jjhabbs 

Hey guys. I got this bike a while back. I did a video on it. Let me know what you think. Is this a Colnago Mexico or Super?

Gary Fountain

I reckon it's a Colnago Nuovo Mexico with a beautiful 'Sarroni' paint scheme. Probably a 1983 vintage. A very desirable and beautiful bike.

I like your video too - well done.

jjhabbs 

So far with all the feedback I have gotten I'm in the same position that I was earlier. Half say its a Mexico, half say its a Super Profil. LOL

JOhn

Kabuki12

Very nice Colnago and good job on the video.. I have only had mine for a few months and it is a 1975 Super, I am pretty sure yours is not a Super. The pros on this forum will most probably be able to tell you. When you get ready to change out that stem I would be interested so keep me in mind. Mine is in "rider " condition but I plan to restore it at some point with an original orange paint job , but honestly I don't want to tear it down right now. It is just too sweet to ride even though I have a few other bikes to ride. I waited too long to get my hands on one of these stallions to stable it! Joe

Gary Fountain

I'm going to change my opinion. I didn't see the crimps inside the chainstays on my first viewing of your video (and no stay bridge). And I have trouble seeing the crimps in the downtube - I'm guessing one crimp on either side as I think you state in the video. I now think it's a Super Profil. Could you please take me out of the Nuovo Mexico basket and put me into the Super Profil basket - thanks.

Drillium Dude 

That's a repainted Nuovo Mexico frame with a substituted Super fork. Also, the single-bolt SR post was available from 1979, thus is appropriate for this bike.

DD

Kabuki12

^ ^ I believe the mystery is solved!

Belg-Ital Steel 

Nice bike. Agree DD nailed it. I have a Colnago with similar crimped tubing and a slightly different crowned Colnago engraved fork. As best I know, my fork is original to my frame. Many years ago, I asked on this forum for help to ID which model of Colnago I had acquired. My Colnago was subsequently identified as a 1983 Nouvo Mexico. A picture of the fork crown on my Nouvo Mexico is shown at the: Show us your Colnago thread, post number 122.

jjhabbs 

Hey guys

After many comments and opinions I believe that we have an early 80s Colnago Super Profil. Could be wrong but that's what I'm thinking

JJ

Gary Fountain

From the 1985 catalogue:



One set of bidon mounts, flat faced seat stay caps with cast in 'COLNAGO'. Good to see the cast front fork crown. I wonder how many crimps are in the top and down tubes?

Question: Has the Mexico morphed into the Profil or did they exist at the same time?

Question: Is it true that Mexico's didn't have crimps on the inside surfaces of the chain stays? I have seen quite a few Mexico's with crimps on the inside faces of the chain stays. The examples of Mexico's shown in the Colnago catalogues, on the Bulgier site, seem to show these chain stay crimps too. Here is an example:


From the Colnago catalogue probably circa 1983/4.

As you can see the above frame is designated 'Colnago Nuovo Mexico Profil'. Do we know this one frame as two models - the 'Nuovo Mexico' and the 'Profil'?
Question: Are they actually the same frame regardless of how many crimps are in the down tube?

From above. As you can see, this frame has a crimped LH chain stay:



My observations of the down tube: Mainly using the 'bent' shadow and highlight on the down tube it appears that this frame has one crimp on either side of the down tube ( 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock):





Super; Super Profil; Mexico; Nuovo Mexico; Nuovo Mexico Profil; Profil; They're all nice.

Gary Fountain

I have, what I believe to be a re-finished 1983 Colnago Mexico 58cm x 57cm (with the plain round tubes). It has crimped chain stays. The previous owner (and re-conditioner) assured me that the frame was, indeed, a Mexico frame which he chased for some time. The bike, as you see it, weighs 20 1/2 lbs which is by far the lightest steel bike of this vintage in my stable of bikes. None of the components has been lightened and, if anything, the gold flourishes in the 50th gruppo components may weigh a little heavier. Due to its overall weight I'm more than convinced that it is a Mexico model:



Why am I including this bike example - because it has crimped chain stays. Should Mexico's have crimped chain stays or not?

This Colnago Mexico is 1lb lighter than my similar sized Colnago Tecnos 57cm x 57cm which weighs 21 1/2 lbs as you see it (without pump and saddle bag). The Tecnos frames are supposed to be Colnago's lightest production frame:

Sir_Name 

My ‘83 Nuovo Mexico (or is it Super Profil??) matches the bike in the video with exception of the fork crown and quality of paint. I would also guess repaint and replacement fork, but that’s just a SWAG.

