Some bikes are built to win races. Some bikes are built to be ridden for life. The Colnago C72 SRAM AXS Custom Bike is one of the rare platforms that does both — a handmade Italian road bike limited to 3,000 frames per year, built on a lugged carbon construction method that has defined Colnago's C-Series for decades, and now paired with SRAM AXS wireless shifting for a build that belongs on any road you want to ride it.

The C-Series has been the most sold bike series in RA Cycles history. There's a reason for that. The C72 isn't chasing the same rider as the V5Rs — it's built for cyclists who want exceptional speed, exceptional comfort, and a bike with enough character to still be meaningful ten years from now. The C72 is Colnago's answer to what a road bike is actually supposed to feel like.

Lugged Carbon Construction — The Colnago Method

The C72 frame is built from seven separate carbon tubes bonded into distinct lugs — the same foundational approach that has defined C-Series Colnago bikes for generations. This is not how most performance carbon frames are made. Colnago maintains this construction because it gives them precise control over the carbon layup in every tube section independently, allowing for a ride character that full-monocoque molds rarely achieve: planted and responsive, stiff where it matters, compliant where it counts.

For 2026, Colnago has refined the lug junction — each join between tube and lug is highlighted with a panel gap that Colnago describes in the same terms as precision automotive construction. It's a detail that rewards looking closely, a signal that the people who made this frame thought about every millimeter of it. The result is a frameset weighing 895 grams in an unpainted size 48.5 — 30 grams lighter than the C68 it replaces — while retaining the structural character the C-Series is known for.

The C72 is handmade in Cambiago, Italy, the same facility where Ernesto Colnago founded the brand in 1954. Production is intentionally limited to 3,000 frames per year. This is not a marketing constraint — it reflects the time and attention required to build each frame the way Colnago builds it. The number 72 marks the 72nd year of the brand's existence. Colnago named this bike after itself.

Geometry, Clearance & Ride Character

The C72 carries a slightly higher stack-to-reach ratio than the C68, leaning further into a balanced endurance geometry without softening into pure comfort territory. The result is a riding position that's sustainable over long days and genuinely fast over shorter aggressive rides — the C72 doesn't ask you to choose. Riders switching from race-first platforms often find the C72 is the bike that keeps them riding longer and harder over time because it's never working against them.

Tire clearance runs to 35mm on standard 700c wheels — wider than most performance road frames of this class. You can run 25mm race tires on a flat stage and 32mm training tires on a hilly mixed-surface day. The C72 accommodates the full range of how serious road cyclists actually ride. Axle standards are 12x100mm front and 12x142mm rear thru-axle, with flat mount disc brakes and rotor compatibility up to the standard race sizes.

Seven sizes are available — 42, 45.5, 48.5, 51, 53, 55, and 57cm — covering the full spread of road cyclists with a size range that allows for precise fit across the geometry. Colorways at RA Cycles include HFRD (Black/Red), HFWS (Black/Silver/White), HFBK (Black Glossy/Matte), and HFTB (Blue/Light Blue).

CC.02 Integrated Cockpit

The C72 includes Colnago's CC.02 integrated carbon handlebar and stem — 15 grams lighter than the previous CC.01 version and updated with a revised drop curve and increased flare at the drops. The cockpit is built for the frame: proportioned by size, routed cleanly through internal channels, and specified by Colnago as the right fit for the C72's geometry and ride intent. All cabling routes internally through the cockpit and frame, keeping the front end clean and uncluttered — a detail that matters both visually and in terms of aerodynamic consistency.

Down Tube Storage

The C72 features a flush-mounted down tube storage compartment that houses a storage pouch containing a mini ratchet wrench, CO2 cartridge inflator, and one TPU inner tube. The bottle cages run flush with the frame. This is not a concession to practicality — it's Colnago integrating the details of a long-distance road ride into the frame without asking you to carry a bag or compromise the clean Italian silhouette of the bike. Everything you need for a mechanical is already there.

BSA 68 Bottom Bracket — Native SRAM DUB Fit

The C72 uses a BSA 68mm threaded bottom bracket shell — the traditional standard that SRAM DUB was designed around. SRAM DUB BSA bottom brackets thread directly into the C72 shell with no adapters required, no press-fit risk, and no long-term creak concerns. For a SRAM AXS build, this is the cleanest possible frame-to-drivetrain relationship. The shell is large-diameter for stiffness, fully threaded for durability, and directly compatible with the SRAM AXS ecosystem from day one.

SRAM AXS — Choosing Your Build

At RA Cycles, we build the C72 with SRAM AXS wireless shifting across three tiers. SRAM Red AXS E1 is Colnago's own flagship choice — the lightest groupset in the SRAM road lineup, with the most refined shift quality, ceramic bearings, and the full wireless experience at the highest level. SRAM Force AXS brings the same wireless platform and nearly identical real-world performance to a more accessible price point, sharing the same rear derailleur architecture and AXS app integration as Red. SRAM Rival AXS is the most accessible entry into wireless road shifting without leaving the AXS ecosystem — the same protocol, the same app, the same UDH-compatible hanger standard.

All three tiers share the AXS wireless system and thread natively into the C72's BSA 68 shell via SRAM DUB. Your build consultant will work through cassette range, rotor size, crankset, and wheel selection based on how you ride and what you're optimizing for.

Building Your C72 at RA Cycles

RA Cycles has been an authorized Colnago dealer since 1976, and the C-Series has been the most sold bike series in our store's history. When you build a C72 with us, you're working with a team that has built hundreds of these frames and knows this platform in detail. We'll guide you through groupset tier, wheel selection, cockpit sizing, and fit so that the bike you receive is optimized for the rider you are — not a spec that happened to be in stock.

The C72 ships as a custom build. Contact us to begin the build process, discuss configuration, and confirm availability. Builds typically require lead time depending on component and frameset availability.

Key Specs

Frame: Lugged carbon construction, seven-tube bonded assembly, handmade in Italy | Weight: 895g (size 48.5, unpainted) | Bottom Bracket: BSA 68mm threaded | Fork: Full carbon monocoque disc, integrated cable routing, 1-1/8" steerer | Tire Clearance: 35mm (700c) | Cockpit: CC.02 integrated carbon handlebar and stem (included) | Storage: Down tube compartment with tools pouch | Axles: 12x100mm front / 12x142mm rear | Brakes: Flat mount disc | Sizes: 42, 45.5, 48.5, 51, 53, 55, 57cm | Colors at RA: HFRD, HFWS, HFBK, HFTB | Production: Limited to 3,000 frames/year