[CR] Colnago Weekend

Well this certainly was Colnago Weekend, with not only the Arabesque with Campy 50th Anniversary, but also the 55th Anniversary Master and the trick TT bike as well.

Of the three, I find the Arabesque by far the most interesting. It just ended at $4,751. A lot of money, but IMHO, a much better value than the 55 Anniversary Master at $11,699.

It is no secret I'm not generally a great fan of Colnago or of Italian bikes in general. Nor have I felt the need to acquire a Campy 50th Anniversary gruppo, at least not at the going price. But despite all that, I find this Arabesque quite striking. The slightly over the top 50th gruppo with the gold plated accents seems right at home on the likewise slightly over the top cromovelato frame with ornate lugs. I think my general lack of interest in Colnago is due to my memory of the Campy equipped Supers in the 70's, many contract built, that seemingly every US racer had to have, to the point it became boring. But Ernesto certainly has built some unusual and unique bikes over the years, and some, like the Equilateral, Arabesque, DUAL and BiTitan, are quite fascinating. I actually own a DUAL and would happily acquire an Arabesque, although $4,751 was not in my budget just now.

In addition to the Arabesque itself, I have to say I've rarely seen an eBay auction with better photos. Not only are the seller's photography skills far greater than mine, but he obviously knows exactly how and what to photograph on a classic bike. I've saved all his images as perhaps other have. I don't think one can get a much better set of photos of a Colnago Arabesque. Perhaps Dale can post them in the Colnago section of the CR site, though maybe correct protocol is to obtain the seller's permission first.

Regards,

Jerry Moos
Big Spring, Texas, USA