# Colnago Master Olympic



## colnago1975 (Aug 12, 2011)

New photos shortly


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## paule11 (Jun 11, 2011)

Very nice interesting stem


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## colnago1975 (Aug 12, 2011)

*Look ergo Stem*

Thank you.


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## rplace13 (Apr 27, 2011)

Nice ride, love any and all AD painted bikes. Such a classic look.

I'd love to have any variant of the master. Actually I'd like two one all decked out in campy aluminum bits and one as a fixed gear.


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## colnago1975 (Aug 12, 2011)

Aluminium always looks best for groupsets, the shinier the better. Never considered a colnago as a fixed but i could sort of visualise it, never seen one though, Good luck with your ambition, let me know if it happens as it would be interesting to see.

Thanks for your comment


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## iyeoh (Jan 6, 2005)

Congratulations on a beautiful bike! If I were you, to complement your components, I would search long and hard (very hard to find) for a classic Dura Ace seatpost, and then a classic Nitto bar and stem combo. That would give you somewhat of a complete component set where everything is shiny aluminum instead of some painted black piece. I personally couldn't get used to the seatpost.


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## colnago1975 (Aug 12, 2011)

Hi.

Many thanks for your comment. I totally agree with what you have said, unfortunately the frame is a size too small and i could not find a stem that could give me the position that i needed, therefore, i had to opt for the Look ergo stem which was hard to find. 

The seat post is rubbish and it has been loaned to me by my local bike shop as the FSA K-Force post snapped for a second time. Unfortunately, i can not find anything in aluminium that can give the laid back position for the seat. With a normal seat post i'm to far forward on the bike and the seat can only go so far back before it starts looking skywards which as you can appreciate it's not comfortable to ride on a saddle that is pointing to the sky. 

I'm in a bit of a dilemma regarding the seat post!

If it was the right size frame i would have the bike set up there or there abouts with what you have mentioned!

The bars are Cinelli Giro 64-42 which i bought in 1993 and i tell you what if i had £1.00 for every mile they have done over the years i would be rich! Old and faithful 

Thanks again for your interesting comment.


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## iyeoh (Jan 6, 2005)

It seems to me that you can use a silver Thompson seatpost with extra setback (looks like classic round Dura Ace) and polish it really well to a complete shine (without logos). And then use a 14 cm Cinelli XA stem. That stem has a high rise and it's long length will help your front end balance and handling when paired with a large setback seatpost.


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## colnago1975 (Aug 12, 2011)

Hi again.

I will certainly look in to what you have suggested. I've really had problems with the stem and post. If you look carefully at the ergo stem the angle looks quite conventional but a closer look and you can see that its not and it's that angle and height that i just have not been able to achieve with any other stem. My FSA K-Force post did the trick with the seat but unfortunately i have snapped two in six months, unbelievable!

I'm not familiar with the equipment that has been suggested but when i've got five i will do some research and become clued up with them. I will have a chat with the chap in my local bike shop about it next week.

If you have at hand a model number or part name for the Thompson that would be very useful. I'm guessing the Cinelli is not in production any more? and i'm also guessing the Thompson is?

Thank you very much for taking time out to let me know about possible options.

Kind regards.


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## Ronde (Jun 5, 2011)

First off that is a gorgeous bike. You can find used and even new old stock Dura Ace seat posts on eBay. You can also find tons of Cinelli seatposts as well, but it might take some time to find one as long as you may need, 14cm seems to be the longest I can see at the moment.


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## colnago1975 (Aug 12, 2011)

Ronde said:


> First off that is a gorgeous bike. You can find used and even new old stock Dura Ace seat posts on eBay. You can also find tons of Cinelli seatposts as well, but it might take some time to find one as long as you may need, 14cm seems to be the longest I can see at the moment.


Hi.

Many thanks for your comment.

I will certainly be looking in to the advice that has been given over the next week or so. I'm not an ebay fan as i've had a few bad experiences but it looks like i'm going to have to give it another go.

I've eventually got used to the stem although i appreciate it's not a classic look but i wont be too disappointed if i can not find someting more conventional. The seat post though is a must, i have had a Thomson seat post suggested for the laid back position that i need so i will be looking in to that and i will check out the Dura-Ace post as well. 

Liking your picture, Colnago did a lovely range of frames in Mapie blue with the different coloured squares back in the 90's unfortunately they had stopped making them when i decided to purchase which was a shame as it was my first choice.

