colnago gravel bike 2021 Colnago C68 Gravel Disc Frameset

The Colnago C68 Gravel Disc Frameset is the third and final frame in the C68 series — the gravel-specific expression of Colnago's modular carbon tradition, built for riders who want to go where roads stop and still ride at a pace that reflects where the frame comes from. Where the C68 Road is built for pure tarmac performance and the C68 Allroad covers light mixed-surface riding, the C68 Gravel is designed for actual off-road terrain: loose gravel, farm tracks, dirt roads, non-technical stony trails. The same Italian craftsmanship. A different kind of freedom.

The frame uses Colnago's modular carbon construction process — eight individual carbon parts, tubes and joints produced by an Italian supplier in Pordenone, assembled by hand at Colnago's facility in Cambiago. After bonding, each junction is finished using a technique called banding: thin carbon strips are applied manually over the joints, then filed and polished until the frame reads as a single seamless piece. This process, which Colnago has refined across decades of C-Series production, allows smaller molds and more precise control over carbon layup than a full monocoque frame would permit. Painting is done by hand using an airbrush — in Cascina — and final assembly happens back in Cambiago before shipping. No stage of this process is rushed, and no stage is outsourced outside Italy. Colnago was the first brand in cycling history to bring carbon frames to professional teams at the highest level, winning Paris-Roubaix with the legendary C40. The C68 Gravel carries that lineage into gravel riding.

The geometry is built for off-road confidence without abandoning road character. Compared to the C68 Allroad, the C68 Gravel runs a longer reach and longer wheelbase, positioning the rider in a more controlled stance when surfaces get unpredictable. The 70.5-degree head tube angle holds consistent across all five sizes — 45 through 57cm — and the chainstay length stays fixed at 425mm regardless of frame size, keeping handling character uniform as the bike scales up. Tire clearance tops out at 42mm, which Colnago describes as a deliberate choice: the C68 Gravel is built to be fast and snappy, and a wider tire section would compromise that. The carbon fork has integrated cable routing for disc brakes and full internal cable management, and the frame is engineered to accept a suspension fork for riders who want to push into more demanding terrain. Bottom bracket compatibility is T47; a braze-on front derailleur mount is present, though the frame is purpose-designed around 1x drivetrain builds.

Cockpit and Carry

The C68 Gravel is most tightly integrated with the Colnago CC.01 Wide cockpit — an all-in-one handlebar and stem system developed specifically for this frame with a pronounced flare geometry: 400mm at the hoods, 460mm at the drops. The wider drop width provides better control on rough terrain and reduces hand fatigue across long days in the saddle. Riders can also run their preferred cockpit, provided it's compatible with the internal cable routing. The included headset is an ACROS SS 1-1/4" unit with steel bearings, and the seatpost is Colnago's own carbon piece in a D-shape section with a 15mm offset. Groupset compatibility spans the full range of disc-compatible 1x systems: SRAM Red XPLR eTAP AXS, SRAM Force eTAP AXS, and Shimano GRX. Thru-axle spec is 12x100mm front, 12x142mm rear.

Built to Carry More

Colnago built practical storage into the C68 Gravel without treating it as an afterthought. Two bottle cage positions sit on the down tube, a third on the seat tube, and two rivets on the top tube allow for a frame bag attachment — a small detail that makes a meaningful difference on all-day mixed terrain routes. The C68 Gravel is available at RA Cycles in five sizes from 45cm to 57cm in two colorways: HGBK (matte black) and HGGR (green). For the rider who wants a gravel frameset with genuine Italian provenance, a construction process that has no modern equivalent in the industry, and geometry that's been designed specifically for what gravel actually asks of a bike — not just adapted from a road platform — this is the frameset Colnago built for that purpose.