The Colnago C64 is the latest iteration of the company’s flagship lugged carbon frameset. The C-series frame had it’s genesis in 1994 with the C40 – the first carbon bike to win the Paris Roubaix and the bike that spelled the demise of steel and aluminium race bikes at the pinnacle of the sport.
The C64 (C for carbon, 64 for the number of years since Ernesto Colnago founded the company in 1954), like the C models before it, is handmade in Italy. Like it’s predecessors, the C64 utilises lugs in its construction a feature that harks back to the traditional steel construction methods prevalent at the time of the C-series’ inception in the mid nineties.
Despite maintaining the lugged aesthetic, the C64 is more than a simple refinement of the C60, in itself a huge leap from the C59. There have been some fundamental changes to the design approach and materials, with a solid technical focus, to ensure that the C64 retains the incredible ride feel for which the series is noted, but that also make it a deft race machine that remains a benchmark at the highest levels of the sport.
Colnago were keen to retain the legendary ride and handling of the C60 whilst simultaneously adapting the frame to meet the demands of modern racing and riding. This approach has led to some significant changes to the frame design.
The thinking behind many of the elements in bicycle design has been evolving incredibly quickly in recent years, most notably surrounding wheel and tyre width and it is in this area that the C64 shows a stark change over the C60. The C64 will accommodate tyres up to 30mm wide – this based on Colnago’s use of Continental’s 28mm GP4000SII tyres as their benchmark, which actually measure 30.5mm. To facilitate this the fork has been lengthened by 5mm and Colnago have moved to Direct Mount brakes on the rim rake versions to allow clearance. At the rear of the frame the chainstays and bottom bracket have also been refined to allow for wider tyre compatibility.
In addition to the greater clearance, the rear stays are now asymmetric with the non-driveside notably broader for improved stiffness and that feature carbon dropouts formed as part of the stays for lower weight and improved comfort.
There are some subtle differences between the rim and disc-brake frames in order to ensure continuity of ride character – namely the disc brake frames have slightly narrower stays courtesy of the additional stiffness gained through the use of the threaded12mm thru-axle, so whichever braking system you choose, you sacrifice nothing in ride.
The fork of the C64 is completely new. Externally the fork features a rib structure on the side to both increase stiffness for improved handling and refined compliance. Internally the fork is reinforced to allow for the new internal routing of cabling and hoses via their own stems and is centrally drilled and threaded to eliminate the need for a conventional bung system. This change, combined with the move to carbon dropouts (12mm thru-axle on the disc models) helps to reduce the fork weight by over 40g.
Although 5mm longer, Colnago have retained the same geometries as the C60 by shortening the headtubes by the same amount, maintaining the stack of the predecessor.
The lugs of the C-Series frames have become Colnago’s signature and contributed to the bike’s iconic status in the cycling world. The C64 continues their use but with some notable improvements. The transition from C59 to C60 was, in part marked by more intricate shapes in the lug-work, resulting in greater strength and stiffness. At first glance the C64 seems to have changed little from the C60 but on closer inspection the refinements are evident and numerous.
The headtube remains the same in shape but with wall thickness reduced and the the outer 3K carbon cosmetic weave replaced by UD (Unidirectional) fibre – a change that is mirrored throughout the frame. This yields a healthy drop in weight while lending improved stiffness. The headset is borrowed from Colnago’s Concept and helps build in compliance thanks to its special polymer-carbon construction.
Also borrowed from elsewhere in the range, the C64 features a recessed bottle cage mount for improved aerodynamics and a down-tube port for neat routing of cabling – as found on the V2-r.
The single biggest change on the C64 is an in-molded seat-tube and lug junction. Rather than having a lug join the seat-tube, top-tube, seat stays and bottom bracket as on the C60, the new seat-lug is now formed as part of the seat-tube. This novel construction method significantly increases stiffness by removing the flex inherent in a bond and in combination with the new internal seat-clamp (again, a feature of the V2-r), the weight is further reduced and strength increased since the need for heavier, more compliant carbon is removed in favour of stronger, stiffer material. Like the V2-r, the seat-tube is a truncated profile to offer both aerodynamic gains, but more importantly a significant gain in vertical compliance of nearly 20%. The improvements in the seat tube alone yield a more performance focused ride that is offset with more comfort – in other words, you’ll be faster and more comfortable too.
One of the biggest leaps forward with the C60 was the introduction of Colnago’s ThreadFit 82.5 Bottom Bracket system that blended the reliability of threaded systems with the benefit of wider BB shells offered by press-fit systems. The C64 takes the design further and has worked in conjunction with CeramicSpeed to create its own bottom bracket compatible with Shimano, Sram and Campagnolo. The biggest improvement in the BB is the integration of the cable guide into the bottom bracket lug. Previously, a plastic guide was used but the new in-molded lug guide allows for optimal cable arcs for the best possible shifting, while the construction itself offers inherent improvements in strength and stiffness.
Colnago were the first premium bike brand to toy with disc brake road bikes back in 2012 on the C59. In fact, Colnago invested heavily in designing their own hydraulic disc systems with Formula, shortly after disc brake use was ratified for UCI Cyclocross racing.
The C64 Disc frames show a real drive to properly and fully embrace the technology; so much so in fact, that Colnago have developed their own stem to work in conjunction with their new fork design, to offer truly integrated cable routing for aerodynamic efficiency and a tidy aesthetic. The use of 12mm threaded thru axles helps improve overall frame stiffness and reduces weight when compared to the C60.
All of these changes combine to yield a frame that is significantly lighter than its forbear the C60; the rim brake version is some 205g lighter in a size 52 while the C64 Disc frames show weight savings of up to 270g. Despite the drop in weight, the frames are also marginally stiffer than the C60 – notably at the front end – which will help improve the already impressive handling. Most significant though, is the increase in compliance. A light, stiff bike sounds great on paper but is of little joy if it punishes the rider. The dramatic gains made in the C64 however, will help riders bring the performance to bear, particularly on longer rides, and if endurance is your focus then the addition of High-Headtube versions of the frames will give you even more to smile about.
As you would expect from Colnago, finish is impeccable and available in both standard and ART DECOR colour options.