Meet Tadej Pogačar's new weapon: Colnago’s lightest frame ever — the all-new V5Rs

After a final farewell at last weekend's Paris-Roubaix, the V4Rs —Colnago’s winningest bike model— takes its well-earned place in the history books and makes way for the next chapter in the brand’s V Series legacy: the V5Rs, a bike that's lighter, sleeker, and built to push the limits of modern road racing.

The V5Rs has some big…errr...tyres to fill. Its predecessor was ridden to victory in the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia, La Flèche Wallonne, Paris-Nice, Tour of Flanders, Amstel Gold Race and the UCI Road World Championships — just to name a few.

Already put through its paces beneath the riders of UAE Team Emirates-XRG and UAE Team ADQ, the V5Rs comes with a bold superlative: it’s the lightest frame Colnago has ever produced. At just 685 grams for an unpainted size 485 frame (roughly equivalent to a 54–56 cm), it shaves off 12.5% compared to the outgoing V4Rs and supposedly without losing any stiffness. This was made possible through a new carbon layup and refined manufacturing process. The total weight of the frame kit (frame and fork) is just 1027 grams — putting it in the same ballpark as the Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL8 or Cervélo R5.

Yet, it's not just about weight savings. The V5Rs is designed to be faster, more aerodynamic and more responsive — a true all-rounder purpose-built for today’s dynamic racing.

What’s New: The Biggest Changes in the V5Rs

• Weight Savings: At just 685g unpainted (size 485), the V5Rs is Colnago’s lightest-ever frame — 12.5% lighter than the V4Rs.
  
• Improved Aerodynamics: The V5Rs features a new tube profile, slimmer fork blades, a drastically thinner seatpost, and a reduced frontal area. Wind tunnel tests show a 9-watt saving at 50km/h.
  
• Shared Development with Y1Rs: Aerodynamic learnings from the Y1Rs project helped shape the V5Rs – specifically designed for riders who prefer solo attacks and high-speed breakaways.
  
• Racing Geometry Tweaks: Slightly steeper head and seat tube angles, refined trail and fork rake for quicker handling and better climbing.
  
• New Bottom Bracket: The V5Rs switches from T47 to a BSA bottom bracket

Aerodynamic Refinements

Colnago didn’t just trim grams; they re-engineered the V Series platform using lessons learned from the brand’s radical Y1Rs aero project.

While the silhouette remains familiar, a closer look reveals the changes made. The latest gen comes with some stealthy aerodynamic improvements. These changes are most evident in the refined tube and joint shapes, a slimmer head tube and new fork blade profiles. The frontal area has been reduced by 13% compared to the V4R.

At the rear, both the seatpost and seat tube have been drastically slimmed down — so much so that the Di2 battery required a new home. It now lives just above the bottom bracket in the downtube, accessed via a dedicated port.

In wind tunnel testing, these changes add up: the V5Rs is said to be 9 watts faster than its predecessor at 50 km/h. If these speeds sound theoretical, think again — Mathieu van der Poel’s winning average speed at Paris-Roubaix last weekend was 46.841 km/h.

Geometry changes

Colnago says it made only subtle adjustments to the geometry to “better accommodate modern riding positions” and enhance handling.

Key updates include a refined trail for quicker directional changes, and a size-specific fork rake: 47mm for sizes 420–510 and 43mm for sizes 530–570.

Other updates include slightly steeper head tube (HT) and seat tube (ST) angles for a more forward-oriented riding position. Two seatpost setback options are available: 0mm and 15mm. Tyre clearance remains generous, accommodating up to 32mm.

An All-Rounder for a New Era

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While the Y1Rs serves as Colnago’s out-and-out aero machine, the V5Rs is poised to become the go-to weapon for most race scenarios, blending a lightweight chassis with aero refinements and razor-sharp geometry tuned for modern race dynamics.

It’s Colnago's redefinition of what an all-rounder can be — and we can’t wait to put it to the test ourselves. But before our team gets to swing a leg over one, the V5Rs makes its official WorldTour debut this weekend at Amstel Gold Race — a fittingly punchy test for Colnago’s next-generation all-rounder.

Prices

Prices for the latest-gen racer start at $6,250 / €5,940 for the frameset.

Complete builds start around €10,000 (SRAM Force) and go up to $16,500 / €15,990 for the top-tier spec (Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 with Enve SES 4.5 wheels).