Colnago goes all-out on new C68 Gravel bike
The Colnago C68 Gravel is modular gravel bike with all the bells and whistles.
Colnago already has a gravel bike, the G3-X, but the company has today announced another model for drop-bar dirt riding – the C68 Gravel bike, which joins the C68 Road and Allroad in the C Series range. The C Series moniker has been about opulence with the 'C' signifying Carbon, Colnago, Class and Cambiago – the latter being the home of the brand. As such, the C68 Gravel bike follows the traditional handmade philosophy utilising a modular design blueprint.
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Unlike many of the best gravel bikes, the C68 eschews the ubiquitous monocoque frame design in favour of a modular configuration comprising individual tubes and lugs. The joins are sanded down and glued together in the factory, resulting in a clean and aesthetically pleasing design. A benefit of using this kind of manufacturing technique is the flexibility it offers in terms of sizing, weight reduction and stiffness.
Colnago C68 Gravel bike, by off-road.cc
Geometry, sizing and integration
The C68 Gravel represents a happy middle ground when compared to the C68 Road and G3-X gravel bike. While it's got a shorter reach and higher stack than the road-going C68 models, it's got shorter chainstays (425 vs 430mm) and a slacker head angle when compared to the G3-X (70.5-degrees vs 71.5-degrees). Still, at 70.5-degrees, the head angle is on the racier side of the spectrum but is still slack enough to provide better support and confidence on choppy terrain and when negotiating negative gradients.
As for sizing, the Colnago C68 Gravel is available in five configurations: 45, 48, 51, 54 and 57cm – not the biggest spread but it effectively covers the mainstream sizing demographic. Colnago has also looked at striking the right balance when it comes to tyre clearance. As a result, the C68 Gravel bike has clearance for up to 42mm which is in line with the segment standard.
Colnago C68 Gravel bike, by off-road.cc
As integration has become de rigueur for off-road bikes, Colnago has obliged and fitted the C68 Gravel with a new CC.01 Wide bar-stem arrangement, of which five combinations are available (all bars have a 72.5mm reach and 120mm drop). Bar widths are rated at 40cm (46cm flared) with stem lengths of 80, 90, 100, 110 or 120mm.
Colnago C68 Gravel bike, by off-road.cc
Model range and pricing
The Colnago C68 Gravel is available in two colourways – a metallic green hue (HGGR) or black (HGBK). There are four builds available including three complete bikes and a frameset option, the latter of which will set you back £5,269 (€5,935). The frame is designed for use with electronic groupsets only and can accommodate both 1x and 2x gearing setups.
Colnago C68 Gravel Shimano GRX 820
Price: £6,899.95 / €7,250
Groupset: Shimano GRX 820 (42T, 11-52T)
Components: Fulcrum Rapid Red 900 wheelset, Pirelli Cinturato Gravel H tyres, Colnago CC.01 Wide bar-stem, Prologo Dimension T4.0 saddle, Shimano MT800 Centerlock discs (160mm front/rear)
Colnago C68 Gravel SRAM Force XPLR ETAP
Price: £8,099.95 / €8,690
Groupset: SRAM Force XPLR ETAP (40T, 10-44T)
Components: Fulcrum Rapid Red 500 wheelset, Pirelli Cinturato Gravel H tyres, Colnago CC.01 Wide bar-stem, Prologo Dimension NDR T4.0 saddle, SRAM CLX R Centerlock discs (160mm front/rear)
Colnago C68 Gravel SRAM Red XPLR ETAP
Price: £11,099.99 / €12,010
Groupset: SRAM Red XPLR ETAP (40T, 10-44T)
Components: Zipp 303S wheelset, Pirelli Cinturato Gravel H tyres, Colnago CC.01 Wide bar-stem, Selle Italia Regal Short Open Fit CRB saddle, SRAM CLX Centerlock discs (160mm front/rear)
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