Stennyfordays

Hello! I'm doing one of my first bicycle restorations. It's a steel "Velo Sport" made in Canada. I've stripped the decals and ordered some colnago decals. I plan to sell eventually but being honest it's not a colnago but "re-branded".

Question(s): Has anyone ever heard of anyone doing this? How "faux pas" is this. Would I be hated by all bike enthusiasts everywhere?

This bike was $10 and I just wanted it to look cool and be an urban cheapo. My dad used to race colnago

nlerner

How about modifying the decal a bit to show that it's not the real McCoy, e.g., a "olnago" or a "Colnag"?

jefnvk

Highly unethical IMO. Even if I assume you will indeed be honest and give the buyer full disclosure, that does not mean they will a) believe you when you are telling them what they think is a bargain on their dream frame is not their dream bike, or b) themselves be honest when they resell it.

If it is just a cool looking urban cheapo, why even bother rebranding it? There are many ways to make it unique. Splatter different color paints over it. Finish it in bright pink and chartreuse. Put beads in the spokes. Chop up some old handlebars into custom bull horns.

The Golden Boy 

That is frowned upon.

Regardless of why you're doing it, you're marking it as something it's not. Even if you don't intend to sell it fraudulently it may fool someone in the future.

Stennyfordays

Roger that. I never thought of the re sell factor. I'll perhaps leave naked or find some other unique non-brand decals / symbols for a little flair.

Thanks for the quick replies

Andy_K 

Maybe try these: https://www.rivbike.com/products/resurrectio-decals

jimmuller 

I'd argue unethical too. Whoever buys it might be thinking to sell it as a real one and turn a tidy profit on your deception. Even if that first buyer says he won't do that and you can believe it, you still cannot see what the bike's future holds. There are enough counterfeit Colnagos floating around, you don't need to create another candidate.

Wildwood 

Easy to make your own decals.
Get creative.

randyjawa 

Strongly against doing what the OP suggests!

noobinsf 

Forum member Artclone used a service called doityourselflettering.com for his custom commuter, and I've been eyeing that for an upcoming build. Many fonts available, you choose the text, pretty inexpensive...

dufeau

What precisely would be the motivation for 're-branding' with a high-value mark (like Colnago) on a lower quality bike other than to deceive for a gain? I honestly can't find an ethical rational for doing this...

El Chaba

How about a compromise?...Label it "Colnotgo"....

Bianchigirll 

Wasn't some guy bragging about having done that POS bike but with De Rosa decals?

I agree it is rather tacky and unethical. You may be well intentioned when you sell it but the guy buying a "Colnago" for only $150 may not be so honest when he resells it a week later for $700.

Find someone to make replacement decals, decals in your name, a bogus name or leave it bare.

noobinsf 

I think this was just an innocent idea, like putting a Mercedes badge on a Chrysler. But the notion of enabling future-owner deception is a real concern. Sounds like the OP gets that.

dufeau

I get what you're saying noobinsf. I think OP can find a more creative way to add flair to the bike that isn't deceptive... The thing with putting a Mercedes badge on a Dodge Caravan is that no one is going to be misled.

But you might be on to something with a Mercedes or Mopar badge on this bike!

Lascauxcaveman 

A way cooler thing to do would be to make up some unique labels for a brand that doesn't exist; maybe using your family name, your girlfriend's name, your dogs's name...

randyjawa 

And that brings up the big question, does it not?

Which makes me want to know why the OP, or anyone else who frequents this forum, would do so?

Andy_K 

Just for fun? He said that his motivation for choosing Colnago is that his dad used to race Colnago.

I'm guessing that the OP considered it so obvious that the bike wasn't a Colnago that there would be no harm in having a bit of fun that way. I think it might not be obvious to the average person on the street and would almost certainly be hateful to the average vintage enthusiast, but I'm perfectly willing to buy a benign motivation here.

When I was shopping for my first car I came across a first generation Honda Civic with Coupe de Ville badges. I got a kick out of that and kind of wanted that car just because of that. Similarly, there's a guy locally who does cyclocross races on a Kona Major Jake with a Colnago decal on the downtube panel. That amuses me too, because it's still obvious to me that it's a Major Jake (I happen to have one with the same color scheme).

If there's some unmistakable marker on the OP's bike, like maybe an Ashtabula bottom bracket and stamped dropouts, it might be kind of OK to do for fun. I still think something like El Chaba's suggestion of "Colnotgo" would be better.

Slightspeed

Bad idea. It's like the guys that put a couple of racing stripes on an old Mustang, and call it a Shelby. $10 bikes are great. $10 bikes with Colnago decals, not so much. I got a "free" frame from a scrap pile, verified that it was a indeed a '73 Raleigh Super Course, and painted it (wrong color green, but a color I like better), and put repro Raleigh decals on it. Not 100% original, but at least truthful.

I like the example if making up a name. When my old steel Bianchi got smashed by a car, with me on it, I grabbed an unbranded Nashbar frame and hung the Bianchi parts on it, most of which survived. My last name is Light. I thought about "Lightspeed", but thought that was too close to the real deal, so I translated it into Italian as "Leggera Veloce", and made up stickers. I thought it was kinda cool, but the Nashbar Aluminum frame was no Bianchi steel, so I sold it to my neighbor. He removed the stickers.

ecnewell 

I guess I would need to see the bike before I say whether it's a no-no or not. Like the Mercedes badge on the Dodge Caravan, if it is obvious to the point of funny that it isn't a Colnago, I don't see a big issue. But if it could potentially fool someone who doesn't know how to spot the real deal, then I'd say no. In that case, call it a Clone-ago.

zammykoo

I'll echo the above comments about making it your own with a personalized name if you're going to keep it and ride it. If you plan to sell it, maybe keep it unbadged or restore the originals.

Drillium Dude 

I re-branded a bike once, but I made up a name for it. Since it's my drillium-display bike, it will most likely be in my possession until I croak; no harm, no foul. I don't have a whole lot of concern about what may happen to it after I croak



DD

cdmurphy

I made a "Generalized Obstacle Vaulter" from an old Trek 950 a few years ago. (Specialized, if you're reading this.... Please don't sue me.)

DSC02628.jpg by c79murphy, on Flickr

zammykoo

^ Both of you guys, very cool self-branding!

kcblair

I wouldn't do it. I re-branded one of my bikes, with a made up name, but I plan to keep it. Get creative. KB