Colnago C68 Rim 2025
Category: BICYCLE ROAD
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Colnago introduces the C68 Rim Brake, a carbon road bike with rim brakes. It is the latest addition to the C series.
The C68 Rim Brake shares the design and geometry of the C68 Road, but differs in its braking system: the traditional rim brakes.
Being part of the C68 family, the C68 Rim Brake is also a modular frame, entirely built in Italy, hand-assembled in Cambiago using the handcrafted process of the C series.
C means Carbon, Colnago, Cambiago, Class. 68 represents how far Colnago has come since the year in which we were founded, 1954.
C Series models are dedicated to the handmade multi-part Italian tradition processes and to those who love road bikes with a unique and exclusive design.
Colnago has another top-of-the-range model, the V, which is dedicated to races: the Colnago racing bike, the UAE Team Emirates and UAE Team ADQ bike.
The C and V personas are different.
Colnago introduces the C68 Rim Brake, a carbon road bike with rim brakes. It is the latest addition to the C series.
The C68 Rim Brake shares the design and geometry of the C68 Road, but differs in its braking system: the traditional rim brakes.
Being part of the C68 family, the C68 Rim Brake is also a modular frame, entirely built in Italy, hand-assembled in Cambiago using the handcrafted process of the C series.
Presenting a rim brakes bike in 2024 is a choice that could be perceived as “unconventional” considering the current trends in the market. Even more so because it is made by Colnago - the brand that first introduced hydraulic disc brakes on a road bike back in 2013, before any of the big manufacturers.
This bike, however, was designed and put into production specifically for those cyclists still fond of the traditional rim brake system.
For these people it is now almost impossible to find a modern frame with traditional brakes. Colnago wants to be there for these dedicated and passionate cyclists and does so with its most prestigious bike: the C68.
The bikes of the C68 family are made using a modular structure which is at the heart of the project and provides its excellence. Gluing the various parts of the frame, instead of assembling them inside a mold as happens with monocoque frames, still represents a uniqueness.
This feature allows us to customise the frame as much as possible, even for really small production lots. The rim brake version is possible thanks to this modularity.
Focusing on the design rationale, we used to build frames with lugs and straight/simple tubes. The C68 has parts composed with tubes and lugs together, because to reach the same target of lug construction we don’t require so many joints.
There are still some visible joint on the C68 (such as the upper headtube and the seatpost clamp area) to trace back to our root, while other joints are now invisible (like the rear triangle, the downtube-bb area and the top tube).
Why a lugged/multipieced frame instead of a monocoque design?
Obviously it’s not a viable option to have a custom sizing monocoque but we have a few more important advantages in the manufacturing method:
We can better control the lamination since the molds are smaller and fewer carbon parts compose the single component
We can use different proprietary technologies to achieve higher pressure inside the parts, which we can’t use on monocoque construction
We can be smarter in tuning the final product to match our customer target
From a structural point of view there are some noteworthy differences compared to the predecessor, C64: the bottom bracket, now with the standard T47, has merged with the seat tube while the "top tube" is characterized by the presence of two pieces / lugs: one connected with the seat tube, the other with the steering tube.
These pieces / lugs are integral with each other in the full carbon frame version.
Finally the frame is more rigid, especially in the steering area, giving better precision while riding.
The shape refinement process has also made it possible to optimize some parts of the frame including the fork, now more rigid and lighter than the previous one, with an innovative internal cable routing and which, thanks to the shape of the new head tube, can be built without the current and more complex "D" shape.
To maintain continuity in terms of spare parts and ease of production, the shape of the seat post is identical to that of the C64 and V3Rs. Finally, a new option allows for the removal of the front derailleur support for mounting groups with a single-chainring crankset.
The C68 features the stiff, secure and adaptable T47 bottom bracket standard.
Colnago first introduced a threaded oversized BB eight years ago with the C60, of which the T47 is ultimately derivative. Called Threadfit 82.5, it featured an 82.5mm wide 45mm threaded sleeveset, which was initially just a sleeve to be used with a common pressfit solution, but soon became a true threaded system with third party solution as the CeramicSpeed, Tripeak and other compatible systems.
