The 20th century will be remembered as the century when design came of age; the point in time where art and technology became one to produce iconic symbols of the era.
The Barcelona chair ; the VW Beetle; the Fender Stratocaster ; design classics that despite the date stamp on the back, still look as fresh today as when they first caught the eye of the public.
These are just a few examples of those rare designs; the ones liberally sprinkled with that elusive, magic dust responsible for the transformation of everyday consumer products into sought-after 'Objects Of Desire'. In many cases, its hard to pinpoint exactly what it is about a design that grabs and holds your attention, but in every case, you'll find its usually an item that not only looks good, but works every bit as good as it looks.
Invariably, underneath the simple lines of an unhurried exterior, lies a product design that does exactly what it was intended to do, but manages to do it that little bit better than its contemporaries. In the world of performance bicycles, there is one such design icon standing head and shoulders above the rest; a bike that defined an age; a bike that looks as good now as it did when the first example left the factory.
Without doubt, the Colnago Master epitomises all that is good about bicycle design.
Masterclass
West Coast master framebuilder Brian Baylis had a memorable get-together with Colnago earlier this year. Colnago was in San Diego, California to make an appearance at the Gran Fondo San Diego, an event supported by Colnago USA, while Baylis was in attendance to help spread the word about the San Diego Custom Bicycle Show.
Brian told us:
"I have been a long time fan of Colnago bicycles; having had my first one to race on in 1972. I still have a couple of B&W photos of me on that bike. I have 5 vintage Colnagos in my collection.
As far as the business of framebuilding goes; I feel there is none better than Colnago. It was a great honor to meet him at the Gran Fondo and have dinner with him as part of a VIP group on his 77th birthday the evening before the event. Ernesto is a man of almost limitless energy who always has his eye on the future of cycling."
It would have been great to have been a fly on the wall when these two masters of their game 'talked shop'.
Brian will be at the upcoming Rocky Mountain Bicylce Show in Denver, Colorado, promoting the San Diego event. Stop by and say hello - I'm sure he'll give you some choice nuggets to share on your next club ride!
Ernesto admires a Baylis gem
Introduced in 1983, its vast range of sizes became the template for a thousand brands; its no-nonsense design meant it was at home over the cobbles of Belgium as it was in the country lanes of England, or flying around the streets of Milan. Born of a time when lugs and round tubes were almost universal throughout bicycle production, the Master managed to go that little bit further than the rest. With its Gilco-designed tubing, (the stiffening longitudinal flutes just happening to form the tube into an outline of Colnago's 'Ace of Clubs' logo) the Master offered race-friendly rigidity without adding bulk. Up front, its Prescia fork not only streamlined production, but also added an all-important pointer as to the origin of the bike; a feature that quite literally stood out from the rest. Thanks to its straight fork blades and raked crown, there was no mistaking a Colnago, despite the design being plagiarized by a swarm of imitators.
On the outside, despite the simple styling of a single colour mated to a contrasting seat tube panel and highlighted by a layer of eye-catching yet durable chrome plating, it has that all-important quality of looking good, of looking just right for the job.
Perhaps this is due in part to Colnago's uncanny ability of having his bikes seen in all the right places, whether underneath the all-conquering 70's amateur road squads of the USSR and Poland, or carrying Giuseppe Saronni to decisive victory in the World Pro Road Race of 1982. Whatever the reason, there's probably no other brand that has been been blessed with as much desirability than the Colnago; none more so than Colnago's enduring Master design.
Some 'purists' may argue that a Colnago has no place in a website featuring custom-built, handmade bicycles. While it may be true the output of Colnago might eclipse the combined framebuilding production of some countries, you cannot deny the Colnago has - more than any other brand or builder - an aspirational quality for both framebuilders and bike riders alike. Truth is, there's not a framebuilder out there who would not want his frames to look as good as a Colnago; not a rider who would say no to a Saronni-red Master.
It would be almost impossible to find a rider a who would need a custom-built Master given the vast range of sizing options. When kitted out in today's lighter, slicker components, even a mid-range equipped bike passes the all-important 'one-finger-lift' test - the true benchmark of performance in the hands and minds of the general public. Chances are, given that the Master range is made to the same standards and using the same tooling as the 'Super' and 'Mexico' models of 40 years ago, there's probably more of the 'hand' in a Master than a lot of today's so-called 'handmade' offerings, built with their ' TV Dinner' approach to framebuilding – just heat and serve. Make no mistake; when you buy a 'traditional' Colnago, you can bet it was built using traditional methods, by journeyman telaisti .
Which is probably why Colnago has decided to commemorate the 55th anniversary of the Colnago brand with the Master 55.
This is a limited-production model, featuring deep gloss black paint on top of jeweler-quality nickel plating and with subtle gold accents and embellishments adorning the tubes and stays.
There is no other way to describe the finished article other than stunning. With its special Colnago Master55 head badge and gold leaf signature scroll on the down tube, the overall look is of elegance rather than bling, enduring style over disposable fashion.
This is without doubt yet another iconic Colnago, a true collectors item; one to be hung on the walls of a museum or feature in a retrospective of great bicycle design.
It's as good a reason, if one were needed, to visit Casa Colnago at Eurobike (or any other show Colnago attends). Just be prepared to wait in line for the opportunity to gaze, along with many thousands more, at what will prove to be one of the must-see bikes on show.
Who knows; at a time when bike brands are scrambling over themselves to grab a slice of the 'steel renaissance' pie, maybe this is Ernesto's reminder to the bike world of just how vital a part he has played in elevating the bicycle from everyday tool to objet d'art; perhaps a subtle memo saying it was Colnago who put the 'designer' in 'designer bike'.
One thing is for sure; we will not see his likes again.
When Ernesto Colnago finally decides to hang up his spurs and begin his well-earned retirement, things will seem that bit little duller without him. The bike game will sorely miss his instinctive flair for presentation,
his boundless passion for bicycles, but most of all, we'll miss the genius of his creativity.
So during the bike expo season, if the opportunity presents itself, show your appreciation and go shake his hand.
The 20th century will be remembered as the century when design came of age; the point in time where art and technology became one to produce iconic symbols of the era. 
