Colnago steel cyclocross frame -- information appreciated
09-30-11, 10:45 AM
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Colnago steel cyclocross frame -- information appreciated
I purchased a steel Colnago cyclocross frame from a collector in the UK. I have not been able to find any information on steel Colnago cyclocross frames anywhere. Based on the build, I think it's from the early 1990s.
Colnago HQ has not been able to help...we had a brief correspondence, but without a serial number, they couldn't identify a specific year, nor did they respond to my question about how many were built. I have not been able to find a serial number on the frame...it either never had one, or the rear wheel clamping on the dropout destroyed it.
It is indeed a genuine Colnago, and based on the slightly relaxed wheelbase, I'm pretty sure it was a purpose built frame. It has a lot more clearance between the seat tube and the rear wheel than my '89 Colnago Spiral Conic SLX
I do know that Colnago sold rebadged Alan cross frames in the late '80s, and introduced an aluminum Dream cross frame more recently. This one seems to be a bit of a maverick, maybe a one-off as a favor to a professional road racer who wanted a cyclocross bike.
The 7 Eleven chainstay protector suggests a possible pro-team tie-in, but by 1991, the 7 Eleven team had been renamed Motorola.
I'd appreciate any information on this frame -- has anyone run across steel Colnago cyclocross frames? Did pros race them? What teams, if any, what time frame?
Link below to multiple pictures.
Thanks!
Lee
https://levitts.smugmug.com/photos/sw...lbumKey=q5WH7h
Colnago HQ has not been able to help...we had a brief correspondence, but without a serial number, they couldn't identify a specific year, nor did they respond to my question about how many were built. I have not been able to find a serial number on the frame...it either never had one, or the rear wheel clamping on the dropout destroyed it.
It is indeed a genuine Colnago, and based on the slightly relaxed wheelbase, I'm pretty sure it was a purpose built frame. It has a lot more clearance between the seat tube and the rear wheel than my '89 Colnago Spiral Conic SLX
I do know that Colnago sold rebadged Alan cross frames in the late '80s, and introduced an aluminum Dream cross frame more recently. This one seems to be a bit of a maverick, maybe a one-off as a favor to a professional road racer who wanted a cyclocross bike.
The 7 Eleven chainstay protector suggests a possible pro-team tie-in, but by 1991, the 7 Eleven team had been renamed Motorola.
I'd appreciate any information on this frame -- has anyone run across steel Colnago cyclocross frames? Did pros race them? What teams, if any, what time frame?
Link below to multiple pictures.
Thanks!
Lee
https://levitts.smugmug.com/photos/sw...lbumKey=q5WH7h
Last edited by lml999; 09-30-11 at 11:01 AM.
09-30-11, 12:03 PM
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Colnago has been offering CX frames for a long time, I would not doubt that this is one.
One inconsistency that caught my attention in your descrition was the 7-11 chainstay protector. THe protector at casual glance appears to say 7-eleven.com but remember that the 7-11 pro team was way before the internet, they would not have had a website during era of the 7-11 team. Looking closer, it actualy reads 11eleven.com which is aparently website for an Itialian bikeshop. https://www.11eleven.com
THe aheadset (rather than threaded) steer tube and the unicrown TIG fork definitly indicate that this bike is from 1990's onward, it could even be much newer than you are thinking. What diameter are the downtube & top tube? Any indication of tubing used (such as columbus spirals inside the steertube or SLX spirals in seattube?)
One inconsistency that caught my attention in your descrition was the 7-11 chainstay protector. THe protector at casual glance appears to say 7-eleven.com but remember that the 7-11 pro team was way before the internet, they would not have had a website during era of the 7-11 team. Looking closer, it actualy reads 11eleven.com which is aparently website for an Itialian bikeshop. https://www.11eleven.com
THe aheadset (rather than threaded) steer tube and the unicrown TIG fork definitly indicate that this bike is from 1990's onward, it could even be much newer than you are thinking. What diameter are the downtube & top tube? Any indication of tubing used (such as columbus spirals inside the steertube or SLX spirals in seattube?)
09-30-11, 12:27 PM
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Colnago has been offering CX frames for a long time, I would not doubt that this is one.
One inconsistency that caught my attention in your descrition was the 7-11 chainstay protector. THe protector at casual glance appears to say 7-eleven.com but remember that the 7-11 pro team was way before the internet, they would not have had a website during era of the 7-11 team. Looking closer, it actualy reads 11eleven.com which is aparently website for an Itialian bikeshop. https://www.11eleven.com
THe aheadset (rather than threaded) steer tube and the unicrown TIG fork definitly indicate that this bike is from 1990's onward, it could even be much newer than you are thinking. What diameter are the downtube & top tube? Any indication of tubing used (such as columbus spirals inside the steertube or SLX spirals in seattube?)
One inconsistency that caught my attention in your descrition was the 7-11 chainstay protector. THe protector at casual glance appears to say 7-eleven.com but remember that the 7-11 pro team was way before the internet, they would not have had a website during era of the 7-11 team. Looking closer, it actualy reads 11eleven.com which is aparently website for an Itialian bikeshop. https://www.11eleven.com
THe aheadset (rather than threaded) steer tube and the unicrown TIG fork definitly indicate that this bike is from 1990's onward, it could even be much newer than you are thinking. What diameter are the downtube & top tube? Any indication of tubing used (such as columbus spirals inside the steertube or SLX spirals in seattube?)
OD on the seat tube is 29.2 or so, on the downtube about 32.0. This compares to the SLX tubing on my Spiral Conic of 28.6 and 30.0, so it's a bit beefier. The frame is now built up, so I can't easily check for the spirals.
Interestingly, I compared it to my son's Crystal, which as the beefy, ovalized down tube. Lugs and seat cluster are identical...but the down tube is round on the cross bike. The Crystal was also a mid to late '90s frame.
It may indeed date to the latter '90s. The original fork is identical to that on my Dream Cross, which was introduced in the late '90s.
By the way, the span between the cantilever posts is 60mm, rather than the current 80 mm. I've had some challenges in finding brakes that will work, currently tracking down a set of Spookys.
Other thoughts?
Thanks,
Lee
