COLNAGOS: 25 Years of Supers et al.

[Nothin-fancy]

Uhg, I'm so jealous. It's interesting to note that the blue model pictured has clamp on shifter cable guides. While your orange model has top brazed guides. I wonder why/what the difference would be??? Different builder's or someone asking for one or the other or just a transition?

I've got a 3 arm Campagnolo Gran Sport group that I've been trying to find a early 70's-late 60's frame set for. Obviously it would be a down grade for a frame like this but a middling Bianchi or Raleigh would be perfect for it.

 

[Jesper]

Uhg, I'm so jealous. It's interesting to note that the blue model pictured has clamp on shifter cable guides. While your orange model has top brazed guides. I wonder why/what the difference would be??? Different builder's or someone asking for one or the other or just a transition?

I've got a 3 arm Campagnolo Gran Sport group that I've been trying to find a early 70's-late 60's frame set for. Obviously it would be a down grade for a frame like this but a middling Bianchi or Raleigh would be perfect for it.

The braze-ons were always an option from what I can tell. It is a bit of an odd build having some braze-on and some clamp-on bits. I researched other frames of the same era and found a few similar anomalies regarding those details that I could pretty much verify visually as having original paint (definitely examples of custom work done on repainted frames. My biggest concern were the bottle cage mounts; but again I found an example that existed on a frame with original livery. Earliest frame I have with cage mounts is a lower end '66 French Cazenave that has the threaded studs for cage mounts.

I like the GS 3 arm crankset. I have the Sport chromed steel version (tapered not cottered) which actually looks quite nice albeit a bit heavy in comparison

 

[Jesper]

Having made the decision to go with the ITM cockpit, now comes the job of making it look like it belongs on that frame. I will do some hand filing to smooth things out and polish it to an acceptable finish. This should take me longer to do than anything else except if building wheels which at this point I am not doing having found that I habeca couple sets idle at this time with both having Camp. "Record" hubs.

 

[Nothin-fancy]

It is interesting how most Italian builders seemed to just grab whatever was within reach when building frames to make production quota's. I've seen some interesting head scratcher's before. About the only builder's that were consistent were the bigger contract builder's like Billato. And it's surprising how many marquee's were built by contract shop's. Even Mondonico was made by a contract builder after Mauro retired in 2005.

That ITM stem is pretty cool looking. You would think they would have spent a little more time with a better casting job than that. I get they can't spend time filing every stem, but dang that's some fat flashing.

 

[Jesper]

@Nothin-fancy Look familiar? This is an ITM pin from about 20 yrs later and the flashing is still quite prominent and also sharp to the degree of being able to injure yourself with a laceration. The rest of the workmanship is quite good and would compliment most any bike other than lack of finishing in that aforementioned area. It would look good on this current project with the black accents but far too new.

I should take a look at my Milremo stems, as I have one that is very similar (did Milremo did make anything?) and both might originate from the same factory. Note: I have newer ITM "Eclypse" steel stems and seat pins that are of decent quality, but I cannot seem to find much early history of the company though I know the original company closed in '00s, and name (ITM, not Italmanubri) is owned by some Asian based company.

 

[Jesper]

1978 Super rebuild start.

While gathering parts for the '70 Super I thought it prudent to do the same for this '78 since most items are located together, and I need to service a few wheelsets and prefer to do all at once. Thankfully, a little easier to piece together another fairly period correct build given a much newer (8 yrs) model aside from a couple items (saddle, rims).

I'll take photos noting specific details regarding frame and parts once I get starting on it.
There prime factors regarding this frame that actually make it fairly easy to date compared to many other model years. As always, due to materials availability, product, mid-model year changes, errors, Colnago having frames made by various contract builders, etc. it is not uncommon to have differences (seems to be more in the early-mid '80s) between frames purchased or made in the same year.
This frame incorporates the Campagnolo Nuovo Record drop-out with portacatena mounting holes that was first introduced in catalog images in late 1978 (#17a Supp.). That part may have been available to builders in sometime in '77; certainly by '78. They certainly appeared regularly on frames (by Colnago and others) made in '78 through c. '82.
Another feature is the lack of embellished stay caps. "COLNAGO" was on the stays at least by 1980, but has been regularly seen on frames stated as being '79 models (possibly frames made in late '78 for '79 model year). My c. '79/'80 Super has the embellished stay caps.
Lastly, circa '78-'79 the brake bridge changed from a flanged external nut brake mount design to the Gipiemme cube type knuckle with recessed nut brake mount design. My '79/'80 has the "GPM" knuckle.
I have seen the the different brake bridge designs occurring on frames having both the plain stay caps and NR drop-out's, but I've not seen the flange style bridge on frames with embellished caps.
So given those 3 rather distinctive features and their overlapping timelines it pretty much puts this frame being produced very late '77 to early '78. I pretty much immediately defer to a 1978 model year for frames with those 3 features (plain fluted caps, flanged brake bridge, & NR d-o's) regardless of anything else (paint, decals, braze-ons) since they only coincide for about 1 year.

