Colnago C68 - A class road bike of the fast variety
The Colnago story began in 1954 on Via Garibaldi in Cambagio, Italy. Out of a need to earn money to put some food on the table, bicycles became a passion for Ernesto Colnago. Just one year later, he was working as a mechanic's assistant at the Giro d'Italia, and just another year later, he had the idea of cold bending the fork to make it more elastic, which greatly increased riding comfort. In 1957 Gastone Nencini won the Giro d'Italia on a Colnago bike, marking the beginning of numerous titles and a glorious history. Cycling legend Eddy Merckx won the 1972 Milan - San Remo on a Colnago and the recent Tour de France successes by Tadej Pogačar speak to nearly 70 years of excellence Made in Italy. Colnago is continuously working to bring more technically advanced bikes to the market every year to defend their place against the competition.
The new Colnago C68 is available in different versions, such as Colnago C68 Road as well as Colnago C68 Disc and then as Colnago C68 Titanium Road, which impress throughout with their speed. With the bike configurator, different variants can be designed, including the desired paint, with the cheapest bike still a little under 9k and up to the 15k as a luxury variant. If you want, you can choose the C68 frameset, which is available as C68 HRBK, C68 HRWH, C68 HRRD or even C68 HRWP, which is available in several frame sizes to completely customize the bike according to your preferences. The frame is not a monocoque, as is now often the case, but is made up of individual parts joined together. The total weight is just under one kilogram and the frame design is reminiscent of the C series. The number of components is exactly the same as its predecessor, the Colnago C64, which also comes from the C series.
At the head tube, there is also a titanium sleeve from the 3D printer on the limited edition bikes, but it is not exactly cheap to get. Thanks to the greater tire clearance, you also have the option of equipping the C68 with slightly wider tires that have more profile. This allows the high-end road bike can also be transformed into a chic gravel bike, with which you can also venture on dirt roads. Fast rides on the gravel roads downhill become a real pleasure and even remote dirt roads can be mastered by the pleasant ride. A whole new horizon of possible excursion destinations opens up as a result. However, the main task remains the desire for high speed, because the frame shape and the selection of components were designed for this. Tours on forest and meadow paths should rather be the exception for such an excellent road bike that feels at home on asphalt. At the headset of the C68 from Colnago has also been integrated yet a multitool to make the bike in case of breakdowns can quickly make itself afloat again. You only have to turn the cap briefly and the tool is ready for use.
In addition to road bikes, Colnago also offers time trial bikes and gravel bikes, or bikes with a traditional look, if you like to pull his rounds with a vintage bike.
Only the best of the best in the selection of components
For the assembly of the C68 bikes was searched worldwide for the best manufacturers for the respective components and came out a compilation of selectable options that tempts to wonder. So everyone has the opportunity to get a finished bike that can already be assembled with a little more individuality without having to equip the frameset itself. For this, renowned manufacturers such as Shimano, Campagnolo, SRAM, Zipp, Selle Italia, Prologo or even Pirelli were relied upon and everything that could be done at the Italo-Flitzer itself, was created in-house, through 7 decades of enriched knowledge.
Derailleur groups & brakes
In the shifting groups you have different series, from the 3 market-leading manufacturers, to choose from. Once there is the Japanese quality of Shimano, such as the Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 and the Shimano Ultegra Di2, then from the Italians around Campagnolo, with the Campagnolo Super Record EPS, and from America from SRAM, with the SRAM Red eTap AXS. The shifters are electronically controlled and help to smoothly transition to the different chainrings, so you do not have to worry when driving. The bottom bracket can either be equipped with rock-solid components, or can also be equipped with CeramicSpeed premium products.
The Colnago C68 Disc as well as the C68 Road and the Titanium Road are all equipped with modern disc brakes. Especially at high speeds, you are grateful for every extra braking power and if you are longer on the road, the power saving is also noticeable. Compared to the rim brakes, which until a few years ago were still the standard, you save about 20% of energy when braking with the disc brakes and even in rainy conditions is still achieved almost the same braking power.
Saddle / Seatpost & Handlebar / Wheels
For the saddle Colnago also offers several models to choose from, such as the Prologo Scatch M5 Ti, Prologo Scratch M5 CPC or the Selle Italia SLR Boost. The seatpost is from Colnago itself and is part of the basic equipment at the frameset. The CeramicSpeed SLT is used for the headset and the fully integrated Colnago CC.01 handlebar is used for the handlebar and stem. The saddle ensures that you can comfortably complete his tours and the properly adjusted cockpit ensures the correct seating position. With incorrect adjustment, the driving behavior can be affected and you also need even more power, because you can pedal less efficiently.
Also with the wheels, one has again the option to choose his preferred wheelset from several variants. For this, for example, the Campagnolo Bora Ultra WTO, Shimano Dura-Ace C50, Zipp 303 Firecrest or the Lightweight Obermayer EVO are available. In terms of tires, the company relies on a product from colleagues in Italy, with the Pirelli PZero Velo, which is an extremely good all-round road bike tire that beats its predecessors by a long way.
Additional equipment
Who is out for top speeds with a road bike, which should have a helmet on in any case and if you do not have one at home, then this should immediately land in the shopping cart. Caution is better than indulgence and you can save yourself expensive hospital costs or even permanent damage. Furthermore, it never hurts to carry a multitool with which you can fix minor problems yourself in no time and avoid a time-consuming trip to the workshop. To be well hydrated, it is also advisable to always have a bottle cage plus water bottle on the bike.
Do I put me the Colnago C68 Road or yet the Titanium Road to
Other road bikes from Colnago include the Colnago V3Rs and the Colnago V. The V3Rs is the aerodynamic road bike variant of the extra class, which led Tadej Pogačar to his third Tour de France victory in a row. For Time Trial athletes, the Italians offer the arrow-fast Colnago TT1, and if you'd rather have a bike with an iconic look, you can choose between the Colnago Arabesque and the timeless masterpiece, the Colnago Master, which has been around since the 80s. If you are more in the mood for bikepacking tours and like to go on unpaved back roads, then a gravel bike can be highly recommended. With it, you can reach the speeds necessary to make miles on paved surfaces and have the advantage of being able to venture onto uneven terrain, making your excursions even more varied. So you can explore nice spots on your excursions, where a road bike would already struggle, that just shouldn't be missed. The more remote the spot, the greater the idyll. If you prefer to plow the mountains with a mountain bike, you are unfortunately out of luck with the current collection of Colnago.
If you prefer the independent selection of components for the frameset, but are not yet one hundred percent sure about a few details of the components, then you are welcome to contact us at Buycycle. We'll go over your questions and maybe give you a few tips on how to achieve the ideal combination at the best possible price.
