1983 Colnago Catalog Page

Ernesto Colnago: Fortune in Fracture and Ferrari

Colnago wordmark in black serif capitals.

Bicycle racers face immense danger every time they swing their leg over the top tube, from broken bones to outright death. Some might even argue a severe bone break can be worse than death itself, for it can spell the end of one’s racing career.

For Ernesto Colnago, a broken leg did just that. He spent 60 days in a leg cast, effectively ending a brief but moderately successful competitive cycling career and forcing him to reconsider his passion for racing bicycles. But Colnago did not let his bad fortune deter him from the sport he loved. Instead, he began reassessing how best to pursue his one true passion, eventually deciding to become expert in the use of raw materials and frame-building tools.

Black-and-white photograph of a young Ernesto Colnago at a road race, goggles pushed up on his cap, holding his bicycle on a dirt road while spectators line the bank behind him and another bicycle lies in the grass.
A young Ernesto Colnago at a road race, from the years he raced while working at the Gloria factory.

Gloria, Racing and a Broken Leg

Colnago’s interest in the design and construction of bicycles was top of mind even before his racing days. In 1945, he began working at the prestigious Gloria bicycle factory in post-war Milan. While employed there, Colnago began his racing career and proceeded to collect 13 major wins. In 1950, Colnago won possibly the most important race of his career — the Coppa Caldirola.

Black-and-white photograph of a young Ernesto Colnago, at left in a dark racing jersey, standing in a crowd beside a mustached man in a fedora and glasses, with children around them.
The young rider at left is identified in the archive as Ernesto Colnago in 1950, the year of his Coppa Caldirola win.

A short year later, however, Colnago took a bad fall in the Milan-Busseto Classic, putting him in a leg cast and summarily ending his racing career. While laying injured, Gloria gave him wheel-building assignments to occupy his time and talents. It was then, while building wheels during his recovery, that Colnago first decided he wanted to start his own bicycle business.

Ernesto Colnago frame order form from Cambiago, filled in by hand for Merckx with Giro Francia '70 and Faemino: a frame drawing marked with its dimensions, a note for a round-bladed fork and a note to chrome the fork crown and tips.
Filled in for Merckx with Giro Francia '70 on the street line and Faemino on the town line, the form is headed Cambiago, where Colnago opened his shop in 1954.

Opening the Doors in Cambiago

Three years later in 1954, Colnago opened the doors to his own bike shop in the small Italian town of Cambiago, marking the unspectacular beginnings of what would go on to become a legendary company. With his huge wealth of knowledge and matching drive to succeed now having an outlet, Colnago began building his reputation among competitive cyclists.

Colnago’s obsession with racing bicycles and their components paid off a year after opening his shop. Team Nivea racer Fiorenzo Magni visited Colnago’s shop after experiencing leg pains while riding. Colnago identified the problem as incorrect fit and lengthened Magni’s crank arms appropriately, thereby eliminating his leg discomfort. Magni was so impressed with Colnago’s attention to detail and mechanical abilities that he invited the shop owner to become his full-time mechanic at the Giro D’Italia.

Black-and-white photograph of two men in COLNAGO track tops at a workbench, one holding a tube with its end gripped in a long-handled tool and the other working a fork clamped in a vise, with frames hanging on the wall behind them.
The archive names the pair as Ernesto and Paolo Colnago.

It was a grand opportunity for Colnago, a hometown-boy who hadn’t seen much of the bigger world. “I was only 22 years old,” he said. “I had never traveled, so that was an adventure. My brother-in-law lent me a cheap suitcase for the trip.” This stint would open doors for Colnago, who managed his shop and worked as a professional mechanic over the next several years for such prestigious races as the Giro D’Italia, Vuelta Espana and Tour De France.

Colnago was eventually named head mechanic for the Italian National Team, a position he held for several consecutive years. He continued developing his frames throughout his tenure as head mechanic for several different teams; his team riders began using his designs during the race season, and in 1960, Luigi Arienti rode a Colnago to its first major victory at the Rome Olympic Games.

Close-up of the red down tube of a Colnago Super Freccia, lettered COLNAGO in cream capitals outlined in black between tricolor bands printed with the Olympic rings and the word ROMA.
Bands printed with the Olympic rings and the word Roma frame the name, recalling the 1960 Rome Games, where Luigi Arienti rode a Colnago to its first major victory.

