The first C40 was introduced to the pro peloton in secret, as a test prototype beneath Tony Rominger in the 1993 Vuelta. It was the bike that would finally make carbon fiber frames mainstream, and it did so in convincing fashion. But Colnago designed it for performance, not beauty. The C40, with more traditional straight tubes and lugged construction, seemed almost pedestrian in comparison. With its svelte monocoque frame and prototype one-piece wheels-developed with the help of Ferrari’s Formula 1 engineers-the C35 was a technical showcase demonstrating what was possible with carbon fiber. Its predecessor, the C35, wasn’t either, but it was at least ostentatious enough to bring the shop to a standstill as people hoarded around to take their Snapchat and Instagram photos.
So, what was so special about the C40 that we took in? As the history books have written, it wasn’t the first carbon bike ever made, not by a long shot. I simply had to ride it, and not even a slight aversion to the Spinergy wheels could stop me. As someone who grew up with Mapei as my favorite team, the C40 has been a bike I’ve been lusting after for over a decade. The moment this classic Rabobank-colored C40 appeared in the shop, it was inevitable that I would ride it. If you’re of a certain, respectable age, the C40 was probably at one point your dream bike. To mark his 40th anniversary in 1994, Ernesto created a special bike, also all dressed in carbon, and, thanks to the Mapei team, it would go on to dominate an era. At the time, it was the fastest, most powerful and most expensive car Ferrari had built. For Ferrari’s 40th anniversary they created the F40, an ultralight, twin-turbo supercar wrapped completely in carbon Kevlar.
They are both companies driven to win.īoth brands also have a habit of celebrating important anniversaries by building special genre-defining machines. Between the two iconic Italian brands, they have produced countless wins and champions. The greatest pro cycling team of the ’90s, Mapei, rode Colnagos. The legendary Eddy Merckxĭominated the peloton for years and set the hour record aboard Colnagos. Ferrari has a long and storied history in Formula 1, the highest echelon on motor racing, while Colnago’s bikes have been featured beneath many of the world’s greatest riders. They are benchmarks in their respective categories, and their brand mystique is only enhanced by a strong Both brands also have that innate desirability that stems from some ethereal combination of flair and class that some say can only beĪttributed to Italian blood and Italian passion. This partnership continued for decades with Colnago producing a range of special-edition Ferrari bikes. Their founders, Ernesto Colnago and Enzo Ferrari, began collaborating in the 1980s to advance carbon technology in cycling. I’ve often thought that owning a Colnago would be the closest someone like me would ever come to owning a Ferrari.
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