aprile 21, 2022

An icon of perfection: Colnago presents the new C68

The new flagship bike from the historic Italian brand also comes with a unique blockchain and 3D NFT codes

Words: Nick Busca

Photos: Colnago

Colnago has just announced the new C68, the top of the range of its road fleet, and the dream bike for many people. As is traditional with Colnago, the models are handmade in Italy and will come in three different setup and 18 different frame sizes: seven road, six all-road, and five gravel.

But along with a new design, the new C68 is now embracing the latest trends in technology, including blockchains and Non Fungible Token, or NFT. The NFT tag (a unique unit of data that uses blockchain technology) is installed on the bike and linked to the frame.

"The basis of this project is the idea of maintaining and guaranteeing the value of the C68 over time, safeguarding the information relating to the bicycle to which the blockchain data is associated in an unequivocal and unalterable way," says the company in a press release.

The new business model for Colnago

The launch of the bike is, for Colnago, a way to launch a new business model, one that is no longer B2B and goes directly to consumers (B2C). Within the new Colnago system, users will be able to configure and customise their bikes through a 3D platform.

New tech spec

In terms of tech, the C68 is not a monocoque, but it's built with a modular structure and assembled in parts – one of the brand's trademarks. On top of the seven standard sizes, and to satisfy a more diverse customer demand, C68 will also be available in a limited number of versions with titanium parts 3D printed in Italy.

The Colnago CC.01, on the other hand, is the integrated handlebar available with the C68. Unlike the frame – and other integrated cockpit solutions on the market – this piece is a monocoque, and Colnago claims it saves weight and increases rigidity. It is available in four different width options (370, 390, 410 and 430 mm upper centre-to-centre) and seven different stem lengths (80, 90 , 100, 110, 120, 130 and 140 mm).

Other tech innovations implemented on the C68 include the new Pressfit T47 bottom bracket, and the new CeramicSpeed SLT (Solid Lubrication Technology) headset, guaranteed for life. Disc brakes will be the standard fitted, although there will also be a rim-brake version from August. In terms of weight, Colnago claims a 950 g for the unpainted carbon frame, and 935 g for the titanium one.

"The model C has always been the icon of Colnago. C68, combining craftsmanship, tradition and technological innovation offers to the market an exclusive bicycle and it's a great source of pride for me and for the company: C like Colnago, carbon, Cambiago [the city where the brand is based], class," says Nicola Rosin, CEO of Colnago.