Should be on one of the rear dropouts. Those probably aren't even serial numbers. No one has been able to figure out what they are exactly. OTOH, at some point in the 80's (if memory serves) Colnago did begin using serial numbers, so a late 80's, early 90's frame may have one.
I just don't know where there's a data base that would make sense of it. Note that those numbers start appearing on dropouts by the early 70's at least. At that time, it was common for Italian frames to dispense with SN's - De Rosa and Masi, to name two, didn't use them either.
Here's my Colnago Master Piu (acquired recently.likely from a reader of this forum).patiently waiting its turn in line to get built up. The rear deraileur side dropout is stamped 'Colnago' and '1D041'. FWIW, weeks ago, I located a post on the net (not sure if it was this site or not.but I copied it to my computer files as reference material) showing a Colnago rear deraileur side dropout with serial number 8E791. A reader guessed it was a 1988 model, stating 'That serial number format is fairly common in the bicycle industry. Typically the first number represents the year, the letter represents the month and the remaining numbers are the sequence.
So, the 79th frame of May 1988 would be my educated guess.' So, is it possible that the oringinal poster's serial number starts with a zero, not the letter 'Oh'. In that case, it might be dated 1990. Compare the style to mine.could they be one year apart?
![Serial Serial](http://i54.tinypic.com/wh04s9.jpg)
From the creators of the first carbon bike, the safest frame in the world. Carbon is not all the same. With what we use to build our frames, the resistance limits are 5 times higher than required by the regulations.
Though I can provide additional close up photos to help a fellow aficionado of classic era Italian bicycles, I can let you know right now that my bottom bracket cut out is quite different from that on the original post.mine is a cut out shaped like the Colnago logo. Then, to pose a question in exchange for my entertaining photo post, can anyone confirm that Colnago manufactured Master Piu frames in 1991? Also, I recall reading on the Internet that the Piu frames might have been a European model, not imported to the U.S. Can anyone confirm this point as well? Here's my Colnago Master Piu (acquired recently.likely from a reader of this forum).patiently waiting its turn in line to get built up.
The rear deraileur side dropout is stamped 'Colnago' and '1D041'. FWIW, weeks ago, I located a post on the net (not sure if it was this site or not.but I copied it to my computer files as reference material) showing a Colnago rear deraileur side dropout with serial number 8E791. A reader guessed it was a 1988 model, stating 'That serial number format is fairly common in the bicycle industry. Typically the first number represents the year, the letter represents the month and the remaining numbers are the sequence. So, the 79th frame of May 1988 would be my educated guess.'
So, is it possible that the oringinal poster's serial number starts with a zero, not the letter 'Oh'. In that case, it might be dated 1990.
Compare the style to mine.could they be one year apart? Thanks, I've not received the frame yet but when it comes in I'll be able to tell if it's a zero or an 'o'. Looks like the numbering system that I passed on doesn't hold up according to this e-bay post regarding the pictured Master Piu frame: Q: Please tell me what year Colnago made this? Thank you Dec-15-08 A: Hello, who sold me this frame is sure that it is before first model of Olympic frame ( Olympic was made on 1988 for the firs time ) so this MASTER PIU' is around 1986-1987.
This is what he told me, and he is a great expert of Colnago and knows Ernesto personally. Thanks for asking, Alessandro So, per the quotes shown above from the e-bay listing, a potential buyer 'Q:' asks the year of manufacture and the seller 'A:' says that a great expert of Colnago dates it to 1986-1987. The look of the graphics is the same as my Master Piu, though mine is not the 'Decor' style paint scheme. I'd guess from this evidence, mine would also date to 1986-1987. Frankly, not that it matters to me, I'm surprised mine is so old, I really thought it was a 1991 vintage simply because it looks so new.
It's amazing that such beautiful frames could last so long in NOS condition without being built up and ridden.
Area served Worldwide Website Colnago Ernesto & C. Or Colnago is a manufacturer of high-end founded by near Milano in,. Instead of following his family's farming business, Ernesto Colnago chose to work in the cycle trade, apprenticing first with Gloria Bicycles at 13, subsequently taking up road racing. After a bad crash ended his racing career, he began subcontracting for Gloria, opened his own shop in 1954, building his first frames the same year.
