With the launch of the most modern Colnago of all time, the new C64, there is passion filling the air here at the store. Here before me stands the most prestigious of all Colnago bikes, it is built in the complete opposite way than when I was a boy, yet it’s the same.
A Colnago bike, for many of us that have been cycling since kids, means more than a premium, unaffordable carbon frame, or the must-have new team bike. Colnago is our dream bicycle! Italian, authentic, hand crafted, a machine of passion. A look, a smell, a first touch, an admiration! Traditionally, a Colnago was steel, hand painted, made in Italy, and would have been built with Campagnolo C record delta groupset, Mavic Gl 280 rims, a Regal or Rolls saddle, and Cinelli alloy bars… maybe even a pair of those brand-new LOOK clipless pedals that have just been released. Fundamentally the same as back then, here is a bike that is built with the latest in technology and yet stayed true to every detail of their authenticity.
Colnago is a brand that continues to be a classic in modern time. This sensationally gorgeous and beautiful new Colnago C64 is made of carbon, it is hand built in Italy by Italian hands, then painted by hand. It has the most up- to- date groupset, just like when I was a little boy. But here lies the difference, this latest model has electronic gears, disc brakes and carbon accessories from the bar to the wheels! Features that have been a hard shift for those of us that love the “simplicity” and historic look of road bikes, especially a Colnago.
The new C64 is so modern, so futuristic, and still so incredibly stunning. It has gone electronic. Yes electronic, you push a button and the rear or front gears shift, unreal? Yes, completely unreal, but what is more unreal, is that the SRAM groupset is the companies own type of Bluetooth technology and is fully wireless! In addition, the brakes have shifted to a disc, the bars are carbon-fibre, and the wheels are made from big hoops of carbon as well.
For almost everyone, the evolution of disc brakes has been hard to get our head around. The look just hasn't seemed right, they are bulky and look heavy, and they seem like a lot of unnecessary work. I guess more so for the purists. But their advantages have been proven, used in cars, motorbikes and mountain bikes and they work well in EVERY condition. While the major mass-produced brands were pushing hard with releases, for many of the purest road brands, there has been resistance to the adaption and push. But with the release of the C64, Colnago has put the line in the sand and the period at the end of the sentence by integrating this technology into their name. Here’s the C64, the most beautiful road bike on the planet, completely integrating the disc brake movement. Colnago has given us the confirmation and approval that the industry and riders have been waiting for…. Here, ladies and gents, is the future of bicycles! The modern, new, line crossing, C64. The evolution of the disc era is here and now. Colnago, the king of traditional road cycling, has not only moved into the future, they set the bar…
And honestly, this bike gives me the same goosebumps I had while dreaming of these as a child. Oversized and big, yet beautiful and sexy with every detail precise and thoughtful designed down to every finishing touch. This bike continues to be a machine that inspires you to ride.
*The man that is buying this particular bike is a passionate father, bike racer and clearly a man with an exceptional sense of taste and memory of history and his childhood dreams. Be sure to look out for this Colnago on the roads…. it’ll be the one with the guy riding with goosebumps and a huge grin on his face. Selfishly, I got just the same thrill as Bob (the new treasurer) got whilst building, detailing and even at delivery!