Soon after, T47 was born around a pressfit shell dimension, effectively mirroring our solution with a slightly bigger diameter (45mm vs 47mm) and Colnago decided to adopt the T47 on future frames for the happiness of customers and shops.
The C68 Rim Brake will feature a CeramicSpeed SLT (Solid Lubrication Technology) headset guaranteed for life, simplifying maintenance and reducing costs in the long term. The headset is composed of two identical bearings using SLT technology. This means that Colnago and CeramicSpeed can offer a lifetime warranty on the bearings, because there’s no way to damage the balls inside thanks to the solid lubricating system. Replacing bearings on a fully integrated cable bike typically requires at least 1h30’ of a skilled mechanic’s time along with the replacement of parts.
Colnago C68 Rim Brake has been designed to fit the CC.01 Regular or the CC.01 Wide handlebars.
As per Colnago tradition to maintain maximum compatibility with every type of athlete, the possibility of mounting any 31.8 diameter handlebar with retractable cables using the Deda Superbox stem is guaranteed.
Finally, compatibility with the integrated Deda Alanera handlebar is also guaranteed.
Various novelties have been introduced in the C68 platform to make it rim-brakes-ready.
The fork has been modified to host a double-pivot brakes system.
The seat stays have been deeply revised structurally to host the brakes bridge.
The dropouts have been made out of titanium, a metal that perfectly bonds with carbon fiber without any risk of oxidation or damage of the structure. They are produced through 3D printing technology.
C68 Rim Brakes is compatible with dual-pivot calipers
For what concerns groupsets the C68 Rim brake is compatible only with electronic groupsets.
For instance, C68 Rim Brake is compatible with
Campagnolo Super Record EPS Groupset 2x12 - Mechanical Rim Brakes
Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 R9250 2x12v Rim Brake
Sram Force eTap AXS 2X Rim Brake Groupset
Included in the frame kit
Frame
Fork
Seatpost
Headset bearing cup + bearings
Other frame kit accessories
Colnago introduces the C68 Rim Brake, a carbon road bike with rim brakes. It is the latest addition to the C series.
The C68 Rim Brake shares the design and geometry of the C68 Road, but differs in its braking system: the traditional rim brakes.
Being part of the C68 family, the C68 Rim Brake is also a modular frame, entirely built in Italy, hand-assembled in Cambiago using the handcrafted process of the C series.
C means Carbon, Colnago, Cambiago, Class. 68 represents how far Colnago has come since the year in which we were founded, 1954.
C Series models are dedicated to the handmade multi-part Italian tradition processes and to those who love road bikes with a unique and exclusive design.
Colnago has another top-of-the-range model, the V, which is dedicated to races: the Colnago racing bike, the UAE Team Emirates and UAE Team ADQ bike.
The C and V personas are different.
Colnago introduces the C68 Rim Brake, a carbon road bike with rim brakes. It is the latest addition to the C series.
The C68 Rim Brake shares the design and geometry of the C68 Road, but differs in its braking system: the traditional rim brakes.
Being part of the C68 family, the C68 Rim Brake is also a modular frame, entirely built in Italy, hand-assembled in Cambiago using the handcrafted process of the C series.
Presenting a rim brakes bike in 2024 is a choice that could be perceived as “unconventional” considering the current trends in the market. Even more so because it is made by Colnago - the brand that first introduced hydraulic disc brakes on a road bike back in 2013, before any of the big manufacturers.
This bike, however, was designed and put into production specifically for those cyclists still fond of the traditional rim brake system.
For these people it is now almost impossible to find a modern frame with traditional brakes. Colnago wants to be there for these dedicated and passionate cyclists and does so with its most prestigious bike: the C68.
The bikes of the C68 family are made using a modular structure which is at the heart of the project and provides its excellence. Gluing the various parts of the frame, instead of assembling them inside a mold as happens with monocoque frames, still represents a uniqueness.
This feature allows us to customise the frame as much as possible, even for really small production lots. The rim brake version is possible thanks to this modularity.
