Colnago Ottanta Super Record EPS

Tube-and-Lug Construction

Colnago has built bikes since Ernesto founded the company in 1954, and the tube-and-lug method is part of that story. On the Ottanta, round carbon tubes are bonded into carbon lugs, with a fluted top tube and a square down tube that uses an internal I-beam reinforcement. Colnago describes tolerances as tight as 0.15mm in how the tubes meet the lugs. The frame uses internal cable routing and an integrated headset, and the fork has a tapered steerer, 1 1/8" at the top and 1 1/4" at the bottom, for a stiff front end.

The gold paint is the part everyone sees first. Arabesque decoration runs across the lugs, and the original Eagle and Arrow head badge sits up front. It reads as a tribute to a builder whose name has been on the top tube of countless race bikes, and not as a decal-and-paint exercise.

Super Record EPS, Rim Brakes

The groupset is Campagnolo Super Record EPS, 11-speed electronic shifting, with Super Record shifters, front and rear derailleurs, chain and a carbon crankset with 53/39 chainrings. The 11-25 cassette is a close-ratio setup that suits fast riding on rolling or flat roads more than steep, loaded climbs. Braking is by Super Record rim brake calipers, so this bike keeps the classic look of a pre-disc race bike. Wet-weather stopping is different from a disc brake setup, and that is worth knowing before you buy.

50mm Carbon Tubulars

The wheels are Campagnolo Carbon 50mm tubulars, wrapped in Vittoria tires. Tubulars are glued or taped to the rim, which many experienced riders prefer for ride quality and for how the wheel feels in a fast corner. They…