RunForTheHills

So I bought a bike tonight. The previous owner is a very fit 79 year old who used to race with it. He purchased it used in 1976 and thinks that it is a 1970 model. The features don't quite line up with what is described here. It has most of the features of the 1971 model including the cutout on the bottom bracket, but it doesn't have the clubs on the fork crown. It has the hole in the lower point of the seat lug, which this says 1971 is the last year.

It has all the original Campagnolo equipment except the bottom bracket was replaced with a Shimano about 15 years ago and the brakes say Universal CX on them. The levers are Campagnolo though. I have a Campy bottom bracket I pulled off of my Raleigh I can put on it.

Velo-Retro: Colnago Super Timeline

1970
- Fork crown (investment cast) semi-sloping, flat front and back with two holes in the points at each side
- "Playing card" club decal graphics (inspired by 1970 Milano-San Remo victory)

1971
- Fork crown with clubs in top and two holes in each side
- Fork tangs narrow, no cutouts (or rarely no tangs)
- Club cutouts in all three lugs but club in lower head lug is now larger
- Hole in lower point of seat lug (last year)
- Bottom bracket shell with club cutout

Drillium Dude 

Looks like a '71 or '72, repainted.

** Do I spy an early 80s Raleigh Super Course 12 frame in the background of your last photo? **

DD

repechage

You are fortunate. I would vote 1971. As it is a reprint, the water bottle braze-ons are suspect, but at least the frame was not mucked up with too many other other braze-ons so they may be original. The top tube should be blank, Campagnolo cable clips.
This is one I would get refinished, rechrome the fork crown and have "playing card" graphics used and remove the top tube guides.

RunForTheHills

There are three other bikes behind it. The copper colored one is my Raleigh International, the blue one is an old Fuji mixte I am rebuilding for my wife, and the champagne colored bike is my Dad's old Italvega Superlight.

RunForTheHills

Is it possibly not a Colnago then? The previous owner didn't mention a repaint, but perhaps it was done before he bought it. The headset seems to be something other than Campy also.



Edit: Also, where would you take it for refinishing like that? I assume it wouldn't be a powder coat.

RunForTheHills

I contacted a frame builder/painter, Ed Litton, and I am going to meet with him this weekend. He has restored similar bikes before. I like the bike a lot and can't wait to ride it, but this has very quickly become an expensive project.

bibliobob

Agreed. I don't usually agree with repaints, but would in this case. It may be expensive, but this bike is worth it. It's a rare bird, and you are very fortunate!

repechage

Ride it then. Make sure you like it. Then, take it apart to have it painted. Do go get a quote or two on the paint / chrome.
So you know what you are going to be into it for.
This is one of the few bikes that the total investment could well be recouped later.
But if A Colnago is not for you… pass it on and most likely make a profit as it rests.

If you need a color choice… Molteni orange, (the lighter earlier color) or "Electric Blue" (House of Color Marina Blue with white undercoat, as mentioned by Joe Bell)

RunForTheHills

I did get a quote. He wasn't quite sure what re-chroming would cost because he recently lost his vendor and is sourcing a new one, but he gave me an estimate for it. I am not normally a fan of the color orange, but I think it looks gorgeous on the Colnagos. I am leaning towards that, but I will look up the electric blue. Ed Litton seemed very knowledgeable about the Colnagos. He looked at the pictures and already knew what was not original on the bike. He thinks it is a 71 or 72 also and doesn't believe the cage braze-ons are original. I am going to bring him the bike this weekend.

I really appreciate everyone's help. This will be my first restoration project. Ed also mentioned that the headset could be a Campy track headset as they don't have the engraving on the side. It does look like one and I guess I will know for sure once it is removed. I looked up the Universal CX brakes and they weren't made until the late 70's. I have a set of NR brakes on my Dad's old Italvega I can swap them out with.

Henry III

The bottom bracket from your Raleigh isn't going to work on the Nago. Different threading and spindle length.

repechage

I would wait to submit the frame for work until after he has a new plater up and running. Good plating in California is not going to get any easier, too much toxic stuff. The "gold standard" place in Los Angeles had a fire a while back, I don't know if they recovered fully yet... Lots of toxic stuff in chrome plating.

RunForTheHills

Thanks. Would you happen to know what the required threading and spindle length is for the Colnago?

RunForTheHills

Yeah, he said the EPA closed his previous vendor.

repechage

For pre CPSC Campagnolo cranks the spindle will be 70-SS-120. The cups will be marked, 36 x 24 F. , that is Italian threading.
Cranks will be marked on t he back side with no date code or a single digit in a small diamond of 6 or less. For the very very particular true date codes are required to match the date of the frame... There are few true Concours events around, so why punish yourself?
I would use per CPSC brake calipers, (known for the flat caliper quick release levers and no bike safety plastic on the tire guides) but for me that is an aesthetic decision and not too costly.

If you use post CPSC cranks then a 70 SS marked spindle would be the pairing.

