Colnago C-40 - simply the best?

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liam7020
Posts: 1263
Joined: Tue Jul 27, 2010 10:04 am

by liam7020

I owned one of these iconic frames back in 1999 but sold it around 2005 to make way for the next new thing. Big mistake which I regretted through the years. Anyhow managed to pick up a very nice example from a bike shop in northern Italy last year and have now pretty much accumulated the parts to complete the build.

So here's a few warm-up photographs with final build details to follow fairly soon....

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And I'm sure you may have a fairly good idea what the frame might be...

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Last edited by liam7020 on Thu Jan 15, 2015 4:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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jbaillie
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by jbaillie

Saddle is fine. Can't wait to see this thing!


liam7020
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Joined: Tue Jul 27, 2010 10:04 am

by liam7020

The Flite was actually top of my list whenever I was planning this build and I did use one way back in the day. But I have been using the SLR for a very long time and I was a bit wary that my ass would object strongly if I changed to a different saddle at this late stage!

In my defence this SLR is one of the original "classic" shapes which was introduced in the 90s not long after the Flite. That said I definitely wouldn't rule out the Flite further down the line.
Tarmac SL6 & Campag Record EPS https://weightweenies.starbike.com/foru ... 0&t=153968

"Sometimes you don't need a plan. You just need big balls." Tom Boonen

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kgt
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Location: Athens, Greece

by kgt

I see you have lots of NOS stuff (and I really like it!) that's why the saddle should also be NOS IMHO.

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majklnajt
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Location: Lenart, Slovenia EUROPE

by majklnajt

For now, it looks promising!! :beerchug:

MAybe San Marco Regal sadlle?

liam7020
Posts: 1263
Joined: Tue Jul 27, 2010 10:04 am

by liam7020

Build complete. And I'm sure as you've all guessed, it's a C-40!

After seeing those iconic images of Johan Museeuw winning the 1998 Tour of Flanders aboard his Colnago C-40 in AD10 livery I simply had to have one. So I bought my first C-40, in the AD10 colour scheme of course, from Mike Perry at Maestro, in late 1999. It came supplied with the newly introduced Star carbon forks and when I opened the delivery box I was absolutely stunned by the sheer beauty of what lay before me - first carbon frame, first Colnago. The paint on the rear dropouts was so thickly layered I initially struggled to get the wheel in! I built the frame up with Shimano Dura Ace 7700 and lived the dream for 6 years until I sold the C-40 in 2005 to make way for the next big thing which in this case was an Colnago Extreme C. Big mistake. Don't get me wrong the Extreme C was a great frame but for a back of the pack rider such as myself, the performance differences were minimal and I soon tired of the nude carbon finish which quickly appeared dull after having experienced the luxury of the AD10 colourway.

I started looking round for another C-40 about 2 years ago and early last year found this one in a bike shop in northern Italy, not far some the Colnago factory. I reckon it's probably circa 1998 and it came supplied with a full carbon fork which I believe may have been the forerunner to the Star fork which I think, as mentioned above, only became available from 1999 onwards. Buying second hand goods from a distance is always a bit of a gamble but I have to say that the frame, given it's age, is immaculate with only a few little marks here and there. The fork wasn't so great and it was also cut a little low for my aging vertebrate. So rather than take a chance on a 16/17 year old carbon fork I picked up this gorgeous NOS Precisa steel fork on ebay with the aim of building the bike in full "cobbled classic" mode!

I wanted to build this bike with Dura Ace 7700 as per my original C-40 but I was unable to find a NOS or decent second hand pair of 7700 STI levers so I settled for a 7800 rear derailleur and levers. I did manage to source the NOS 7700 chainset and mint condition front derailleur and luckily I had a new and unused 7700 bottom bracket with Italian thread lying in my garage stash. The 7700 brake callipers are actually the same set I used on original C-40! Through the years they had been relegated to a winter training bike, but in testimony to Shimano Dura-Ace quality, they cleaned up beautifully. Likewise the wheelset which I built in 2004 as a pair of general training hoops but they too had ended up on winter/turbo training duties - again a very deep clean restored them to a near pristine condition.

The ITM bars and stem are both NOS off ebay with the rest the components being a little mix of new and old. Hope you like it! Cheers.

Frame: Colnago C-40
Forks: Colnago Precisa
Headset: Shimano Dura-Ace 7700
Rims: Mavic Open Pro (blue)
Hubs: Shimano Ultegra 6500
Skewers: PMP
Spokes: Sapim Laser
Tyres: Veloflex Master
Tubes: Continental Supersonic
Saddle: Selle Italia SLR XP
Seatpost: Colnago carbon (probably Selcoff)
Handlebars: ITM 260
Handlebar stem: ITM Eclypse
STI levers: Shimano Dura-Ace 7800
Brake callipers: Shimano Dura-Ace 7700
Rear derailleur: Shimano Dura-Ace 7800
Front derailleur: Shimano Dura-Ace 7700
Chainset: Shimano Dura-Ace 7700 53/39
Bottom bracket: Shimano Dura-Ace 7700 Octalink
Chain: KMC x10SL
Cassette: Shimano Dura-Ace 7800
Pedals: LOOK Keo
Bottle cages: Tacx Tao

Weight as pictures 7.9kg

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Tarmac SL6 & Campag Record EPS https://weightweenies.starbike.com/foru ... 0&t=153968

"Sometimes you don't need a plan. You just need big balls." Tom Boonen

CGT
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Location: Stockholm, Sweden

by CGT

Pure class!

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jbaillie
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Joined: Thu Nov 01, 2012 4:17 pm

by jbaillie

So nice

HillRPete
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Location: Pedal Square

by HillRPete

Colnago C-40 - simply the best?

Wiggins thinks so.
Certainly can't fault yours!

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CBJ
Posts: 1058
Joined: Tue Feb 02, 2010 4:22 pm
Location: Brooklyn

by CBJ

Amazing. Not something you take out on a rainy day.

ash1
Posts: 136
Joined: Fri Apr 09, 2010 4:37 am

by ash1

one of the most beautiful bikes i have ever seen! perfectly executed.

Look565w
Posts: 225
Joined: Mon Dec 27, 2010 1:25 am
Location: West of Scotland

by Look565w

Fantastic looking machine! :thumbup:

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Norregard
Posts: 211
Joined: Sat May 17, 2014 7:40 am

by Norregard

That is perfect! Congratulations!

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