If you thought the rim brake was dead and buried, it turns out it’s alive and well and living in Cambiago. In something of a surprise move, Colnago has added a rim-brake option to its C68 series, the brand’s premium Italian-made model that has a history stretching back to the 1980s. Although the C-series bikes were originally designed for racing – the C40 was, of course, the first carbon bike to win Paris-Roubaix – now that Tadej Pogačar and his UAE Emirates team are using the monocoque V4Rs, the C68 is the bike of the Colnago connoisseur, who is more likely to be a lover of traditional tech.
Colnago admits that: “Presenting a rim-brake bike in 2024 is a choice that could be perceived as unconventional considering the current trends in the market. Even more so because it is made by Colnago – the brand that first introduced hydraulic disc brakes on a road bike back in 2013, before any of the big manufacturers. The model was the Colnago C59 Disc."
However, it continues, for those cyclists still fond of the traditional rim brake system it is now almost impossible to find a modern frame with traditional brakes. Colnago wants to be there for these dedicated and passionate cyclists and does so with its most prestigious bike: the C68.
Since the C68 is made with a modular construction with the parts of frame made separately, it’s more straightforward to adapt it for rim brakes than if it were made in a mould – in which case a completely new mould would be required. For example, the C68’s bottom bracket shell is part of the seat tube, while the top tube incorporates two lugs: one connected to the seat tube, the other to the head tube. This means Colnago can customise the frame for small production runs – though it doesn’t say how many rim-brake C68s will be produced initially.
The dropouts are 3D-printed titanium, which Colnago points out is a metal that perfectly bonds with carbon-fibre without any risk of oxidation or damage of the structure, while the seatstays have been engineered to accept direct-mount dual-pivot rim brakes and the fork has been modified to host a direct mount, double-pivot brake system – so single-bolt calipers are not accepted, which some traditionalists might find a pity. Something else they might find a slight disappointment is that the frame is for electronic groupsets only, although it’s a fact that all the flagship groupsets from the ‘big three’ in 2024 are electronic only.
So, what are the build options? The C68 Rim Brake is available as a frameset only, and Colnago suggests the rim-brake version of Campagnolo Super Record EPS Groupset 2x12v, rim-brake Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 R9250 2x12v or SRAM Force eTap AXS 2x.
The frameset, which includes frame, fork, seatpost, and headset, will be priced at £6,299/$7,750/€6,930. In the UK, the disc-brake version is priced at £5,269 – suddenly rim-brakes have become the connoisseur’s choice and are accordingly priced higher.
