cmsanfor 

So I just picked up this colnago frame off of ebay a few days ago with the inention of building it up with at least somewhat period components. The only thing is I really am not all that sure what year it's actually from. A lot of the details and the general style of the frame seem to say it from the mid to late 80s, assuming the paint is somewhat original, but the fact that it has a threadless headset and 130mm rear spacing would make it seem more like late 90s if I understand correctly. Also the mexico model, which it does look a lot alike, especially the mid 80s Nuovo Mexico, wasn't available in the 90s from what I've gathered. Anyway, any help would be greatly appreciated, here are some images of the frame:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/4706559...7623358514506/

Thanks,
Chris

EjustE

At least late 90s/early 00s for sure.

cmsanfor 

Yeah that's sort of what I was afraid of. Well overall does there newer stuff compare to the older steel frames? And was 200 a fair price?

miamijim

$200 is fair. I'd like to see pics of the fork without the packaging shims,

gomango

Looks to me like a threadless adapter.

I haven't seen a number hanger on any US models of the late 90's.

By the late 90s/early 00's they were into the Master Light/Master Extra Light series. Bike has Master like features and some I'm too ignorant to figure out. PM if you want pics of a 1999 Master Extra Light for comparison.

My Master had cables routed on the top tube, this one is underneath with the number hanger. Could it be a repaint with new guides? Just thinking out loud.

Post this over at the Serotta site and ask for help just for kicks.

wrk101

+1 Looks like a threadless adapter, which makes it older. On the other hand, my Master Lite has a threaded fork, and it is in the 2000 - 2003 age (I think). I date it as a 2003 due to the date codes on the components, but I do not know for sure.

gomango

wrk101- thanks for the pms, will respond later after the kid's sports.

Wrk101 - Your Master Lite is newer (maybe nicer as well) than mine. Not my new Saronni, but my yellow 1999.

I have been looking at Colnagos for two days online and at the shop, and I haven't figured the op's bike out. $200 was a very fair price. I would have knocked somebody over for that deal.

I wish I was better at id'ing some of these bikes. I have to start a "focus campaign" on one or two brands, instead of trying to know something about so many.

The owner of the LBS I frequent is a Colnago guy, and he'll be around on Monday. I'll have to remember to ask him.


I stopped by the lbs today. Shop "wisdom" said it is a repaint/refinish. Very nice though.

They made some other points as well that I'll add later.

cmsanfor 

Wow, haven't checked this thread in a little bit. Thanks so much for all of the insight though guys. The bike is still on its way from the seller, should be here any day now. I'd agree that from the research I've done it looks like a repaint. I'll keep you all posted though and include some pictures of it put together, thinking I'm going to put full super record on it and leave it at that Also very excited to here it's likely a threaded fork. Also, what purpose does the number hanger serve?

gomango

Number for criteriums etc.

cmsanfor 

Think I may have gotten it! Check out these pictures:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/samg/se...7613446502591/

First, I was told by the seller that the frame was a colnago mexico, and the one in these images is an 83. If you look, everything from the engravings on the fork/seatstays/bottom bracket to the dimples on the top and down tubes are the same. Also, the stamping on the chainstays and rear dropouts matches, as does the cable routing on the bottom bracket etc. So, this combined with the assumption that the bike was repainted and has a threadless adapter would seem to work out. The only things that still don't add up are the cable routing under the top tube, the number hanger, and the second set of braze-ons for a water bottle. I guess the original owner could have had these thing done when he repainted it, it seems like a professional job anyway? Let me know what you guys think.