The year 1919 in Europe was hardly a peaceful one in the modern sense. Although the greatest war to date had ended, social unrest, disease, and crime waves raged across the continent. Italy was no exception – the country was ruined and debt-ridden, 600,000 citizens perished, and unemployment fueled the rise of fascism. It would seem that starting a business under such conditions would be impossible, or even madness.
Anyone need a tube?
And that's where Mr. Angelo Luigi Colombo comes in. He's young (27 years old at the time), full of energy, and has been working with steel since he was twelve. He quickly realizes that if he doesn't get into production himself, he's unlikely to make a fortune. He establishes a company with the rather unconventional name AL Colombo, primarily producing tubing for handlebars, seatposts, and, of course, frames. These parts are shipped directly to Italian manufacturers like Bianchi. And because he's good at it, the company begins to expand. In 1927, he helps build the first airplane to fly across the Atlantic, securing contracts for the airline industry. His tubing is primarily used for engine assembly. In 1930, production of double-butted tubing begins, which is also when the name Columbus first appears. In 1931, he installs tools that will allow him to produce seamless tubing, enabling the creation of high-quality material for bicycle and motorcycle frames. At 1935, Angelo began working with the Politecnico di Milano, while his son Gilberto designed suspensions for Ferrari, Lancia, and Maseratti, naturally using tubes bearing his own name. The experience gained in the automotive industry would later be transferred to bicycles.
"Curiosity leads to knowledge"
Competition, however, was fierce, primarily from the English tycoon Reynolds. In 1935, it launched the revolutionary 531 model, a cold-drawn, manganese-molybdenum alloy, lighter than anything to date. For the next few decades, they were used in bicycles, airplanes, and just about everything that moved. You'll find them in the Jaguar E-type, the Spitfire fighter, or my Raleigh Gran Course from the mid-1980s. I wouldn't be surprised if they put them in tanks. Of course, the only person who didn't share the world's admiration for the English invention was Angelo Colombo. In response, he developed a new alloy. Cyclex was a chrome-molybdenum steel and it did the job. Its excellent properties were achieved through cold forming. It was lightweight, strong, and resistant to overheating. This allowed the production of numerous tubing models for specific applications, favored by frame builders, and a level playing field in the market. Interestingly, in the 1930s and 1940s, the Milanese brand gained fame primarily thanks to a completely different industry, completely unrelated to speed.
Bauhaus + Columbus = success
The resourceful Angelo teamed up with Marcel Brauer, whose name was already recognizable, and the two men set to work. The Italian entrepreneur's elegant, lightweight tubes seemed destined to implement Bauhaus ideas. Other designers, particularly Colombo's compatriots, began designing shapes for him, which later evolved into extraordinary furniture. They quickly became a sought-after element in homes, offices, and even schools (we are in Italy, after all).
It can't get any easier?
Bicycle products, however, continued to be refined, new alloys were created, and various degrees of butting were experimented with. Even cyclists from the British Isles coveted bicycles made of Italian steel for their excellent riding characteristics and... the touch of exoticism conveyed by the dove sticker. The Italians knew how to make their product an object of desire. Measurable success in sport was undeniable. Experiments with increasingly thinner walls pushed the limits of the material's durability (occasionally exceeding them). The frame wall on which Eddy Merckx broke the world hour record in 1972 was half a millimeter thick at its thinnest point! It weighed 1610g, including the fork and steerer tube. Steel.1972. It was impressive, and although such a frame was not suitable for Paris-Rubaix, models based on the SP line carried the winners of that race to the finish line, providing unprecedented durability and (relative) comfort for those times.
Around this time, the most distinctive feature of all Columbus bicycle tubes from this period appeared: a steerer tube with helical ribs at the junction with the fork crown. This significantly increased the structural strength and stiffness in a critical area without significantly increasing weight. The solution proved so successful that it was soon adopted for bottom bracket shells and the ends of all SLX tube sets. Popularly known as super-butted, SLX was the top-of-the-line product in Columbus's lineup at the time.
Columbus - only bikes
In 1977, Antonio Colombo, son of the brand's founder, resigned as president of AL Colombo to run Columbus, which became an independent company focused solely on the bicycle industry. Shortly thereafter, he made an interesting acquisition: the Italian company Cinelli, which happened to be a manufacturer of inner tubes. Tubes here, inner tubes there... it makes sense. And since Antonio was not blind, he focused not only on the excellent technical properties of his products but also on design and advertising. The 1980s saw the dominance of oversize MAX and miniMAX groupsets and the iconic Nivacrom alloy, still used today.
The end of steel?
The new century was fast approaching, and the cycling arms race was gathering pace. In 1991, the Genius groupset was introduced, introducing a new butted shape and being TIG-weldable. By then, it was clear that the time had come for new materials. Aluminum groupsets were pushing previous products into the background, and a time of bold design had arrived (the names Megatube and Starship say it all). The Hyperion series also saw the introduction of titanium, which for a moment seemed the future.
Columbus goes carbon
Aluminum reigned supreme briefly, and titanium barely managed to establish its crown. The first to be adopted were amateur bikes, as prices rapidly dropped, while titanium proved excruciatingly difficult to machine and refused to budge. At the dawn of the 21st century, a new solution emerged on the bicycle market: carbon fiber. Certainly, there had been previous attempts, but the results were as intriguing as they were prone to cracking. At that time, many manufacturers preferred to experiment with carbon fiber themselves, no longer relying on tube suppliers, which put Columbus in a somewhat awkward position. Despite this, in 2003, the Columbus XLR8R Carbon kit appeared on the market—carbon tubes intended for small companies. However, it was no match for the then-popular monocoque frame designs, which were built as a single unit without the need for joining tubes.
But it can be easier
It would seem that a company whose core product was becoming obsolete would face a major retraining or a sad end. Instead, Antonio Colombo decided to focus on what Columbus has always excelled at: steel. In 2004, he introduced the Spirit tube set, based on a new alloy with a niobium alloy. The result: a 54 cm frameset weighed 1060 grams. This contributed to a shift towards customers who value the excellent ride quality and comfort of steel frames, as well as unique, custom-made designs. Five years later, the Italian brand sealed its success by creating the XCR series of stainless steel tubes, the top product in its catalog. Thanks to the possibility of polishing them and the lack of paint, the set became the object of desire for all steel fanatics.
One hundred and we keep going
Staying in business for a hundred years is a feat few companies achieve. Innovation was key, but above all, a thorough understanding of the bicycle market. Today, Columbus offers a full range of steel tubes. They also offer aluminum framesets, carbon forks, and monocoque frames and headsets. The custom bicycle frame market is experiencing a renaissance, and the Italian manufacturer can rest assured, but I believe it will surprise us many more times. To celebrate the brand's centennial, the Italians have created a special, limited-edition series of Cento tubesets. This is currently the second-highest tubeset in the company's offering, after the XCR. It combines a modern look with the comfort of steel, and there's sure to be plenty of takers. You can learn more about the anniversary set here .
I found a lot of information helpful in preparing the article on the following websites:
http://cinellionly.blogspot.com
http://bikeretrogrouch.blogspot.com
and in the book Bike!: A Tribute to the World's Greatest Racing Bicycles
Most of the photos also come from these sources.
Leave a comment