There’s something unapologetically fast about raw carbon. No paint fades, metallic flake, or wild graphics. Just carbon fiber layup on display, nowhere to hide, just clear-coated and ready to race.
That’s exactly what Colnago is delivering with its new limited-edition V5Rs and Y1Rs Dark Series kits — a stripped-back livery that lets the frame’s construction do the talking.
And yes, it’s very much inspired by the raw-carbon bikes ridden by Tadej Pogačar during the 2025 Tour de France.
No Paint. No Distractions. Just Carbon.
The Dark Series finish is as minimal as it sounds.
Colnago leaves the carbon fiber weave visible, applying only a thin transparent coating to protect the frame and ensure finishing quality. The branding, down-tube lettering, and the iconic Ace of Clubs head badge are rendered in a titanium-toned chrome plating, adding just enough contrast without breaking the stealth aesthetic.
This isn’t a cosmetic blackout edition. It’s a celebration of the frame itself; the layup, the structure, the engineering.
In a market saturated with bold graphics and layered paint schemes, there’s something refreshing about seeing the actual carbon construction exposed. It feels purposeful.
Limited to 300 of Each
Colnago is capping production at 300 V5R and 300 Y1R framesets worldwide. That’s it.
And dealers must order them in paired packages — one V5Rs and one Y1Rs per allocation. It’s a nod to the shared racing DNA of the two platforms and ensures the Dark Series arrives as a cohesive story rather than a one-off colorway. Given Colnago’s collector appeal and the Pogačar connection, it’s hard to imagine these lingering long.
V5Rs: The Lightweight All-Rounder
Within Colnago’s V Series, the V5Rs represents the brand’s ultimate lightweight all-rounder. It carries a more traditional race geometry paired with an extremely light frame platform, built for riders who want climbing efficiency without sacrificing stiffness or aerodynamic integration.
The V5Rs is the bike you choose when the route tilts skyward. In raw carbon, that lightweight personality becomes even more visually apparent. There’s no paint to hide behind. The structure is front and center.
Y1Rs: Full Aero Intent
If the V5Rs lean toward all-around climbing efficiency, the Y1Rs are Colnago’s extreme aero statement. This is the model built for flat courses, crosswinds, and pure speed. It’s engineered for maximum aerodynamic advantage, designed to hold velocity once it’s up to pace.
The Dark livery suits the Y1Rs particularly well. Aero bikes are already aggressive in silhouette. Add visible carbon and titanium-chrome accents, and the result looks like something pulled straight from a pro team race truck.
Colnago positions both bikes as sharing the same racing soul, just tuned for different terrain profiles.
Built Like Pogačar’s Raw Bikes
One of the more compelling details is that these Dark Series frames are produced the same way as the raw-carbon bikes Pogačar raced in 2025.
That means minimal finishing layers, allowing the carbon structure to remain visible rather than masked beneath paint. While Colnago hasn’t detailed any weight differences between standard painted versions and the Dark finish, historically, raw or lightly coated frames can save a marginal number of grams by eliminating heavy paint layers.
Whether that translates to meaningful weight reduction here isn’t specified, but the philosophy is clear: pure race aesthetic, minimal excess. There is none more black.
Pricing & Availability
The Dark Series framesets carry the same pricing as their respective standard-color models.
- V5Rs Dark – Frame kit (frame, fork, seatpost, small parts)
- Y1Rs Dark – Frame kit (frame, fork, integrated cockpit, seatpost, small parts)
- Pricing: $6,200–$7,500 USD
Initial shipments begin in early March 2026 through Colnago Elite Dealers.
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