The EPQ utilises Colnago's C-HS semi-integrated headset system.(Image credit: Colnago)
The bottom bracket area of the EPQ.(Image credit: Colnago)
Colnago's new EPQ.(Image credit: Colnago)
Revered Italian bicycle manufacturer Colnago has released the latest incarnation of its Extreme Power frame, the EPQ. It follows last year's version of the bike developed in conjunction with veteran Italian sprinter Alessandro Petacchi, the EPS.
Hand built in Cambiago, the EPQ utilises tube and lug construction and features the C-HS semi-integrated headset system, which, according to Colnago, "uses an aluminium cup to hold the bearings and in our carbon fibre frame" and "maintains the all-important integrity of the carbon head tube with an aluminium sleeve".
The company also claims this system "reduces weight, improves the looks of the bicycle and makes maintenance easier".
It joins the C59 and the M10 in Colnago's 2011 range and shares the same seat stays as both of these models. The seat stays are far squarer in profile than any of their precedents; Colnago has dubbed the design q2 or 'Q-Stay'.
Colnago has refrained from following the current trend towards thin or 'bent' offerings in this area of the bike and retained a more traditional shape, as is the case with most of the tubing on the EPQ.
The EPQ also has internal cable routing for derailleur cables, making a Shimano Di2-specific version possible. It's available in matte black, white or a 'retro' red paint scheme and sizes 42, 45, 48, 50, 52, 54, 56 and 58cm (sloping) - 52 to 65cm (trad) plus a custom version.
