Re: [CR]Crimped tubing, Colnago Mexico or Super? And the winner is...

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From: "Chuck Schmidt" <chuckschmidt@earthlink.net>
Subject: Re: [CR]Crimped tubing, Colnago Mexico or Super? And the winner is...
Date: Wed, 7 Feb 2007 22:08:53 -0800
To: CR RENDEZVOUS <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>


Quoted from Ray's web site: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Circa 1978 - 1980? Colnago Catalog http://www.raydobbins.com/misc/Colnago_Catalog/colnago_catalog.htm These scans are from Mark Bulgier's site. I ran them through Photoshop to lighten them a little, and I resized them to fit the page. I also reorganized the order of the pages - I grouped the Mexicos and Supers and I put them before all the other pages.

I think the catalog is from no earlier than 1977 because:

1. All of the frames use the newer style of head tube decal, which combined the "Asso di Fiori" (Ace of Clubs) with World Championship stripes. It is my understanding that this style of decal came out around 1977 or 78; and

2. All but one of the frames have the more modern recessed-nut brake mounting (I don't think Colnago used recess-mounting before 1977).

I also think this catalog is from no later than 1981 because:

1. All of the frames except one use clamp-on front derailleurs (braze-on front derailleurs were introduced in 1982 according to Chuck's Campy Timeline); and

2. Six of the nine frames still use over-the-bb cable routing (this catalog seems to be from a period of transition as to gear cable routing).

If anybody has a fix on the date of this catalog, or can narrow it down some more, please let me know, because this is very important stuff :)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'd say that the newest dating clue I see in the catalog is the chainstay stamped "COLNAGO" which is circa 1981 I believe.

Chuck Schmidt
South Pasadena, CA USA
http://www.velo-retro.com (reprints, t-shirts & timelines)