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Colnago peddles the blockchain w/ C64 NFT which sold for more than real bike frame

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Zwift. Bitcoin. Dogecoin. Is anything real any more? We live in a confusing time where digital assets are becoming interchangeable with physical cash, which brings us to the NFT. That’s non-fungible token for those not up on their Nyan Cat news (which just sold for $590,000).

What is an NFT? It’s basically a completely unique digital item that is part of the blockchain. That’s the tech behind cryptocurrencies like Ethereum and bitcoin, but NFTs get additional digital information that sets them apart from digital currencies. That’s what makes them unique, and there for non-fungible (can’t be replaced with something else of equal value).

Colnago C64 NFT angle shot
Image from Colnago’s facebook (not the actual NFT).

Honestly, it’s a fairly confusing realm of one-off digital artworks and pseudo-celebrities selling short video clips and anything else they can think of to the highest bidder. As crazy as it all sounds, there are millions to be made from NFTs with the right piece (Beeple’s “Everyday: The First 5,000 Days” recently sold for an astounding $69 million). Keep in mind that this is a digital image, just like the one you can view online (for free). Only, if you pay $69 million you get to claim ownership of the image.

As if high end bikes weren’t already exclusive enough, now Colnago is joining the digital craze with an NFT of their own that just sold for more than an actual bike. Called the “C64 NFT”, the digital artwork combines details from “all 67 years of historic Colnago moments into a unique NTF bike.”

Colnago goes on to say that the image is “Minted on the blockchain as a 1-of-1, this incredible NFT is becoming part of Colnago history and will never be duplicated. Based on Blockchain technology, Colnago NFT artwork is guaranteed to be one-of-a-kind and publicly verifiable on a Blockchain’s distributed ledger. The Colnago C64 NFT is made using a C64 as the base, a carbon fiber frame made in Italy. The design was created by melting together the liveries of eight Colnago’s key models, which include the Concept, the first bike with a carbon frame and with an integrated shifting system, the Bititan bike with which Abraham Olano won the World Championship in 1995, the C59 the bike with which Anthony Charteau won the Polka Dot jersey at the 2010 Tour de France, the C35 TTT that won the Team Time Trial World Championship 100km in 1994, Giuseppe Saronni’s Super Profil, Tony Rominger’s Hour Record bike, Tadej Pogačar’s V3Rs – the latest Tour de France winner – and the C40 icon of Team Mapei.”

Colnago NFT auction

Recently Sold on OpenSea, and part of the Ethereum Blockchain, the C64 NFT ended up selling for 3.2. That’s 3.2 Ethereum, which three days ago was trading at $2,707.49. That works out to $8,208.77. Or to put it another way, it sold for $2,008.82 more than an actual Colnago C64 frameset from Colorado Cyclist. Or, if you don’t mind a slightly used c64, The Pro’s Closet has a 2019 c64 for $3,599.99 – which would leave plenty of money to build up the entire thing. But hey, this is a one-off digital art work that can only appreciate from here… right?

*Updated on 5/28 to reflect the sale price

colnago.com

 

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Seraph
Seraph
2 years ago

I wonder how much I would have to pay a frame painter to duplicate the paint job for me…

Jason D West
Jason D West
2 years ago
Reply to  Seraph

For sure. Its a sharp looking bike!

Nick Hand
2 years ago
Reply to  Seraph

I own a custom paint shop, my assistant and I were talking about doing just that.

Sean
2 years ago

yup

Tom
Tom
2 years ago

I came on here expecting some world class snark. I mean, this is the most transparent and vulgar money grab in cycling that I’ve seen in a long time, and that’s saying something. I’d love to learn that someone won the auction and then said, “wait a second, 5K for a picture? A PICTURE?”. Then stiffed them.

Sean
Sean
2 years ago
Reply to  Tom

It’s not a picture, it is a complete digital bike

Tom
Tom
2 years ago

Anyone remember the commercials for Manufacturer’s Hanover back in the 70s and 80s when they drove around in that car that was an amalgamation of like 16 different car brands?

K-Pop is dangerous to your health
K-Pop is dangerous to your health
2 years ago

Must take into consideration that Colnago is basically the Godfather of the ‘Cycling Is The New Golf’ movement that spawned in the early-mid 90’s. Thanks to far more advanced aerospace grade materials to make bikes from instead of the simple steel tubes used for generations, there was a paradigm shift in the demographic during that time. We went from a very blue collar working class sport to a very white collar sport to people with endless disposable income almost in an instant.

Is this absurd to most viewers… yes.

Is it a surprise, considering the trajectory of who populated the high end cycling demographic over the years… not really.

Mark
Mark
2 years ago

My vote is Pinarello.

K-Pop is dangerous to your health
K-Pop is dangerous to your health
2 years ago
Reply to  Mark

Colnago was building carbon frames 17 years before Pinarello figured it out.

Matthias
Matthias
2 years ago

Hahaha, it’s at $6,700 already. Wonder who will be dumb enough to pay that m(

marcus
marcus
2 years ago

barf, NFTs and cryptocurrencies are an ecological disaster. Shame on any outdoor sports company that pedals in that trash

snark_mcgee
snark_mcgee
2 years ago

I mean, you can’t get a real bike right now so what’s the difference?

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