While building frames, he remained much in demand as a racing mechanic. He was second mechanic on the Nivea team under Faliero in 1955, eventually being employed as head mechanic for the team of Belgian cycling legend in 1963. The company first became known for high quality steel framed bicycles suitable for the demanding environment of professional racing, and later as one of the more creative cycling manufacturers responsible for innovations in design and experimentation with new and diverse materials including carbon fiber, now a mainstay of modern bicycle construction. The signature of Ernesto Colnago, which appears as a decal on all new Colnago bicycles, except the special versions. In 1957, won the 1957 edition of the bicycle race on a Colnago bicycle.
From the late 1960s through the 1970s, Colnago was generally regarded as one of the builders of the world's best custom road race frames. In 1960, Colnago rose to fame as rode to a gold medal at the on a Colnago bicycle. While Ernesto was the head mechanic of the team, riders such as raced on Colnago bikes. A win on a Colnago in the 1970 Milan-San Remo race by for the Molteni team inspired Colnago to change his logo to the now-famous 'Asso di Fiori' or Ace of Clubs.
After the demise of the Faema team, Eddie Merckx joined the Molteni team, and what ensued was mutual innovation—as Colnago describes it: 'Merckx was an up and coming champion, and I was an up and coming bike builder. So it was a real honour to work for a great champion like Merckx. It helped us to grow.
When we made special forks, and special bikes.' This included the super-light steel frame used by Merckx in 1972 to break the world one-hour record. With a growing reputation from their racing wins, Colnago plunged into the market for production bikes. In the U.S., the early seventies witnessed another, and Colnago 'pumped out bikes as though the future of humankind was at stake.' The mainstay of the Colnago line in the 1970s was the Super, followed by the Mexico, named in honor of the successful hour attempt. Other models were added including the Superissimo and Esa Mexico. While the finish on these early Colnagos could be variable, they were great riding bikes and developed a cult-like following.
In 1979, Ernesto Colnago presented with a custom, gold-plated steel bicycle. In response to criticism that his frames were not stiff enough, next Colnago experimented with ways to change the behavior of frame components. In 1983, he introduced the Oval CX with an oval-shaped top tube to add stiffness. He then experimented with various crimped-tube frames which became production models as their top of the range frames, beginning with the 'Master.'
Later 'Master-Light', Master Olympic and Master Piu extended the range. Colnago built a frame from used by to win the world professional road race championship in 1982, and afterwards a short-lived collection of bikes were badged with the Saronni name. In 1983, Giuseppe Saronni would go on to win the Giro d'Italia stage race on a Colnago bicycle. Since the 1980s, while Colnago continued to produce high-end steel bikes, they began to produce bike frames using material other than steel including titanium, aluminum, carbon and mixed material frames. One unique frame from this period, the Bititan, has a dual titanium down tube. Crimped and oversize tubes appeared on the Tecnos–one of the lightest production steel bikes produced, and the same oversize tubes and crimping were used on the aluminum Dream frame. In 1981 Colnago prototyped the CX Pista–a full monocoque carbon fiber bike with disc wheels that was shown at the Milan bike show.
Subsequently, Colnago worked with in developing new technology, and Ernesto also credits their engineers for challenging him regarding fork design, which led to Colnago's innovative Precisa straight-bladed steel fork (1987). Colnago also experimented with multi-material frames, including the CT-1 and CT-2 constructed with titanium main tubes, carbon fiber forks and rear stays, and a similarly constructed (although short-lived) Master frame constructed with steel main tubes, carbon forks and stays. Colnago's early attempts at carbon fiber frames were not commercially successful, but the lessons learned were embodied in their flagship frames, such as the C-40, the most sought after bicycle (1994), and its successor, the C-50 (2004)–respectively named for Colnago's 40th and 50th years in bike building. These carbon fiber frames set new standards of excellence.
![Colnago Frame Serial Number Colnago Frame Serial Number](/uploads/1/2/5/3/125388358/686434675.jpg)
They were built using a modified form of traditional bike frame construction, substituting carbon fiber lugs for microinfusion cast steel, and carbon fiber 'tubes' for the complex steel tubes used for steel frame construction. Similar building techniques are used in the latest offering, the C59, named (as before) for its year of production. While we take for granted the spread of carbon frames, their success was not a foregone conclusion: “When we built the C40 we were the only ones to build carbon frames and all the mechanics and competitor technicians were saying that they would be too dangerous to use on cobbled roads, especially with the straight carbon forks.