Not long after that, victories started coming abundantly to Colnago, including a Giro D’Italia win in 1966 by Gianni Motta, who was riding for team Molteni. For Colnago, the victories were a sure sign that his frames were winners, though his desire to improve their designs and make stronger, faster bikes did not diminish as the palmarès came pouring in.

Black-and-white photograph from behind a Molteni team car on a road past a rock face, its rack loaded with spare bicycles, as a mechanic leans out to work on a racer's bicycle and spectators line the road ahead.
Race service from the Molteni team car, the team on which Gianni Motta won the 1966 Giro d'Italia; the mechanic is identified in the archive as Ernesto Colnago.

The Unbreakable Fork

Colnago would eventually become known for his unbreakable forks. He had developed a new method for bending forks, deviating from the traditional method of heating the metal, which weakened the fork overall. Instead, Colnago said:

“I figured out a way to bend the blades fixed in a jig on a workbench with two pieces of wood. But before I got this new development right, believe me, there was a lot of hard work and I had to throw away a lot of tubes to get it down perfectly.”

In 1969, Colnago further advanced fork design and strength when he employed the use of a new system called microfusion to fabricate his fork crowns and lugs. More durable and thus reliable than pressed lugs and forged crowns, microfusion-cast lugs and crowns added strength – not to mention peace of mind – to a new generation of cyclists.

Close-up of a red Colnago road frame: the ace-of-clubs decal with rainbow bands on the head tube, COLNAGO on a white down-tube panel, a chromed fork and a sidepull brake above a tan-wall tire.
The Asso di Fiori (ace of clubs), the signature logo Colnago developed as his range grew, on the head tube and the down-tube panel.

As Colnago’s products grew, he developed the signature Asso di Fiori (Ace of Clubs) logo and gave a bit more character to his line. The race wins did not stop: Michele Dancelli won the Milan San-Remo on a Colnago in 1970, and Eddie Merckx rode a custom Colnago track bike to set a new hour record in 1972. But it wasn’t until 1974 that Colnago began to sponsor race teams. His first sponsorship went to Team SCIC, and spanned the course of 30 years to gain over 5,000 wins on his bicycles.

An orange Colnago track bicycle in profile, lettered EDDY MERCKX on a blue down-tube panel, with a drilled single chainring, drilled track drops and no brakes.
Merckx's name takes the down-tube panel of the bicycle the archive identifies as his 1972 hour-record machine, while COLNAGO appears in small letters on the top tube.
Magazine reproduction of Colnago's frame specification for Eddy Merckx's hour-record bicycle, headed RECORD-ORA and MESSICO, the frame drawing annotated by hand with its dimensions, components, the record day 25-10-72 and a total weight of 5.75 kilograms, with an Italian caption below.
Ernesto Colnago, kneeling in a mustard jacket, sets the saddle of the orange hour-record bicycle on the velodrome boards while Eddy Merckx, in Molteni kit, stands beside it holding a leather hairnet helmet, among press photographers.
Ernesto Colnago, in a mustard jacket, lifts the orange bicycle lettered EDDY MERCKX before a crowd, with Merckx in a Molteni jersey just behind him.
Eddy Merckx, in a Molteni jersey and leather hairnet helmet, rides an orange track bicycle toward the camera on a velodrome.
This gallery pairs Colnago's frame specification for Merckx's hour-record bicycle with photographs of the orange bicycle being set up and shown to a crowd and of Merckx riding an orange track bicycle.

As times changed, so too did Colnago’s approach to frame design. Ever conscious of frame flex – which reduces power transfer from the rider’s pedal stroke directly to the wheels – Colnago invented the Mexico frame, which featured a crimped top tube intended to reduce flex and increase lateral stiffness. A special gold model was presented to Pope John Paul II by Ernesto Colnago himself.

Pope John Paul II, in white, smiles at a gold-colored racing bicycle held by Ernesto Colnago in a dark suit, with a boy, a woman and other guests around them.
Ernesto Colnago presenting the gold Mexico to Pope John Paul II, at an audience the archive dates to 1979.

According to Colnago, the Pontiff’s reaction was flattering while still remaining humble:

“The Pope picked up this bike and told me it was marvelously light and that he wished he had one like it a long time ago!”

