”’C50 HP Superlight’ isn’t the official designation of the bike that Spaniard Oscar Freire just won the 2004 World Championships with, but before he left for the Interbike Las Vegas show with his Uncle Ernesto, Alessandro Colnago told Cyclingnews about the now three-time World Champion’s race winning rig.

“In his last World Championship win in Lisbon in 2001, Freire was on Mapei and he finished just ahead of Paolo Bettini. Both riders were on C40s, and Freire became attached to that bike, for whatever reason. Even this year when he won Milano-Sanremo, Freire had his C40. This summer, we made some special Colnago C50 HP frames for Rabobank and Landbouwkredeit that you could call ‘superlight’; they are made of a special high-modulus carbon fibre that is lighter and more rigid than the production Colnago C50 HP. Freire likes his very much.”

“In the finale of the Worlds you saw three riders on the attack with these bicycles; Michael Rasmussen, Michael Boogerd and Freire. Plus we are very happy with the U23 men’s road race as Colnago C50 bicycles were ridden to first and second place by the riders from Belarus and the Netherlands.”

Colnago is considering selling a very limited production of these ‘Superlight’ C50s, but hasn’t yet made a firm decision.” ”

Beautiful carbon weave.

(Images by Tim Maloney/Cyclingnews)

http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/teamtech04.php?id=tech/2004/probikes/freire_colnago

My Colnago C50 ‘Superlight” (above as I got it) custom build.

(Lucky for me the Colnago  Family decided to produce a few for retail!)

“The C50, the latest iteration of the C-series chassis that Colnago launched 25 years ago with the sculpted C35, was co-developed by Italian composites wizard ATR, the firm that has created bits for Ducati and Lamborghini and the monocoque carbon chassis used in the $650,000 Ferrari Enzo. ATR fabricates the C50’s carbon parts, including the oversized master profile tubing and diamond-shaped HP chainstays, which Colnago says increase the C50’s rear torsional rigidity by 3.5 percent while enhancing vertical compliance by 5 percent. “

(By Mark Riedy,www.2009tourdefrancenews.com)

Picture below post break up.

I will use Campagnolo Record 11 speed carbon group and drive

and Cinelli Neo carbon stem and bars

I like the Cinelli ‘Ram’ bars, but feel they are best suited to monocoque frames.

I am using Campagnolo  Khamsin G3 wheels at the moment until I sell a kidney for some decent carbon rims.

Soto Chris King headset, compliments the carbon weave

I was out earlier today on the bike, and was not happy!

the gear exchanges were awkward, and when in motion, made a lot of noise,

eventually, the chain jammed on the inner chain ring, so I exchanged to the outer,

and it was still jammed, resulting in this

my local bike shop said I was lucky not to have taken some wheel spokes out, and someone

else told me about a chain stay on a carbon bike snapping as the derailleur hits it

after shearing off.

The best I can do is try and get a new one at trade price.

I do like riding with the stem at a lower position, I’m getting more out of the bike.

I’m still waiting on an organ buyer to get my new wheels.

I got the bike back, but the shop put the current Record 11 rd on, with red in it!

I couldn’t source an NOS 2010 model, runs well though, and I like the anodized

black outer casing.