There was a company that wanted to fit suspension forks on the bicycle, but I wasn’t going to have suspension forks on the C40. The night before Paris- Roubaix I had Mr. Squinzi, the Mapei boss, on the phone to me raising his concerns about using such a delicate-looking thing. I told him that we’d done all of the tests that we could on the frame and the fork and we were certain there would be no problem. I had to take personal responsibility for what was going to happen and I spent all night worrying about it, barely able to sleep. But when I heard that there were 4 Mapei riders in the break, I knew I could relax.” The C40 went on to win 5 editions of Paris-Roubaix in 6 years. An interview with Ernesto Colnago in which he describes various iconic Colnagos (filmed in the factory museum) is available on YouTube.
Trademark Colnago uses a black symbol similar to the ♣ ('Clubs') symbol used on playing cards. Colnago frames' graphics evolved from a font with gravitas to elaborate and/or creative paint. Colnago sponsored bicycle racing teams since 1968. Colnago jersey Colnago has sponsored at least one professional team every year since 1974, often sponsoring more than one.
In addition, other teams in the have competed on Colnago bikes. Probably the most famous was the team which included, but the world champion, also rode Colnago bikes throughout his career, from 1977 with Scic, later with Gis Gelati and with Colnago-Del Tongo. Colnago was well known as a sponsor of the legendary throughout the 1990s. For 2005, Colnago sponsored the professional cycling team. Colnago has also been the bike sponsor for the American domestic team, for whom the Australian sprinter was a member 2005-2008.
For 2006, joined their list of professionally sponsored teams featuring well-known. In addition, Colnago serves as a co-title sponsor of the Landbouwkrediet-Colnago professional cycling team that competes on the UCI Europe Tour and was the official frame supplier to Team Tinkoff in 2007. Starting in the 2011 Tour de France, has ridden Colnago frames. For 2012, Colnago is sponsoring. A full list of teams is provided below. All years are inclusive.
This section has been nominated to be checked for its. Discussion of this nomination can be found on the. ( March 2009) Until early 2006, Colnago produced virtually all of their entire frameset range at their Cambiago factory, although persistent rumors of subcontracting out the more basic frames go all the way back to the 1970s. Produced some aluminum frames for Colnago in the 1980s, including single and dual downtube road and cyclocross models.
In March, 2005, Colnago announced that they were joining the Taiwanese-based A-Team, whose members include, and —the first Italian manufacturer to do so, to produce mid-ranged bicycle models for the Japanese and European markets. Beginning in 2006, Colnago sourced the Primavera and the Arte from of. Both received favorable reviews, although some thought the shift of manufacturing out of Italy was a matter of some regret. There was some controversy in 2006 over whether Giant would be producing additional models, including carbon frame models, for Colnago. According to statements by Ernesto Colnago this was not the case: 'For the 2006 model year, Colnago will be sourcing two entry-level aluminum road bike models from Giant, made to Colnago's spec and frame geometry and for sales in Europe and Asia only. All other Colnago bicycles are assembled in Italy. No Colnago carbon fiber frames are made at Giant and none will be, as Mr.
Colnago has a long-term sourcing agreement in place with ATR for carbon fiber bicycle frames.' Despite this denial, since 2007 Colnago's carbon monocoque CLX frame has been manufactured in Taiwan. In 2008, a second Colnago carbon fiber model, the CX-1 was also sourced in Taiwan. The top of the line Colnago frame, the C64, as well as the Master, and the now discontinued C60, C59, C50, Extreme Power, Extreme C are (or were) manufactured and painted in Italy. In a series of public statements, Colnago has insisted that all designs originate with the Italian design team, claiming that the essence of what makes a Colnago is design. The mid-range carbon offerings are currently being sourced from Taiwan, (as are many bicycle manufacturers' offerings), and as of 2011, the M10 (which stands second in the model lineup) is made in Taiwan and assembled and painted in Italy, while the CX-1 is completely made in Taiwan. The current top of the line frame, the C64 is the only carbon frame still made fully in Italy.
Frames Steel. See www.colnago.com history. Retrieved 2018-08-30. Retrieved 2012-10-23. Retrieved 2012-10-23. Retrieved 2012-10-23. Retrieved 2018-08-30.
Retrieved 2012-10-23. Retrieved 2012-10-23. Retrieved 2016-03-05. January 12, 2007, at the. Retrieved 2012-10-23. John Crenshaw, 'Colnago Rebutts Sourcing Reports,' Bicycle Retailer and Industry News, August 15, 2005. Excepted here:., 2007-08-08, retrieved 2010-08-03.
Archived from on 2012-07-29. Retrieved 2012-10-23. Retrieved 2018-08-30. 21 June 2014. 6 March 2014.
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