This year marks 70 years since 1954 when Colnago opened the doors in Cambiago Italy. To mark that milestone Colnago is launching a limited-edition modern steel bike called the Colnago Steelnovo. Not only does it celebrate Colnago, it also celebrates Italy.
The bike starts with Columbus steel tubing. It’s a throwback to bikes such as the “Super (1968), the Mexico (1972), the Master (1982), and the Arabesque (1983)” and like those bikes, the Colnago Steelnovo joins the Columbus steel with lugs.
At the same time this is a thoroughly modern steel bike. These lugs aren’t like the Colnagos of the past. The joins are smooth thanks to 3D printing. According to Colnago this includes, “top and bottom head tube lugs, seat tube-top tube and seat stay lugs, rear dropouts, and custom components. There is a strong emphasis on customization and the integration of all components and details, including fully integrated cable routing, custom nylon headset components, and a seat post-clamp system that is integrated with the seat stays.”
Pulling this off requires “surface-modeled lugs that are internally hollow to minimize weight.” To make that happen Colnago tapped the expertise of a second Italian brand, Additiva. Additiva is a brand known for motorsports and, again according to Colango, “the outcome is a robust connection that perfectly aligns tube profiles while achieving a competitive weight for an oversized, fully integrated steel frame.”
The final frame is smooth and seamless, looking more like carbon than steel, but it’s modernism not only in shape. There’s a carbon […]
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