Colnago Super ('80-'81?)

[HPL]

Work in progress photos; not through with the refurbishment, but better than what I started with. Lighter, and sleeker looking; and much more comfortable with the longer bar stem (120mm vice 60mm). Removed rusty parts. Painted the chainring panto's and crank spider arm flutes with "World Champ" colors. Campy "Triomphe" FD gone; keeping the "Athena" RD (looks and works great!). I ditched the front brakes with this bar set-up, but I will install Modolos if I return to a conventional drop bar. Still need to replace cables and housings.

Present component mix ('70s-'00s) build for '81 (best guess, rear dropout stamped "C39" or "G39") Colnago Super 50cm frame set; 3t stem (120mm, bronze, 90s, unknown model); narrow and shallow drop (track?, new, unknown make) alloy bars with cloth wrap (tressostar); Selle San Marco "Rolls" saddle (perforated, '80s); LOOK A3.1 pedals ('90s); Shimano "600EX" headset ("arabesque" model, late '70-early '80s); OFMEGA small chainring (44T); Sugino chromed steel chainring bolt set; Sun Tour "Perfect" 6 spd freewheel ('70s-'80s, believe cogs are replacements!); Sedis chain; Wienmann LP 18 wheels/25 mm tires; REG brake lever cover; Zefal pump. Campy stuff: "Super Record" cranks ('80 & '83 date codes), large chainring (52T, "COLNAGO" pantographed), and shift levers; "Nuovo Record" late style (3 hole cage) front deraileur ('80s) and BB assy; "Athena" rear derailleur (early first model, late 80s); "Chorus" aero seatpost (27.2mm, 1st gen., late '80s); "Gran Sport" brake lever and caliper (rear only, '70s-'80s); "Biodinamica" aero bottle and cage ('80s); seatpost binder bolt; and front and rear dropouts.

Before:


After:

 

[Jesper]

Nice build! Looks like a race bike again and not a commuter. That is an interesting bar set-up; it really updates the bike, and ties in nicely with the aero seat post, pedals, and rear derailleur. I think the stem is "Status" or "Evol"; I would have to check. If not for the fork crown it would look nearly 15-20 years newer compared to bikes of the same era. I have never used an Athena RD, but I would assume that it is much better shifting than the best Campy inline models.

I cannot help much with the year; I have a nearly identical Super with "C55" (I don't know its significance) stamped on the drive side DO (it is a 57cm frame), but with somewhat different decals (no World Champ stripes except headbadge). I have assumed mine to be from 1980 based on 1979 and earlier examples, and examples from 1982 onwards. I have seen decals similar to yours on later frames from 84-85 or so, but I don't think it is that late of a year. I think you might have a 1981 or maybe 1982 depending on specific frame details and when Colnago changed features (i.e. changes made at start of model year, or changes made during the model year). Odd not seeing any chrome (my is full chrome fork), but so many export and custom ordered variants are out there that it really doesn't help date it.

Unless my eyes (or computer) deceive me, I believe your World Champ colors are wrong if you used orange instead of red. It may just be the image, but it looks orange to me.

 

[jim haseltine]

That's an Evol 2002 stem - there were two slightly different versions over the years, one (as pictured) with a flute cut either side of the top stem extension whilst the other was plain.

Holidaying in Italy a while back I spotted a member of the hotel staff riding to work on this:

 

[pigman]

A rear brake only? Apart from the lack of safety, it's illegal for road use.

You could leave yourself liable in the event of an accident.

Sorry to be all boring ......

 

[Nob]

Get a front brake on there.........

 

[HPL]

I do appreciate the concern, and fully understand the need for adequate braking power. In my area the law is simply that the bike must be able to stop in 25 feet or less when travelling at 10 mph on a clean, dry, and level surface. My present set-up satisfies that without issue. The only bikes that are illegal to use on public roadways, trails, paths, etc. are those without a brake(s) installed (e.g. track/fixed gear, etc.) Single brake (front or rear) set-up is legal: rim, disc, drum and/or coaster. This bike is not ridden on any roadway, only used on a paved trail that has no motorized traffic of any sort (ebikes and petrol powered bikes included). My only stop when riding this particular bike is upon returning to the car. All my road bikes actually used on the roadways are fitted with brakes front and rear. I am not using this bike for commuting, only for hard fast runs on what is an essentially empty trail during the times I ride. I am installing upgraded pads to the calipers, but that is it.

I will say that the Colnago stops better than my '54 Hercules fitted with OE roller/rod brakes.

 

[HPL]

That's an Evol 2002 stem - there were two slightly different versions over the years, one (as pictured) with a flute cut either side of the top stem extension whilst the other was plain.

Holidaying in Italy a while back I spotted a member of the hotel staff riding to work on this:

I have a commuter bike for that use, although that ride is substantially lighter than my ride. I wonder if that bike was in an accident given its replacement fork. Not what I would be using a Master for, but to each his or her own.
Thank you for the stem ID; I thought it was from the late '90s. I think I have another one similar to it; it is probably the other version you mentioned.

 

[jim haseltine]

2002 is the model name and yes, it was introduced back in the late 1990s. The Master wasn't the only classy frame I saw used for commuting - there was a Super with single speed and flat bars leaning up outside a shop and in a plie of bikes outside a restaurant staff entrance was a De Rosa carbon aero setup the same way. Unless the owners were locals they'd have been in for real pain as the only flat roads in the area were in the centre of town. Unfortunately, as I was on holiday with my other half even thinking about cycling wouldn't have been a good move on my part.

 

[Jesper]

Interesting comments about bike equipment laws and regulations. It shows how different they can be depending on location. For me one State is the same as HPL's; while another that I also reside in is: "...must be good enough to bring you to a stop, from a speed of 15 miles an hour, within 30 feet of braking. This distance assumes a dry, clean, hard, level surface." No mention of needing front and rear equipment except lights. Interesting that an increase of speed by 50% only requires another 20% of stopping distance. I would like to know how these numbers came about considering all the variables that need to be taken into consideration. It does seem odd that front and rear brakes are required for legal operation on public roadways in some areas. I guess as a kid I would have been in violation of the law most of the time since I rode with a coaster brake bike most of my youth. Do bikes use coaster brakes anymore?. I did build a bike with with dual rear calipers; no problem locking up the wheel on that one.

 

[jim haseltine]

UK law is two independent methods of braking - commonly taken to mean a brake on each wheel, although a single front brake on a fixed wheel bike is acceptable. How some bike shops get away with selling unbraked fixies I don't know but on the other hand I've worked on bikes with two brakes which were so ineffective when new that you could stop quicker by putting your feet on the road.