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Colnago Mexico from eBay

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Colnago Mexico from eBay

Old 01-25-23, 10:09 AM
  #26  
Hondo6
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Originally Posted by gsulit@shaw.ca
I finally got the frame 2 days ago, Jan 23 ( shipped from Croatia Nov. 8 ). It was delayed through the Christmas holidays and some issue with Canada Customs. Anyway, I weighed the frame and fork and they weigh 2540 grams ( the seller says 2570 grams ). It's in good shape, no dents, some scratches, scuffs and paint peeling here and there, but overall in good used condition. The seller of course says it is a Mexico but just about most of the responses here is that it is a Super. The frame is actually a 54 cm C-T.


According to the chart below, a 57cm Super frame and fork weighs 5 lbs, 15 oz ( 2693 grams ) and the 58 cm Mexico weighs 5 lbs, 9.5 oz. ( 2537 grams ). My 54 cm rame and fork weighs 2540 grams. The frame has these characteristics on it: cable guides bellow the bottom bracket, chrome fork is square at the top and has the clover with the word "Colnago" below it, there is a clover cutout below the bottom bracket, seat stay braze on is flat and has the word "Colnago" on it, there is a "clover" mark on the bottom headtube lug but none on the top, the chain stay bridge is an hourglass shape. There word "Colnago" is engraved on the outside of the chain stay, THERE IS NO CRIMP on the inside and outside of the of the chain stays.


A lot of things point out to it being a Super. The one feature that points to it being a Mexico is no crimps on the chain stays plus the weight 2540 grams although this is in 54 cm as opposed to the 2537 weight on a 58 cm Mexico.


I am happy either way and I know that I should just enjoy the bike and I will for sure. Part of me wants it to be a Mexico because of its rarity but part of me does not mind a Super as the tubings are thicker and less likely to break or rust through. And who really cares about some few hundred grams anyway? But it's nice to know. What do you guys think?
Have to admit I'm no Colnago or Columbus SL/SP expert. But something about that chart doesn't seem to make sense to me.

The 57cm Super is made from SL, with a quoted tubeset weight of 2065 grams. According to the same chart, the 57cm frame & fork w/o headset weighs 5 lb 15 oz, or about 2,693.2 grams.

The 58cm Super is made from SP, which is a heavier tubeset (thicker tube walls/butts for everything except the head and steerer tubes) at 2370 grams - 305 g more than the SL tubeset, or about 10.76 oz more. Yet the 58cm frame and fork weighs 5 lb 15 1/2 oz - or just 1/2 oz (about 14 grams) more.

The apparent weight discrepancy on the Mexico 58cm vs. the Super 58cm is even harder to understand. The tubeset weights are quoted above as differing by 720 grams - or about 1 lb 9 1/3 oz. Yet the quoted frame and fork combos (less headset) differ by only 6 oz, or about 168 g.

Last time I checked, CroMo steels all had essentially the same density. What am I missing? Where did the excess 291g (or possibly more, considering the longer tubes necessary in a 58cm frame) from the 58mm frame SP tubeset vice the 57cm frame tubes go? Where did the seemingly excess 550+ grams in the 58mm Mexico frameset (compared to the Mexico tubeset's weight) come from? I can't see how the lugs and brazing on the smaller Supers and the Mexico could add that much more weight vis-a-vis the larger Supers. And I'd think the BB shell/braze-ons/dropouts should weigh about the same on all 3 frames.

Last edited by Hondo6; 01-26-23 at 12:51 AM. Reason: Correct/clarify discussion of Mexico tubeset and fix typo.
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Old 01-28-23, 07:59 AM
  #27  
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Another thing to add on the Colnago frame is that there used to be a front derailleur mount braze-on because of the 2 weld marks on the downtube on opposite sides. Maybe this will add clue to this frame on what really this is. The weight of the frame alone at 1840 grams makes it a Super, but no crimps on the seat stays points to a Mexico.
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Old 01-28-23, 09:08 AM
  #28  
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Originally Posted by gsulit@shaw.ca
Another thing to add on the Colnago frame is that there used to be a front derailleur mount braze-on because of the 2 weld marks on the downtube on opposite sides. Maybe this will add clue to this frame on what really this is. The weight of the frame alone at 1840 grams makes it a Super, but no crimps on the seat stays points to a Mexico.

I think if you are happy with the frame as it arrived, a Colnago Super is a pretty good result.
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Old 01-28-23, 09:43 AM
  #29  
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Originally Posted by jdawginsc
I think if you are happy with the frame as it arrived, a Colnago Super is a pretty good result.
I agree. Thanks. You are right.
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