Colnago Ottanta Super Record EPS Bike

The Colnago Ottanta Super Record EPS Bike is one of 80 ever made — a limited-edition carbon road bike created in 2012 to celebrate the 80th birthday of Ernesto Colnago, the man who founded one of Italy's most storied cycling brands in 1954. "Ottanta" means "eighty" in Italian, and everything about this bike reflects that milestone: the gold finish, the arabesque-decorated lugs that recall a 1970s Colnago aesthetic, Ernesto's own signature on the top tube, and the return of the original Eagle and Arrow head badge — the emblem that appeared on Colnago frames from 1954 to 1970, inspired by a newspaper describing the young racer Ernesto as "fast as an arrow" after a race win. This is not a replica or a tribute. It is a modern race bike built on Colnago's C59 platform, dressed in the brand's history, and equipped with Campagnolo's finest electronic groupset.

The C59 frame underneath the gold finish is built using Colnago's signature tube-and-lug construction — a method the brand has refined over decades while most of the industry moved to monocoque carbon. Individual tubes made from Toray T800 carbon fiber, imported from Japan, are bonded into precision-machined lugs with tolerances within 0.15mm. This approach allows Colnago to tune the stiffness and compliance characteristics at each junction independently — something a single-mold frame cannot do in the same way. The result is a frame that delivers direct power transfer at the bottom bracket while allowing controlled flex through the seatstays and top tube where road vibration matters most. The C59 platform offers 22 size configurations — 14 traditional and 8 sloping — giving riders a fit that approaches custom geometry from a production frame. The fluted top tube, square-section down tube with its internal I-beam reinforcement, and tapered carbon steerer (1.125" to 1.25") all contribute to a frame that rides taut and responsive, with a spring in its step on climbs that heavier monocoque frames sometimes lack.

Colnago paired the Ottanta frame with Campagnolo Super Record EPS — the Italian groupset maker's flagship electronic drivetrain. Super Record EPS delivers precise, consistent 11-speed shifting through Campagnolo's proprietary electronic actuation, with ergonomic thumb shifters that keep your hands in position on the hoods or drops. The Super Record rim brakes provide the stopping power and modulation that experienced riders expect from Campagnolo's top tier. Cables are routed internally through the frame — gear cables exiting the down tube, rear brake cable contained within the top tube — keeping the lines clean and the gold finish uninterrupted. Every component choice on the Ottanta reinforces the same idea: Italian carbon, Italian drivetrain, Italian craftsmanship, built to be ridden hard by someone who understands what they are sitting on.

Colnago Ottanta Specs at a Glance

• Frame: Colnago C59 — Toray T800 carbon fiber, tube-and-lug construction, handmade in Cambiago, Italy
• Frame Weight: Approximately 950g (C59 platform)
• Edition: Limited to 80 units worldwide
• Finish: Gold with arabesque-decorated lugs, Ernesto Colnago's signature on the top tube
• Head Badge: Original Eagle and Arrow logo (1954–1970 era)
• Groupset: Campagnolo Super Record EPS 11-speed electronic
• Brakes: Campagnolo Super Record rim brakes
• Steerer: Tapered carbon, 1.125" to 1.25"
• Cable Routing: Internal (except front brake)
• Sizes Available: 22 configurations (14 traditional, 8 sloping); 56cm available at RA Cycles

Design Benefits

1. Tube-and-Lug Carbon Construction: Where most carbon frames are molded as a single piece, Colnago bonds individual T800 carbon tubes into precision lugs with 0.15mm tolerances. This allows the frame to be tuned at each junction — stiffer where power demands it, more compliant where comfort matters — and enables the 22-size range that makes the C59 one of the most precisely fittable carbon road frames available.
2. Campagnolo's Flagship Electronic Drivetrain: Super Record EPS represents the peak of Campagnolo's engineering — electronic shifting with the tactile ergonomics that define the Italian brand's controls. The 11-speed system delivers instant, repeatable shifts under load, paired with Super Record rim brakes that give experienced riders the modulation and feel they demand on fast descents.
3. Genuine Limited-Edition Provenance: With only 80 units produced worldwide, the Ottanta is not a cosmetic special edition applied to a stock bike. The gold arabesque finish, the restored Eagle and Arrow badge, and Ernesto's signature are details that connect this machine directly to Colnago's founding story — a level of heritage that no production run can replicate.
4. Italian Craftsmanship, Complete: Frame handmade in Cambiago from Japanese T800 carbon. Campagnolo Super Record EPS from Vicenza. Every major component on the Ottanta traces back to Italian engineering and manufacturing — a complete bike where the frame and drivetrain share the same design philosophy and heritage.

Final Take

The Colnago Ottanta Super Record EPS Bike is a collector's road bike that was built to be raced. The C59 frame rides with the responsiveness and precision that made Colnago's name in professional cycling, and the Super Record EPS groupset matches it with Campagnolo's best shifting and braking. But what separates the Ottanta from every other C59 is its scarcity and its story — 80 frames, gold arabesque lugs, and a head badge that traces back to the day a newspaper called a young Italian racer "fast as an arrow." For the rider who values provenance as much as performance, this is one of the rarest modern Colnagos you can find.