CliffordK

Unfortunately I no longer have a 1980's fanny.

cboy1980

@SJX426 Nice bike!

I was wondering if decals like yours would fit better than just white letters...

And what the h#ù%l are "clinchers" where everyone is talking about hahahaha, sorry don't know the term

Hubs are Shimano ones, don't know the model 'sorry'

Well I guess my bike wasn't factory build, it had a sticker 'handmade in Belgium by HENY' So I guess he ordered a raw Colnago super frame and other campagnolo / colnago parts and made a 'custom' bike to sell or on request of customer at that time.
that's why some parts are Shimano (hubs, brake levers...) , Cinelli handlebar and Weinmann rims (made in belgium)...
So the bike or the paint are for sure not 'factory' finished.

In terms of decals... Doubting between these 2 options



decals choice.....

SJX426 

@cboy1980 Clinchers are like car tires. The bead of the tire "clinches" the rim. Tubular/tub/single/sew-up are tires that are glued to the rim and do not have a bead because the tire is sewed up around the innertube. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tubular_tyre

The second picture is of decals that are older than mine. I don't recall the year of change. See Velo-Retro: Colnago Super Timeline

cboy1980

The timeline I found already but thx, doesn't say so much on the decals.
When I google on Colnago Super 1980 I get all kind of possibilities... and some are not 1980 bikes so... quite hard to find the 'right' decals for the bike.

CliffordK

As far as decals, I prefer the individual letters over the background paint, rather than letters over a white background.

My guess is the bike was repainted and got the carbon decals when it was 5 to 10 years old (still vintage today). Perhaps other updates at the time.

I see you've already removed the HENY decals, and they appear to have come off cleanly.

If it was me, I'd keep the carbon decals (for fun).

I think Silver, or perhaps Gold decal sets would really pop.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Colnago-Mas...g/182633100037
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Colnago-Mas...k/173810730979




These are Master decal sets, so perhaps a mixed set, and skipping some details would give you the desired look.

SJX426 

@cboy1980 could be that 1980 is a transition year. @Drillium Dude needs to participate on this discussion

cboy1980

@CliffordK / I was also thinking on letters over black background... But then again I kind of like the panels (look more vintage / retro)

Silver would have been my 1st option, but most they offer is more like 'chrome' which I prefer not to have, too contrasting with the silver painted parts
The Carbon look is painted, not decal... I think he painted black then put some net / stockings of his wife over it and then sprayed some gray / silver to get the carbon effect

Gold would be off with all other colours...

So choice would be white after all. I'm a designer I count in the whole bike and all details ... hehe

removal went quite ok... they were just 'stickers' I used steam cleaner to heat them up

@SJX426: I guess also that 1980 was transforming year, since there were only small changes, but in 1981 much more 'clear' changes

CliffordK

I'm not real great with exact dates. But....

1968/1969 Colnago Super introduced. They had clover cutouts, but fewer clovers in the lettering. Letters over background paint.

Early 70's. Clover scripts. Still individual letters over paint background. Wreath on seattube.
Mid 70's. Not sure of the exact dates, but the letters over white was introduced.
Late 70's or early 80's, the letters over white was discarded, and returned to letters over paint background.

My bike (early model) definitely does not have decals for most of the lettering (small decals for "Campione" sticker). Somebody mentioned that it was some kind of a paint transfer. I seem to have lost the link to the process.

Anyway, the white background might give you your "vintage" goal. But, that was only used by Colnago for a short time in the middle of the Super models.

cboy1980

@CliffordK

It is not easy... like I found these 2 pages... saying 1980 - but is a later model -> cables go under bottom bracket

https://s305.photobucket.com/user/la...20Super?page=1

https://www.bike-forum.cz/foto/detai...ago-super-1980

So even when you find something that is dated 1980 it is not always 1980

Last ride 76 

Actually the panels came after individual letters... I do think the panels look better the lettering seems to get lost, my 2¢.

Drillium Dude 

I don't know that I can add anything that hasn't already been discussed. The frame details seem to line up with late 70s; the shape of the clover cut-out in the BB shell, fork crown details, gear cable routing over the BB shell.

As far as decals go, the single letters against paint background would be the period-correct way to go, but the panel-types from just a year or two later would look nice, too. In fact, with the black/silver colorway the bike is currently in, I'd choose the panels - they work better aesthetically for me.

DD

Gary Fountain

If period correct is important to you then these decals could be for a circa 1980 Colnago:

I'd go for this style of decal:



Or this style:

(Note: the white panel on the seat tube doesn't have the World Champ. rings top and bottom - just thin gold rings.)

