John’s Cirque du Colnago Build

John’s Cirque du Colnago Build (the short story)

I call this build my Cirque du Colnago because it was such a total circus of compatibility challenges from headtube and steering aspects to drivetrain, braking, and shifter aspects. The short story version of what makes this a noteworthy build was three main compatibility challenges. 

1. Cockpit: The first wasn’t rocket science, fitting a 1-⅛” Velo Orange Tall Stack stem in silver over a 1” steerer tube was a function of shim collars and carbon spacers. Slightly more tricky was finding a polished aluminum mustache bar with the 31.8mm clamp diameter. At that time Velo Orange was out of stock on anything that would’ve worked so I found a used CIVIA Loring 80 for $25 online from Bikelist.com. At some point I’ll upgrade to a VO bar but for now I’m over working on it and just want to ride it for a while before yanking it apart again.
2. Drivetrain: This was a nightmare that took a lot of internet searches, patience, and a LOT of luck. So, how do you get an 8 Speed Campagnolo Exa-Drive freehub body to work with a 10 speed shifter designed for the very different Ultra-Torque freehub body? I couldn’t believe my luck when I discovered that Campagnolo makes a 9 speed gear wheel as a retrofit for the rear 10 speed Ergo shifter body (rebuilding the shifter body to install the new gear wheel was not terribly difficult but did have a couple tricky maneuvers). And unbelievably the stars were aligned when I found ONE vintage 1990s titanium 9 speed cassette designed as a retrofit upgrade to the 8 speed Exa-Drive freehub body. The cassette was manufactured by a Canadian company called Cycle Dynamics in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Coincidentally, as of this writing there’s an 8 speed version for Shimano on eBay right now for $300. I got mine in near mint condition for $120 from Bikerecyclery.com and worth every penny!
3. Braking: The brake pads that come with the Campagnolo Delta brakes are shockingly ugly for such a gorgeous set of brakes so naturally they had to go into storage. Instead I used the brake pads of the main donor 2000 Record Grouppo. But they we’re too long for the tight fitment. So that the longer newer pads wouldn’t get hung up on the fork blades or frame seat stays I had to source some aluminum barrels to increase the standoff distance. I paired some yellow pads for carbon brakes that work perfectly well on the Vento rims and give a unique and subtle little pop of color. It’s worth mentioning that I did keep the original Dela brake pad fixing bolts because they’re stamped with Campagnolo, which is a super cool little detail to have on the brakes.

So that’s the short version. The thing rides great, fits me well, and is proving to be a stunning eye-catcher for even the average person who doesn’t know or care about the dedication it took to realize this dream build. The best (and least problematic) of the compatibility challenges was the VO stem and knurled top cap that I paired with a blue Ti bolt for another little pop of color - a lovely cockpit that I get to enjoy on every ride.

John’s Cirque du Colnago Build (the long story)

The journey I’m sharing with you would not be possible if it wasn’t for my first mentor, Greg M., and my early brother in wrenches, Alex S. I learned an immense amount from both of them in my first bike shop mechanic job(s), and.I hope they read this and know that I am eternally grateful for their friendship.

This build is special to me, as I spent 13 years on and off working as a professional bicycle mechanic from 1992 to 2008, spanning locations from Arizona and Vermont to Haiti and Senegal. During this time, I learned valuable lessons about bikes, ranging from the practical workhorses used for daily transportation to the pursuit of form and function as high tech art.

At one end of the spectrum, the best bike is the one being used the most, carrying everything from livestock to market, to getting children to school. I'm proud to have dedicated a decade of my life to supporting these pursuits, both locally and abroad working with ITDP.org teaching bike repair around the world in less developed countries.

At the other end lies my dream bike, a self-indulgent homage to my definition of combining form, function, and art. Inspired by the 16-year period between 1984 and 2000. This build challenged me as a (recovering) mechanic to marry the parts and pieces I loved most and came to covet over the decades, into a harmoniously functioning whole.

Being a mechanic's dream challenge, this build is 95% Italian (Campagnolo on Colnago), with the Velo Orange stem serving as the crowning jewel, tying everything together in a harmonious form and function.

The rest I'll briefly describe chronologically.

1980s / Brake Calipers:

• As a young mechanic in the early 90s, the 1980s Campagnolo Delta brakes captivated me. At my first bike shop, I was too junior to work on these legendary brakes, known for their intricate setup. Decades later, while challenging, I've learned there's no magic mystery to properly setting them up – just critical thinking and precision. Whether 3-pivot or 5-pivot, it boils down to meticulous adjustment and a pair of Swiss-made Felco cable cutters. For me, Deltas are the most beautiful brakes ever made, and when properly adjusted, they're a joy to use.

1990s / Wheels

• Campagnolo's HPW series in the 1990s set new standards for factory-built exotic race wheels. With deep V-profile aero rims paired with bladed straight-pull spokes, and centered around near mirror-polished hourglass hubs, these early HPW wheels were as stunning as they were fast, pushing the boundaries of function and form. Unfortunately, the series I found most beautiful were only made with Campagnolo’s 8-speed EXA-Drive freehub body. 

Frameset:

• While an old lugged steel frame may seem straightforward, the Italian technique is noteworthy. I learned furnace-brazing at an old Peugeot factory in Kaolack, Senegal in 2005 and 2006, where they (like most lugged frame manufacturers) skipped pegging the lug and tube junctions to save time. However, the Italians peg them to minimize heat warp during brazing. The Colnago frame used for this build is their lowest-tier lugged steel offering, yet you can still feel the remnant pegs from their precise brazing process in any frame opening, showcasing their dedication to quality.

2000s / Grouppo

• In 2000 I used my shop discount to order Campagnolo’s first 10-speed Record grouppo - the first to feature the pairing of titanium together with carbon fiber parts like the outer derailleur parallelogram plates and brake levers. It was a work of absolute beauty. 24 years later and I still ride that same grouppo. This bike is the fourth build I’ve installed this grouppo on. 

With any build with so many parts and pieces of various vintages, there were still oodles of minor challenges, but none as uniquely challenging as what I’ve laid out here. I get as much joy riding this bike around as I do just sitting back with a chilled brew and staring at it. I hope you have enjoyed reading this and looking at the pictures as I did writing it up and taking the photos.