Colnago C68 review: An updated design and huge price tag, but is the old Colnago magic still there?

When I attended the launch of the new Colnago V4Rs, a bike that has since gone on to win Flanders and plenty of other races under Tadej Pogacar, I felt it was a little lacklustre for the 'average consumer', if such a thing exists for a fifteen thousand euro bicycle. I put this to Colnago, and the response was rather up front: The V4Rs isn’t for consumers; it’s for pro racers. They have different requests and stipulations than the consumer. The consumer, I was told, should buy the C68, as “It makes the very best feelings”. Regardless of how it is placed within the Colnago hierarchy, it still claims, culturally or explicitly, to be one of the best road bikes you can buy. 

Colnago has a place in the cycling psyche like no other brand. A heritage and history muddled together with famous race wins under the biggest names the sport has ever, and perhaps will ever see. The C68 is a fascinating bike on paper. It purports to be one of the best road bikes you can buy, but unlike the other contenders for the title, it’s never seen at the races. You’d never buy one to race it; that’s not what it’s for. It’s similar in that regard to the Specialized Aethos I suppose; a bike built for the experience, rather than race wins. It’s perhaps the closest thing you can get in cycling to owning a car for Sunday driving.

Recently I spent some time reviewing the new Campagnolo Hyperon Ultra wheels, which came attached to a Colnago C68, fully kitted out with Campagnolo Super Record EPS. It’s about as top-end as bicycles get, and I fully appreciate that this isn’t realistically going to be a consumer-facing piece for the vast majority of you, but regardless I’ll try and capture what it’s like to ride, and the usual pros and cons if you are thinking of dropping many thousands on one of your own.

Design and aesthetics

The whole basis of this bike is something of a throwback. Lugs were prevalent in the days of steel bikes and continued to find favour as a way to join carbon tubes through the use of alloy or titanium lugs too. Carbon lugs bonding carbon tubes, though? You don’t see that really outside of the C68 (yes, I’m counting the new C68 Allroad too). It creates a distinct look that sets the tone, especially at the head tube, and at the top of the seat tube, with noticeable bulges where the lugs remain. Elsewhere the lug profiles are smoothed to create a seamless transition, so the fact the lugs remain visible in places is clearly an aesthetic choice; I’m different from the others, it says.

The tubes, too, stand apart from a crowd of smooth organic shapes. Boxy at the lug junctions, they broadcast pretty clearly that this isn’t a bike that’s spent time in the wind tunnel. If you’re not making a race bike though, does that matter? If you’re making a bike that’s modus operandi is to create the very best feelings, do a few watts trimmed off at the expense of a distinctive aesthetic make any difference at all? I’d wager not. I’d actually argue the opposite, that if you’re spending this much on a bike just to enjoy riding that you should like the way it looks.

The look is distinct to the C68, with the red accentuating the lugs, and while the V4Rs looks a little plain this has a bit more of a certain something about it. It’s not subtle, and it’s got Italian vibes, but it’s not as madcap as Colnagos of days gone by, with neons and skeletons. The spark is there, visually, but it’s a little less bright than it has been. Take Nathan Haas’s Colnago gravel bike from Unbound in 2022, that’s the aesthetic that Colnago has been famous for in the past, and is in part responsible for the reputation the brand dines out on to this day. You can of course select your own colours at the point of purchase, but I would love to see some more loony options available. 

As a relevant diversion, Colnago was bought out in 2020 by a UAE investment firm, and I suspect that the slightly more muted aesthetic packages on offer is in order to cater to modern tastes rather than dictating them. Savvy business perhaps, but a little sad nonetheless. 

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Performance

A top-spec Colnago C68, kitted out with Super Record and brand-new Hyperon Ultra wheels isn’t going to be bad, so if you’re hoping this is where I slate it then I’m going to disappoint you. It’s lovely, really lovely to ride. The handling is mellow, but it is noticeably more enjoyable to ride than the V4Rs (or is it?). The Hyperon wheels definitely help, as they have a responsiveness and handling that bring a bit of an edge to the package that perhaps might be lacking with heavier, or deeper, or less stiff wheels. 

Handling is a very hard thing to quantify as it’s not really something you can measure, but the C68 sits at the more pleasurable end of the spectrum. It’s starkly different to something like the Canyon Ultimate, which feels alive and agile at low speeds and can feel rather twitchy at warp speed. At no point will the C68 ever feel like it’s going to bite your head off. You’ll never feel out of your depth, and it will give you more confidence at speed than something more attuned to the needs of the pro peloton. You may not actually be faster, but if you have a better time I ask again, does it matter?

Jumping between bikes you can notice the difference more starkly. Hopping from my Fairlight Strael to the C68 makes you really notice the more setback, raked-out setup you get here. That’s what delivers the cornering confidence, or, depending on your point of view, a slightly dull riding experience. I did have to swap the Pirelli P Zero Race SL tyres out though after blowing the sidewall of the rear to bits over some cobbles, and the new Specialized Turbo tyres I fitted were definitely an upgrade in grip.

