I have placed an order for a brand new red Arabesque frame from Colnago. I am in the process of getting the other bits, group set, wheels, seat ect.. and expect everything to come together after the new year. Currently, Colanago has about a two month wait and we are in the holiday season as well. I have thought about what to do with this build. Should I go full Eroica and get NOS period parts or attempt to build my own modern version utilizing the latest tech, but keep the retro aesthetic? After much deliberation, I decided to make a thoroughly modern bike and keep the components as close to traditional looking as much as possible. My goal is to have a beautifully classic bike, not sacrifice performance and to pass off as an heirloom some day. Of course there are some budgetary limitations, but with the Euro rate as low as it is here in Italy, it was time to take the plunge. Basic elements will be Campagnolo Neutron Ultra wheel set with Campagnolo Potenza groupset. I plan to substitute the Potenza crank for an Athena crank as I think the Athena crank looks more traditional and I don't think performance will be affected. For whatever reason, Colnago sells the Arabesque with a threadless steering tube, even though their adverts clearly show a quill stem. I will have the fork tube threaded and quill stem installed. I can't bear the thought of an Arabesque with an out of proportion modern head stem. It may look fine on a Master, but not the Arabesque. Finally, I have a custom seat with matching leather handlebar tape inbound from Texas to crown the build (see pics below). Tell me what you think. Thanks.
Larry
Larry
