Help buying a used Colnago C40 or C50 frameset

[thepainandsuffering]

After being bitten by the retro bug last year when I built up a late 80's steel Merckx frame I now fancy adding an older Colnago to my N+1, specifically a C40 or maybe a C50.

I have found this which is very helpful

http://brown-snout.com/cycling/tech/_co ... y-tree.pdf

But I am ashamed to admit I know very little about Colnago bikes in general, other than I want one. This is where I could do with some advice. Are some models e.g. B-stay or some paint jobs more desirable than others? Are there any weak points or known issues I should be looking out for on the frames before I buy? What is the difference between a Force and Star fork?

Any help on what to look for or what is best avoided would be most welcome.

Thank you. N

[KarlC]

I'm right on track with you.

I have a newer Aero bike and would like to add a Classic, so I have been thinking about going retro steel, but I'm not really sure.

I want a Classic, comfortable, great all around bike and I keep reading that Colnago C40 is that king for that.

Looking forward to the replies on this thread.

[AJS914]

I was looking at a lot of these but ended up with a C59.

I think you should just get the one with the paint job that speaks to you the most. My personal pick would be a b-stay C40 with the wildest decor paint job. I like the classic look of the non-HP chain stays.

One thing that has occurred to me is that it's getting harder to find 1 inch forks and headsets so I'd lean towards one with a 1 1/8".

When I buy a used frame, I like to find one that spent more time in the garage than on the road. They seem to be easy to find when you look around. Lots of folks buy bikes with the best of intentions.

[thepainandsuffering]

I was looking at a lot of these but ended up with a C59.

I think you should just get the one with the paint job that speaks to you the most. My personal pick would be a b-stay C40 with the wildest decor paint job. I like the classic look of the non-HP chain stays.

One thing that has occurred to me is that it's getting harder to find 1 inch forks and headsets so I'd lean towards one with a 1 1/8".

When I buy a used frame, I like to find one that spent more time on the garage than on the road. They seem to be easy to find when you look around. Lots of folks buy bikes with the best of intentions.

The 1" vs 1 1/8" thing had crossed my mind, mainly for stem choice, I had not thought about headsets or forks. Do those shims to use 1 1/8" stem on a 1" steer work ok?

[AJS914]

I've used a shim before on my old Litespeed and they work fine.

[Calnago]

If you do eventually get a C40 with a 1" fork do your best to get one with the original fork and not expect to use some aftermarket fork in the frame. While you can technically do that providing the offset is the same, a non Colnago fork would really detract from the whole bike.
The shims to use a 1 1/8" stem with a 1" steertube work just fine and were pretty prevalent during the time when the standard was changing from 1" to 1 1/8". And getting a 1" Chris King Headset today is not a problem if you should need one. However, if you're using a shimmed 1 1/8" stem you would also want to get a 1 1/8" stem cap to use versus the cap that comes with a 1" headset.
Enjoy your search. As for what is most desirable, there are certainly subjective likes and dislikes along the way for the frame nuances along the way. Early C40's did seem to have some issues with the bonding of aluminum dropouts to the carbon stays, but that was eventually sorted out although I'm not sure exactly when. The Extreme C's were maybe their lightest C series bike ever and actually had a weight limit on it of around 180lbs (or something to that effect if I recall correctly). As for paint schemes, it's all over the board. Find one you like. It's very subjective. But do make sure you like it. Some of their paint schemes can't be quite polarizing to the point of "only a mother could love" kind of thing.
I actually prefer the more modern Colnago C-series bikes, partly because I ride a larger frame and the larger tubes make it look more "proportional" in today's world of fat tubes, but also because I think they ride a little more assuredly simply because of the larger tubes, and I'm a fairly big guy. Also, the C40 I had did not have enough useable clearance (later model B-Stay) for a 25mm tire on a normal width campy Neutron rim under the rear brake bridge. That was never an issue back then because no one was using bigger than a 23mm anyway and I only found out when installing a different set of tires one time that I didn't realize were 25's and not 23's. So that may be something you want to check as well. But even today the clearance is kind of tight (under the fork) even on a modern C59 for some not outlandish tire rim combinations of today.
Enjoy your search. Or just go get yourself a new one.

[c50jim]

I've owned six C40s and a C50. I still have five C40s after deciding they are my favourite bike a few years ago and buying a lifetime supply. If you have any specific questions, feel free to PM me.

My first C40 was my first Colnago in 1995. I figured if it lasted Ballerini through Paris-Roubaix it would last at least three seasons. I sold it in 2005 (it's still running although not used much by its new owner) and bought a C50. Frankly, I didn't like the C50 as well. I've also owned Extreme Power, Extreme C, EPS, Presidente and various non-carbon Colnagos. As an old, fairly heavy rider (65 now, 6' 1", 185 pounds), I've never found the C40 to be too flexy in the front end with the 1" fork and I don't overpower it. My younger son rode my C50 once when he was about 18 and national team level (champion track rider so lots of power) and he didn't overpower it. As far as I'm concerned, the C40 is a really nice all-around bike that I"m happy to ride all over the place. Surprisingly, I'd rank the Extreme Power #2 among the Colnagos I've owned. A little stiffer but not unpleasant.