The Advent of Carbon

The advent of carbon came quickly to Colnago in the 1980s. He produced several prototypes ranging from the aesthetically shocking to the extremely functional. Among his first prototypes were the Krono Flight, an aerodynamic full-carbon fiber model, and the 1981 CX Pista, a time trial bike that was among the first carbon fiber bicycle frames molded as one piece, with no lugs — a “monocoque” frame.

Cover of the Colnago Catalogo generale 1986: the white carbon front end of a time-trial bicycle, signed Ernesto Colnago and lettered carbonio, with a disc wheel netted in green and red and the clover logo at upper right.
Carbon on the cover of the 1986 general catalog, five years after the CX Pista, one of Colnago's first carbon prototypes.

While it never made a splash in the larger bike market, the Colnago CX Pista’s creative concept and inventive design earned it a proud place in cycling history. The monocoque process also established a new fabrication standard that remains popular (or even dominant) today.

One of the most notable features found on some Colnago frames was released in 1983. The Arabesque frame, with its oval CX tubing, became an innovation in frame design.

Collage of photographs of a red Colnago Arabesque road bicycle in the snow, with close-ups of the script Arabesque name on the top tube, the ornate lugs, the pedals and the seatpost, above the title Colnago Arabesque and the clover logo.
A red Arabesque, the frame Colnago released in 1983, from the script name on its top tube to the clovers worked into its lugs and shift levers.

It was then eclipsed by the introduction of the Master, a steel-tubed frame cold-drawn in a star shape to add lateral stiffness and vertical compliance.

Colnago catalog page in black and gold: MASTER COLNAGO in large gold letters beside the star-shaped cut end of a Master tube, with the Columbus Gilco Design badge, Italian copy and the Ernesto Colnago SRL address in Cambiago.
The cut tube at left shows the star-shaped Master profile; the copy calls the tubing an exclusive Columbus Gilco Design, a Colnago world patent.

In addition to these advances, Colnago introduced straight-bladed forks in 1987, which represented a major advancement in the cycling industry because of their increased rigidity and reduced flex. While becoming better known as a talented frame builder and forward-thinking innovator, additional opportunities opened up for Colnago.

1988 Colnago Concept cover: Ernesto Colnago, in a tweed jacket, holds a red Concept road bicycle with white three-spoke wheels in front of him on a blue ground, above COLNAGO Concept and a yellow Ferrari engineering badge.
Ernesto Colnago with the Concept, presented in 1988 with the Ferrari engineering badge, two years after his collaboration with Ferrari began.

The Ferrari Partnership and Carbon Frames

In 1986, he collaborated with Ferrari S.p.A. to combine Ferrari Formula One technology with Colnago’s extensive bicycle knowledge. While this distinctly Italian collaboration produced several innovative concepts, the most notable product of their partnership took the cycling world by storm in 1989, when Colnago introduced the C35. The C35 was designed using carbon fiber tubing and named in honor of Colnago’s 35th anniversary in business. Both road and mountain models were available.

Close-up of a black carbon frame's seat stays with a gold brake caliper and gold cable housing, above a yellow tire on a carbon rim signed Ernesto Colnago in gold.
1992 Colnago catalog page showing three mountain bikes and their frames, the carbon C35MTB with a Ferrari engineering badge, the red aluminum Altaquota and the Superlativ, each with Italian specifications.
The mountain-bike C35 on a catalog page the archive dates to 1992, its carbon monocoque frame described as designed with Ferrari Engineering.

Carbon wasn’t the only material Colnago began to experiment with. Titanium was also a new and unique metal of choice for Ernesto, and with rigidity always at the forefront of his designs, he came up with the Carbitubo downtube. The Carbitubo was essentially a split downtube model with carbon tubes and aluminum lugs. This design would lead to the development of the Colnago Bititan, which helped birth mainstream acceptance of titanium bikes.

Colnago Carbitubo advertisement headed La bicicletta per l'Europa: a road bicycle with dark carbon tubes, red lugs and red-wall tires, seen in a rear three-quarter view from the drive side, on a page edged in red and green.
Colnago billed the Carbitubo as la bicicletta per l'Europa, the bicycle for Europe, on a page edged in the colors of the Italian flag.