(Like your second researched option/link. Your first researched option/link has decals available in 1982/3.)



or this style:



or this style (same as example 1):



But NOT this style as the World Champion stripes on the seat tube white panel were added in 82/3:

(Note: This colour and decal combination is now a very iconic scheme.)



Your frame is probably Columbus SL so these decals would represent the tubing of your frame:

cboy1980

@Gary Fountain ; thx... I Guess I will go for the option like on the blue bol d'or.... i like the white panel on the down tube and the 'half' panel on the seat tube...
Also thx for the columbus indication, was thinking on which tubing it could be, is there a way to discover it?

Gary Fountain

cboy1980 you're probably just after a nice looking bike that represents a bygone era and if you are.....don't read on as it's just waffle.

If you're interested in using the decals associated with the Boule d'Or cycling team, you may be interested in this thread:

Colnago with Boule d'Or graphics and panto I found it really interesting and you may find it interesting too.

Boule d'Or was a Belgian professional cycling team that existed from 1979 to 1983. Its main sponsor was cigarette brand Boule d'Or. Colnago supplied the bikes.

You may also be interested in this thread: https://www.worthpoint.com/worthoped...gnolo-50762458

You will notice that there is no frame material decal on the above bike. If you use the Colnago decal you like you would not have to use a Columbus decal to specify the frame material. I did notice, with interest, that your 1st option bike has the decal set you like and a Columbus SL frame material decal. I wonder if this bike was a re-paint? I've never seen an original black Colnago but there is a special Black and Gold Colnago Mexico featured in the brochures located in the "Bulgier" website.

As for the actual frame material used to build your frame - I'm no expert but I would guess at Columbus SL but it could be a plain gauged tubing (without butting) or another lesser tubing. I suppose an original Boule d'Or commemorative Colnago's could have been constructed of a lesser grade of tubing - but it's anyones guess as to just which tubing your bike is made from. I just can't locate a web page to give an accurate answer to the tubing question. There may be someone within this forum that has the answer and they just haven't read your thread as yet (perhaps T-Mar - such a wealth of bicycling knowledge and you've already heard from Drillium Dude with his eye for detail and love of Colnago)?

You could weigh the frame and compare it to a known frame of the same size, etc., but If it was me, I'd just have a stab in the dark and call in Columbus SL. Really, it's an old frame and it will ride beautifully. Whether it is made of Columbus SL, SL Special, SL Record, 4/10 Record or a slightly lesser material, realistically, it was built by Colnago with their geometry and construction techniques and that does make a difference.

cboy1980

@Gary: thx again for all the info you throw. This is a very interesting and helpful deal about my bike.

Today I might go to the shop that build the bike... Maybe the guy who put it together still lives. Or maybe his son took over I don't know... Anyway the shop still exist. EDIT: they're on holiday till Aug 23...so will be later on

As far as the decals, the way that Google search is throwing me options has left me lost in the woods...i want to try to have it as close as possible to the 'real deal' but then again, the paint job he did already makes it OFF

I read the Boule d'or link you send, where I saw some love for Freddy Maertens... Funny, since I meet him every year on a cycling event dedicated to him "Freddy Maertens Cyclin Tour'.
I work for a Charity organisation (I am a stiltwalker) that helps out on the tour and especially on the kids tour that goes together with it. I have build a bike that I can ride with my stilts... But that's not a Colnago .

The other link pointing to the bike on Worth point also shows a Hattaswan headset, which happens to be on mine e also...

After visiting the shop, and hopefully finding out more I keep it updated here.

As far as decals I think the Boule d'or is still the most likeable setup.

Gary Fountain

Wow - a great and unexpected connection to Freddy Maertens. I'm sure you will get the outcome you desire as I get the feeling you are really connected to this bike and it is the real deal. I must say that I have always loved Colnagos and I do love the way they ride. I am really confident you too will love the ride as long as you leave the stilts at home.

Congratulations on your charity work and I can imagine you may not be monetarily rich but I'm sure you must be rich in humanitarian ways.

cboy1980

Today I try to pass in the shop who build the bike they should be open today.
Keep you guys updated.

In the meantime: new tires arrived 😉

--> Edit: called them first, but they did not keep record of it in that time, so they couldn't help... Or at least had the feeling they did not want to help...

cboy1980

New tires are up...
The rims where indeed clinchers
Sorry for the long valves, but was the only ones they had... On a budget 😁

cboy1980

The decals are on!