Colnago Superissimo — The SLX Evolution of the Super Platform

The Colnago Superissimo, introduced in approximately 1983, represents the ultimate evolution of the round-tube Colnago racing frame before the Gilco-profiled Master redefined the marque's visual identity. Positioned above the long-running Super in Ernesto Colnago's model hierarchy, the Superissimo elevated every aspect of specification through the adoption of Columbus SLX tubing — the most advanced steel tubeset of the pre-carbon era — while retaining the classic diamond geometry that had defined Colnago's racing bicycles since 1968.

Model Positioning

The Superissimo bridged the gap between the accessible Colnago Super — the professional workhorse of the 1970s — and the revolutionary Colnago Master with its star-profiled Gilco tubing. Produced from approximately 1983 through the late 1980s, the Superissimo was the definitive round-tube Colnago: a frame for riders who demanded the material superiority of SLX but preferred the classic proportions and understated elegance of traditional cylindrical tubing. It was superseded by the Master as Colnago's premium steel offering, but not before establishing a distinct identity among discerning racers and collectors.

Frame Construction: Columbus SLX

The defining technical upgrade of the Superissimo was Columbus SLX butted chromoly tubing. This tubeset incorporated five internal helical ridges — spiral reinforcements formed during cold-drawing — running longitudinally inside the down tube, seat tube, and top tube. These ridges increased torsional and bending stiffness without adding wall thickness, yielding a frame measurably more rigid than the SL-tubed Super while maintaining competitive weight. Typical tube gauges included a 28.6 mm triple-butted down tube (0.9/0.6/0.9 mm), a double-butted seat tube, and Columbus oval-section chainstays with the distinctive Colnago crimp for chainring clearance. The fork employed Columbus SLX blades brazed to the sculpted Colnago-pattern investment-cast crown, with a chromed steerer and Campagnolo 1010/B dropouts.

Geometry and Ride Quality

The Superissimo adhered to the classic Italian road-racing formula perfected by Ernesto Colnago: 74-degree seat tube angle, 73-degree head tube, 43 mm fork rake, and 400–405 mm chainstays. Bottom bracket drop of 68–70 mm enhanced cornering stability. These proportions delivered the quick, responsive handling and forward-weighted riding position characteristic of Italian competition bicycles, balanced by sufficient stability for Alpine descents and long-distance comfort. The SLX tubeset imparts a perceptibly stiffer bottom bracket and more direct power transfer than SL — rewarding aggressive riding with immediate acceleration, while retaining the vibration-damping qualities inherent to quality steel.

Signature Details

The Superissimo incorporated the full complement of Colnago identifiers: the investment-cast fork crown, the crimped right-hand chainstay, a machined chainstay bridge often embossed with Colnago lettering, and a semi-fastback seat cluster with the stays brazed cleanly into a sculpted seat lug. Later examples featured embossed Colnago club logos on the seat stay caps. Rear dropouts were Campagnolo 1010/B vertical pattern with integral derailleur hanger. Cable routing followed the classic Colnago configuration — rear brake via a top-tube stop, derailleur cables beneath the bottom bracket shell. The Italian-standard threading (36 mm × 24 TPI bottom bracket) ensures full compatibility with Campagnolo components from the 1970s onward.

Paint and Finish

Superissimo frames received the full attention of Colnago's Cambiago paint department. The premiere finish was chromovelato: translucent tinted lacquer applied over full chrome plating on the fork, stays, and head lugs, producing extraordinary depth and luminosity. Solid enamel options — deep red, blue, burgundy — with contrasting chrome elements offered a more restrained alternative. Decals employed the period-correct Colnago script wordmark with ace-of-clubs logo on the down tube and the "Superissimo" designation on the top tube. Higher-specification examples occasionally featured pantographed components with the Colnago club-and-arrow motif machined into the fork crown and seat stay caps.

Competitive Pedigree

The Superissimo was supplied to professional teams including Del Tongo-Colnago during the mid-1980s transitional period, alongside the Master. It appealed to riders who preferred traditional round-tube aesthetics and the slightly more compliant ride of SLX versus Gilco. It was equally prized by serious amateur racers and club riders seeking a frame positioned distinctly above the ubiquitous Super. The Superissimo thus occupies a compelling niche: a professional-grade racing bicycle that embodies Colnago's framebuilding philosophy at the precise moment steel construction reached its technical zenith.

Restoration and Collectability

Restoring a Superissimo demands attention to several factors. Tubing verification — the helical ridges inside the seat tube confirm SLX specification if the original Columbus decal is absent. Decal accuracy is critical: the Superissimo graphics differ subtly from Super decals and must be model- and period-correct. Chromovelato reproduction requires a multi-stage process of chrome plating, tinted lacquer, and clear-coating to match the Cambiago original. A period-correct build centres on the Campagnolo Super Record groupset — crankset, derailleurs, brakes, hubs, headset, and seatpost — complemented by Cinelli stem and bars, a Selle Italia Turbo or San Marco Rolls saddle, and Ambrosio or Mavic tubular rims.

Why a Superissimo Appeals

A restored Colnago Superissimo delivers a uniquely compelling ownership proposition. It combines Columbus SLX material superiority — the definitive steel tubeset of the pre-carbon era — with relative rarity, having been produced in far smaller numbers than the Super. Its classic round-tube aesthetics, executed with Colnago's signature chromovelato finish, have aged impeccably. The ride quality — stiff and responsive under power, comfortable over distance — makes it not merely a collectible artefact but a genuinely usable road bicycle. For the collector who values Cambiago authenticity, proven racing heritage, and the ultimate expression of the traditional Colnago platform before the Master era, the Superissimo is a definitive acquisition.