Arguably Colnago’s greatest achievement in frame design began only a year later in 1994, when he obtained the patent for a carbon fiber design that used one-piece lugs. The frame became known as the C40 and remained one of the hottest bikes on the market until the inception of the C50 nearly a decade later in 2003.

So just how did the C50 stack up to its C40 predecessor? According to a review, “Colnago have been at or near the very top on just about any list because they put more of what people want in bicycles. Passion and tradition live in the C50 and do so in massive quantities.”

2008 Colnago catalog spread on the C50: a white road bicycle with red and green graphics on Campagnolo Bora Ultra wheels, two bare frames, product copy and a strip of Paris-Roubaix race photographs captioned Winningest bike of Paris Roubaix.
The C50, introduced in 2003, in a catalog spread the archive dates to 2008: unidirectional carbon fiber with compression-molded composite lugs, offered in 21 sizes.

Colnago’s collaboration with Ferrari continued through the years and led to the introduction of two full-carbon models: the CF1 and the CF3, the latter of which was a monocoque design. Since then, carbon as a frame material has made its way into the full Colnago line, with most models across most cycling disciplines now featuring carbon fiber tubing.

Still, Colnago hasn’t forgotten its roots in steel and alloy. They’ve combined materials to make hybrid frames manufactured with alloy and carbon, as well as steel and carbon. They also continue to offer full alloy and full steel frames today, including the venerable Colnago Master.

Colnago Master steel road bicycle in profile, painted in a blue fade with chrome stays and fork, a white saddle and white bar tape.
The steel Master, still in the range, in a blue fade the archive dates to 2018.

Among the company’s 2016 full carbon offerings are two Ferrari collaborations, the CF10 road model and CF12 mountain model. The latter features 27.5″ wheels, the same size as throwback 650b wheels.

In addition to those models, the carbon line continued with the C60 in 2014 and C64 in 2018, which took the places of the classic C40 and revolutionary C50. The C50 was revolutionary for its carbon lug/carbon tubing design, which represented another innovative use of past and present technologies. The C64 takes these technologies several steps forward by reducing the frame weight a full 270 grams compared to the pro-tour favorite C60.

Colnago C64 road bicycle in profile, in red and black carbon with disc brakes and deep black wheels.

For many cyclists – including myself – Colnago’s bikes have a draw other bikes simply can’t touch. It’s not surprising when one considers their classy style and elegant flare. While many models come in an array of colors, most notable are the custom paintjobs – like the beautiful sunflower motif or striking Leonardo da Vinci paint job.

A man in a dark suit and pink tie stands behind a carbon Colnago road bicycle decorated with Leonardo da Vinci drawings at a trade show, a Leonardo portrait and wooden replica machines in a display case behind him.
The Leonardo da Vinci paint job, one of Colnago's most notable custom finishes, on a carbon road bicycle at a trade show.

With such amazing attention to aesthetic detail and tireless use of new production methods, cyclists everywhere put Colnago bikes at the pinnacle, the “one bike” to be lusted after and then coveted once attained.

Close-up of a Colnago Master frame in red fading to white on a black ground, with Art Decor in script and MASTER on the top tube, the clover above COLNAGO on the seat tube and COLNAGO on the down tube.
A steel Master in Art Decor, the finish named in script on its top tube.

Traditionalists are frequently all-too-eager to share one of the common mantras in the cycling world:

“Steel is real.”

Steel, Carbon and the Modern Lineup

Indeed, for the better part of the twentieth century, steel was the frame material of choice for nearly all bicycle manufacturers. The ride and durability of steel was unrivaled until the advent of carbon, which had similar ride characteristics but lighter weight and less flex. By combining the two materials to create a steel-carbon line known as the B-Stay line, Colnago introduced a range of bicycles with the durability and classic styling of steel and the light weight, responsiveness and vibration dampening of carbon.

Red Colnago Master frame and fork in profile on white, with COLNAGO, the clover and rainbow bands on white seat-tube and down-tube panels and MASTER on the top tube.
Close-up of the seat cluster of a red Colnago Master frame, MASTER lettered on the top tube and a white seat-tube panel carrying COLNAGO, the clover and rainbow bands.
Close-up of the head tube of a red Colnago Master frame, its clover-and-rainbow decal between chromed lugs.
Close-up of two red stays of a Colnago Master frame running down into their dropouts, the right-hand stay showing two small chips through the paint.
Close-up of the red down tube and seat tube of a Colnago Master frame meeting at the bottom bracket, with light scuffs in the paint.
Close-up of the rear dropouts of a red Colnago Master frame, one carrying a small black label marked M206 44, where the seat stays meet the shaped chainstays.
Close-up photographs of a Colnago Master frame in candy-red paint, from the seat cluster with its white seat-tube panel and rainbow bands to the clover decal on the head tube, the scuffs and chips on its tubes and the rear dropouts.

