Sixty-eight years since Ernesto Colnago based the Italian model, Colnago has as we speak unveiled what it describes as ‘A New Colnago’, because it launches a brand new bike, a brand new enterprise mannequin, and a brand new means of securing possession of its bikes.
The bike will mark these 68 years with its title, referred to as the C68, and shall be positioned because the model’s top-tier providing, with a hero construct worth set at €16,780. The brand new enterprise mannequin includes the opening up of a direct-to-consumer gross sales channel in Europe and the UAE, during which shoppers can configure and purchase immediately from the Colnago web site. The third change – the securing of motorbike possession – comes through leveraging blockchain expertise with an NFT successfully changing the standard certificates of possession.
New bike(s)
Sitting alongside the V3Rs on the high of the Colnago hierarchy, the C68 is aimed toward riders who aren’t essentially chasing race efficiency. Colnago says that whereas the V stands for victory and velocità, the C is consultant of Colnago, carbon, Cambiago (the Italian city during which the bike is constructed), and sophistication.
With that in thoughts, the C68 is now obtainable in three separate iterations catering to street, all-road, and gravel use, however slightly than merely changing parts to swimsuit the terrain like how Wilier’s Rave SLR may be modified from all street to gravel, Colnago says there are three totally different frames all bearing the C68 moniker. Because of this, there are 18 totally different body sizes to select from; seven street, six all-road, and 5 gravel. Colnago additionally says a rim brake model of the street body shall be made obtainable from August.
Colnago has continued to depend on its modular development for the body, successfully utilizing carbon lugs to affix collectively the tubes as an alternative of assembling them inside a mould. Colnago says the result’s a body that may be higher fine-tuned to particular match necessities, in addition to offering a cleaner extra fashionable aesthetic. A run of restricted version bikes can even be constructed utilizing 3D-printed titanium lugs.
Colnago claims a weight of 925g for a uncooked, unpainted carbon body, with the restricted version body bearing titanium lugs being 935g. All frames shall be fitted with a threaded T47 backside bracket, in addition to CeramicSpeed’s SLT headset which shall be lined by a lifetime assure. Bikes shall be fitted with the identical seatpost customary because the C64 and V3Rs, and a brand new CC.01 one-piece cockpit can even be obtainable.
NFT
Every bike shall be fitted with an NC tag on the down tube, performing as a body quantity or ‘digital passport’ for the bike. This passport will enable the proprietor to register their possession; knowledge which is able to then be saved in blockchain. Colnago believes that is the way forward for bike possession, stopping the potential lack of the paper certificates.
Colnago additionally claims the NFT will enable certification of the bike’s participation in ‘unique and official occasions’, particulars of that are mentioned to be coming within the second half of this yr.
New enterprise mannequin
Alongside the launch of the C68, Colnago has additionally quietly introduced its swap to an omnichannel enterprise mannequin, which means that Colnago is not solely a business-to-business model.
In a transfer that bears numerous similarities to Specialised’s current swap to the identical mannequin, prospects in Europe and the UAE will now be capable of purchase direct from Colnago’s web site, with the bike’s supply being obtainable through a ‘white glove’ service during which a Colnago worker will hand-deliver the bike, slightly than counting on third social gathering courier companies.
