Crankycrank

$555.00 shipped + taxes and no fork. Add a cut in the headtube and I would call that not a bargain even if it is a Colnago. Aluminum frames have improved quite a bit since that one was made with shaped tubing and whatnot so if you want a frame with a better ride look for something else and probably less $$$$.

smd4

^^What he said.

FBinNY 

Interesting point, but raises a question.

What would this frame be worth if it weren't for this issue.

If that's much higher than the cost to mill the H/T, than it's a good buy.

In fact, if sans defect would command a better price, the seller would be (or would have been) wise to address the issue then relist accordingly.

smd4

Good question.

Maybe $200 more undamaged?

And no fork? Although that could be a blessing in disguise if you want to put a normal curved, instead of straight, fork on it.

GamblerGORD53

$49.95 is more like it. Don't reward the dummy seller.

smd4

No one’s asked, but maybe because it’s a Colnago?

FBinNY 

Not an issue, since it's purely the OP's decision.

This is a mechanics forum, not classic, or trading. The OP raised a straightforward question, and by implication we can assume he felt the frame was worth it but.....

We addressed the issue, so the next step is on the OP.

BTW - Based on decades of life learning, I make it a point to avoid robbing people of the joy of their emotional purchases.

maddog34

i think that's too much for an aluminum frame With NO FORK .

those Colnago decals sure do blind people... they must be highly reflective or something...?
heck, Colnago farms out most of their frame building, right?


SMH

Kontact 

Not just stickers - usually cool paint, too.


$495 is only asking price. There is a "make offer" button.

maddog34

here.. buy this... it's a bargain.
https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/b...588233891.html

maddog34

seen that.. i'd maybe offer $250, and mention the missing fork... but still... it's an Aluminum bike with paint scars.

the steering head notch is a non-factor. I've seen that before.. thinking it's a locator for a jig or a stress RELIEF thing.

there was a lengthy thread on an all-steel forum about colnagos... a history article pointed out the fact that MOST steel Colnagos are made by other shops...Ernesto decals or not. That forum is chock full of Industry legends and the like.... i highly doubt the aluminum ones are custom builds from the Actual Colnago boys and girls.... and note the Fillet weld finishing work...

i'd pass on it. Frame prices are currently high anyway, across the board... "Spring frenzy" time

Kontact 

The OP said its a dream frame for him. Why don't you just let him have his dream? It isn't like $500 is that much for a name brand frame, regardless of how little you personally care for Colnago.

veganbikes

It's a Dream frame for anyone who want's to purchase it actually. It is a Colnago model designation and if I wanted one it would be in Team Mapei colors like this one. However I personally wouldn't want an aluminum frame from them, maybe a Glico tubed Arabesque or something made for Eddy Merckx now that would be a dream but honestly I would rather just have a more modern bike custom made from steel or titanium for me. I like vintage stuff and I like the idea of collecting but I want bikes to ride. If I had a huge house and loads of money sure I would love to collect bikes and such but riding some old used aluminum bike that someone was cutting into and has seen some usage and is unknown is a good pass from me.

maddog34

I'd consider him happy if he gets it at $250...i won't be in the competition... But you seem to want the person to overspend... he asked for opinions.,.. yours is that you want him to get overcharged... noted.

now.. let's look at two other prices suggested... $20 with local pickup, and $49.95...... yet you attacked my post like a rabid mouse on meth.

a road frame with no matching fork is worth half, IMO.
now go back to speculating about the importance of that milled notch in the head tube
My opinion is that it's used to precisely locate the frame in a jig. It's a mass production thing called "multiple work station repeatability." and is probably most important for properly aligning any milling operations on the freshly welded (and possibly warped) frames during manufacture. Computers just love fixed reference points.
just an opinionated guess.
got a problem with that?
take it up with your shrink.

smd4

He never said that. Although it is a Dream frame.

himespau 

Isn't Colnago Dream the model, not that it's his dream/grail bike?

I get really wanting a Colnago though. Now that I've got mine, it's definitely my prettiest bike in a vacuum. I also like the looks of my (unfortuntely wrecked by a car) Concorde Aquila in team PDM livery specifically because it looks like a late 80's pro racing bike, and my 96 Merckx Titanium EX isn't pretty the way my Colnago is, but it's got that late 60's muscle car beauty of something built for raw power. Aw heck, I'm not gonna lie, I just like looking at my bikes. Not quite as much as riding them, though.

Kontact 

Geez, get over yourself. Two of us on this thread have suggested that beating up the OP's desire for this bike is unnecessary, yet you felt the need to post essentially the same opinion three times. Everybody gets it - you don't like this frame.

The notch is not for fabrication. I don't know where you'd get a silly idea like that. You don't notch a tube (off center) that you're going to press a cup into. The notch, as I already pointed out, is probably from cutting out a stuck headset cup.

smd4

And that, too, is most likely incorrect.

Kontact 

So?

smd4

What?

Kontact 

I don't know what you think you're correcting.

The slot in the OPs photo is clearly something done with a cutting tool. It isn't a crack and it isn't something done intentionally at the factory.

There's plenty of dumb reasons someone might have cut into this headtube, but the most likely one that I can think of is getting a stuck cup out - just like you would with a stuck seat post. It isn't really important if that isn't actually what happened, but if you have an alternate theory it would be polite to offer it rather than just post a pointless negation.

smd4

Obviously, the cut was ACROSS the top of the head tube. And doesn't go deep enough to cut through a race. If one was cutting out a race (highly unlikely, unless you're an incompetent home mechanic who saws stuff out of your bike), you would cut the race vertically, to relieve the entire length of the race.

joesch

If you want a much better deal IMO and better version of that frame (+CF) and with HS, SP and fork then checkout this other ebay offering, search Colnago Dream HX 56 cm

alcjphil

I think that the frame defect could be overcome, but the asking price is much too high for an older aluminum frame no matter what the brand. These were great bikes back in their day, but even though aluminum has fallen out of favour for high end frames there are still companies who have advanced the art as far as aluminum frame design goes far beyond this example. To the OP: if this frame calls out to you, don't be afraid to offer a reasonable price, much, much less than the asking price. If your offer isn't accepted, it was never to be

maddog34

I got that "idea" from hard work and Experience.

Geez, get over yourself.