Ernesto Colnago is 80 today and has cel­e­brated his birth­day with a spe­cial lim­ited edi­tion bike that is set to become a col­lec­tors’ item.

The spe­cial bike is called the C59 Ottanta – which means eighty in Italian and has a gold fin­ish. It was inspired by the iconic Colnago bikes of the past that were used so suc­cess­fully by so many leg­endary pro­fes­sional rid­ers and loved by thou­sands of cyclists around the world.

The C59 Ottanta has Master-like arabesque lug dec­o­ra­tions and Ernesto Colnago’s sig­na­ture, yet is made from the best pos­si­ble car­bon fibre and fit­ted with Campagnolo Super Record EPS 11s elec­tronic components.

Colnago is known for its iconic ace of clubs logo but the C59 Ottanta has a spe­cial head badge: the orig­i­nal ‘Eagle and Arrow’ logo that was cre­ated in 1954 inspired by a head­line in the local news­pa­per that described Colnago as fast as an arrow when he won a race.

Just 80 exam­ples of this very spe­cial lim­ited edi­tion bike will be made and 20 have already been snapped up by col­lec­tors around the world.

Despite turn­ing 80, Colnago was busy in his office in Cambiago, pre­fer­ring to work than cel­e­brate his birth­day. He is still the first to arrive at the Colnago offices, just across the street from his home and is always the last to leave. Most peo­ple are hap­pily retired at 80 but Colnago does not intend to retire just yet.

“My 80th birth­day is an inter­me­di­ate sprint, it’s the not the fin­ish of my race. I still love to work and cre­ate new bikes. I don’t want a cake or a big party, the spe­cial bike is my way of shar­ing my birth­day,” he said.

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