Focusing on the design rationale, we used to build frames with lugs and straight/simple tubes. The C68 has parts composed with tubes and lugs together, because to reach the same target of lug construction we don’t require so many joints.
There are still some visible joint on the C68 (such as the upper headtube and the seatpost clamp area) to trace back to our root, while other joints are now invisible (like the rear triangle, the downtube-bb area and the top tube).
Why a lugged/multipieced frame instead of a monocoque design?
Obviously it’s not a viable option to have a custom sizing monocoque but we have a few more important advantages in the manufacturing method:
We can better control the lamination since the molds are smaller and fewer carbon parts compose the single component
We can use different proprietary technologies to achieve higher pressure inside the parts, which we can’t use on monocoque construction
We can be smarter in tuning the final product to match our customer target
From a structural point of view there are some noteworthy differences compared to the predecessor, C64: the bottom bracket, now with the standard T47, has merged with the seat tube while the "top tube" is characterized by the presence of two pieces / lugs: one connected with the seat tube, the other with the steering tube.
These pieces / lugs are integral with each other in the full carbon frame version.
Finally the frame is more rigid, especially in the steering area, giving better precision while riding.
The shape refinement process has also made it possible to optimize some parts of the frame including the fork, now more rigid and lighter than the previous one, with an innovative internal cable routing and which, thanks to the shape of the new head tube, can be built without the current and more complex "D" shape.
To maintain continuity in terms of spare parts and ease of production, the shape of the seat post is identical to that of the C64 and V3Rs. Finally, a new option allows for the removal of the front derailleur support for mounting groups with a single-chainring crankset.
The C68 features the stiff, secure and adaptable T47 bottom bracket standard.
Colnago first introduced a threaded oversized BB eight years ago with the C60, of which the T47 is ultimately derivative. Called Threadfit 82.5, it featured an 82.5mm wide 45mm threaded sleeveset, which was initially just a sleeve to be used with a common pressfit solution, but soon became a true threaded system with third party solution as the CeramicSpeed, Tripeak and other compatible systems.
Soon after, T47 was born around a pressfit shell dimension, effectively mirroring our solution with a slightly bigger diameter (45mm vs 47mm) and Colnago decided to adopt the T47 on future frames for the happiness of customers and shops.
The C68 Rim Brake will feature a CeramicSpeed SLT (Solid Lubrication Technology) headset guaranteed for life, simplifying maintenance and reducing costs in the long term. The headset is composed of two identical bearings using SLT technology. This means that Colnago and CeramicSpeed can offer a lifetime warranty on the bearings, because there’s no way to damage the balls inside thanks to the solid lubricating system. Replacing bearings on a fully integrated cable bike typically requires at least 1h30’ of a skilled mechanic’s time along with the replacement of parts.
Colnago C68 Rim Brake has been designed to fit the CC.01 Regular or the CC.01 Wide handlebars.
As per Colnago tradition to maintain maximum compatibility with every type of athlete, the possibility of mounting any 31.8 diameter handlebar with retractable cables using the Deda Superbox stem is guaranteed.
Finally, compatibility with the integrated Deda Alanera handlebar is also guaranteed.
Various novelties have been introduced in the C68 platform to make it rim-brakes-ready.
The fork has been modified to host a double-pivot brakes system.
The seat stays have been deeply revised structurally to host the brakes bridge.
The dropouts have been made out of titanium, a metal that perfectly bonds with carbon fiber without any risk of oxidation or damage of the structure. They are produced through 3D printing technology.
C68 Rim Brakes is compatible with dual-pivot calipers
For what concerns groupsets the C68 Rim brake is compatible only with electronic groupsets.
For instance, C68 Rim Brake is compatible with
Campagnolo Super Record EPS Groupset 2x12 - Mechanical Rim Brakes
Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 R9250 2x12v Rim Brake
Sram Force eTap AXS 2X Rim Brake Groupset
Included in the frame kit
Frame
Fork
Seatpost
Headset bearing cup + bearings
Other frame kit accessories
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