Colnago updates their top-end monocoque carbon road race bike with the new V3Rs Disc. Mixing it up between the previous V2-R and Colnago’s Concept aero road bike, the new bike promises both lightweight & aerodynamic performance in one do-it-all package – a single premium carbon race bike.
2020 Colnago V3Rs Disc monocoque carbon aero road bike
The new bike was developed to blend the best of Colnago’s lightweight V-series monocoque carbon bikes with the aerodynamics of the similarly constructed Concept aero bike.
The aero concept carries over, but now only the tube-to-tube made-in-Italy C64 will forgo aero tube profiles.
Tech details
The most visually obvious change in the new bike is the move to the dropped seat stays look that dominates pretty much every modern aero road bike you can find. But maybe more importantly for real-world race & road riding use, the new bike adds in more room for up to 28mm wide tires with slightly longer stays & a small seat tube cutout – all of which promises more comfort & control.
Weight for the made-in-Taiwan frame also comes down to just 790g for the medium (size 50) frame, before paint but with all the alloy hardware bits already attached. Colnago says the weight savings, even with aero updates, can be credited to a new carbon fiber blend that also give 12% more lateral rigidity in the rear, 6% stiffer at the headtube & more vertically complaint overall.
Up front, the V3Rs also gets an all-new tapered steerer carbon fork also to fit up to 30mm tires, and still just 390g uncut or 340g cut for a typical medium bike fit. The new fork molds threads into the steerer (no standard expander needed), and also features a sculpted steerer tube to allow clean routing inside the headset – completely internal for electronic disc brake bikes.
The new bike uses a subtle cutout section in the top of the seatpost, like we saw in the aero Concept, to incorporate additional comfort into the otherwise inherently stiff shape of the aero tubing profile. Interestingly the fork seems like it might get something similar, although just in the internal layup.
The bike also now features a straight line & gently sloping toptube, with a hidden internal wedge seatpost clamp. Gone is the slightly raised design that all monocoque Colnagos used, presumably lost to aero gains and apparently lighter weight.
The new V3Rs Disc also carries over Colnago’s modular cable routing port in the top of the downtube for bikes that need some degree of external routing.
Lower-spec carbon V3 Disc version
A more affordable V3 with a lower carbon spec, and some extra grams should also be available.
Geometry
Like the V2-R and Concept before them, the new V3Rs is made in Taiwan in eight stock sloping sizes (42-58cm). Geometry is mostly unchanged for the new bike, even if Colnago does call the geo ‘completely redesigned’. Mostly there are modifications to maintain the same race-ready ride with slightly bigger tires. That means the headtubes are shorter because the fork is now longer, and it does get 2mm more BB drop, 5-10mm longer chainstays mostly on smaller sizes, a millimeter or tow of stack & reach change depending on size, and alterations to headtube angle that could be marked down as rounding errors.
What about rim brakes?
Essentially a single bike to cover both the fast sprint stages & long climbs of a Grand Tour, curiously the new V3Rs isn’t currently being raced at the Tour de France. They are still racing the V2-R & concept before today’s time trial. The conservative UAE Team still races almost exclusively on rim brake bikes, and Colnago says they just couldn’t yet get the team the number of rim brake bikes to be ready with enough extra time ahead of le Tour.
Even though both the V3-rs Disc and non-disc V3-rs frameset received UCI approval on the same date back in May 2019, the disc bikes seemed to be the first out of the mold. But now we have some photos of the direct mount, dual-pivot rim brake bikes as well, which should be available at the same time as the disc brake bike.
Pricing & availability
The new bike will be available in a number of premium complete builds that are sure to break the bank. Take your pick of Campagnolo Super Record EPS, Shimano Dura-Ace Di2, or SRAM Red eTap AXS and be prepared to take out a second mortgage.
To give you an idea of where to start, a V3Rs Disc brake frame kit sells for 4350€ and a V3Rs rim brake frame kit sells for 3990€. So maybe pick a less expensive groupset if your budget isn’t limitless (and the V3 frame), to get the latest light, fast & strong road bike from Colnago.
As for availability, the new bikes are being delivered to Colnago dealers now, so put in your order and be on the road in a matter of a few weeks.
