In a world that is running ever faster towards the future, the new born in the Colnago house is a tribute to traditionThe historic Cambiago company has just launched C68 Rim Brake, a top-of-the-range bike with traditional rim brakes.
Pioneers once again
In the long history of the company, which has celebrated its 70th anniversary, the C series represents the pinnacle of Colnago's high-performance bikes. The C68 Rim Brake rightfully enters into this tradition of excellence and joins the other bicycles in the C68 family: Road, Allroad, You and Gravel. They all have in common the modular frame, entirely built in Italy. It is assembled by hand in the Cambiago factory using thethe typically artisanal process of the C series.
The question arises spontaneously. How did they come up with the idea of introducing a rim brake bike in 2024, when the entire market has now consolidated on disc brakes?
The answer, perhaps, is to be found in the pioneering vision that Colnago has always had. In 2013 it was the first brand to introduce hydraulic disc brakes on road bikes, with the Colnago C59 Disc. Now that all the major manufacturers have fully embraced that technology to the point of making it impossible to find a modern frame with traditional brakes, Colnago thought it was pioneering to take a step back.
And voilà, they've created a top-notch bike that meets the tastes and needs of cycling purists. They're the first to do so, once again.
3D printed titanium dropouts
To make the C68 frame compatible with rim brakes, here is the introduction of several new featuresThanks to the provision of threaded bushings, the front fork houses the dual-pivot braking system. The rear seat stays, however, have a reworked structure to accommodate the brake bridge. Furthermore the forks are made with 3D printing in titaniumIt is a metal that bonds perfectly to carbon fiber without any risk of oxidation or damage to the structure.
For the rest, the C68 Rim Brake enjoys all the advantages of the C68 frame family, first of all the modular construction. This allows for glue the various parts of the frame, instead of assembling them inside a mold as happens with monocoque framesThis allows us to work on very small production batches. The creation of the C68 Rim Brake was made possible precisely thanks to this artisanal, hand-crafted, and modular construction methodology.
Compatibility, wheel clearance and price
The C68 Rim Brake is Compatible with direct mount dual pivot brake calipers and offers clearance for tires up to 28mm (in line with the “traditional” philosophy).
As for the groups instead, the bike is built to accommodate only electronic groupsetsFor example, the Campagnolo Super Record EPS Groupset 2×12 – Mechanical Rim Brakes. Or the Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 R9250 2x12v Rim Brake. Or the Sram Force eTap AXS 2X Rim Brake Groupset.
Finally Colnago has decided (at least for now) to make its new creation available as a frame kit only. esso Includes: frame, fork, seatpost, and headset. Stem and handlebars are not included. The suggested retail price for this throwback in style is 6.650 €.
