Colnago - Timeless Road Bikes and Tough Gravel Bikes with Italian Class

The history of Colnago is marked by courageous decisions, a lucky hand and revolutionary developments. At the age of 13 and pretending to be older, Ernesto Colnago started working as a welder at the Gloria bicycle factory in Milan. In 1954, shortly after opening his own workshop Colnago randomly met Fiorenzi Magni, a professional cyclist who complained of leg pain. Colnago immediately realized that the cranks were incorrectly mounted and was able to fix Magni's problem with a small repair. He was then allowed to accompany him and his team as a mechanic to the Giro d'Italia, which Magni finished as overall winner in the pink jersey. 

In the years that followed, Colnago went from mechanic to designer, discovered the talent in Gianni Motta, who would go on to be third at the Tour and win the Giro, and decided early to help him with advice and with the right bike. In 1967 he meets the great Eddy Merckx in a fateful encounter. He was looking for a reliable racing bike for the classic Milan-Sanremo. Merckx wins the race with his first Colnago and subsequently buys all the bikes from the Italian company. The relationship reached its peak in 1972: Colnago invested more than 200 hours in the development and construction of a track bike with a special steel frame, handmade chain and a weight of just 5.75 kg. With this biking miracle Eddy conjured up a record for eternity on the oval and set a new hour record in Mexico with 49.431 km, which was to last 28 years and then only be surpassed by 10 meters. 

The result of decades of experience in welding, bicycle construction and professional cycling led to the creation of the revolutionary Colnago Master with the incomparable star-shaped tubes (1983) and only six years later to the first commercially available full carbon bike: the C35. The name celebrates the company's 35th anniversary and marks the beginning of a unique series of successes. In 1995, the C40 became the first carbon bike to win 4 of the following 5 Paris-Roubaix editions. On the occasion of its 60th anniversary, the C60 is presented, which in 2018 sets a technological exclamation mark with the revised C64, which at the same time reflects the tradition and future of the bicycle. 

Ernesto has been entering his factory every morning for over 60 years, paying attention to every detail, collecting ideas and suggestions for new road bikes and components. The majority of the frames are still handmade in Cambiago, Italy. Where the young Ernesto opened his small shop in Via Garibaldi 10 in 1954. 

Italy is not only a dream destination for those who love cycling and its history, but also for those who love gravel roads. Colnago has designed a Gravelbike especially for off-road adventures and tricky cyclocross races, which reliably masters all challenges with Colnago's race-proven geometry. The G3X, with its extremely durable frame, strong disc brakes and a smooth shift system, is ready for the muddiest climbs and the most technically challenging downhills.