I went down the Nuovo Mexico vs Super Profil rabbit hole a couple of years ago with my own example and never landed anywhere definitively. In some threads here I call mine a NM, others a SP depending on what side of the fence I was/am on at that time. I tend to consider it a NM, but am open to the possibility of it being SP.

One detail that could help is that mine is a Boule d’Or team bike ridden by Danny Van Baelen. I haven’t done a dig for info on the team or rider in some time, but if a source was found stating that in ‘83 the team or rider rode Colnago NM/SP that could help push the needle one way or the other depending on quality of the source. So far, everything I’ve found has just stated that they rode Colnagos.

Curious to see where this conversation goes, but wouldn’t be surprised if there’s no resolution beyond saying, “Yep, that’s a Colnago.”

Whatever name, that’s a sweet rose. Hope the owner enjoys it.

joesch

David Mclean nailed it on your YT vid: @jjhabbs what I think you got there is a Colnago Super Profil (1983?) version #3 (no chainstay bridge). This model supposedly matches the bike Saronni rode to win the 1982 World Championships. The fork and fork crown look about right for this model. Colnago calls the crimps in the tudes "ribs"

Drillium Dude 

You know, using the term "Colnago Super Profil" to denote a model name is inaccurate. Heck, the above catalog scans even show there are separate "Profil" and "Super" models. There was also a model in 1982 known as a Profil CX with "ribbed" tubing, top-mounted gear levers and a special fork crown in addition to other details. No literature I've seen from this period - catalog scans included - from Colnago sports any mention of a model known as a "Super Profil". Show me and I'll believe it, but until then I'm not buying it.

I see the moniker all over the internet when I do a search - here's just one self-styled expert who's got a number of things wrong in his post; see if you can figure out what they are: Rabbit Hole

The details of this frame speak for themselves. FFS, I have one and have had it since 1994; the only difference is mine has the original, fully-sloping crown vice the incorrect semi-sloping crown found on the OP's frame. By the time these frames were being sold to the public they all had fully-sloping fork crowns. Even Sarroni's 1982 WC machine already used this updated crown.

Using this erroneous model name just adds to the confusion.

DD

jjhabbs 

lighten up francis.

Drillium Dude 

Did you really want accurate info or were you just using the Forum as yet another opportunity to say "look at all the NOS blingy bikes and stuff I've got and I never ride any of them"? Just curious

DD

merziac

You know that's not what we do here.

jjhabbs 

Just messing around. Sorry if I offended. By the way. What else do we use this forum for? We used to celebrate others fun bikes. I assume we are still doing that. If I can show my stuff here where else do I do it? Maybe a running forum? LOL.

I just know you guys appreciate the bicycles here. That's why I post. Im obviously not a Campagknowitall either so I need everyones expertise.

Cheers

JJ

Gary Fountain

Hi jjhabbs, You are right, this forum has a lot of functions for a very wide variety of members. The most important aspect of this forum, to me, is the respect offered to each member no matter their interests or experience.

Take this thread, your thread, for instance: Your initial question was to gain opinions as to the model Colnago you had. It turned out that you had made this enquiry before and you were looking to expand on the responses you already had which tended to fall into 2 outcomes. As this topic has been well and truely investigated before, as you no doubt know, with a few that have set themselves up as authorities on this topic in other forums and websites, I'm sure you would not be expecting total agreement within our forum community. And it turned out that way, probably as expected.

As you have probably observed, participation in 'Colnago' threads has dropped off lately. Years ago, a 'Colnago' thread could attract page after page of responses but I think many lovers of classic bikes are over the discussion of Colnago facts and figures. I also think that if you have Colnago ingrained within your being that person is always going to be an interested participant. There is still no way of ignoring Colnago as it is a bicycling institution. I think many will be drawn to open your thread and admire your bike without offering a comment.

Being a Colnago tragic myself, you were always going to attract me. I also feel the lack of clarity surrounding the Colnago bike history. I think I have come to accept the uncertainty surrounding the Colnago bike model historical facts and tell myself that it just as good as it is going to get. It's like applying road rules to Italian motorists - close enough is probably good enough. Unfortunately, it seems, that recording the intricate history of the Colnago manufacturing milestones was never really an aim of Ernesto Colnago. I suppose quality bikes and their development and being ahead of the game was Ernesto's driving force.

