# Is this a fake Colnago?



## SteffanMacmillan (Sep 4, 2008)

Hi All,

I'm a newbie, just won the auction on this Colnago bike on a popular auction site....

I've always had mountain bikes before and am now old enough to get a proper bike. I've been living in London for the past 14 years and have now moved out to the countryside and am looking forward to going on some proper rides again in traffic-free rural Shropshire.

It's a 6 speed cassette with a Shimano 600 groupset, what year is this? Late 80's?

So is it a fake or real Colnago?

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/steffmac/2828557350/" title="Is this a real Colnago or fake? by steffanmacmillan, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3262/2828557350_f7eb744d56_o.png" width="801" height="601" alt="Is this a real Colnago or fake?" /></a>

https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3262/2828557350_f7eb744d56_o.png

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/steffmac/2828556224/" title="Is this a real Colnago or fake? by steffanmacmillan, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3193/2828556224_5f2716a8f6_o.png" width="801" height="601" alt="Is this a real Colnago or fake?" /></a>

https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3193/2828556224_5f2716a8f6_o.png

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/steffmac/2828555232/" title="Is this a real Colnago or fake? by steffanmacmillan, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3032/2828555232_0a41ba359e_o.png" width="801" height="600" alt="Is this a real Colnago or fake?" /></a>

https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3032/2828555232_0a41ba359e_o.png

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/steffmac/2827717137/" title="Is this a real Colnago or fake? by steffanmacmillan, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3086/2827717137_2c350f246f_o.png" width="801" height="601" alt="Is this a real Colnago or fake?" /></a>

https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3086/2827717137_2c350f246f_o.png

Well thanks for your ineterest, cheerio Steffan


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## jupiterrn (Sep 22, 2006)

Well if it is fake someone did a real nice job on the stickers. The paint colors suggest the right time period, think Miami Vice. Some folks have been nice enough to help identify bike by their serial number codes. You might want to "Google" search that and see where it leads you. Oh and welcome to the boards.


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## FatTireFred (Jan 31, 2005)

jupiterrn said:


> Well if it is fake someone did a real nice job on the stickers. The paint colors suggest the right time period, think Miami Vice. Some folks have been nice enough to help identify bike by their serial number codes. You might want to "Google" search that and see where it leads you. Oh and welcome to the boards.




you can buy decals on ebay... and they look crooked on the right side dt. lugwork is kinda plain looking, no fancy cutouts, and there is no tubing decal or other small misc decals that are often on them (an Italian bike with the name only on the ht, dt and st???). would not surprise me at all if it was fake. it does have a number plate hanger tho, fwiw


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

I'm by no means a Colnago expert but I think most steel Colnago's have a clover cut out in the BB shell..check the BB for a cut out


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## FatTireFred (Jan 31, 2005)

Dave Hickey said:


> I'm by no means a Colnago expert but I think most steel Colnago's have a clover cut out in the BB shell..check the BB for a cut out




often on the head lugs, fork crown, brake bridge too... that bb shell just does not look like it belongs on a high end bike to me. might also check the dropouts and see what those are


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## OperaLover (Jan 20, 2002)

I agree to check the BB Shell and maybe the dropoouts to see if the Clover or colnago appears. The lack of colnago marking in the lugs and fork crown says fake to me. It might just be a Euro only lower end frame that did not get the deluxe treatment. It was my understanding that not all Colnago models made it to the U.S. What do those tiny markings on the fork blades say


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## Bocephus Jones II (Oct 7, 2004)

FatTireFred said:


> you can buy decals on ebay... and they look crooked on the right side dt. lugwork is kinda plain looking, no fancy cutouts, and there is no tubing decal or other small misc decals that are often on them (an Italian bike with the name only on the ht, dt and st???). would not surprise me at all if it was fake. it does have a number plate hanger tho, fwiw


Don't most Colnagos have a braze on front der hanger? If it is real it's been repainted and restickered at a minimum.


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## BlueMasi1 (Oct 9, 2002)

*Looks like a Centurion to me*

by the look of the lugs and the brake bridge it looks like a Centurion to me.


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## buck-50 (Sep 20, 2005)

Lugs look a bit unrefined for a colnago- they're awfully wide. Plus, there should be a clover cutout at least on the down tube/head tube lug.

The clover cutout on the BB is usually there- some BB clovers are pretty rough- you'd think they gave that job to the least experienced guy in the shop.

The rake on that fork looks all wrong- that mid-fork bend looks like a cheap Taiwanese job- colnago forks (at least mine, anyway) have a much more graceful constant bend from about mid fork on down to the dropout. 

The stickers don't look right, but then, Colnago changed their decals so often who can tell. 

A real colnago would probably have a columbus sticker on the seat tube.

Whatever it is, it's got a racing number tap on the top tube- that's pretty cool...


