Colnago V1-R Disc Frameset

Colnago V1-R Disc Frameset Info

Colnago might seem like a traditionalist company, but that’s only when looking in the rear-view mirror. They’re constantly trying new things, much of it is trying new things to improve the product and anticipate the future. The V1-R Disc frameset is the future set up now. It’s an aero road bike with rotor disc brakes.

If you’re at all familiar with the V1-R frameset, you know that the rim brake version is the lightest and most aero road bike the Italian company has ever produced. Blame obsessive designers for the weight and long-term partnership with Ferrari for the aero.

Add road disc brakes to the innovations found here. Colnago believes discs have a place on the road, and to prove it, they’ve adapted this platform to work with discs. They’re not just adding discs though; they’ve designed the frame to ride like a Colnago always does, with the discs merely being the stopping power. The fork has a Hexlock15 thru-axle system. The design, pioneered by Manitou, has a thru-axle quick release, which you install, turn 90-degrees, then close the lever. This system is fast, reliable, and allows Colnago the freedom to keep the fork blades thin and aero as the design not only prevents the hub from moving during hard braking, but also stiffens the legs. The stiffness means that steering is more precise and that hard braking won’t affect steering. The rear dropout has an innovative brake mount where one post mounts into the chain stay, while the other mounts to an external tab that centers with the installation of the rear wheel. This system is lighter, speeds installation and reduces the need to center the caliper after putting in the wheel. In both front and rear, the mounts embedded in the frame are aluminum both for durability and heat dissipation. The rear is designed for 140mm rotors. The front is designed for 140mm as well, though can work with 160mm rotors if an adapter is installed.

Like these caliper innovations, the V1-R has a number of standards that it has developed itself for both precision and durability. The tapered steerer runs on 1 1/8” and 1 ¼” bearings, but the bearings themselves are installed into aluminum cups that can be replaced. This feature protects the fork and frame in hard crashes as well as when you inadvertently ride with the headset out of adjustment. The Threadfit82.5 bottom bracket is much the same. While the result is you have BB86 that can work with lots of cranks, including BB386EVO, but their way of getting to that point is to install a threaded steel sleeve in the bottom bracket to which they install removable aluminum cups. The cups can be replaced if damaged, and the more precise fit reduces the possibility of bottom bracket creaks to nearly nothing.

All the cool innovations in the world mean nothing if the bike doesn’t ride well. Ride is what Colnago hangs their helmet on. This is their racing geometry, and as always, comfort plays an important part of the equation. You can’t ride fast on the fastest bike in the world if you’re not comfortable. Colnago wants you to feel as comfortable on this bike after seven hours as you do after 30 minutes. They achieve this result by limiting tubing sizes. The fork is aero, but slender for the aero category. The seat stays are thin to allow them to soak up bumps. And the aero seat post, while employing a Kamm-tail like shape that matches the seat tube, has a cross-section identical to a 27.2mm seat post.

While disc-brake bikes can’t be ridden in the pro peloton yet, both climbers and sprinters on the Europcar team have gravitated to the rim-brake version of the V1-R.

The bike can be set up with either mechanical or electronic shifting. The internal cable runs come with covers to accommodate both. For those going electronic, there is the freedom to run Shimano Di2 with a seat post battery or Campagnolo EPS with a seat tube battery—the EPS charging port goes under the downtube. The brakes can be set up either as hydraulic or mechanical.

The Disc Brake Colnago V1-R is a bike ahead of its time.