HPL

The history of the blue Super: original owner purchased in Italy (custom order bike: factory stock frame size with full braze-on package: TT guides, DT shifter & cage bosses, BB shell guides, stay stop; fully chromed fork and crown) and fit with a Nuovo Record/Record complete gruppo in late 1976. I purchased the bike in mid 1986 and was told it was over 10 years old at that time; verified later for year/season of original purchase. Owner (a friend, coworker, and ride partner) sold bike to me in order to purchase another Super custom ordered larger size frame (no braze-ons, no chrome, but with custom fit frame) again direct from the factory. All original Campy dated components (cranks, rear derailleur, hubs) are from 1974; front derailleur is of the post-1972 to pre-1978 design. Original parts as it sits: Campy Nuovo Record front & rear mechs and brake calipers; Campy Record hubs, cranks, shifters, seat post, and headset; 3ttt Record stem; Gerry Burgess bar. Replaced/Modified parts Super Champion Gentleman rims built-up on original Record hubs with Sun Tour 6 spd FW (unknown what original FW make was or if 5 or 6 spd)(1980/81), Campy Super Record brake levers (new in box, received with bike) replaced Nuovo Record levers (1986), Bullseye pulleys replaced Campy pulleys (1987), LOOK pedals replaced Nuovo Record pedals (1988), Campy Athena BB assy replaced EDCO Competition BB assy (1994) which had previously replaced the Nuovo Record BB assy (yr unknown). Unknown if chainstay foil guard was from the factory or added before my ownership; one would think it would match the other stay decal, but it does not. There may be another factory decal under the foil which does match the left stay; who knows, I am not restoring any frame details just parts.

Nutted non-recessed brake mounting, Campy portacatena pre-drilled dropout.

As far as I know, Campy introduced the portacatena set-up around 1977; but I do not know if this was just when the general public was first able to get it. I had a bike of known history with a frame made prior to 1977 which also was built from the shop with Campy dropouts for use with the portacatena system. One would assume that Campy had this system in development stages for years prior to its official introduction making it quite plausible and more than reasonable for frames to have been made in anticipation of the new gadget/gimmick soon to hit the market before circa 1977; also evident of how much of a flop the design was: you would still see those portacatena dropouts being used on some new frames well after the system was discontinued (have to get rid of the old stock somehow).

The frame may be of 1977 design (even though purchased in '76) given the fork features, but I have never seen those decals (paint and decals are original) on any Super or any other model. I have compared those decals to assumed model years from the early '70s up to 1980 on beyond, and I still have not seen those decals on another Colnago frame. Any ideas? The decals on the green bike are the closest in looks, but are quite obviously different; and I have seen those decals on many frames although without knowing the years of frame manufacture.

With the known facts I would not be able to call it a 1977 (or later) model, nor given specific features (portacatena dropout, fork crown pantograph) call it a 1974 model (or earlier). It does not match anything so I'll stick calling it circa 1976 model until someone has definitive proof to show otherwise. If there is evidence that Campy never had a dropout pre-drilled for using a portacatena in 1976 then I'll call it a 1977 when I am sure Campy already had the portacatena dropouts being manufactured.

Unfortunately, Colnago (and many other builders) often changed features mid-stream during a "model year", had most features available as build options (chrome, paint, braze-ons); and their own catalogs were often inaccurate, both in description and image (poor images, stock photos used for multiple years even when features changed); pretty much until late '80s to '90s. If Colnago themselves do not know, how are we ever going to establish something definitive? We cannot; it will just be best guesses unless a "Colnago Rossetta Stone" is unearthed by anthropologists in the distant future.