The Colnago C60 was quite possibly the most highly anticipated frameset of the last few years, Colnago do not bring out many new frames, so when they do they are usually pretty special. In this article we take a look at what makes this the most aggressive frame to sport the famous Colnago emblem.
Colnago's 'C' range began in the 1990's with the C40, one of the most successful Paris Roubaix race winning frames. Next up was the pioneering C50, a stunning race machine that became the staple race bike for the likes of sprint sensation Erik Zabel. Taking carbon fibre race bikes to the next level the highly acclaimed C59 was launched. Lighter and stiffer than ever before as it took Thomas Voeckler to Tour de France stage wins. So the latest incarnation in the range had quite a lot to live up to, thankfully Colnago have raised the bar yet again with the C60.
When Colnago started to design the C60 the objective was to increase the stiffness of the whole structure without increasing weight and without affecting the comfort that tube and lugged construction is famous for. The solution was to increase the volume of the tubes, reducing wall thickness and manipulating its shape. At the same time all the smallest details, such as the rear dropouts and reinforcements for the bottle cage were redesigned so as not to add additional weight.
The Finer Details
First, the headtube has been redesigned, in particular, the connection between the main tubes and the head tube is no longer round but instead shaped as the signature star section of the Colnago Master tubes. This has allowed Colnago to increase the stiffness of the entire front triangle and therefore it has been possible to remove the internal rib re-inforcement in the down tube of the C60's predessor the C59. Without the internal rib, Colnago can more accurately control the tube wall thickness and lamination process producing a high precision tube set.
The downtube is also new, thanks to the new bottom bracket, Colnago could make use of all its available width for maximum lateral stiffness. With a square section of 66mm x 52mm at the bottom, its width increases lateral stiffness and yet without any weight gain due to thinner side walls. The external stellar ribs run the entire length of the tube for a perfect fit and optimal distribution of forces. Larger tubes continue with the seatstays, flatter and wider than ever before, reducing weight, increasing lateral stiffness and improving handling. The new design also provides a dampening effect, combining stiffness and suspension like qualities for a very comfortable ride.
The desire to provide the rider with the most comfortable ride continues on the chainstays with internally ribbed tubing providing immense lateral stiffness, yet the tapered shape, which seamlessly narrows towards the dropouts, provides a small degree of upwards flexion and dampens road buzz. This increased vertical compliance also improves handling and allows more grip to the rear wheel, especially over rough terrain.
The C60 is all about firsts for Colnago and pioneering design innovations. The seat tube is now using an asymmetrical design rather than a round one, this means that there is still space for the front derailleur yet the tube offers a bottom bracket wide contact patch of 51.5mm (for comparison, the seat tube of the C59 is 34.9mm). The new tube weight though is lower than that of the C59 due to improved manufacturing process.
The heart of the new C60 is the all new bottom bracket lug. The stellar tubing profiles are matched to the lug providing greater stiffness (where necessary), better stress distribution and seamless integration of the tubes. The wider bottom bracket also allows the reduction of tube wall thickness and therefore keeps the weight down. This provides the perfect platform for Colnago's new Threadfit 82.5 system.
Combining the reliability of a BSA system with the stiffness of a Pressfit 30 system, the Threadfit 82.5 is compatible with all versions of Pressfit 86.5 bottom brackets and it's also servicable, with two removable and replaceable threaded sleeves, should wear occur.
Colnago has invested time and resources in developing their most advanced rear dropouts yet. CNC forged, increasing strength and reducing weight.
The Colnago C60 frameset is a stunning machine and is available in numerous sizes and colour schemes, all with Colnago's famous, high quality hand painted schemes and stunning graphics. Click below to view the range of C60s available to buy at Sigma Sports.
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