Scott, and Colnago-philes...
I looked at the phtotographs in your link, and your frame appears identical to one I own. Something always puzzled me about my frame, and now yours... is the stamped "colnago" dropouts on a frame as early as this. ('79ish)
There are many examples of later frames with Campagnolo drop outs, and this doesn't seem to make sense to me. They went back and forth? Could be a contract build transition of inventory, but until now i've not seen a frame just like ours. Now I prepare to be set straight by the group!
Grant McLean toronto, canada
>>I recently acquired a Colnago from a neighbor, and I am trying to
>>properly identify the bicycle to determine what I have in my hands.
>>As best that I can determine, this is a 1978 or 79 frame with 1972
>>Campy components. I have posted to a few other locations and
>>inquired with several cycling friends, who have suggested that I post
>>to this list.
>>Any help or insights you can offer would be great. A link to the
>>bicycle and photographs.
>>
>>http://www.demel.net/bicycle/colnago/
>>
>>thanks in advance
>>scott demel
Wayne Bingham wrote:
I tend to agree with Chuck and Matt, but the primary reason that I'm
commenting is because I was having a similar conversation recently with
Brian B about determining the date for a Colnago Super I have. I had
speculated mine to be in the '79-'81 range, and thinking most likely
'80. I'm not a Colnago authority by any means (I only own this one at
the moment, and have only owned a couple others) but my experience is
that there are a lot of inconsistencies that make it difficult to
precisely pin down the "exact" year, although getting close is fairly
simple. The Super I own now is very similar to Scott's, having the
engraved seat stay caps and non-engraved chainstays. It has top-routed
cable guides at the BB. I can't look at it at the moment, and I can't
remember the CS bridge detail, but I think it's also like Scott's. Same
fork and chrome crown, but mine does have the clover cut-out in the BB
shell. One of the main anomalies of mine is that it has water bottle
bosses on the seat tube, something I thought was uncommon for an '80
Super. Mine also has a paint scheme that I have not seen before, one of
the things that drew me to the frame. It is dark metallic green with a
silver head tube and silver seat tube panel which is bordered with
world-colors strips, although the other decals are the same. My
experience is that there is a lot of gray area in what's commonly
referred to as the "transition" years (mid 70's-early 80's) for Colnago.
Chuck - Do your two '80 supers have bottle bosses on the seat tube and
the clover cut-out in the BB shell?
Lovettsville VA USA
>>>>>>
Here's my opinion Scott,
I would agree with Matty... 1980. I have two 1980 Colnago Supers, one
is identical to yours and the other, the only difference is that instead
of a tube chainstay bridge, it has a spool-shaped chainstay bridge
(large grove around center). Both have "COLNAGO" seat stay caps and
both do not have "COLNAGO" engraved chainstays. I'd put the "COLNAGO"
engraved chainstays at 1981 but that would just be my uneducated guess.
Chuck 'only 3 Colnagos, 2 to be 4 sale' Schmidt South Pasadena, CA USA
On May 23, 2007, at 7:47 PM, <bikenut@verizon.net> wrote:
>Scott,
>I would say more like 1980.... I have a few late 70's bikes
>1978/1979 and they didn't yet have the engraved seat stay caps. The
>next sep of evolution was the engraved chainstays in 1980/81.
>
>Matt 'Has 11 Colnagos' Gorski
>Belmont Shore, CA USA