Colnago Ottanta Super Record EPS Bike

The Colnago Ottanta Super Record EPS Bike is a limited-edition Colnago road bike, one of 80 made to mark Ernesto Colnago's 80th birthday. It is built on the C59 platform, with Toray T800 carbon tubes joined into carbon lugs, and finished in gold with Ernesto's signature on the top tube. It is a collector's piece, but it is also a complete race-spec bike that is meant to be ridden.

Tube-and-Lug Construction

Colnago has built bikes since Ernesto founded the company in 1954, and the tube-and-lug method is part of that story. On the Ottanta, round carbon tubes are bonded into carbon lugs, with a fluted top tube and a square down tube that uses an internal I-beam reinforcement. Colnago describes tolerances as tight as 0.15mm in how the tubes meet the lugs. The frame uses internal cable routing and an integrated headset, and the fork has a tapered steerer, 1 1/8" at the top and 1 1/4" at the bottom, for a stiff front end.

The gold paint is the part everyone sees first. Arabesque decoration runs across the lugs, and the original Eagle and Arrow head badge sits up front. It reads as a tribute to a builder whose name has been on the top tube of countless race bikes, and not as a decal-and-paint exercise.

Super Record EPS, Rim Brakes

The groupset is Campagnolo Super Record EPS, 11-speed electronic shifting, with Super Record shifters, front and rear derailleurs, chain and a carbon crankset with 53/39 chainrings. The 11-25 cassette is a close-ratio setup that suits fast riding on rolling or flat roads more than steep, loaded climbs. Braking is by Super Record rim brake calipers, so this bike keeps the classic look of a pre-disc race bike. Wet-weather stopping is different from a disc brake setup, and that is worth knowing before you buy.

50mm Carbon Tubulars

The wheels are Campagnolo Carbon 50mm tubulars, wrapped in Vittoria tires. Tubulars are glued or taped to the rim, which many experienced riders prefer for ride quality and for how the wheel feels in a fast corner. They also take more care when you flat, since repairs are different from a clincher setup. The 50mm depth is a good middle ground between aero speed and handling in crosswinds. The cockpit uses Colnago carbon for the stem, handlebar and seatpost, and the saddle is a Selle Italia SLR Ottanta Custom.

Fit and Geometry

This bike is available in a single 56cm size. The seat tube measures 560mm center-to-center and 540mm center-to-top, with a 550mm top tube, 161mm head tube and 405mm chainstays. The seat tube angle is 73.5 degrees. Short chainstays keep the rear end tight, and a 161mm head tube gives a position that is race-oriented and not extreme. If you ride a 56cm in Colnago geometry, this is the size to look at.

A Bike for Collectors and Riders

The Ottanta is best suited to riders who appreciate Italian road racing history and want a bike built the way Colnago has built them for decades. It suits both people who will keep it as a showpiece and those who will ride it hard on club rides and in the mountains. Pedals are not included, and this is a final sale item, so check the size and details before ordering.