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## robert_shawn (Oct 5, 2005)

I agree with Buck-50. The fork is definitely not colnago, and the frame just does not hang right, the chain stays look a little long for a Colnago. Most road colnago's have very little clearance between the tire and the seat tube. The only Colnago's I have seen without a FD braze-on also did not have braze-on brake cable guides (early 70's and back). So I suspect that this is not a real Nag. Also Colnago's usually have the serial number on the rear right dropout.
Shawn


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## Mapei (Feb 3, 2004)

I agree that it's a fake. I don't see any lug cut outs. The Colnago name isn't carved in any of the usual places...though it'd be nice to see a pic of the bottom bracket to truly make sure.


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## CurbDestroyer (Mar 6, 2008)

The sticker placment on the seat tube to me suggests at least a respray The "O" is usually over a H2O braze-on. also a lack of a columbus sticker suggests that. I would also think that the seat stay caps would have the word Colnago engraved in them. 

I's think it's a fake. I can't be sure because I've seen a lot of Colnagos that were never in catalogs.


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## idunno (Aug 7, 2008)

arent the rear brake bridges on colnagos straight and not arched...just another thing to help authenticate it...or rather provide a counter to its authenticity, hope it helps








^image from https://yykoon.blogspot.com/


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## idunno (Aug 7, 2008)

actually, it looks like you might have an old panasonic/schwinn (built by panasonic) however im not sure, it has the same fork (same crown and curve) and lugset...heh but again dont quote me on it


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## buck-50 (Sep 20, 2005)

robert_shawn said:


> I agree with Buck-50. The fork is definitely not colnago, and the frame just does not hang right, the chain stays look a little long for a Colnago. Most road colnago's have very little clearance between the tire and the seat tube. The only Colnago's I have seen without a FD braze-on also did not have braze-on brake cable guides (early 70's and back). So I suspect that this is not a real Nag. Also Colnago's usually have the serial number on the rear right dropout.
> Shawn


Older colnago Supers have a ton of clearance- At least mine does- it's running 28s right now... 

of course, it's also got over the BB cable guides, too.

When did colnago switch to 2 sets of bottle mounts?


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## JaeP (Mar 12, 2002)

I have to vote for a fake. All tell tale signs are not present. BTW, my Colnago Export (with super cool number hanger) has a rather plain BB (it just has 2 long cutouts, no clover) but it does have clover markings on the straight rear brake bridge and downtube lug.


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## Bocephus Jones II (Oct 7, 2004)

JaeP said:


> I have to vote for a fake. All tell tale signs are not present. BTW, my Colnago Export (with super cool number hanger) has a rather plain BB (it just has 2 long cutouts, no clover) but it does have clover markings on the straight rear brake bridge and downtube lug.


does it have a braze on FD hanger?


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## ilpirati (May 15, 2007)

I bet that`s not a Colnago.But check if Colnago is stamped on the dropouts...


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## robert_shawn (Oct 5, 2005)

buck-50 said:


> Older colnago Supers have a ton of clearance- At least mine does- it's running 28s right now...
> 
> of course, it's also got over the BB cable guides, too.


For that matter most old racing bikes had longer chain stays, though most old (early 70's back) don't have braze on brake cable guides.either. I also don't recall ever seeing anything but a straight brake bridge on a Colnago.

That bike is not an old Super, which was the very first bike I ever truly lusted for, after a buddies older brother let me ride his (all SR equipped). To this day Colnago is my favorite bike.


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## martinrjensen (Sep 23, 2007)

*the fork?*



buck-50 said:


> Lugs look a bit unrefined for a colnago- they're awfully wide. Plus, there should be a clover cutout at least on the down tube/head tube lug.
> 
> The clover cutout on the BB is usually there- some BB clovers are pretty rough- you'd think they gave that job to the least experienced guy in the shop.
> 
> ...


Here is a picture I found on the web of another colnago. the forks actually look very similar. 
https://www.samoht.com/weblog_img/colnago_frame_after_touchup_sm.jpg

(Of course that is nothing to say that "this" one's not a fake... I just did a goodgle search on 1980's colnago's and this is one of them that turned up. also I found another colnago that had a pretty muvh identical seat stay in the area where it's brased on the seat tube. I could only see one picture of the bike in question.


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## Frank121 (May 14, 2002)

*Italian or English bottom bracket threading?*

Italian or English bottom bracket threading?


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## JaeP (Mar 12, 2002)

Bocephus Jones II said:


> does it have a braze on FD hanger?


Yes, yes it does!


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## Maybeck (Sep 30, 2004)

I can only go by the one photo that is still available, but that is NO way a Colnago, not even close.

The brazed on number plate tab would suggest it was raced though. I'd like to see the rest of the pics.


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## C-Record91 (Sep 8, 2008)

This is not an original Colnago. The first clue is the fact it has three cable guides on the top tube instead of only two.


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## CurbDestroyer (Mar 6, 2008)

Frank121 said:


> Italian or English bottom bracket threading?


Ahhhhhh Nice one. :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:


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## Joe_g_t (Aug 22, 2011)

*Same question - is this real? Colnago but cannot identify*

I am buying this ?colnago frame. As far as i can see looks to be real but cannot identify model and am concerned by colnago stamp but no club on bottom bracket. Were any made without the cutout???

Also - can anyone help date it??


Thanks very much

Joe


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## onespeedbiker (May 28, 2007)

picture?


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