1986 Colnago Super

This is a pretty cool Italian Colnago Super that I’ve had for a few years. I’ve been meaning to clean it up and re-build it but it took me a while to build up the confidence to work on something that is high end. This particular Colnago was raced regularly back in it’s day. It’s pretty light for steel. The Columbus frame is 60cm and weighs in around 22lbs. This was my introduction to high end Italian bikes. Since this purchase I’ve kind of caught the campagnolo bug. I’m addicted to Campagnolo components now. It’s fun and addicting but costly!!

The Colnago has a mixture of 80’s Campagnolo Record and Chorus components. Here’s some before pictures as I’m beginning to tear it down for cleaning and re-greasing. The cassette is a Regina Xtra. She was a little noisy so I flushed it out and put it in some new oil. It’s a lot more quiet now. The wheel hubs are a little different. I believe they are American Classics from about the same time period. Surprisingly the bearings are still super smooth! It took me forever researching what the make was but after cruising around the Web it turns out American Classic made lighweight sealed bearing hubs back in the mid 80’s.

Cleaning the Frame, Headset and Bottom Bracket

To clean up the frame I used some warm soapy suds to get rid of the dirt and grease.  I then whiped it dry and applied some Pine-Sol.  The Pine-Sol gives the bike frame a suprisingly nice shine!  I then gave it 3 coats of turtle wax.  The previous owner used touch up paint (probably fingernail polish) in various spots.  Over time they look kind of crusty.  I left as is in this case cause I’m not sure how to remove it.

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So I got the Colnago Super almost completed to how I want it. There’s a few more odds and ends I want to do. For example, I might put new tubulars on it yet. I also might try a different chain as well.

The Campagnolo Syncro 2 system is a little choppy. I knew it was going to be because it was never known as a decent indexing system. I think I got it to work the best I can though. Here’s a video on the functionality of it. Enjoy.

If you prefer the YouTube link, click here

For more info on the Campagnolo Syncro system check out tears for gears. It’s a great website. There are many diagrams and articles on what makes the system work best.

So I finished up the Colnago. It was a super fun project! First off I didn’t have to put a lot of money into it. I thought about putting new tubulars on but I think I’m going to wait another day on that. The only thing I really spent money on was cables/housing and bar tape. Secondly, it really was relaxing shining it up. The chrome really popped when I polished it. Most the dirt came off quite easily to. Sure, some of the decals are starting to peel a little bit but I like my bikes original. Lastly, with all the Campagnolo components, tear down and putting it back together didn’t prove to be difficult at all. Actually, it was easier to build a bike with higher end components for once.