Angel,
Thanks for your observations. I've exchanged emails today with the fellow from whom I bought the frame and he assures me that he never had it repainted and never replaced any decals. Throughout the transaction and since he has seemed completely honest and trustworthy. And there is nothing on the frame that indicates anything other than original paint and decals. So... I wonder if the downtube decal with the club within the C is another example of the variability of Colnago frames during any given year?
Best,
David
David G. White Burlington, VT
Angel Garcia wrote:
> I think the latest feature on this bike is the club within the C on the
> downtube. I have a 73/74 and it doesn't have the clubs there, otherwise it
> appears to be the same.
>
> Angel Garcia
> Long Valley, NJ
>
> On Wed, Dec 31, 2008 at 8:56 PM, David G. White <
> whiteknight@burlingtontelecom.net> wrote:
>
>
>> I've just completed a rebuild on a 70s vintage Colnago Super, bought a few
>> months back from a fellow who says he bought it as a bare frame, new, in
>> 1979 or 1980 from a shop in Palo Alto, CA. He says the paint and decals are
>> original. The details of the frame suggest 1973 to me, but many of you know
>> far more than I do and I'd love to get your insights as to the year. Here's
>> my analysis based on the info I've seen on the list in recent years:
>>
>> According to recent Colnago frame dating info that circulated on the CR
>> list October 2007 the following are the years in which certain features
>> first appeared:
>>
>> 1972 -- Cable guide braze-ons top of bottom bracket shell -- this one has
>> this
>> 1972 -- Water bottle braze-ons on downtube -- this one has this
>> ----
>> 1973 -- Wreath seat tube decal with Worlds band at top and bottom -- this
>> one has this
>> 1973 -- Fork crown with clubs on top but no holes in each side -- this one
>> has this
>> 1973 -- Fork tangs with club cutouts (or rarely two hole tangs or no tangs)
>> -- this one has two hole tangs
>> 1973 -- Club cutout in lower head lug only -- this one has this
>> ----
>> 1974 -- Shifter braze-ons on down tube (option before this) -- this one
>> does NOT have this
>> ----
>> 1975 -- Vertical COLNAGO seat tube decal with diagonal Worlds band at top
>> -- this one does NOT have this
>>
>> Assuming the above info is correct, then it can't be a 1972 since it has
>> the wreath decal, the club cutout in the lower head lug only, and the fork
>> crown with clubs on top but no holes in each side -- features that did not
>> appear until 1973, yet can't be a 1974 because it does not have shifter
>> braze-ons and can't be a 1975 because it does not have the vertical Colnago
>> seat tube decal.
>>
>> Per a recent email I received from from John Murray, he believes that 1974
>> and later bottom brackets have an oval cut-out on the bottom side of the
>> downtube lug. Mine does not have such a cut-out, thus re-enforcing the
>> notion that this is a 1973 frame.
>>
>> On the other hand Greg Softly says that on reproduction decals "...the
>> wreath on the seat tube [is] outlined in black where the original was not
>> outlined and not quite so 'busy' in design". Mine is outlined in black. So
>> if Greg is correct, that suggests mine has been repainted and has
>> replacement decals. Yet, there is no indication I can see that the paint is
>> anything other than original.
>>
>> That's all I know folks! What year do you think this Colnago was made? I'd
>> appreciate any insights you may have.
>>
>> See it here:
>>
>> <
>> http://www.wooljersey.com/
>>
>> Cheers!
>>
>> David
>>
>> David G. White
>> Burlington, VT