The perceived differences between this bike and the Colnago V4Rs were noticeable (perceived being a very key word here). Before testing, I hadn’t checked geo charts, just ridden the bike based on what I already knew of the two bikes; that being the V4Rs was for racers, and the C68 is for having fun. Hand on heart I had more fun on the C68 than the V4Rs, which is very surprising given the differences in geometry are negligible. It’s got just 6mm longer chainstays and is 6mm longer at the front. A 12mm difference, with all of the other key figures being identical. On paper, the C68 should be a slower, potentially duller ride, but it didn’t feel as such. The reason I didn’t enjoy the V4Rs is because I expected a race bike, and as a consumer that means lively, nimble, and agile. Here I got essentially the same ride feeling, but I wasn’t expecting a race bike. I was ready for a more mellow time, and because my expectations were met I was happier. 

Geometry and handling considerations aside this bike is still a high-performance machine. Stiff, but not harsh. The lack of aero considerations will hold you back, but that’s not what this bike is about. It was comfy enough to put 170km days in, on some very rough roads and on the extremely stiff Hyperon wheels too so it’s not going to try and kill you if you take it off anything smooth. 

As I alluded to at the start of this I think this bike really needs a set of wheels like the Hyperons to come alive. Something with incredibly rapid handling characteristics to counterbalance the mellow nature of the handling, in the same way, that I found the Canyon Ultimate to be better behaved and more enjoyable with deeper wheels, but for the exact opposite reasons; they add a soupçon of stability to a more jittery equation. If you’re forking out for a bike this expensive I’d be inclined to not slap expensive deep sections on. It’s not an aero bike for one thing, and it’ll potentially dull the ride. I’d love to see how it fared with something superlight and very shallow like the DT Swiss Mon Chasseral, though these are rather narrow internally by today's standards… I digress. 

As for the build, it does feel befitting of a bike that’s as much a desirable object as it is a mode of transport or a means of facilitating recreational cardio. Super Record, and the high gloss Hyperon wheels have a bling factor that cannot really be matched by the offerings from the U.S.A or Japan. I’m very upset that Campagnolo looks like it will ditch the thumb buttons for shifting, as I love them despite them being awkwardly accessible from the drops. The one thing I didn’t like so much was the bars or the 40cm bar width more specifically, but you can request narrower ones. Bikes in my size are always shipping with too-wide bars for my tastes (and for my fit), and while on some bikes it doesn’t kill the mood as much, on a slower handling bike it accentuates these characteristics at slow speeds, or on technical tight turns.

There are a couple of details I’d like to highlight finally. The multi-tool hidden beneath the steerer cap is magnificent. It’s fine as a multi-tool, but as a very forgetful person, it’s been a godsend. On the other hand, the recessed cover arrangement at the top of the headtube is, as it is on many other bikes, a recipe for rubbing. This is a test bike and it’s done the media rounds before me, and the paint inside it has been worn away. With even a hint of dirt under it it creaks softly when you turn the bars, and as a mucky pup that does my head in a bit. What is heartening to see is the use of CeramicSpeed SLT bearings in the headset though, which utilise a solid lubricant in place of grease for increased longevity, and therefore longer between difficult and/or expensive headset service intervals. 

Value

Come on, what do you expect me to say here? It’s fifteen grand or thereabouts, and it doesn’t have the performance pedigree of the equally priced V4Rs to justify that price tag. It’s ludicrously expensive, and from any objective standpoint, it makes no sense. But that’s not really what this bike is about, is it? I’m going to mark it as I would any other consumer product for value, but if you’re considering buying one then I imagine you’re probably going to ignore this. It's also more expensive, by a grand and a bit than the sum of its constituent parts

Does an Omega Seamaster tell the time any better than a Casio G-Shock? No, but one is considered more desirable than the other. I appreciate this is a slightly reductive metaphor but it mostly works, more or less. To some of you there's an unquantifiable value wrapped up in the brand heritage, and the Realizzato a mano in Italia written on the seat tube, which I completely understand. A C68 is about as close as you can get to buying a convertible Italian sports car; one that maybe handles worse and is slower than something more tweaked and German. Let me ask you this though... what would you rather cruise down the Riveria in?

Also, if you need to impress your friends then it’s excellent for that. I did rock up to a small event on it one weekend, and having a small crowd gather around your bike feels good, and anyone who says it doesn't is a liar. It doesn’t make it any better value, but it’ll probably salve the financial anxiety to a slight degree every once in a while. 

Verdict

I loved riding the C68, but I can’t pretend it rode better than bikes significantly less expensive though. That isn’t the point of this bike, however: It transcends judgements of performance because owning one (even temporarily) genuinely feels more special than it does with other top-end bikes. It's beautiful, the mellow ride is much better suited to this than it is on the V4Rs, and the all-Italian build kit was sublime. 

Do I recommend you buy one? If you’re racing, hunting KOMs, or aiming to dodge the guillotine when the inevitable revolution comes then no, probably not. If you want one though, and you can afford it, then buy it. I promise you It’ll make you happy. When my Grandpa passed away he left me a pair of Gucci loafers. I’ve only had occasion to wear them once, and I was laughably overdressed, but they were still the best shoes I’ve ever worn.