On the 9th of February 2012, the immensely humble and intensely hardworking Ernesto Colnago celebrated his eightieth birthday. This milestone was spent like any other day in the Colnago calendar: a dedicated day full of duty to one of the world’s most respected bicycle marques, pleasantly interrupted by the release of a highly desirable and strictly limited Colnago bicycle and making sure he was, as usual, the last to leave the office.
The Colnago C59 Ottanta (‘Eighty’ in Italian) has been produced in a run of only 80 frames (naturally). The C59 is Colnago’s top-shelf racing frame, the same will be used by Team Europcar to contest this years Tour de France. Completely designed and constructed from carbon fiber in Italy, the Ottanta features an internally ribbed top tube shaped similar to the iconic Colnago Master, and is resplendent in a gold metal-flake finish. The lug details are a reference to the Colnago Arabesque frame and real aficionados will recognize the ‘eagle and arrow’ head badge as that which appeared on the first of Ernesto’s frames in the 1950s.
There is now much less than eighty Colnago C59 Ottanta frames still available in the world, you can secure yours via Dutch and Wolf, the United Kingdom’s ultimate provider of exclusive, luxury cycles and lifestyle cycle brands. Contact Mark McGrath and his team through their website.
PS: I’d like to take this opportunity to welcome Canada’s Brodie Bikes as our latest sponsor. We featured the father of Brodie Bikes, the legendary Paul Brodie, and his frame building course a few weeks ago. Check out their stylishly classic and highly competent steel tourers and racers. Their support is helping to keep the wheels of The Spoken turning.
