# 1992 Colnago Master Olympic



## iyeoh (Jan 6, 2005)

Just a humble old ride. I took it out this morning for a short spin and its still wonderful. Almost everything on the bike is from Christmas 1992. Ergopower and those dual pivot brakes were new back then.


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## iyeoh (Jan 6, 2005)

A bit more detail on the frame.


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## iyeoh (Jan 6, 2005)

One's privileged status as a genuine Fred is in question until there is matching apparel ! I hate to admit it, but I have other items as well, including an old and used matching water bottle (gross!)

I'm not kidding. Just a month ago, I saw a balding way-overweight guy on his Mapei world champion C50 with Dura Ace 7900. He was wearing... you guess it right... a world champion Mapei jersey and full kit ! lol


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## velomateo (Mar 7, 2009)

Wow, sweet bike and in awesome condition. You must have been a very good boy, in 92, for Santa to have brought you that nice rig.


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## ewitz (Sep 11, 2002)

I hate retro bikes....but I might make an exception for that one.


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## iyeoh (Jan 6, 2005)

velomateo said:


> Wow, sweet bike and in awesome condition. You must have been a very good boy, in 92, for Santa to have brought you that nice rig.



Thank you. Santa has his ways of finding out who's naughty or nice.


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## iyeoh (Jan 6, 2005)

ewitz said:


> I hate retro bikes....but I might make an exception for that one.


I find that a bit hilarious. Aren't you bothered by that "disco-y" neon yellow ? Even that color bothers me once in a while lol


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## velodog (Sep 26, 2007)

Dude, that's a beautiful bike.
But you just gotta do something about that handlebar tape.


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## iyeoh (Jan 6, 2005)

velodog said:


> Dude, that's a beautiful bike.
> But you just gotta do something about that handlebar tape.


Thanks Dude.

I'm hopeless at taping handlebars (reference the lack of skill). Maybe I should just wise up and bring it to a shop lol

Or you mean you would prefer a different color? I tried red, with red saddle and red tires, but it became too much red...


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## ultimobici (Jul 16, 2005)

velodog said:


> Dude, that's a beautiful bike.
> But you just gotta do something about that handlebar tape.


My thoughts exactly.
Cut the end to a point then finish off with electrical tape instead of the crap the manufacturer provides.
And it'll look like this


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## ultimobici (Jul 16, 2005)

iyeoh said:


> Thanks Dude.
> 
> I'm hopeless at taping handlebars (reference the lack of skill). Maybe I should just wise up and bring it to a shop lol
> 
> Or you mean you would prefer a different color? I tried red, with red saddle and red tires, but it became too much red...


Just the end of the tape man. Colour is fine.


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## velodog (Sep 26, 2007)

iyeoh said:


> Thanks Dude.
> 
> I'm hopeless at taping handlebars (reference the lack of skill).  Maybe I should just wise up and bring it to a shop lol
> 
> Or you mean you would prefer a different color? I tried red, with red saddle and red tires, but it became too much red...


Color's your preferance, You just need to wrap it tighter and do a better job of finishing. I don't have the links but there are a coupla/few instructional videos out there on u-tube which can be helpful.
If you do a search I know that the links have been posted here somewhere. Or maybe someone will direct you. But as sweet as that bike is it deserves a better tape job.


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## Quattro_Assi_07 (Jan 13, 2006)

iyeoh said:


> Just a humble old ride. I took it out this morning for a short spin and its still wonderful. Almost everything on the bike is from Christmas 1992. Ergopower and those dual pivot brakes were new back then.


Beautiful bike! I would love to see it photographed in better light against a different background. I bet those colors would just "pop". :thumbsup:


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## iyeoh (Jan 6, 2005)

velodog said:


> Color's your preferance, You just need to wrap it tighter and do a better job of finishing. I don't have the links but there are a coupla/few instructional videos out there on u-tube which can be helpful.
> If you do a search I know that the links have been posted here somewhere. Or maybe someone will direct you. But as sweet as that bike is it deserves a better tape job.



Agree ... agree fully... I shouldn't do it in 5 minutes right before a ride...

I'll order some new tape and re-do it.


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## iyeoh (Jan 6, 2005)

Quattro_Assi_07 said:


> Beautiful bike! I would love to see it photographed in better light against a different background. I bet those colors would just "pop". :thumbsup:


Nothing compared to your collection, my man! I will try to do some better photography... that was hastily done before I took off for a ride.


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## fast ferd (Jan 30, 2009)

You took great care of your Master Olympic. I'd venture to guess it's got very low mileage, so hopefully you rode another bike all these years.

I'd lose those Columbus stickers on the fork blades. And maybe try a thinner bar tape like Fizik's perforated one that looks like leather.


