Colnago V4 RS Review: A Sharper Race Machine for Serious Riders

Introduction

The Colnago V4 RS is the Italian brand’s latest top-end racing machine, and it takes over from the V3 RS, the bike that carried Tadej Pogačar to Tour de France victories in 2020 and 2021. Teams were already racing the new platform at the Tour de France earlier in the year, with Pogačar on a prototype version before the final production model was confirmed.

Two finishes have been shown: a UAE Team Emirates colorway in a silver and black fade with a brushed silver logo, and a UAE Team ADQ version in red and black with a rainbow detail around the frame. Both use the same frame platform, and both keep the silhouette of the outgoing model while reworking the tube shapes throughout.

Who the V4 RS Is For

The V4 RS is built for riders who want Colnago’s fastest all-out race platform rather than its most luxurious one. The C68 remains a sublime piece of luxury Italian engineering, but it was never designed to be the quickest bike in a straight fight. The V4 RS places a much greater emphasis on lightweight and aerodynamics, which puts it in a different category entirely.

That makes it a natural fit for road racers, criterium riders and anyone chasing a sharper, more aggressive ride. Colnago also developed the bike with direct professional input: five of its most promising carbon layups were ridden in real race situations before the final layup was chosen, and riders contributed to the geometry and handling characteristics as well.

In short, this is a bike aimed at riders who race or ride aggressively and want the newest platform from the brand rather than the most comfort-focused option in the range.

Frame Design and Aerodynamic Details

The overall silhouette stays close to the V3 RS, but the shape has been adjusted all over the frame to improve airflow. The head tube is the most visible change. It now has a more hourglass profile because the upper bearing has grown in diameter, which allows a conventional round steerer tube instead of a D-shaped one while still leaving room for internal cable routing. In theory, that should also make the steerer stiffer.

Colnago has hidden an integrated multi-tool in the top of the head tube, a similar arrangement to the one on the C68, and the tool decreases in size on smaller frame sizes. Aero features are dotted around the frame, including one just behind the fork crown that is intended to smooth the airflow coming off the fork and the front wheel. Tire clearance has increased to 32 mm.

Elsewhere there are dropped seatstays, an integrated D-shaped seatpost and clamp, and a chainstay length that changes with frame size. A new bar and stem is fitted to the V4 RS: it looks similar to the cockpit on the C68 but is new for this bike, with a narrow top section that sits flush with the top tube. The headset uses CeramicSpeed SLT bearings, which rely on a polymer rather than conventional liquid lubricant and are designed to last considerably longer.

Aero Testing Data

Colnago’s published aerodynamic work was carried out at 50 km/h, both with the bike in isolation and with a pedaling rider aboard, and the tests were run with two bottle cages and one bottle fitted because the brand considers that a realistic race setup.

With the bike alone and no rider, the V4 RS is claimed to be 4 percent faster than the outgoing model, which Colnago equates to 5.2 watts of weighted average drag. Fit an unspecified set of wheels and add the new integrated aero computer mounts, and that figure rises to 16 percent, or 19.2 watts.

With a pedaling rider in the system, the claimed gain is 3 percent, or 13.2 watts at 50 km/h. With the unspecified wheels fitted, that becomes 6 percent, or 27.7 watts. Colnago does not name the wheels used for the biggest numbers.

Two points stand out from the data. Wheel choice has a large effect on the total, and the integrated computer mount appears to make more of a difference than many riders would expect. Colnago also notes that once these savings are scaled down to the speeds most riders actually hold, the wattage figures become considerably smaller.

Stiffness and Ride Quality

Colnago claims the V4 RS is 4 percent stiffer at the saddle when sprinting and 5 percent stiffer in the saddle compared with the previous model. The brand developed its own dynamic methods for measuring frame stiffness, which it keeps confidential and considers more representative than static, single-force tests.

Rider feedback shaped the bike as much as the laboratory work. The most promising carbon layups were put under professional riders in real race conditions before the final specification was locked in, and those riders also had input into the geometry and handling.

The response from the sharp end of the sport has been positive: the new bike is described as stiffer and more responsive, with a better reaction when standing up, which is said to help in the peloton, in fast racing, when attacking and when sprinting. Taken together, the stiffness claims and the rider feedback point to a bike that responds sharply when the pace goes up.

Weight and Build Data

Colnago has been unusually transparent with its frame weights. A bare, unpainted V3 RS in a size 50 weighs 795 g, while a bare, unpainted V4 RS in the equivalent size of 48 weighs 798 g. The frame itself is therefore marginally heavier, but the fork and the hardware are lighter, which produces an overall saving of 57 g. Sizing has also become more linear, so the differences between consecutive frame sizes are more consistent.

On the scales, the pro-spec builds came in at 7.74 kg for a size 54 with a bottle and pedals fitted, and 6.8 kg for a size 45s. Those numbers show how much the final figure depends on frame size and build specification.

Components and Integration Details

The bikes shown are built with a Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 groupset and ENVE wheels, which reflects a switch to Shimano for the UAE teams. That is a notable change for a brand with such a long association with Italian componentry, and it is the specification the teams are expected to race.

Integration is thorough throughout. Cables run internally, the seatpost and clamp are a matched D-shaped design, and the cockpit is a dedicated bar and stem rather than a two-piece setup. The multi-tool in the head tube adds a practical touch for roadside adjustments, while the CeramicSpeed SLT headset bearings are intended to keep steering smooth over the long term.

The practical result is a bike that arrives as a complete race package rather than a collection of parts, with the frame, cockpit, bearings and drivetrain all designed to work as one system.

Things to Consider Before Buying

A few details are worth weighing up before committing. The frame alone is slightly heavier than the V3 RS, with the overall weight saving coming from the fork and the hardware. The most dramatic aero figures depend on a set of wheels Colnago does not identify and on an integrated aero computer mount, so the gains available on a standard build will be smaller than the headline numbers.

All of the published aerodynamic testing was conducted at 50 km/h, and Colnago acknowledges that the watt savings shrink considerably at more modest speeds. Weight also varies with frame size and build, as the two weighed examples show, so a specific build is best judged on its own numbers rather than on the general claims.

It is also worth deciding early which Colnago you actually want. The C68 and the V4 RS serve different purposes, and the newer platform is the one focused on race performance rather than luxury cruising.

Buying Advice

If you are shopping for a race bike and Colnago is on your shortlist, the decision largely comes down to what you want from the brand. The C68 is the luxury option, a superb bike that was never intended to be the fastest all-out race machine. The V4 RS is the performance option, with the lighter and more aerodynamic brief and the newer platform.

Pay attention to frame size, because the revised sizing is more linear and each step now represents a more consistent change. Tire clearance up to 32 mm gives useful flexibility for wider rubber, and the Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 build shown here is the specification to expect on team-spec bikes.

If maximum aerodynamic benefit matters to you, plan around wheel choice and consider the integrated computer mount, since those two items carry a large share of the claimed gain. On fit, handling and stiffness, the professional development process is the strongest argument for the bike. For riders whose priorities match that brief, the V4 RS is the model to look at.

Conclusion

The Colnago V4 RS is a focused evolution rather than a reinvention. It keeps the silhouette of the V3 RS, sharpens the frame shapes, adopts a round steerer tube, adds an integrated multi-tool, widens tire clearance to 32 mm, and claims meaningful aerodynamic and stiffness gains alongside a 57 g overall weight saving. The frame itself is a touch heavier than before, and the biggest aero numbers rely on wheels Colnago has not named, but the platform is clearly built to win races. For riders who want Colnago’s fastest all-out machine rather than its most luxurious one, the V4 RS is the obvious place to start.