Colnago V5Rs Frameset

Colnago has been building race bikes in Cambiago, Italy since 1954. Over those seven decades, they have supplied frames to more Grand Tour winners than almost any other manufacturer — bikes that have carried champions up mountain passes, across cobbled classics, and through decisive solo breakaways. The Colnago V5Rs Frameset is where that lineage lands today: the latest evolution of their V-series race platform, developed specifically for the demands of World Tour competition and ridden by Tadej Pogačar at the highest level of the sport. As a frameset, it puts that engineering directly in the hands of riders who know exactly what they want to build around it.

At 685 grams ready-to-paint, the V5Rs is the lightest frame Colnago has ever produced — 12.5 percent lighter than its predecessor without sacrificing the rigidity that race bikes require. Getting there meant rethinking the tube profiles from the ground up. Colnago drew directly from the Y1Rs, their time trial and triathlon project, adapting its thinner, high-performance carbon profiles to a road geometry. The result is a frame that achieves aerodynamic efficiency close to what you'd find on a dedicated aero bike while remaining light enough to excel on climbs. Total frontal area comes in at 250 cm² — a 13 percent reduction compared to the previous generation — with a narrower head tube further cutting drag at the point where wind resistance is most consequential during high-speed efforts.

The V5Rs was developed with the kind of process that elite race bikes demand. Colnago began with CFD simulation to model airflow across the frame, then moved to 3D-printed prototypes for rapid testing and refinement. Wind tunnel sessions with full competition setups — wheels, rider, kit — verified the aerodynamic gains before professional riders put the frame through real-world validation. Every claim made about the V5Rs has been confirmed under race conditions, not just in a laboratory. The newly developed carbon fork contributes to the overall aero story while also improving steering precision. It accommodates tires up to 32mm, giving the frame genuine versatility across road surfaces without compromising its race-ready character.

As a frameset, the V5Rs is built for the rider approaching a custom build with intention. The BSA English thread bottom bracket shell, braze-on front derailleur mount, and SLT-treated integrated headset bearings provide a solid, compatible foundation for a wide range of component choices. Whether you're matching it to an existing groupset, pairing it with carbon wheels you already run, or building from scratch with a specific performance target in mind, the V5Rs gives you the frame without compromise.

Design Benefits

1. 685g frame weight is the lightest in Colnago's history — a meaningful number on climbs where grams translate directly to time, and significant enough that riders stepping up from the previous V-series will feel the difference.
2. Aero profiles borrowed from the Y1Rs TT project bring time trial–derived tube shapes to a road geometry, achieving frontal area and drag characteristics that rival dedicated aero frames without the weight penalty that typically comes with them.
3. 13% reduction in frontal area — down to 250 cm² — and a narrower head tube reduce drag where it matters most during high-speed efforts, sprint finishes, and sustained flat riding.
4. 32mm tire clearance on the new fork expands the V5Rs beyond pure smooth-road use, accommodating wider tires for improved grip, comfort, and rolling efficiency on rough race surfaces.
5. World Tour race validation — developed via CFD, 3D printing, and wind tunnel testing, then confirmed by professional riders under race conditions. The performance numbers reflect how the frame actually behaves, not just how it tests in isolation.
6. Frameset format lets you build exactly what you want — choose your groupset, wheels, and finishing kit without paying for components you'd replace anyway.

Final Take

The Colnago V5Rs is a race frame with no qualifications attached. It's the lightest and most aerodynamic road frame Colnago has ever built, developed alongside professional riders competing at the highest level of the sport. At $5,499.99, it's a serious investment in a platform that's been validated where it counts. For the rider who wants to build a custom race machine around a frame that doesn't ask for compromises, this is it.