Bike check: The new Colnago T1Rs track bike

A Colnago T1RS track bike in a velodrome

(Image credit: Tom Wieckowski)

Colnago launched a brand new track bike called the T1Rs today, which it claims is the fastest in its range. Based on that statement, this is, in theory, the fastest bike Colnago has ever made.

It represents Colnago's re-entry to the world of track racing, and I headed to the London Olympic Velodrome for a look at the bike ahead of the London Three Day track event, where it will see action for the first time.

The Colnago stem fits round 31.8mm bars, opening up a range of options, these are Vision Metron track bars

The dual fork crown layout from the Y1Rs is present, but internally, the bolts are all steel, and they aren't light; weight doesn't matter here, strength and stiffness do.

A Colnago T1Rs track bike — (Image credit: Tom Wieckowski)

Colnago is back on the track, these are the latest carbon version of the legendary Campagnolo Pista wheels

The forks have a 65mm front width, the wheel is installed with two hex bolts, and then the front hub bearing preload is set

I'm willing to bet the Campagnolo Cult ceramic bearings with custom set minimal preload are going to spin for an eternity

Aero fork blades, and the dropout hardware is steel. No 15mm track nuts here

That front end is narrow, and that is one of the themes of the bike

There's an asymmetrical T47 bottom bracket; those aren't actually Colnago cranks, but branded Raketa track cranks from the Czech Republic

UCI approved! And the bottom bracket area is huge

There's clearance for 28mm tyres, these are very expensive Vittoria Pista Oro track tyres

The chainstays are really wide, as stiffness has been a huge factor here. But they're not to the level of the Hope HB.T, which will be deemed illegal from 2027

Track nuts at the rear on the 100mm rear end, and it's steel hardware again. At the moment, it's Campagnolo only when it comes to wheels, but Miche is also producing compatible wheels

This 'bulge' is said to aid airflow passing over the inside of the chainstays

The seatpost area isn't as divisive as the Y1Rs model; the Colnago mechanic stopped me to raise the seatpost height so it would look better, which I can only respect

Tom joined the Cyclingnews team in late 2022 as a tech writer. Despite having a degree in English Literature he has spent his entire working life in the cycling industry in one form or another. He has over 10 years of experience as a qualified mechanic, with the last five years before joining Cyclingnews being spent running an independent workshop. This means he is just as happy tinkering away in the garage as he is out on the road bike, and he isn’t afraid to pull a bike apart or get hands-on with it when testing to really see what it’s made of.

He has ridden and raced bikes from an early age up to a national level on the road and track, and has ridden and competed in most disciplines. He has a keen eye for pro-team tech and enjoys spotting new or interesting components in the wild. During his time at Cyclingnews, Tom has already interviewed some of the sport's biggest names including Mathieu van der Poel, Tadej Pogačar and Alberto Contador. He's also covered various launches from brands such as Pinarello, Ridley, Specialized and more, tackled the Roubaix Challenge sportive aboard his own rim-brake Cannondale SuperSix Evo, tested over 20 aero helmets in the wind tunnel, and has created helpful in-depth buying advice relating to countless categories from torque wrenches to winter clothing.

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