| new disc brakes on Colnago road bike |
 |
| Ernesto Colnago with his C59 disc brake road bike Photo from cyclingiq.com |
 |
| new Colnago time trial bike - K Zero |
Images of Colnago bikes at the Tour of California and the USA Pro Cycling Challenge ridden by Team Type I and Bissell. I remember seeing the fleet of Team Type I's Colnago Flight time trial bikes at the 2011 Tour of California and thinking those bikes are almost too beautiful to ride.
 |
| Team Type I Colnago time trial bike ©Photo by PedalDancer™ |
 |
| Power ©Photo by PedalDancer™ |
 |
| Colnago at the race with fans ©Photo by PedalDancer™ |
 |
| Team Type I car and bikes in 2011 ©Photo by PedalDancer™ |
 |
| Colnagos at the Tour of California ©Photo by PedalDancer™ |
 |
| ©Photo by PedalDancer™ |
 |
| Team Bissell Colnagos at the USA Pro Cycling Challenge ©Photo by PedalDancer™ |
 |
| ©Photo by PedalDancer™ |
 |
| ©Photo by PedalDancer™ |
 |
| ©Photo by PedalDancer™ |
I'm going to ride off (in comfort) into the sunset on this one - the modern Colnago City Classica ($2,194.00)
 |
| Colnago Classica bicycle |
Or on this fine red bike - the Colnago Ferrari CF9 ($3,759.00)
Update 02/09/12: Ernesto Colnago is 80 years old and is celebrating his birthday by releasing 80 special collectors version Colnago bikes called the C59 Ottanta. C59 is currently their leading frame and Ottanta is eighty in Italian. The special bike was designed in beautiful detailed gold paint with Campagnolo Super Record EPS 11s electronic components featuring a special 'Eagle and Arrow’ logo (created in 1954, see image above). Also see a new CyclingNews Gallery of Colnago photos from years past or read Colnago celebrates his 80th birthday with a limited edition bike.
 |
| 2012 Colnago C59 Ottanta 80th birthday limited edition bike |
Update 02/20/12: More images from a recent visit to an official Colnago dealer. All photos below by PedalDancer.com.
Colnago CLX 3.0 frame with Ultegra Di2 (approx $5700): (also in white, red, blue) (more details)
 |
| Colnago CLX 3.0 ©Photo by PedalDancer™ |
 |
| ©Photo by PedalDancer™ |
 |
| ©Photo by PedalDancer™ |
 |
| ©Photo by PedalDancer™ |
 |
| ©Photo by PedalDancer™ |
 |
| ©Photo by PedalDancer™ |
 |
| ©Photo by PedalDancer™ |
 |
| ©Photo by PedalDancer™ |
 |
| ©Photo by PedalDancer™ |
 |
| ©Photo by PedalDancer™ |
 |
| Colnago Ace ©Photo by PedalDancer™ |
 |
| ©Photo by PedalDancer™ |
 |
| Colnago Air ©Photo by PedalDancer™ |
 |
| Colnago World Cup CX ©Photo by PedalDancer™ |
Related posts by Pedal Dancer:
View all the other ProTeam Bikes from 2011
Learn and look at Specialized bikes
Learn and look at BMC bikes
Learn and look at Pinarello bikes: Pinarello Dogma2
Posts
0 CLICK TO ADD YOUR COMMENT:
Post a Comment
Please enhance this blog with your comment