colnago:start
Table of Contents
Colnago
Ernesto Colnago, born 1932, started as a welder's assistant at the Gloria bike factory in Milan at age 13 and soon started making his own frames in 1952. He opened a bike repair shop in 1954 in nearby Cambiago, Italy. That year he joined the Nivea Fuchs Team as a mechanic aiding Fiorenzo Magni to win the 1954 Giro d'Italia. This success propelled him into selling his own branded bicycles in 1955. Colnago bicycles eventually went on to win 12 Grand Tours thus far: 4 Tours de France, 3 Giros d'Italia and 5 Vueltas de Espagna. 1)2)
Colnago likely first sold mountain bikes just before 1986, which is when MTBs first debuted in Colnago catalogs. No quality earlier pics have been found, merely poor pics with 1984-5 components choices. Further research is required. It is likely that all pre-1989 Colnago MTB frames were made in Taiwan 3). The first all Italian Colnago first was the 1988 Master, coinciding with Campagnolo's Euclid gruppo, Italy's first MTB groupset. Regardless of origin, all 1980's Colnago's used Columbus tubing, Italian rims/saddles/stems/bars, usually with Japanese drive train components. No Colnago mountain bikes during this period had serial numbers. Later Colnago MTBs used Tange tubing - suggesting the possibility that Colnago continued to source MTB frames from Asia into the 1990s.
Counterfeits
Colnagos have a long history of being counterfeited 4) but most Colnago mountain bikes do not have the authenticating features which make Colnago road bikes stand out: unique pantographed lugwork, clover shaped drains in the bottom bracket, clearly identified Columbus steel tubing, Colnago logos everywhere, from seat stay caps to fork crowns, fine craftsmanship and a Colnago serial number. Not all Colnagos are for racing or MTBs, as Colnago has also made many hybrid and city bikes. For example, the 1992 Colnago Maxim MTB came with Tange TIG welded tubing, no pantographs, no BB drains, no apparent Colnago serial numbers and with Shimano Exage 400 LX components, which were at the low end of the Shimano hierarchy for that year 5)6).
Colnagos today come with a “near field communication” (NFC) sticker containing a chip with the bike's serial number signed with Colnago's own certificates and registered into Colnago's blockchain, which will reliably guarantee the authenticity and ownership of your bicycle. See: https://www.colnago.com/en-us/bike-registration. Such is the cost of battling thefts and counterfeits.
Colnago was very late to the MTB party, coming years after Bianchi, Bottecchia7), Cinelli, Pinarello, and Rossin. Eventually Colnago went all-in on MTBs, debuting two models in 1986, four in 1990, peaking at six in 1992 (including seperately marketed front shocks with a remote lockout,) before cutting back to a single MTB model per year thereafter. By 1989, Colnago were selling more MTBs than racing bikes.
In 2020, the Colnago family sold a majority share to Chimera Investments, while retaining their headquarters in Cambiago. Ernesto, currently in his 90's, remains involved in the business (as of 2025.)
Resources
The colorful Ernesto Colnago, 2023
https://www.lacollezioneec.com/en/
Colnago certificate decal, ca. 2024
bikerumor
1986 Super
Shimano RD-AL11 (1984-86) derailleurs, Columbus tubing with lugged frame, bullmoose bars by ITM, Ambrosio California rims, grid “MODA” paint job. 1986 catalog shot.
1986 Super
labibleduvelocataloguescolnago1
1987 Super
Shimano light action rear derailleur (1986 thus), XT M700 hubs, biopace rings, Ambrosio Off-road Comprims, Columbus tubing with lugged frame, ITM bars, “signed” by Ernesto Colnago. Identical to catalog except for rims/tire upgrade (which are probably original.) This example has been repainted by the original painter. All other parts are supposedly original.
1987 Super
retrobike
1987 Counterfeit
Not in any catalog. Nor does it have any frame details expected on a Colnago: clovers on fork or chainstays, different style of brake cable stop bridge, too many top cable guides (Colnagos only use two,) different geometry, cheap derailleur (Shimano RD-M531 - 1987 only,) and no serial number. However, it does look like a decent frame and fork. Likely a counterfeit. There are a lot of fake Colnagos online, some of very poor quality.
1987 Counterfeit
mtbr
1988 Master
The first Italian made Colnago MTB, with Columbus octagonal Profilo S4 Gilco tubing, Campagnolo Euclid (1988-89) gruppo, fillet brazed stem. This example prototype was shown at the 1988 IFMA (Internationale Fahrrad- und Motorrad-Ausstellung - aka International Bicycle Trade Show) in Cologne, Germany. Not in any catalog.
1988 Master
cultmtb
1989 Elite C35 MTB
A joint project with Ferrari to celebrate Colnago's 35th anniversary. Monocoque carbon fiber frame and fork, Shimano XT M732 (1989), Colnago carbon seat port, ITM stem, Ambrosio comp rims. One of the first commercially available carbon mountain bikes. 8)
1989 Elite C35 MTB
premium-cycling
1990 Olympus
Campagnolo Euclid (1990-91, thus) full gruppo, Colnago fillet brazed stem, unknown TIG welded tubing. Very similar to the 1991 catalog Olympus, minus the “Olympus” decal. No 1990 catalogs are available for comparison.
1990 Olympus
ebay
1991 Fantastic
Shimano Deore DX (1991-94) derailleurs, u-brakes (1990), LX shifters (1991-92), 1991 catalog spec, autographed Colnago stem, Colnago (Tange?) tubing with lugged frame.
1991 Fantastic
der-ritzler.de
1992 Alta Quota
Aluminum frames with oversized tubing (with the fattest seat stays ever?), Shimano XT M735 (1990-92).
1992 Alta Quota
mountainbikemuseum.nl
1993 Master Alloy
Full Shimano XTR M900 SGS v2 (1992-93) gruppo, diamond aluminum tubing. Date coded June 1993.
1993 Master Alloy
pinkbike
1994 Master Alloy
Aluminum diamond tubing. Catalog shot with over painted rear derailleurs (perhaps Shimano XT/XTR - not Campy).
1994 Master Alloy
https://labibleduvelocataloguescolnago1.blogspot.com/p/colnago-1994.html
1)
Most of the tour winning Eddy Merckx branded bikes, eponymously ridden by The Cannibal, were made by Colnago. This might put Colnago in the number two most winning brand behind Pinarello instead of their current fifth place.
2)
As of this writing, the 2025 Tour de France seems destined to won by yet another Colnago rider.
3)
The only evidence for this fact is from facebook, with an article in German attesting to this, which I haven't translated…
4)
See article on How to identify a fake or genuine Colnago.
5)
For 1991-92, the Shimano MTB quality hierarchy was likely: XTR→XT→Deore DX→Deore LX→Light Action→Exage 500/400/300→Tourney.
6)
Were low end Colnago MTBs were made in Asia?
7)
No early MTB pics of Bottecchias have yet been found.
8)
In 1988, there was the carbon Kestrel MX-Z. Trek & many others didn't debut until 1990. Was the Colnago C35 the 2nd carbon MTB ever to be made?
colnago/start.txt · Last modified: by mtbtimeline