When I acquired this bike the frame was in very good shape but many of the components had been modified and drilled out. Much of the work was amateurish and some of the parts looked unsafe to use.
There was an ugly drill out of the front derailleur cage and the derailleur clamp was severely cut away and looked downright dangerous. I replaced the front derailleur with a period correct Nuovo Record. The rear derailleur cage was also drilled out and there was a large cutout in the tension spring cover - so these parts were also replaced. The brake levers were also drilled, but the holes were unevenly spaced - the quality was lost. So NOS Nuovo Record levers were installed. The shift levers were also hand cut out and did not match, so again, original replacements.
The wheels were very heavy clinchers with heavy clunky tires and generic steel spokes in cross-four. I rebuilt the wheels with the help of Rayons my spoke length calculator app. I used NOS Mavic tubular rims and new technology stainless steel spokes in cross-three. I installed some fresh Vittoria tubulars. And finally, I added an elegant black suede Concor saddle and classic black cloth tape.
Rear Derailleur Restoration
I replaced the cage plates and tension spring cover with lightly used versions. I did not see the huge cutout in the inner derailleur body until I had the derailleur off. I did not trust this work so I tracked down a replacement inner body. Replacing a derailleur body plate is easier said than done. It requires removing the original pins by drilling them and thus destroying them. Finding new pins is very difficult, my solution was to have Peter turn some new ones. These are made from the same material as the originals. He also made the installation tools to peen the ends of the pins which holds everything in place. I’m very grateful. The result was just as the derailleur came from the factory - beautiful!
The Result
A mostly original Colnago that rides beautifully.
