1984 Colnago Master MTB
04-12-06 | 04:29 PM
#1
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1984 Colnago Master MTB
I recently acquired a 1984 Colnago Master MTB in nearly unridden condition from someone in Colorado who found it in a house he bought. It is a lugged steel frame of Columbus tubing. The top and down tubes are of the same 4 sided shape as the Master road bikes of the same era. It has a long wheelbase, relaxed 70 degree seat tube geometry, rigid steel fork with stamped "C" crowns, oddly shaped Ambrosio Aero rims. Running gear is Shimano XT 6 speed indexed. It weighs a ton! I can't locate a serial number anywhere, but many older Colnagos don't have serial numbers at all. It got a lot of attention at Sea Otter last week. No one I have spoken to knows anything about early Colnago MTBs. Does anyone out in Cyberspace have any information about this bike?
Last edited by Ray R; 04-13-06 at 04:11 PM.
04-12-06 | 06:31 PM
#2
Keeper of the SLDB
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From: Springfield, MO
Bikes: '75 Schwinn Paramount P-10, '86 Ritchey Commando, '87 Schwinn Cimarron, '91 Trek 990, '87 Schwinn High Sierra, '73 Schwinn Super Sport, '4? Schwinn New World, '76 Swing Bike.
That seems pretty early for Colnago. Did you get the date from the components?
https://www.vintage-trek.com/component_dates.htm
Here are the earliest references I could dig up:
https://www.bulgier.net/pics/bike/Cat...nago-88/19.jpg
https://www.bulgier.net/pics/bike/Cat...nago-88/20.jpg
Not much help, I know ...
I bet it's pretty!
Bob Hufford
Springfield, MO
https://www.vintage-trek.com/component_dates.htm
Here are the earliest references I could dig up:
https://www.bulgier.net/pics/bike/Cat...nago-88/19.jpg
https://www.bulgier.net/pics/bike/Cat...nago-88/20.jpg
Not much help, I know ...
I bet it's pretty!
Bob Hufford
Springfield, MO
04-13-06 | 04:09 PM
#3
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Bikes: 5 Colnago, 2 Olmo, Bianchi, 4 Austro-Daimler, Merlin, Fisher Tandem, John Waite track tandem, Schwinns, Steyrs, Bill Holland Ti path racer, Chinese prototype FS
84 is printed on the Columbus decal on the top front of the seat tube.
04-13-06 | 04:15 PM
#4
juneeaa memba!
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From: boogled up in...Idaho!
Bikes: Crap. The box is not big enough...
Ray, you're gonna have to let us see a picture or two...I haven't ever seen a dated columbus sticker (not that there couldn't be one, mind ya). I'd love to see the bike. Finding any kind of a Colnago is like finding a couch stuffed with cocaine, in my humble ooopinion.
04-13-06 | 06:05 PM
#5
It wasn't built in 1984. Colnago only started shortly thereafter making MTB's. Cinelli was the first to build MTB in Italy, they were marketed unde the name rampichino.
04-14-06 | 03:09 PM
#7
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From: San Diego, California
Bikes: 5 Colnago, 2 Olmo, Bianchi, 4 Austro-Daimler, Merlin, Fisher Tandem, John Waite track tandem, Schwinns, Steyrs, Bill Holland Ti path racer, Chinese prototype FS
You all are correct. Upon closer examination of the Columbus decal (with reading glasses this time), what I initially believed to be 84 is in fact S4. Here is the entire descriptive text on the decal:
Gilco Design
Profilo S4 Costruito per Colnago
Can we estimate the date of manufacture based on the Shimano Deore XT 6-speed indexed gruppo?
Gilco Design
Profilo S4 Costruito per Colnago
Can we estimate the date of manufacture based on the Shimano Deore XT 6-speed indexed gruppo?
04-14-06 | 03:17 PM
#8
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From: San Diego, California
Bikes: 5 Colnago, 2 Olmo, Bianchi, 4 Austro-Daimler, Merlin, Fisher Tandem, John Waite track tandem, Schwinns, Steyrs, Bill Holland Ti path racer, Chinese prototype FS
OK! Thanks to Bob Hufford for the Bulgier links. THe second one has it pegged; that's the bike, right down to the fish-scale cross-hatching in the paint. I only wish it still had the original seat post and stem. I assume 88 in the catalog number refers to the year. If so, mystery solved!
