# 2005 C-50 color preview



## dpower (Jul 24, 2004)

Looks like cbike.com has a few of the new colors posted for the 2005 c50s:

https://www.cbike.com/images/C50_PR01.jpg
https://www.cbike.com/images/C50_PR02.jpg
https://www.cbike.com/images/C50_PR23_2005.jpg

More refined, I suppose. 
Definitely less paint and more carbon.
Ernesto said less paint for 2005; he's tru to his word.

I ordered a retro-color for my new C50 from Mike at Maestro. Should be arriving within the next 10 days. I went to the opposite extreme and ordered the old-style, all-white Oscar Friere World Championship color complete with the Mapei cubes. Probably a whole extra half pound of paint on my frame (that will be my excuse for slower climbing on such a fast bike!)


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## peterpen (May 5, 2004)

*Imho...*

The new paint schemes are weak. It looks like they wanted something that was less labor-intensive and used less paint, keeping up this year's trend where they stopped painting anything on the rear triangle. I'm not a huge fan of plain old exposed carbon, especially since carbon is everywhere these days --think Campy can make a chain with carbon plates? ;-) One of the things I like about my Colnago (Classic, D21) is how freaking flash it is. All that airbrushing makes it look like a low-rider - and I love it.

The Freire WC paint should look sweet. Pez had some good pics of a C-40 done that way. I'm saving my pennies for a C-50 as well from Maestro and am hung up between two Mapei schemes, the AD-21 and the earlier AD-10. I'd go for the AD-10 if it had a blue head tube. Then again, I loved how the Navigators' bikes looked last weekend at the T-Mobile Int'l with the PR10 colorway. Yet I've never seen someone with that AD-22 purple/pink Lampre scheme. But is it kosher to use an old trade team scheme on a compact frame? 
decision, decisions...





dpower said:


> Looks like cbike.com has a few of the new colors posted for the 2005 c50s:
> 
> https://www.cbike.com/images/C50_PR01.jpg
> https://www.cbike.com/images/C50_PR02.jpg
> ...


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## dpower (Jul 24, 2004)

My '99 C40 is AD-2 and it is beauuuutiful. IMO, the problem with the "newer" retro color art decor schemes is that they can look too "textbook" or "stenciled." 

My AD-2 looks like it was done more fluidly, almost freehand probably because they did so many in that year. It's not perfect, but it does seem more like a work of art..example: the red doesn't abruptly stop at the lugs, it blends past the lug-line. The white on the top and down tube does not stop at either side with carbon in the middle...the white meets.

I agree with you peterpen...I would just as soon have less naked carbon in lieu of more paint. Case in point the WC OFriere scheme I ordered.

My vote for your new frame color (not that you asked or you care) is the AD-21...very, very sharp even if Mapei is french...and nothing french, IMO, deserves to be on a Colnago.

Probably rambling now because it's late and I should be continuing to prepare for a big presentation/seminar that I will give in just a few short hours from now....


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## Ride-Fly (Mar 27, 2002)

*Yep, those are too plain...*

Not that plain is bad. It is just not Colnago!!! IT doesn't make it stand out from any other carbon frame. I knda like the paint jobs of the E1 carbon frames though. Comparable to Fondriests Sliding Art Technology. SAT is sweeeeet!!! Wish Fondy would paint their carbon frames with SAT.


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## SPINDAWG (Aug 24, 2003)

*I personally like the new schemes.*

I'm a big fan of the exposed carbon. Especially on a bike of this magnitude. The less paint a bike has on it, the lighter its feelin' pushing it over those hills. I too struggled with paint options as well. Along with the choice of components and the wheelset too! I didn't want to hang just anything on this bike! 
I wanted an old Mapei scheme as well and didn't want all the paint. I opted for the AD-10 scheme, but the championship colors are nice! I like being a little more stealth though, could never pull that off. Anyway, here's mine. Enjoy yours!


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## dpower (Jul 24, 2004)

Carbon, paint, lotta paint, little paint, white paint, blue paint, red paint, SAT, Mapei cubes, little man, AD, PR, etc...at the end of the day what matters most is that a Colnago is one damn fine ride.

I agree Spindawg, too many choices has given me a bit of a compulsive/obsessive disorder recently per my new build-up. Yours is a nice bike; you chose wisely.


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## boneman (Nov 26, 2001)

*I believe they are 2004 colors*

I took these pictures in July during the TDF at a little shop off from the arc d'Triomphe and posted it in the General section in July.

I'd never seen it before in Europe or the States.


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## CampyCarbC50 (Jun 4, 2004)

Colnago Presdent LDV detail
Here's a closer look at the interesting painting on Colnago's limited edition President model that pays homage to Leonardo Da Vinci. The Da Vinci Museum in Vinci, Italy has allowed Ernesto Colnago to replicate these designs originally made by Da VInci.


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## CampyCarbC50 (Jun 4, 2004)

The link didn't work??? I'll try it again!
http://www.bike-zone.com/tech/2004/shows/?id=eicma/part2


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## 6was9 (Jan 28, 2004)

*Funky...*

Funky, IMO. 

I suppose they weren't selling enough bikes that they felt they need the change


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## peterpen (May 5, 2004)

*SAT 'paint' and 05 v. 04 weight*

I'd wager that those images aren't truly 'painted' on but produced using sublimation (like how jerseys are made) a la Fondriest. Check out this old Velonews story on a Fondy colorway for Lampre: http://www.velonews.com/race/tour2002/articles/2594.0.html

The issue of paint (or graphics) and weight also brings to mind a recent email exchange I had w/Mike Perry at Maestro regarding the changes for 05:

per Mike, re: 2004 C50 vs. 2005 C50's, "The weight difference, will be approx 120grms, whic is a small amount of the rear end skimmed out, and less paint, as the paint on a Colnago weighs 200grms, hence the [05] skimpy finishes."

Seems a bit disingenuous for Colnago to include a change in paint scheme in citing a lighter weight for 05 models.




CampyCarbC50 said:


> Colnago Presdent LDV detail
> Here's a closer look at the interesting painting on Colnago's limited edition President model that pays homage to Leonardo Da Vinci. The Da Vinci Museum in Vinci, Italy has allowed Ernesto Colnago to replicate these designs originally made by Da VInci.


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