A bit large so hopefully someone will find it desirable, as this is one being culled from the herd. Color looks much better in sunlight!

 

[Jesper]

1970 Super build cont'd

Not much to add as I am slowly getting the ITM stem and bar polished; servicing of 4 sets of wheels for projects present and future (need a 12.5mm cone wrench for one. Screwed), overhaul maintenance on 3 riders, finishing up a concurrent project, and starting Colnago '78 Super project so slow and steady; but I want to ride the '70 on my birthday this month (and enter it in RBOTM) so time is running out!

 

[Laldi]

Circa 1970 model Super

Dimensions: Seat tube 47.5 cm c-c/49 cm c-t, 27.2 I.D. at post; top tube 51 cm c-c; down tube 61 cm c-c; chain stay 40 cm c-c; seat seat stay 50 cm c-c; head tube 8cm; rear fork 121 mm; front fork 100 mm; BB shell 70 mm; chain stay bridge 16 mm diameter; brake bridge 12 mm diameter.

Frame features: Columbus "SL" tubing w/reinforced steerer tube; fluted stay cap ~27mm; chain stay outer indent ~ 2 cm; chainstay inner indents ~8 cm; "clubs" c-o's on seat, upper & lower head lugs; small round c-o in front bottom of seat lug; 2 small holes in fork crown points; braze-on BB and CS guides, braze-on bottle cage mounts


Original livery shows it to be after the Dancelli Milan-San Remo win when Colnago started to use the "asso de foiri"/"ace of flowers"/"ace of clubs" as an official logo in tribute to that victory on a Colnago frame (were old cut-outs in tribute to Ernesto"s work at Gloria and their trefoil lug design?); but the lug cut-outs and bottom bracket holes indicate the frame could have been built as early as 1969, painted, and then decals added later. I am not sure exactly when the the BB drain was changed to the initial "clubs" design; but frames I have seen claiming to be from '71 all have the cut-out versus 9 holes (I would like to know if anyone has what they think is a '71 frame with 9 hole BB to compare features), different lower head lug c-o and longer flute on stay end.

Parts available (without stripping other bikes):
3 "PATENT" Camp. "NR" RDs (2 older than the third), or
2 "PATENT 70" RDs (early and late versions?)
1 Camp. Record FD with bronze arms, slotted screws, closed stop (too early!), but
1 Camp. Record FD with bronze arms, slotted stop, or
2 Camp. Record FD pre-'73 with alloy arms, without circlip, no stop (units are not identical)
2 sets Camp. Bar end shifters (with all stops/guides and a bunch of stainless housing), or
2 or more sets Camp. clamp-on shifters (mounting bracket installed; levers available (stock, c-o/drilled, panto'd)
2 or more Camp. 2 bolt "Record/NR" seat posts 27.2mm (plain, custom fluted/panto'd)
2 or more sets Camp. "Record" hubs; high or low flange and build wheels (no period rims)
Plenty of wheels not period correct, but suitable and probably already have a Sun Tour FW (preferred!)
1 set Camp. "Record" unmatched cranks; both w/o date (different chamfering on arms, left possibly from 151 set)
2 sets Camp. "Record" pedals with strap loop (have "Superleggeri" pedals, but believe they had not been introduced until '71)
Set Camp. NOS Alloy toe cages
Sets each of black or orange toe straps
Camp. "Record" BB installed
Camp. "Record" headset installed
2 Brooks Pro saddles (large and small rivet), 1 Brooks B.17 (quite new!) modified to "Swallow" style.
I cannot find a 3t period correct cockpit, but I have an ITM "Special" bar (40cm) and "spearpoint style" stem (90mm) that might be too old (stem has allen headed quill bolt; assuming hex head bolt was replaced) but still looks the part. My 3t bar (model unknown) is 35cm (prefer 38-40) with "Record" stem (105mm); but I think it is too new. I have no real idea of the range of dates either were being produced, but I believe the ITM would be closer in year.

Have REG, Silva, and GS pumps; Camp. heads; Camp. and REG pump holders to choose from. White bottle w/Black logo "C" logo, black Elite bottle cage.

If I really wanted to make this perfect for me with disregard to period correct parts it would have black 3t mutant stem and bar, black Galli crankset, black brakeset (Galli, Weimann, Modolo), black Look pedals, black Crane RD, and black Rino FD, Ambrosio black rims. Orange and black is my favorite combination; but a bit out of whack for a bike that old.

Photo of frame as it sits. More to follow when everything is gathered and more organized. Some parts already separted for inspection and servicing.

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That's a fine collection of Colnago pumps