[CR]Colnago Timeline Supplement

I believe all listmembers truly appreciate the work Chuck has done with the Colnago timeline. But longtime Colnago cognoscenti will cleary recognize som e gaps in the information contained therein. Based upon copious interviewing and many hours spent wandering the archives, the following timeline supplem ent is offered as a way to hopefully fill some of those missing elements.

1968 –- Peter Rich receives overseas phone call informing him that a shipment of Masi Specials overdue at his Velo Sport bicycle shop has been “lost at sea.” These frames are later spotted being ridden b y Boy Scout Troop 96 in nearby Walnut Creek. Colnago’s introduction to the United States begins.

1968 -- Playing card decal graphics. Club on card is actually clover, but no one notices because they look identical.

1968 -- Club cutouts in all three lugs (really clovers).

1969 –- Playing card graphics (clovers changed back to clubs, but no one notices because they look identical).

1969 –- Clover cutouts in all three lugs revert to clubs. No one not ices.

1970 –- Colnago graphics are briefly changed to eagle and Olympic ri ngs (eagle is really a falcon, but no one notices).

1970 –- Dancelli wins Milan San Remo – “La Primavera ” – following long drought by Italian riders. Ernesto digs o ld playing card decal set out of drawer.

1970 –- Playing card graphics, only it’s definitely a flower now.

1972 –- Lots of flowers. Yeah, that’s what they are.

1974 –- Flowers revert to clubs. No one really notices the switch, b ut the word “bulbous” enters Colnago lore.

1975 –- Colnago famously sues Irish Spring brand soap, claiming that any connection between “La Primavera” - in any language - w ith shamrocks is rightfully Colnago property. “They’ve alway s been shamrocks,” Ernesto is quoted as saying.

1976 -- Fork crown has COLNAGO added to shamrock. Ernesto is not taking any chances any more.

1977 –- Colnago becomes first Italian frame builder to employ brazin g monkeys.

1978 –- Brazing monkeys told to “pick up the pace. Or else. ”

1979 –- Thanks to brazing monkeys, Colnagos are now available via bi cycle shops, catalogs, tractor supply stores, Ace hardware, and select 7-Ele vens.

1980 –- COLNAGO now stamped on seat stay caps.

1981 –- Brazing monkey jobs outsourced to Asia.

1982 –- COLNAGO stamped on sides of chain stays. Also on key rings, drink coasters, and ball point pens.

1983 –- Colnago factory worker Ludovico Gilco, maneuvering his ⠀œLift Master” forklift on the Colnago loading dock, accidently drives over a shipment of Supers just in from Taiwan. Ernesto promptly decla res the damaged frames “lighter and stiffer,” and the Master model is born.

1983 –- COLNAGO stamped on many small appliances.

1984 –- COLNAGO seen stamped on small children in Milan area.

1985 –- Attempts by Ernesto to have COLNAGO stamped on Italian curre ncy end in failure.

1988 –- Out-of-work brazing monkeys hired by Ugo De Rosa.