RunForTheHills

Thanks for your help. What is the year cutoff for pre-CPSC? The cranks say 170 Strada with a 3 in the diamond. Does that mean 1973? The calipers from the Italvega just say Inter Brev. Here is a picture. I don't plan to sell the bike, it is just for me to enjoy. I don't have to be very particular about the date codes. It seems like sourcing parts for an exact year would be very difficult and I am not completely certain what year the bike is to begin with.

bibliobob

It's good advice to rebuild the bike (new grease, bearings, cables) and ride the hell of it for a bit. Make sure that it fits you really well, and that you really like. Then, if that all adds up, spend the dough on a proper refinish. Otherwise, move it on, and move on to the next project....

Good luck, and keep us posted!

SJX426 

I believe those are the right brake calipers. Close enough anyway.

repechage

It looks like a short reach version, those came a bit later, the quick release is the right style, the brake pads / holders come out in 1973-74 as an aftermarket alternative. Front should work, rear might. Small chance the rear will want more reach. Short reach calipers started showing up in 1974.
3 in a diamond is yes, 1973. Close enough. 70-SS-120 spindle.

That brake cable in the image has seen better days.

RunForTheHills

It definitely fits me better than the Raleigh, which has always been a bit big for me. I am sure I will be keeping the bike. I will repack the bearings and take it for a ride on Saturday, but I am going to drop the bike off with Ed this weekend before I leave for the holidays. I am also going to bring him another bike I am building up for my wife that needs some brazing done.

I will measure the reach tonight. My Dad bought the Italvega in the mid-70's and replaced a lot of components on it in the early 80's, but it hasn't been ridden in the last 20 years at all. I have to work on the bike, but I am just going to fix it up to sell it or part it out. The frame is too big for me and now I have all these other bike projects that are distracting me.

The Universal CX brakes on the Colnago have pad holders that look like the Campy ones with the metal wheel guides. The Universals are very nice looking brakes also, but I think it would be better to have all Campy. I ordered the bottom bracket from eBay. It should be on the way to me from Austria shortly. The seller indicates it has a "Z" marking on it, which, according to another thread on this forum, indicates pre-1978.

repechage

There was lots of speculation as to the Z back in the 70's.
One claim was that the original complete bottom brackets with spindles so marked came with the added description of ultra high precision (translating here) for the package.
Sounds good.

I think Campagnolo later in their tech bulletins stated the Z was of no importance...

RunForTheHills

I measured the brake reach. It is almost exactly the same on the Italvega and the Colnago, so the Campy brakes will work. The back does have a longer reach than the front.

repechage

Good enough.
Rode my Colnago today before the Westcoast storm is due.

RunForTheHills

It has been raining pretty heavily all day here in Concord. I work in the Bay Area, but actually live in the Southern California mountains and we are supposed to get snow there tomorrow and Saturday. I am not going home this weekend though, but maybe it will be a white Christmas.

Prowler 

I think the relevant CPSC regulation was issued in early 1976 so the altered components appeared during that year. The caliper in your photos is "pre-CPSC". You can see that the quick release lever is a flat blade - must have been responsible for untold man-slaughter and mayhem. The regs also drove the change to the Campy FD where another murder weapon was, so the leading edge was curved away from the chain (away from the frame) to blunt that edge. My 76 Raleigh Professional has the Post-CPSC designs and I feel so much safer.

There is some indication that the 1976 Standard also mandated the plastic reflectors on the front and rear and in the spokes of each wheel. The front disk blocks a perfectly good view of the head badge and the rear disk protects the underside of the saddle from flying debris. If you get bored some time, hold your reflected front wheel between your hands (grab the axle ends) and spin the thing. Then contemplate out noticeably unbalanced the wheel is due to that chunk of plastic, even at such a low speed. Funny, I looked around and all my reflectors seem to have disappeared #:^) I'm able to avoid riding those bikes in the dark.

RunForTheHills

My obsessive/compulsive personality has taken over and I have already ordered a bottom bracket, headset, front and rear derailleurs, Suntour Barcons, and top tube cable guides, and downtube cable guide for the Colnago. All the parts except the cable guides and Barcons are used and not NOS. The rear derailleur on it was a Super Record and the front had the three holes in the side indicating post-1977. I got the Barcons because I really don't like downtube shifters that much and they were around in the 70's (I used them then).

I rode the bike some last night. It is a good fit. Perhaps 2cm taller would have been perfect (it is 50cm), but the seat doesn't look ridiculously high when it is adjusted for me. The stem already feels like it is the right length. I am not a fan of the handlebars as I usually ride the hoods and these slope down pretty quickly. The handlebars that are on it are Cinelli as is the stem. Would it be a faux pas to change the handlebars out for something more comfortable? The seat is an old Cinelli leather covered thing. It is pretty comfortable, but is showing a lot of wear.

I was thinking about the wheels, since building the wheels is a project I can do over the holidays. The wheelset that came with the bike has Campy hubs. They are low flange, but have curved quick release levers with the script style of lettering. I have read these are post-CPSC. I have another set of wheels that I took off of my Raleigh with the straight levers and block lettering. The front hub is high flange and the rear hub is low flange. I don't know the threading on either set of wheels yet. Both sets are 36h. I could use either of these sets or buy another set of hubs.

Since rims are consumables, do most people source NOS rims made in the 70's are just buy something made recently that looks appropriate like the VO PBP rim? I would prefer clinchers over tubular, even though it was probably raced with tubulars in the 70's. I don't see myself racing on this bike or any other bike.