Unique 1976 Colnago Super Touring One-off

[Cinellas]

A friend picked this up at last weekend's NY BikeJumble... a 1976 Colnago Super with rack mounts but no fender mounts, an avocet triple with a weird 49/45/24 jump and a small ring barely clearing the chainstay. The fork is partial chromed which is where the front rack mounts are and the paint on the rear rack mounts are cohesive with the original paint which assumes there were no mods to the frame. The "serial number" on the rear dropout reads F-76, and no colnago serial number decoding info on the internet indicates a classification for "F". Its weird that the tire clearance doesn't seem any bigger than the racing models since bike packing predates this bike. If anyone can add more color to the story/origin it would be much appreciated. Thanks!

Full pic set: https://photos.app.goo.gl/SCT9YgcZj8JTgSLA6

[texbike]

I personally think that the rack mounts were aftermarket modifications. They just don't look quite as refined as I would expect from Colnago. Also, the bike could have been refinished when they were added. The mounts were probably added by the same person that installed the "not quite right" Ofmega triple set up.

Texbike

[fiamme red]

I've never seen a Colnago touring bike before. I've also never seen a Colnago fork that is half chrome. Are there clubs on each side of the fork crown?

But your crankset is a not terribly unusual half-step-plus-granny gearing. I have a 50/46/30 crank on two bikes.

I wish I had heard about the Jumble. Usually the organizer posts a notice here.

[Cinellas]

Originally Posted by fiamme red

I've never seen a Colnago touring bike before. I've also never seen a Colnago fork that is half chrome. Are there clubs on each side of the fork crown?

But your crankset is a not terribly unusual half-step-plus-granny gearing. I have a 50/46/30 crank on two bikes.

I wish I had head about the Jumble. Usually the organizer posts a notice here.

there are clubs and 'colnago' type on both side of the fork crown

[Cinellas]

just an update on this... I messaged with Dale from classicrendezvous.com for some insight and was happy to find that this is not a modification but rather a one-off custom customer build, both frame and paint. Early on Colnago took custom orders, this one featuring rack braze-ons and taller tire clearances (you can see in the pics the long reach calipers with the brake shoes positioned all the way down to meet the rim. He placed it at 1979/80...

From Dale...

"The placement of the brazons is odd, especially at the lower attachment points, so obviously not following touring bike standards in that way.

But the real clue in my opinion is the clearance at the forks and at the rear brake.
That bike uses long reach Campag brakes, and the brake pads are moved almost down to the bottom of their slots. So they've allowed a lot of extra room there as compared to normal supers. That's something they could not have been added later at the front fork.

So in my opinion it's definitely an original that was made by Colnago, probably for some special customers request.
Pretty cool!

...the two brake guide loops came in maybe 1979 and then disappeared again in the mid 1980s? Colnago's "serial numbers" are unfathomable....

Also, given the not-brazed-on shifters yet two top tube brake loops, with concave seat stay "eyes" I would guess 1980."



He added he's never seen another touring model and would like to include it in the colnago section of his site, pretty neat!

[texbike]

That's really cool! Dale's comment regarding the non-standard, built-in tire clearances makes a lot of sense. That isn't something that you can easily modify from original specs.

Texbike

[C40_guy]

Originally Posted by Cinellas

Early on Colnago took custom orders

I've seen photos of "Gentleman Sport" bikes with fenders and a laid back city setup. They are pretty rare.

Here's a link to one


And with regard to custom orders, I think Ernesto also did "friends and family" builds. I have a mid-90s Master CX frame that is all original...with Colnago lugwork, the Master name in the rear brake bridge, and CX rear wheel spacing. When I bought it it had a unicrown steel fork similar to those that came on early Dream CX bikes and on the Ibis mountain bike models...

It has no serial number, so Laura @ Colnago couldn't help with further information. I thought I had identified a racer (Luca Bramati) who rode this bike in '96, but his race bikes were all lugless steel...

[Cinellas]

Originally Posted by C40_guy

I've seen photos of "Gentleman Sport" bikes with fenders and a laid back city setup. They are pretty rare.

Here's a link to one


And with regard to custom orders, I think Ernesto also did "friends and family" builds. I have a mid-90s Master CX frame that is all original...with Colnago lugwork, the Master name in the rear brake bridge, and CX rear wheel spacing. When I bought it it had a unicrown steel fork similar to those that came on early Dream CX bikes and on the Ibis mountain bike models...

It has no serial number, so Laura @ Colnago couldn't help with further information. I thought I had identified a racer (Luca Bramati) who rode this bike in '96, but his race bikes were all lugless steel...

yeah he mentioned any serial number stamps on colnagos of that period are not very reliable in terms of deriving manufacturing info on them.

[Cinellas]

can anyone ID the headset by chance?

[GOTHBROOKS]

headset looks like an ofmega competizone or however you spell it.

[beech333]

Neat! I always thought the old Supers were very attractive and I wanted one for a while. I picked up a Master because it was too cheap to pass up, but found it incredibly disappointing. I already hated the paint and gilco tubes, but the frame felt heavy and dead to me. I sold that frameset off last year, but kept the group.

I'm very curious how the Super rides in comparison, but likely not to take the plunge, given the cost of them, unless I find another "can't lose" bargain. This would be a lucky find. I hope you enjoy it.

[Cinellas]

Originally Posted by beech333

Neat! I always thought the old Supers were very attractive and I wanted one for a while. I picked up a Master because it was too cheap to pass up, but found it incredibly disappointing. I already hated the paint and gilco tubes, but the frame felt heavy and dead to me. I sold that frameset off last year, but kept the group.

I'm very curious how the Super rides in comparison, but likely not to take the plunge, given the cost of them, unless I find another "can't lose" bargain. This would be a lucky find. I hope you enjoy it.

at first glance i thought it would ride like an old 70s bike that needs a tune up but i dont know what it is.... rides like a dream, corners like a champ, and kinda begs to go faster. doesn't feel dead at all.

[harryschwartzma]

Originally Posted by fiamme red

I've never seen a Colnago touring bike before. I've also never seen a Colnago fork that is half chrome. Are there clubs on each side of the fork crown?

But your crankset is a not terribly unusual half-step-plus-granny gearing. I have a 50/46/30 crank on two bikes.

I wish I had heard about the Jumble. Usually the organizer posts a notice here.

I’m sorry, I didn’t post here this time. I will for the next one when there will be no COVID restrictions - if the water don’t rise and the levee stays dry

[vascoboy]

hello,
just stumbled on this thread as I recently picked up a what looks to be a early to mid 80s Colnago Mexico (respray/power coated)
anyway, it has rear rack braze ons & eyelet but front fork does not...
In my (limited) research i'm finding Colnago did builds that sometimes defied convention...
anyway, this bike came w/ nuovo record, clover cut out DT lug & BB, shifter cable guides on top of BB, clover & colnago lettering pantoed on semi-slope fork crown.

[Tickdoc]

Very coolnago. I just want to get in there and clean it as much as I want to ride it!