[CR]Strange Colnago?

(Example: Racing)

From: "Ericson Johan" <johan.ericson@kommun.sundbyberg.se>
To: "'classicrendezvous@bikelist.org'" <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Date: Mon, 7 May 2001 13:16:59 +0200
Subject: [CR]Strange Colnago?

Hi fellow retrocyclists

I start with an appology. If my English seems a little strange it is because it is not my native language.

Found a Colnago (?) frame at a shop last week. It has been repainted a long time ago and the front fork is missing. It has no shifter bosses, no top tube cableguides and the gearcable guides are at top of the bottom bracket shell. Long Campagnolo dropouts. I have two Colnagos, one -73 and one -74, and so far this frame has the same features. But this one has chrome head lugs and clover cut outs in both of them. Plus a clover cut out in the seatlug. The bottom bracket shells on my other Colnagos has a big clover cut outs but this one has two or three slot cut outs instead. The seat stay caps are also diffrent. My Colnagos have "inverted(I am not sure of the correct name)" caps while this one has a normal oval, flat caps - no clover or Colnago script on either. The frame has brazed on waterbottle mounts with four pointed reinforcements and the others just have plain round mounts.

The frame is very well put together, very light and all lugs nicely thinned. Brazing looks good to from what little I could see.

Now to the really strange - the clovers are done different. Instead of a triangular "shaft" under the three circles, making out the leaves, this one has the shaft made out of a straight cut out finished of with a small round hole at the bottom. As if someone prepared it to make it triangular but forgot filing and left it as it was.

I have been wondering if it could be a copy of some sort but what with the crome lugs and the nice workmanship? The long Campy drop outs (wich by the way are chromed on this frame)? Why build a copy of a Colnago in what has to be the seventies - the era of "almost no braze ons"?

Any leads on what it is?

The frame is cheap and I am always in nead for one more frame. Should I buy it?

Regards
Johan Ericson
Stockholm, Sweden