Personally and frustratingly and tragically, I like facts and dates so what little information that is available, regarding Colnago, is important to me. It's such a shame that one important source of information, the few catalogues publicly available, are of such poor photographic quality and sometimes devoid of dates. Written descriptions are vague and only designed to be brief to give prospective buyers a glimpse of any particular model. I wish they were a catalogue of the model range at that particular point in time but they're not.

Why oh why did I feel drawn to COLNAGO all those many years ago? It is what it is I suppose.

Historically, and into the future, questions regarding Colnago models, serial numbers, build dates, colour schemes, fit outs and who actually built the frame will continue to yield our interpretations of the facts as we know them. Ranging from almost certain facts, first hand information to rumours we have heard and to our best individual guesstimations. I'm very confident that each and every piece of advice, offered by any member of this forum, is offered as their contribution truthfully and helpfully.

That being said, the secondary function of this thread, and probably many, many threads, is to display your bike. You did this through a great little video. (Yes, I think it's a re-paint too.) I know, for one, that I really enjoyed looking at your beautiful bike and, as you mentioned 'Colnago' in the title of this thread you would, more than likely, be attracting members sympathetic to the Colnago brand - which you did. A more sympathetic audience and probably a little more knowledgable about the Colnago brand too. I really appreciated getting to know the person behind the bike which was even more valuable to me.

Oh yeah, Love your bike(s) jjhabbs.

Gary.

jjhabbs 

Thanks so much for your input! I agree with ya. I did post this before asking the question but In my mind it was never settled. That may be my thick headedness. Maybe a little of my ignorance. This time I did it for my channel that has a lot more reach and I just happened to post it here. Sometimes I post something and after a few weeks I dont check the thread. Im a pretty busy person in some seasons and the answer might be there in front of me and I may have missed it. It was confusing because I respect most folks opinions and I have many people I respect giving me different answers. It's all good. I should of been more sensitive on this site since I already asked this group and possibly shouldn't have posted the video here. When growing a Youtube channel sometimes you ask a question in the title of the video to spark interest. I did genuinely ask the question however usually videos asking a question get more attention. Oddly enough compared to other videos that I've done this one is falling on it's face LOL. My last paramount video got 3 times the views. Crazy.

I'm very grateful to this group. I learn so much here.

I thank everyone for their input and knowledge. Big time!

Thanks

JJ

jjhabbs 

Dang those are pretty..

JJ

Gary Fountain

Thanks JJ.

I too am not 100% on the model, etc., of the red Colnago above. I think I'm that way with at least half by bikes.

Drillium Dude may have been direct in his response - he is a military man, haha. You won't find a more supportive and sharing person within this forum of supportive people. He's also very observant and knowledgable regarding Colnago.

I can very well appreciate the interest in your Paramount - great bikes with the heart of the USA built into them.

Gary.

bikingshearer 

I'm mildly surprised by the Columbus tubing sticker. If we are thinking the frame is from the early 80s (and I have absolutely nothing to add to that discussion - I know zip about Colnagos), I would expect the sticker to identify it as either "SL" or "SP" instead of the older sticker that just says "Columbus," especially as one the more or less contemporaneous ads makes a point of saying the advertised frame is made of Columbus SL. Maybe somebody (Columbus or Colnago) had a bunch of older stickers lying around and decided to keep using them until they ran out. It wouldn't be the first time somebody did that, in the bike world and elsewhere.

Significant? Almost certainly not. And it certainly doesn't change the fact that that is one freakin' gorgeous bike.

Gary Fountain

Hi bikingshearer, everything about bikes is constantly changing and nothing seems to make sense - its always been that way. Tubing decals are a good example. I think the Columbus tubing decal used on the beautiful bike in the video is appropriate to the vintage of the bike (1983). The Columbus decals with the blue border signify Columbus SL which is probably the tubing material the bike is constructed from. This frame was probably Columbus SL Record which was a thinner version (I think) of SL. I think there were a couple of versions of this style of Columbus decal before the SL was introduced to the decal. I think the Columbus decal with the included SL was introduced a year or two after this frame was built.

joesch

Good point on the incorrect or inaccurate model name.
Q: Why would the semi-sloping crown be incorrect if it was a revision or change that even Sarroni used ?