My original C40 was what the author of your link called mk-1. A really good bike. I have three of what he calls mk-3s and two mk-4s. I'd agree that the C50 was pretty much like a mk-4 with a 1 1/8" fork. My thoughts:

- I've used the original Precisa steel fork, Flash (an early carbon fork), and several Stars. I also had a Street fork (later carbon with alloy steerer) on a Master. I'd rank Star as #1 among those, basically because it's the lightest. All ride well though and I wouldn't throw out an otherwise nice bike because it didn't have a Star. Later bikes (mk-3 and 4 for sure) should have Stars since that's what they were sold with.
- I prefer the mk-3. It's lighter than the earlier versions and I don't like the looks of the HP chainstays and find them a little more harsh riding. However, if you see any C40 in your size in a colour you like, grab it because the differences are fairly subtle other than the heavier weight of the earliest frames and the steel fork.
- There are so many colours that you can probably find several you'd like. If you're going to ride it, it will get scratched (not sure how, but my Mapei bike, probably the most desirable paint job, along with the world champions, got a little scratch. Too bad, so sad but I still like it) and won't be a collectible. I think the most favoured colours are Mapei, world champion (also Mapei) and AD 10 but who cares how popular the colour is as long as you like it?
- Buy the right size. C40s come on eBay pretty often and you can probably get a decent frame in your size within a month as long as you're not really tall or short. Be careful about sizing. Colnago measures centre to top so I ride a 59 even though I'm a 58 or even 57 on other brands. Sellers sometimes don't know what size their bike is and I've found that the most accurate measurement is often the head tube length - it's hard to screw that one up because you measure the whole length, not centre to centre where people can get things wrong. I bought a Tecnos from a dealer who said it was a 58 but I knew it was a 59 because of the head tube length.
- Put whatever group you like on it. Some will say it's a sacrilege to put anything but Campy on a Colnago but except for Lampre for one season, any teams riding Colnago since the eraly 90s used Shimano. Also, I'd put on modern parts. They do work better and are lighter. All my bikes are now Record 11 except the one I ride in lousy weather which is mainly Chorus 11 with a couple of Record parts that were on it before I converted it to an 11 speed bad weather bike.

Believe it or not, there may still be some NOS C40s around. When I decided to sell non-Colnagos and standardize on C40 I found four new frames in my size through Racer Sportif in Toronto. Not super cheap but they were all real and new. NOS C50s should probably be around too because they were built for several years and more recently than the C40.

Calnago posted while I was writing this. As always, his comments are good and they're also pretty consistent with mine. Record 1" headsets are also available although I've used King on my more recent C40s. I'd be careful about bikes that don't have Colnago forks because I'd wonder what happened - crash? One thing we both missed is that C40, C50 and Extreme C all use 28 mm seatposts. Not easy to find. I had two spares but had to use one when I found an Extreme C without a post. When I sold the C, the buyer was about 200 pounds so I had to include my spare 27.2-28.0 shim. He's OK so far (half a dozen rides) with the C even though he (and I) is on the heavy side for it. USE makes 27.2-28.0 shims if you don't get a post with the frame. I got mine through R&A in New York and my older son who's probably well over 250 pounds is OK with that and the bike on a C50. We were in the Pyrenees last year and the bike was fine downhill, slow uphill because of its out of shape rider (banker working too many hours, riding too little).

Re 25 tires. I've used Conti Gatorskins in 25 on Velocity A23 rims on a mk-4 winter bike the last two years and they're OK. I haven't tried 25s on the other bikes but there have been numerous reports about problems with them so you might have to be flexible on that issue.

[AJS914]

Great post. I want a C40 now for my backup bike!

[Calnago]

Ah yes, the 28.0mm Colnago seatpost. An elusive creature up to and including the C50. Also, the paint schemes C50Jim mentions as desirable are truly that... the mapei and Oscar's World Champion frame are really nice. Or any of the paneled schemes like the Saronni Red for example. The Zabel blue EPS is a really nice color I think and pretty rare, but I've never warmed up to the bayleaf chainstays on the EPS. Finding the right size you want is probably the issue, and they do measure a little differently as C50Jim explains as well. It's probably more critical to get a head tube length you can work with aesthetically (not too many spacers) and fitwise (it's gotta fit or forget it). When Ernesto finally gave in to the integrated headsets, I think it made the larger frames look a little nicer as well. But if you're comparing headtube lengths between a pre integrated headset model and a newer model, just remember to take that into account and add about 20-25mm (depending on the stack of the headset) to come up with an approximately equivalent integrated headtube size.

[garjo]

I got a C40 1st serie for sale, PM if interested

[thepainandsuffering]

Wow, thanks Calnago and c50jim for taking the time out to write such comprehensive replies, really helpful information.

[jekyll man]

According to that link, mine was a "series 2".
It came with a Time stiletto fork (art decor'ed same as the seatpin), not the precisia or star which seem to be more common.

Unfortunately it became a victim to the corroding dropouts problem, and eventually the chainstay split because of it.

It's the only bike I've said I would never get rid of, they are that much fun to ride, i'd use it until I killed it. And I did.......eventually.
I'd get another but they're now starting to fetch silly money

[Mockenrue]

OP - if you get a C40 make sure the fork includes the 1" expander bung for the steerer. They're a nightmare to find.

[Beancouter]

I have a C40 which is on my list of things to sell - all part of a funding strategy for a C60 I agreed with my wife.

Trouble is, I am not sure I can let it go! Of all the bikes I have owned, I know that I would want to buy another later in life and, inevitably, will struggle to find one as good as mine....

Back on thread, I bought mine on gumtree, but needed a bit of tidying up (its an LX20 colour scheme). Most of the paint marks looked to have come from storage and not use - frame was solid. I sent it to the guys I use for my paintwork and they tidied it up (not easy with an Art Deco frame) - if you are in the UK and wanted to go down the same route, the guy trades under the name of Ooey Custom.

Best of luck in the search....


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Haydn]

Beancouter that is a beauty! What size is your frame?

On the subject of 28mm seatposts, the only ones I could find for sale were very expensive (& none were long enough) but using a shim with a 27.2mm post has worked fine for me.