So I am going to be building up my new bike. Frameset is a Colnago CX -1. A couple of questions. What do you guy’s recomend as a guide to help me through it as I have never done this before. ANd also what type of bottom bracket would it be and what do you you guy’s recomend.
A Colnago as your first wrenching job, huh? Bold. You may want to have a shop install the bb and headset and cut down the steerer tube if this is indeed your very first build. And how well-stocked is your toolbox? You really ought to be using a quality torque wrench (e.g. Effeto Mariposa).
But to answer your main question, start with Zinn and the Art of Road Bike Maintenance. To answer your other question, looks like the CX-1 uses a 68mm English bb.
If you get stuck, there are lots of useful videos on Park Tool’s website as well as youtube. Good luck.
You really should take that to a very high calibur LBS. I love Colonago man…love love love em…but the finish work is not the best. I would be sure to chace and face the BB (make sure that they dont put an English thread chase into an Italian thread BB). Also ream and face the head tube. I would put a DAG on the rear end as well. From there, once you have the head cups in, head race on (or not if you have IS)…you should be set with a Craftsman torque wrench and your own tools. You will also need a grinder/Dremel/RotoZip for the cable housing. As beautiful as they are though, the finish work of Colonago from what I have seen the past decade or two is just not what you will get from folks who are not in Italy.
So I am going to be building up my new bike. Frameset is a Colnago CX -1. A couple of questions. What do you guy’s recomend as a guide to help me through it as I have never done this before. ANd also what type of bottom bracket would it be and what do you you guy’s recomend.
It ain’t that hard. Pick up a pair of Park cable cutters and a bottom bracket tool, plus some good grease. Then go to the Park Tools website and get started. I would have the LBS press in the headset cups (if applicable), and cut the steer tube if you need to but that is it. The rest you can do yourself. With a little patience, you will probably do a better job than the LBS anyway. It is hard to screw it up if you are patient. If you are unsure of the bottom bracket, bring the frame in to the LBS and have them tell you. You can install it yourself easily though. The new external BBs are probably the easiest part of building up a bike.
Although this will be my first build I have done the basic servicing of my bikes. The only thing I am not real sure of is the BB.
CX-1 uses a 68mm English bb.
Really??? I’ve never seen a colnago with an english threaded BB. They’re usually the ass-backwards italian style (with a fixed cup side that likes to unwind itself.
Colnago recently switched to english bb’s on their bikes. Recently as in the last year or two, before that everything was italian.
Yep, English. I agree it seems bizarre on a Colnago, but it’s not like Ernesto is hand-brazing these. I believe these come from a certain island in the South China Sea.
Park Big Blue Book
.