who know colnagos?

[vqdriver]

so what's the difference between a Master, a Master Light, and a Master X-Light?

[StephenCL]

There was also a master PiU....as well as a master Olympic which used tange tubing vs Columbus...this was around 1994....

Master x-light is nivacrom tubing, all have the gilco shaped tubing, I believe that the original PIU had different diameter tubes, and a curved vs straight fork.

Hope this helps a bit.

[wallymann]

from the late '80s to '00s i believe the evolution was:

master -> master-piu -> master-olympic -> master-light -> master-x-light -> now they just call them master again

all with:
- straight precisa forks (early masters still had curved)
- some flavor of grooved gilco "master" tubeset
- generally garish iconic colnago paint schemes
- plenty of chrome

somewhere in the evolution they:
- early on introduced and then dropped a rear shift-cable stop integrated into the dropout.
- early on went from short horizontal dropouts to vertical dropouts.
- went to fast-back seatstays.
- went to larger diameter chainstays.

found this thread on this very topic: http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=2970

[vqdriver]

thank you.

[gomango]

In Europe they also had the Elegant made from either EL or ELOS.

Available in 1993 and 1994. Rode very similar to a Master Extra Light, of which I've owned a few. Maybe a little quicker steering, but close.

Here is my Elegant in the "Wordperfect" scheme.

They ended up dropping the model as it was a bit of a redundancy in the market.

[cmg]

"- generally garish iconic colnago paint schemes" says who? it's the bar tape thats over the top........ some more info. http://forums.thepaceline.net/showth...colnago&page=2 with alot of my opinion.

[Gummee]

I still have lust for an 88ish Master Olympic in Blue Decor

Don't have the $ but have the lust

M

[sante pollastri]

Gilco(Columbus) is not more the tubes supplier by 2009,and the new master is lighter.

[wallymann]

Originally Posted by gomango

In Europe they also had the Elegant made from either EL or ELOS.

IMO the gilco-tubed master models represent a distinct fork in colnago DNA from other designs. the tubes we know as "gilco design" today can trace their lineage back to the grooved tubes found on the early '80s nuovo-mexico and essa-mexico models.

there are lots of wonderful round-tubed colnagos that fall outside the "nuovo-mexico -> ... -> master" lineage.

i.e., elegant, tecnos, conic, etc.

[jpw]

Originally Posted by gomango

In Europe they also had the Elegant made from either EL or ELOS.

Available in 1993 and 1994. Rode very similar to a Master Extra Light, of which I've owned a few. Maybe a little quicker steering, but close.

Here is my Elegant in the "Wordperfect" scheme.

They ended up dropping the model as it was a bit of a redundancy in the market.

nice

[donevwil]

If you're looking to buy used inspect the chrome with a fine tooth comb. Colnago chrome can be pretty poor/thin and unable to hold up to the elements/sweat if the frameset was not well taken care of.

[gomango]

Originally Posted by wallymann

IMO the gilco-tubed master models represent a distinct fork in colnago DNA from other designs. the tubes we know as "gilco design" today can trace their lineage back to the grooved tubes found on the early '80s nuovo-mexico and essa-mexico models.

there are lots of wonderful round-tubed colnagos that fall outside the "nuovo-mexico -> ... -> master" lineage.

i.e., elegant, tecnos, conic, etc.

True!

The shop I buy from had the Elegant "back in the day" side by side with the Gilco models.

They didn't focus as much on the shape of the tubes as the stiffness of the stays and bottom bracket shell.

The Elegant flexs far less than my 1999 Master Extra Light for example.