Thanks again for the advice and comment.


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## jet sanchEz (Nov 28, 2005)

I had to look over my shoulder to make sure mine was still here, we have almost identical bikes 

Do you have any photos of the bike before? I have had a couple of Masters now and would really like to know how the ride could get so bad, you would almost have to be _trying_ to make it lousy to take away the crispness that these bikes do so well.


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## colnago1975 (Aug 12, 2011)

Good to know there is a fellow cyclist out there with the same bike  Unfortunately i don't have any photos of the 2006 carnation.

The ride was bad because i purchased a seat post, stem, handle bars that were rubbish. I could not get the height with the stem and i could not get the laid back position with the seat. This was after taking advice. The colnago folks were on my Paganini so i purchased some carbon folks with an aluminium steerer. They cost about £80.00 and i suppose you get what you pay for as they were aweful.

The transmission with the gear change was rubbish i just could not get that smooth transmission that you would expect from Dura-Ace. So, last year i made a load of changes. I put the original folks back on, new rims, hubs, cassette, chain, stem, seat, handle bars seat post, cables and head set. Thankfully it's done the trick as it's a really nice ride now.

If you have any photos of your Colnago then it would be nice to see one or two of them.

Thanks for your message


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## campyguru (Aug 20, 2011)

My Tecnos came out with an aero seatpost (Colnago post, nice and shiny) but was replaced with a carbon post. As my Tecnos is a Deco Art black mostly, the carbon seatpost and fork goes well!


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## colnago1975 (Aug 12, 2011)

campyguru said:


> My Tecnos came out with an aero seatpost (Colnago post, nice and shiny) but was replaced with a carbon post. As my Tecnos is a Deco Art black mostly, the carbon seatpost and fork goes well!


Sounds nice. I did not realise that Colnago made a seat post for the Technos. The seat post that's on my Colnago at the moment is a loan from the local bike shop as my carbon FSA K-Force has snapped for the second time. Gutted!

Thanks for your comment.


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## Fishbike (Sep 23, 2008)

Tell us about how the bike was built up originally and what you did to improve the ride and fit.

I am in the process of builing a Master Olympic from the mid-nineties. Can't wait to finish it!

SO glad that beautiful bike now makes you has happy as it should!


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## robst (Jul 27, 2009)

Nice bike!
I built up an old master frame (1996 ) in 2009- I love riding it.I have mainly Ultegra on mine with a campy crank. It works really well, shifts nice and smoothly believe it or not. (I couldnt get the bb out so I had to use a campy Crank) I prefer to ride this than my Colnago c50 which I race on.

I tried to attach some pics but it doesn't seem to work


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## colnago1975 (Aug 12, 2011)

Hi.

Originally it was set up with:

ITM bars and stem Ahead.
Carbon folks with aluminium steerer.
A carbon seat post with this most bizzar seat bracket i have every seen.
Mavic open pro wheels.
Cinelli stem.

The frame is a size to small and for the life of me i could not get comfortable on the bike. The original components with Dura- Ace when put together were not working properly. The transmission was rubbish. I had quite a few mechanics take a look but it was never resolved. To this day i don't know why i could not get a smooth gear change. I was just so disappointed as i spent £2000 in 1997 for the frame and group set and then obviously a major spend in 06 to complete the bike.

Last year i purchased the following:

KMC Chain Silver, much better then the shimano one, will never buy a Shimano chain again.
Replaced the 7700 hubs with 7800 front and 7850 at the back. Very lucky to find the 7850!
Cassette replace with another 9spd dura ace cassette 11-21
Mavice Open Pros replaced with Ambrosio Nemesis 36 hole rims with top end swiss double butted spokes.
Look ergo stem, not a classic look but it solved the angle and height issue at the front. Hard find!
FSA K-Force seat post which solved the lay back problem with the seat but unfortunately snapped last week for the second time! Gutted!
Top of the range SRAM white cabling with the mesh inside to help with transmission.
New specialized seat.
Tubs... The Vittoria corsa Evo CX, massive difference in the ride with these things there's just no role in them. The only thing i will say against them is that you have to re-inflate them every other day as they lose their pressure very quickly which is a pain.

A lot of hard earned money has been spent on the bike but this time around i've finally got there. It might as well be a different bike as the transmission, handling and overall ride is just so much better now. I have just got to resolve the seat post issue which some fellow cyclist on the forum have given advice on.