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## Mapei (Feb 3, 2004)

Be still my heart. And, to paraphrase Billy Joel, I love it just the way it is.


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## iyeoh (Jan 6, 2005)

fast ferd said:


> You took great care of your Master Olympic. I'd venture to guess it's got very low mileage, so hopefully you rode another bike all these years.
> 
> I'd lose those Columbus stickers on the fork blades. And maybe try a thinner bar tape like Fizik's perforated one that looks like leather.


This bike has about 6,800 miles on it, and a lot of it was on crappy New York City gravel, garbage and glass strewn pothole crap called streets lol The pedals are banged up real good. Appearances are deceiving. I wax my bikes every month and clean thororughly after every ride lol

However, these days, with a family and all sorts of obligations, the riding is only once a week for two hours.

Those Columbus stickers are dorky now. They were really chic back then. And rare too... hard to find.. only the pros had them.. I'll take them off...

That Avocet POS is just sad... never had the right mileage and time since I bought it lol But it was the bomb back then.

Maybe now's not the time, but when it gets old enough, I was thinking of going to leather tape and a heavy Brooks saddle lol.


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## ultimobici (Jul 16, 2005)

iyeoh said:


> This bike has about 6,800 miles on it, and a lot of it was on crappy New York City gravel, garbage and glass strewn pothole crap called streets lol The pedals are banged up real good. Appearances are deceiving. I wax my bikes every month and clean thororughly after every ride lol
> 
> However, these days, with a family and all sorts of obligations, the riding is only once a week for two hours.
> 
> ...


Just the bartape, nothing else needs to change. All the tape needs is re-rolling so it's finished cleanly. The fork stickers don't look dorky at all.

And please, FFS, please no Brooks & Leather!


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## iyeoh (Jan 6, 2005)

ultimobici said:


> And please, FFS, please no Brooks & Leather!


Hahahaha Its too modern looking for that anyway.

This is the FFS look


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## iyeoh (Jan 6, 2005)

fast ferd said:


> You took great care of your Master Olympic. I'd venture to guess it's got very low mileage, so hopefully you rode another bike all these years.



This bike has also been raced twice, and once in a crit! It was the most polite racing I ever did.. "no.. after you please... I insist"  Cat 4.. aka n00b with big egos class.. lol  

I even fell on this once.. thankfully on grass. It was a curve and there was a pile up, and so I did the Lance Armstrong off-road thing, except I lost speed and fell sideways. nothing was scratched from that episode, except for maybe the Ergolever.


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## iyeoh (Jan 6, 2005)

ultimobici said:


> My thoughts exactly.
> Cut the end to a point then finish off with electrical tape instead of the crap the manufacturer provides.
> And it'll look like this


That is truly hot looking. What's the red thing holding the tape.. It looks gorgeous. I take it that's Fizik tape.


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## ultimobici (Jul 16, 2005)

iyeoh said:


> That is truly hot looking. What's the red thing holding the tape.. It looks gorgeous. I take it that's Fizik tape.


It's electrical tape. But the trick is to cut it in half so it's only half the original width. If you have a metal surface or cutting block, cut a 6"-8" strip and then slice down the middle with a sharp craft knife. Then tack the end on the stem so it's to hand at the end.
Holding the front wheel between your knees, wrap the tape from the inside of the bar end, winding out over the bar. So the right is started clockwise and the left anticlockwise. 
When you get the levers make sure that the tape then switches to the opposite direction of wind so it wraps over the bar towards the front. 
Then when you are at the sleeve, cut the end in line with the sleeve with large sharp scissors.
Finally wrap the electrical tape around the end and you're finished!

Oh and it is Fizik black tape with no extra gel.


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## iyeoh (Jan 6, 2005)

ultimobici said:


> It's electrical tape. .... Oh and it is Fizik black tape with no extra gel.


Thanks so much for the instruction! And that's a stunning De Rosa BTW.


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## Lagputt (Aug 8, 2009)

Sweet ride. Kudos for keeping it in great shape.


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## iyeoh (Jan 6, 2005)

Lagputt said:


> Sweet ride. Kudos for keeping it in great shape.


And congratulations to you on building your beautiful, wonderful Master Olympic!

http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=204220


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## nayr497 (Nov 8, 2008)

Damn, I love this bike! Very, very nice. Those cages look great on there (do the Elites look anything but great on any bike?) and I also love the looks of those Flite saddles. I stockpile as many as I can from around 1990. The new ones are so ugly, in my opinion.

Great looking bike and thanks for posting the nice photos!


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## cdhbrad (Feb 18, 2003)

I'd ride that in a heartbeat, color wouldn't botther me a bit. You even have my favorite saddle on it ready for me.


