Italian appetizers from Colnago and Pinarello

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Tech Feature: Colnago and Pinarello's 2008 range preview, August 10, 2007

Show season isn't quite here yet, but we're already getting some early looks at new bikes and product that are coming for 2008. Cyclingnews' Tim Maloney brings us some of Italy's finest.

Colnago 2008: Cambiago shines with new colors and graphics

Colnago's 2008 collection won't officially debut until the 2008 Eurobike show, but Alex Colnago gave Cyclingnews a sneak peak from inside the Colnago museum housed within the new annex of the company's headquarters in Cambiago, Italy. "Our approach for 2008 is [to] upgrade our graphics with most models," explained Alex Colnago. "We feel that we already have a great range and there was just not a lot to change for 2008. We wanted our 2008 bikes to be available earlier this year and most Colnago models, framesets and complete bikes should be available at your Colnago dealer in October."

The graphics have been completely updated on the Extreme Power model and Colnago has added a completely new fork to the Extreme Power model, the Carbon 75 fork. "The new Carbon 75 fork used on the Extreme Power model weighs 340 grams, lighter than the previous Star model," said Colnago.

CLX is a carbon fibre popular model that Colnago introduced for 2007. The innovative Made In Taiwan CLX has a monocoque front triangle designed and created in Cambiago, Italy as a project of Colnago Lab. CLX front triangle has two external reinforcing ribs along the top and down tubes and bottom bracket, with has variable carbon lay up in head tube and bottom bracket that provides additional rigidity under stress. Colnago's CLX has arc shaped rear chain stays for better braking performance and comfort, with rear chain stays in Colnago's distinctive leaf shape section, with a monocoque 1 1/8 carbon fiber fork and Colnago AERO Carbon seat post.

Arte, Colnago's mid-range Made In Taiwan model, was designed in Cambiago, with all-new colors and graphics for 2008. Arte has heat treated 6000 series triple butted Alu frame featuring top tube and down tubes in Colnago's special Master "star" shape, which provides extra torsional frame stiffness. Arte's rear triangle is carbon fiber with monobox chain stays and curved rear seat stays that improve braking and ride comfort and is available in eight sloping sizes.

Known as the winningest cyclocross bike ever, Colnago has introduced a new entry-level 'cross model, the World Cup, that will also be available this fall. World Cup has heat treated 6000 series triple butted Alu frame with Colnago's 'cross specific geometry and an affordable price. Colnago's entry-level model Primavera, available only as a complete bicycle (not available in North America), has been upgraded with FSA components throughout. The Italian designed bike, produced in Taiwan by Giant, has heat-treated 6000 series variable butted alu frame tubing, custom extruded in Colnago's famous "Master" star shape and is available in eight sloping sizes.

Our visit to Colnago concluded with a swing through the Colnago Museum, where Colnago showed us two new additions to the incredible collection. Right next to Colnago's Gloria racing bicycle from the late 1940s, lovingly restored to original condition, was a rare Master prototype from the early 1980s, with a unique dual downtube design that used later in the Colnago Ti Bi-Tubo used by Tony Rominger to win the Vuelta de Espana a decade later.

Pinarello 2008: Innovation across the board

On the eve of the Gran Fondo Pinarello, once again Fausto Pinarello invited Cyclingnews to the worldwide presentation of its 2008 range in Treviso, Italy. Over 200 invited guests, media and dealers included were present for the big reveal of the new stuff from Cicli Pinarello and Opera bicycles and M.O.st components. Punctuated by an irrevrent audio visual production with amusing overdubs of Donnie Brasco and other Hollywood flicks that introduced Pinarello's new models for 2008.

Star of the show was Pinarello's gorgeous new Prince FP carbon, which is made in Torayca 50HM1K carbon fibre and is crucial to Pinarello's 2008 range. This composite material, used extensively in Boeing's new 787 Dreamliner is an exclusive to Pinarello in the cycling industry and used in Prince FP, as well as the new M.O.st Tank crankset that weighs 600 grams. Pinarello's M.O.st component brand also has new carbon fibre TT bars and bar extensions.

Opera Luxury is a new brand extension for Pinarello's Opera range with three models; Mercurio, a singlespeed city bike with 6061 butted alu tubing and interchangable dropouts so a derailleur hanger can be added. Caravaggio is a sloping model with a Shimano eight speed internal gearing and elegant touches like a Brooks leather saddle and grips. Artemisa is a model specially designed for women with 26" wheels, a mixte style 6061 frameset and Shimano three speed internal gearing.

Opera bikes are kissin' cousins of Pinarello, but with a different, more classic style than and Pinarello. Named after great Italian artists, the Opera top model Leonardo is used by the Tenax-Salmilano Continental Pro team has 46HM3K carbon fibre tubing and is very similar to the Pinarello Paris Carbon. Leonardo is made with nine sizes available in the monocoque frameset, something that is present throughout the Opera range, explained Pinarello's Luciano Fusarpoli.

Besides the star model Paris Carbon FP, Pinarello has some interesting new models for 2008. Pinarello FP1 is its exciting, all new entry level road bike with 7005 T6 triple butted alu main tubes bonded to carbon fibre chainstays, a carbon fibre fork that comes in 200 grams lighter than the former entry level model Angrilu.

Next step up for Pinarello 2008 is the FP2, a bike Fusarpoli calls "a high performance bike for beginners", with all-new 7005 T6 triple butted alu tubes that have similar tube shapes as the top level Dogma and unique "reverse S" Onda fork. Pinarello's newest carbon fibre bike is the FP5, inserted in the range above Pinarello's first carbon fibre production bike, the FP 3:13 that was introduced in 2005 and will still continue in their range.

FP5 using new tube molds with attractive, swoopy look and has an all-new 30HM12K carbon composite frame, with Onda fork and seatstays, a M.O.st carbon/alloy crankset and carbon wrap stem and seatpost. FP5 is 500 grams lighter than the FP 3:13 and available in eight sizes from 42.5 to 59. Available only as a complete bike, FP5 has three configurations with Ultegra, Veloce and Centaur.

FT1 is Pinarello's first triathlon bike, a speedy rig that uses an aerodynamic frame reminiscent of the famous Pinarello Montello but with a more economical price point thanks to the 30HM12K material. FT1 has FP8 fork and seatstays, Ultegra and Chorus, alloy aero TT bars, brake sets and levers. FT1 uses two interchangeable seatposts, one with -22 degree setback for tri or -0 degree setback for time trials and recently, FT1 was ridden to victory in the womens division of Ironman Japan. Top of Pinarello's range in the speed machine category is the FM1, which replaces the Montello. FM1 is an exotic new state of the art TT bike from Pinarello with 50HM1K carbon fibre, 200 grams less than Montello but more rigid. FM1 is only in limited production and only three riders from Caisse d'Epargne had the new model at the Tour de France.

Pinarello's 2007 top model, the very successful Paris Carbon FP is unchanged for 2008. Built with 46HM3K carbon fibre monocoque front triangle bonded to onda seat stays and using onda fork. there are all new colors and 10 sizes available for the Paris Carbon FP. Intorduced in 2002, and remaining the same as the 2007 model, Pinarello's legendary Dogma FPX in AK61 triple butted magnesium alloy tubing is still considered one of the best non-composite frame available and the modified tube shapes introduced last year have brought the weight down by 150 grams.

Cross-CX, Pinarello's first carbon fibre cyclocross bike has a carbon monocoque main triangle in 30HM12K with bonded seatstays and is available in 6 sizes while the Pinarello Cross Alloy is the little brother of Cross-CX, made in 7005 T6 with carbon fibre fork and seatstays.