New Colnago G5-X: more stable, clearance for up to 53 mm tyres, integrated storage and an attractive price

Colnago has just presented the G5-X, its new gravel bike aimed at competition and, above all, a completely new platform. The Italian brand insists that this is not a road bike adapted for gravel, but rather a model developed specifically for a discipline that already has its own technical demands.

The result is a G5-X with tire clearance of up to 53 mm, a longer and more stable geometry, a lower bottom bracket, integrated storage in the down tube, and numerous mounting points. A combination with which Colnago aims to cover everything from fast races like The Traka or Unbound to ultradistance events like Badlands.

Colnago designs the G5-X based on four of the most demanding gravel races

The idea behind the new G5-X is interesting. Colnago believes that parameters traditionally used in road cycling, such as weight, stiffness, or aerodynamics, are no longer sufficient to design a modern gravel bike. Therefore, the brand has directly considered the situations that cyclists encounter in competition.

RECOMENDADO

McNulty already has his World Champion’s Colnago: a one-off Y1Rs

Colnago creates a unique hand-painted V5Rs to celebrate the UAE Team L’IMAD Tour

Dropping down a tier to survive: Picnic PostNL considers leaving the WorldTour

2026 European Time Trial Championships: schedule, route and favourites

The future after 1x? Two chainrings without a front derailleur could pave the way for a possible 1x16

No rainbow jersey, no stars: Pogačar returns to UAE’s regular kit two years later

To do this, it has used four races as references: The Traka, Unbound Gravel, Badlands, and GranGuanche Audax. Four very different races that range from fast and competitive gravel to bikepacking and ultradistance.

The Traka served to specifically work on climbing response, handling on technical descents, and the ability to use wider tires when conditions worsen. Unbound focused on speed, comfort after many hours, and especially on having enough space around the wheels when mud appears. Meanwhile, Badlands and GranGuanche directed the development towards a bike capable of carrying luggage and maintaining stable behavior over multi-day rides.

The jump to 53 mm is one of its main innovations

One of the most evident changes compared to the previous G4-X is in the wheels. The new Colnago G5-X accommodates tires with a maximum nominal width of 53 mm, compared to 45 mm of its predecessor.

It is not simply a matter of being able to fit larger tires. The increase in volume allows for lower pressures, improves grip, and reduces impacts on rough terrain. It also decreases the risk of pinch flats, and on very uneven surfaces, a wide tire at lower pressure can even offer less rolling resistance by reducing bouncing.

In fact, all standard configurations come with 700x50 tires, still leaving free space around the tire.

A more stable geometry, but without making it a slow gravel bike

The change in philosophy continues in the geometry. Colnago has increased the wheelbase and used a more relaxed head angle, aiming for the bike to maintain its trajectory better when speed increases or when encountering rocks, ruts, and steep descents.

To ensure that this increase in stability does not make the steering slow in tight corners, the brand has simultaneously increased the fork's rake. This way, it reduces part of the trail generated by the more relaxed angle and maintains a more agile steering at low speeds.

It also lowers the center of gravity with a lower bottom bracket. The goal is to compensate for the growth of the tires and ensure that the cyclist is more integrated between both wheels.

The wheelbase also increases. According to Colnago, this allows the bike to be less twitchy on fast and rough terrain, reduces pitching movements on undulating surfaces, and improves both climbing traction and behavior when loaded.

A new carbon layup balancing stiffness and comfort

Colnago has also completely revised the frame's layup. The brand explains that it has sought a structure capable of better filtering vibrations over very rough terrain without losing responsiveness when accelerating or pedaling hard uphill.

This is precisely one of the aspects in which the G5-X wants to distance itself from a simply widened road bike. Absolute stiffness is no longer the only goal, and the behavior during races that can last ten, twenty, or even more than forty hours comes into play.

Storage within the frame and six mounting points

Another of the most visible innovations is the integrated compartment in the down tube. A cover allows access to the inside of the frame to store a tube, CO₂, tools, or a repair kit.

This allows for the elimination of the classic saddle bag and keeps the bottle cages free, in addition to protecting the tools from water and mud. The inner bag and repair kit, however, are not included.

The G5-X also features six 64 mm mounting points, including two additional ones on the fork. The latter allows for mounting cargo cages to carry a small waterproof bag, clothing, or food without occupying the main triangle, a solution clearly designed for ultradistance races. 

Colnago also adds the Fidlock Twist Lock system. Each bike includes three mounts compatible with this magnetic-mechanical system, although conventional bottle cages can also be installed.

New CC.01 Wide handlebar and conventional 27.2 mm seatpost

For the G5-X, a specific version of its integrated cockpit appears, called Colnago CC.01 Wide. It maintains the monocoque carbon construction but significantly increases the flare: 30 mm on each side compared to the 10 mm of the road CC.01. It has 72.5 mm of reach and 120 mm of drop.

At the opposite end of the latest aerodynamic trends is the seatpost. Colnago has chosen a conventional round 27.2 mm seatpost, a decision with two clear advantages in gravel. A small section provides some flex to increase comfort and also allows for a huge variety of conventional, telescopic, or even suspension seatposts.

Only electronic groups and UDH compatibility

The new G5-X is available in five sizes —450, 480, 510, 540, and 570— and two finishes, Carbon Green G501 and Carbon Blue G502.

The frame incorporates UDH and is only compatible with electronic groups. It can mount 1x drivetrains with chainrings up to 50 teeth and also 2x configurations, both gravel-specific and compact and supercompact road sets.

Additionally, Colnago maintains the same frame construction across the range: there is no lower carbon version for the more economical builds.

Colnago G5-X range: three builds starting from 4,900 euros

The initial range consists of three versions:

• SRAM Red XPLR AXS E1, Zipp 303 XPLR SW wheels, and CC.01 Wide cockpit: €9,200.
• SRAM Force XPLR E1, Vision TC45 carbon wheels, and CC.01 Wide cockpit: €5,750.
• SRAM Rival XPLR E1, Vision TC45 carbon wheels, and aluminum handlebar and stem set: €4,900 

The version equipped with SRAM Red XPLR AXS E1 and Zipp 303 XPLR SW will be available immediately, while the other two builds will arrive starting mid-November.

With this G5-X, Colnago seems to want to definitively leave behind the idea that a competition gravel bike must resemble a road bike as much as possible. The 53 mm tire clearance, a much more stable geometry, and bikepacking-specific solutions show just how much the concept of gravel racing has changed, even among brands traditionally more linked to road cycling.