monkey

Can someone help me ID this bike? I'm looking at it tomorrow, and the seller says it's a 1988 Colnago XL
(Master XL maybe?), full campy. He wants $300 for it. Think it's worth more or less? Thanks, guys!

Walter

1988 wouldn't be a Master XL. It could be an earlier Master (they started in the early 80s) but I doubt that's a Master at all.

No Gilco (shaped top/seat/down) tubing and no chrome headlugs.

300$ for a nice Colnago even if it's not a Master ain't bad but check it out as fakes are around. Ernesto puts his name all over the bike including fork crowns, seatstays, headlugs and etc. Look for some of those.

Walter

Quick follow-up: The Columbus Gilco tubing was used on bikes other than Masters but Masters always had it.

monkey

Thanks! So should I look for Colnago stamped everywhere on the bike?

lotek 

From the 88 catalogue could be:
Conic SLX total spiral, or super.
maybe Supersprint.
I don't see an XL in the 88 catalogue
What kind of engraving is on the seatstay caps?
Club? Colnago? I can't make it out from the pics.
what kind of decal is that on seatube?
I'm thinking its been repainted, too few decals.
Walter's right Ernesto never was one for understatement.

Marty

monkey

The seller is supposed to contact me today about looking at it. If I see it today, I will take some closer snaps and post them. I'm a little worried that it's a fake, whether the seller knows it or not. Thanks guys!

T-Mar

It will be interesting to hear more on this bicycle. Like Walter, my understanding is that all the Masters had Gilco, shaped tubing, which this does not appear to have, though it's hard to tell by the picture. The tubing decal looks silver in the picture and the only Columbus decals I recall that were this colour were Matrix and Cromor, which were mid range tubesets. However, it could also be a decal for special Colnago tubest, similar to the Gilco tubeset. The dual brake tunnels, absence of frame chrome and the presence of what appears to be a clamp-on front derailleur, would be seem to indicate either a base level model and/or something older.

operator

That doesn't look like it's worth $300 USD to me.

monkey

I never got a chance to look at it. He sold it before I got off of work, and I'm kinda glad.