Colnago Mexico GIS Gelati, 1980, Italy
History & Specifications
As already mentioned in the news, the paint job and the black cut-out decals were anything but original. A repaint was necessary. I didn’t want a red Colnago Mexico like the one Giuseppe Saronni rode starting in 1980. Careful research led me to the 1980 GIS Gelati Team Colnagos, which I liked. And since I love Italian gelato, that settled it. On one of the team trading cards, I discovered that Beppo had been photographed riding a silver Colnago with chrome-plated head tube lugs.
In a labor-intensive process using hand files, sandpaper, and polishing paste, I worked on the sleeves until they were polished to a high gloss. Cicli Corsa in Bergamo handled the chrome plating and paintwork. Since this work took place during the COVID-19 pandemic, it took 1 1/2 years before I received the frame.
The color of the paint, the chrome plating, and the decals are exactly as shown in the photo featuring Giuseppe Saronni. The photo also shows engraved parts that were mounted on the commercially available Colnago Mexico.
The 6-arm Ambrosio crankset was available as a special order from Colnago. The stem with the Saronni engraving and the titanium bottom bracket with industrial bearings were either mounted on the Colnago Saronni special edition or available as special orders. In one of the photos, Saronni is riding with gray anodized rims. The polished Mavic Module 2 wheels were installed at the time of purchase. I overhauled them and kept them because I prefer riding with tires.
The Colnago Mexico frame is built from the Columbus Record tubing set with a consistent wall thickness of 0.4 mm. The head tube lugs and dropouts are polished and chrome-plated. The chainstays have no indentations on the inside or outside.
Frame weight (painted): 1746 g; fork (chrome-plated): 670 g. The Campagnolo Super Record/Record groupset is engraved and color-coded and was already installed when I purchased it. To protect the titanium bottom bracket with industrial bearings, I installed a classic Campagnolo Record bottom bracket.
The restoration work was done exceptionally well, and it was a pleasure to photograph this road bike. I particularly like this special Colnago Mexico in metallic silver, and it rides wonderfully. The frame geometry makes for an agile and nimble ride.
Frame size: Seat tube 56 cm (center-top), top tube length 55 cm (center-to-center), weight 9.5 kg