Over time, however, carbon became the clear material of choice for the finest bicycles made at Colnago Ernesto & C. S.r.l. That observed, today’s Master is sure to placate the most discerning traditionalist with its exemplary but familiar ride quality and sleek styling.

For the trail, Colnago currently offers two choices in the cyclocross segment: the race-proven Prestige and the new GRV. In addition to those cyclocross models, Colnago occasionally offers aforementioned Ferrari-influenced and other MTBs, which can be priced a bit less affordably than their ‘cross brethren.

1988 Colnago catalog page for the Master Mountainbike Deore XT SIS: a white mountain bike with red and green graphics, red rims and gumwall tires, specified in Italian, English, French and German.
The Master went off-road as well: this catalog page, which the archive dates to 1988, offers a Master Mountainbike built on a reinforced Columbus Gilco design frame with Shimano Deore XT SIS.
Colnago page for the Master Ibex Rubino mountain bike: a red, yellow and blue fade frame with a white rear triangle, with Campagnolo Euclid Syncro 21-speed and a price of 2,082,500 lire.
Colnago page for the Master Ibex Smeraldo mountain bike: a pink, green and yellow fade frame with a white saddle and grips, with Shimano XT II SIS 21-speed and a price of 1,785,000 lire.
Two pages for the Colnago Master Ibex mountain bike, the Rubino and the Smeraldo, each photographed in profile in its own multicolored fade beside a line giving its component group and its price in lire.

With these and other models to choose from, it may seem hard to believe there’s yet another segment of cyclists in need of specialty bicycles. Colnago identified the Hybrid segment decades ago and suited a model to its needs that features double-butted 6000 series aluminum tubing. Named the Impact, it’s a solid commuter bicycle built for years of comfort and ease-of-use.

An Enduring Legacy

Like some of his competitors, Ernesto Colnago kept his mind on the details and drive on the quality. But unlike most all of his competitors, he took his designs seriously and executed on those designs meticulously. This has turned his creations into some of the most sought-after and beautifully crafted machines ever to hit the peloton and well beyond.

In addition to his contributions to frame building, Colnago’s presence in the racing world as a constant and successful sponsor has transformed its tiny bike shop in Cambiago, Italy into a trusted brand with its fingers on the pulse of the bicycle industry. Maybe there’s some truth the old show biz adage “break a leg” brings good luck. It certainly did to Ernesto Colnago and everyone fortunate enough to ride one of his creations.

Official Colnago Web Site

Related Ebykr Articles:

Ernesto Colnago Photo Gallery: https://www.ebykr.com/ernesto-colnago-photo-gallery/

Tech Specs: 1984 Colnago Super Pista Saronni – https://www.ebykr.com/tech-specs-1984-colnago-super-pista-saronni/

Tech Specs: 1984 Colnago Super Pista – https://www.ebykr.com/tech-specs-1984-colnago-super-pista/

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7 Comments

  3. Hello,
    I have a saronni super or mexico 58cm crank center to top of seat tube the frame steering head are a rare version for super or mexico collage’s like the sarorri frame in the picture because yours lugs don’t have the tiny curl cue that most other collages have. my bike has the same non crimped top tube , later style sloping fork, no crimp or Colnago stamped in the chain stays. so what the heck year is it? possibly a 1981 mexico with an 1983 fork? please tell me what year your bike is? and whether the bike has the original fork? Thanks so much! Mark

  6. Need some help identifying the build year( age) of the Colnago Classic (steel) I’m lookiing to buy. It’s equiped with Campy Veloce/mirage.
    Thanks for any insights you can give me on this bike….RP

  7. I have a 1984 Ernesto Colnago Signature 54cm frame red 12 speed, in great shape I’m thinking of selling it. Ernesto signature on every part of the bike, from seat stem to pedals, frame, gears.

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