Thank you very much for your comment and interest.

Good luck with the build would love to see a photo when it's finished.


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## colnago1975 (Aug 12, 2011)

robst said:


> Nice bike!
> I built up an old master frame (1996 ) in 2009- I love riding it.I have mainly Ultegra on mine with a campy crank. It works really well, shifts nice and smoothly believe it or not. (I couldnt get the bb out so I had to use a campy Crank) I prefer to ride this than my Colnago c50 which I race on.
> 
> I tried to attach some pics but it doesn't seem to work


I used to have an eight speed Ultegra, sadly, not in existence any more. I do miss it as it never let me down apart from the rear quick release that used to spring upon from time to time i took a few tumbles on the bike when that happend, needless to say the quick release was changed after the second time of it happening. I'm still carrying a scare on my elbow from that happening.

Interesting that you prefer the Master over the C-50. I've only ever ridden steel so i can not make a personal comparision. Good to know that you have been able to use a campy crank with a Shimano chain set not come across that before. 

I will be starting my racing again next year after a very long spell away. I last raced in 1995and i was a second catagory rider but sadly was forced out due to health problems. But i'm so looking forward to turning up to a race on the Master and racing all those kids with their oversized aluminium frames. 

If you manage to solve the upload problem with the photos then please send a picture, would be nice to see how it looks.

Thanks for your comment.


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## robst (Jul 27, 2009)

robst said:


> Nice bike!
> I built up an old master frame (1996 ) in 2009- I love riding it.I have mainly Ultegra on mine with a campy crank. It works really well, shifts nice and smoothly believe it or not. (I couldnt get the bb out so I had to use a campy Crank) I prefer to ride this than my Colnago c50 which I race on.
> 
> I tried to attach some pics but it doesn't seem to work


tried again- it worked,


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## colnago1975 (Aug 12, 2011)

WOW. I'm very impresed. The crank does not look out of place with the Shimano components and the colour has got a subtle sort of pleasing look to the eye. Liking the polished stem a lovely glint there in the sun.

Never ridden on ten speed and i've always been a Shimano fan, although i appreciate Campy for what they are but i could never get used to those levers they made for their 1st ten speed groupsets they're just look so big! I always know when a rider riding towards me in the distance has those ten speed levers on his bike as i see the levers first before i see anything else. LOL 

Congratulations a lovely looking Colnago


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## colnago1975 (Aug 12, 2011)

Fishbike said:


> Tell us about how the bike was built up originally and what you did to improve the ride and fit.
> 
> I am in the process of builing a Master Olympic from the mid-nineties. Can't wait to finish it!
> 
> SO glad that beautiful bike now makes you has happy as it should!


Hi.

Just to let you know i have replied to your comment but accidently clicked on "post a reply" rather than "quote" The two comments aren't together.

If you have any questions with what has been mentioned then please ask.

Thanks again.


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## colnago1975 (Aug 12, 2011)

iyeoh said:


> It seems to me that you can use a silver Thompson seatpost with extra setback (looks like classic round Dura Ace) and polish it really well to a complete shine (without logos). And then use a 14 cm Cinelli XA stem. That stem has a high rise and it's long length will help your front end balance and handling when paired with a large setback seatpost.


Hi.

I have taken your advice on the seatpost this morning. Thankfully, the local bike shop that i go to has a chap there that is spot on with his knowledge about components and he knew exactly what post you were referring to. Slightly cheaper then the FSA K-Force carbon that i had, so i will have some credit on my account, which is a bonus!

I will post a picture of it when it's on the bike.

Thanks again. :thumbsup:


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## jet sanchEz (Nov 28, 2005)

Here is my Master Extra Light that is the twin of your Olympic. I think that Colnago had to stop using the name "olympic" due to copyright problems, I suppose mine must be slightly newer than yours but it appears identical, apart from the name.


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## colnago1975 (Aug 12, 2011)

Hi.

That'a a lovely bike you have there. The frame you have is a later version. I'm really liking the forlks and the stem. I have to use a Look ergo stem on mine as the frame is a size to small and i can not get the angle and height right with a conventional stem, the way you have it set up there would have been my first Choice.

The Chrome on the rear triangle is looking nice and shiny and i'm not seeing any rust, unfortunately, i have a bit of rust on mine and it's getting worse. I will have to look in to getting re-chromed again. 

Congratulations on owning a lovely Colnago.

Thanks for the picture.


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