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## latman (Apr 24, 2004)

I really like the cable stop incorporated into the right dropout /rear der hanger.


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## Sebastionmerckx (Mar 6, 2008)

iyeoh said:


> Thanks so much for the instruction! And that's a stunning De Rosa BTW.


I wouldn't use anything to finish off your handlebar tape job....I tape all of my bikes exactly like this and it stays in places fine:


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## battaglin (Apr 19, 2002)

Sebastionmerckx said:


> I wouldn't use anything to finish off your handlebar tape job....I tape all of my bikes exactly like this and it stays in places fine:


I second this method of bar wrapping. start your wrap near the stem. standing behind the bar wrap it towards you, mimicking your grip on the handlebars while riding. this way the wraps get tighter as you ride.
beautiful bike colnagos btw. still searching for my first.


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## High Gear (Mar 9, 2002)

iyeoh said:


> I find that a bit hilarious. Aren't you bothered by that "disco-y" neon yellow ? Even that color bothers me once in a while lol


I love the color. It screams early 90's. I got into road riding in '89 when neon was on everything from Oakley's, cables to LeMond's Avocet computer.


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## DannyBoy (Feb 19, 2004)

*Nice!*

Wow, that's really really nice. I've been thinking of flicking of my Tecnos, but seeing yours makes me realise I'd really regret it. I have a C Record crank lying around, might pop that on to finish the look. Here's mine.


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## High Gear (Mar 9, 2002)

Man that is f'in beautiful. I don't understand how any rider could have a want for carbon when chrome and beautiful paint like this fills ones heart with overpowering lust!


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## High Gear (Mar 9, 2002)

iyeoh said:


> Thanks Dude.
> 
> I'm hopeless at taping handlebars (reference the lack of skill). Maybe I should just wise up and bring it to a shop lol
> 
> Or you mean you would prefer a different color? I tried red, with red saddle and red tires, but it became too much red...


From what I can see, you wraped the bars well. You just have to finish on the same angle and cut the bar wrap on an angle at the stem side. Use electrical tape. I could never get the provided tape to work for me.

http://bicycletutor.com/drop-handlebar-tape/


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## iyeoh (Jan 6, 2005)

DannyBoy said:


> Wow, that's really really nice. I've been thinking of flicking of my Tecnos, but seeing yours makes me realise I'd really regret it. I have a C Record crank lying around, might pop that on to finish the look. Here's mine.



That's the most stunning Tecnos I have seen. Congratulations on a stunning bike! And please keep it! Its so beautiful!


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## iyeoh (Jan 6, 2005)

High Gear said:


> Man that is f'in beautiful. I don't understand how any rider could have a want for carbon when chrome and beautiful paint like this fills ones heart with overpowering lust!


F'in right you are! And thanks!


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## boneman (Nov 26, 2001)

*Ariostea*

I'm thinking Argentin and Riis...nice ride...i have a 1997 MO, currently out of the rotation as i go back and forth with a merckx ex ti as my daily ride...the MO is flat out solid and like you, i'm on a 52....my jersey is somewhere in storage stateside 



iyeoh said:


> Just a humble old ride. I took it out this morning for a short spin and its still wonderful. Almost everything on the bike is from Christmas 1992. Ergopower and those dual pivot brakes were new back then.


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## Le Turbo (Jun 10, 2010)

Iyeoh, there's nothing humble about a Colnago! I lurve my Master Olympic, and I don't care if just the frame weighs as much as a complete carbon bike. It's as smooth as butter and rides like it's on rails. She's ready for anything, and gives me a confidence I rarely feel on other bikes. And I don't care if I'm parked next to the latest Pinarello at the traffic lights, I still have a sense of superiority. Ernesto, he's da Master!


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## iyeoh (Jan 6, 2005)

Le Turbo said:


> Iyeoh, there's nothing humble about a Colnago! I lurve my Master Olympic, and I don't care if just the frame weighs as much as a complete carbon bike. It's as smooth as butter and rides like it's on rails. She's ready for anything, and gives me a confidence I rarely feel on other bikes. And I don't care if I'm parked next to the latest Pinarello at the traffic lights, I still have a sense of superiority. Ernesto, he's da Master!


Amen to that! And your yellow bike is just awesome!


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## colnago1975 (Aug 12, 2011)

Hi.

Just like to say what a beautiful Colnago you have there. Colour very unique i've not seen one like that before. Very nice eye candy!


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## iyeoh (Jan 6, 2005)

colnago1975 said:


> Hi.
> 
> Just like to say what a beautiful Colnago you have there. Colour very unique i've not seen one like that before. Very nice eye candy!


Thank you very much. Cheers.


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## colnago1975 (Aug 12, 2011)

You're welcome. Got a Colnago master posted myself which might be of interest to you.


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