The short answer

Both frames are handmade in Italy, both clear 35mm tyres, and at The Wheelhouse they're $1,500 apart - the Cima at $7,900 CAD, the C72 at $9,400 CAD.

They are not really competitors.

The Colnago C72 is a stock-geometry frame in seven sizes, built the way Colnago has built carbon since the C40 - seven carbon modules, hand-bonded in Cambiago. The Sarto Cima is a tube-to-tube frame, every tube laminated by hand in Sarto's workshop in Veneto, and it can be built to your measurements rather than to a size chart.

So the decision isn't about which frame is better. It's one question: does a stock size fit you? If it does, the C72 is a serious answer. If it doesn't - or you want the frame cut to your numbers - the Cima is the answer, and it costs less.

The numbers

One caveat worth stating plainly: the C72 frameset includes frame, fork, integrated seatpost, headset and CC.02 cockpit. Confirm the Cima's exact inclusions with us before comparing like for like.

Where they actually differ

1. How the frame is made - and why it reaches you

The C72 is modular. Seven carbon parts, shaped and finished and glued into a frame at Colnago's Cambiago site. The tubes and joints come from an Italian supplier in Pordenone; the frame is painted by hand with an airbrush in Cascina; the components go on back in Cambiago. Colnago's argument for it: smaller moulds mean more control over each individual part, and a bonded frame can be repaired more readily than a one-piece monocoque.

The Cima is tube-to-tube. Each carbon tube is laminated by hand, then assembled and finished. Sarto's argument: every junction can be tailored, so stiffness and comfort get tuned to a rider rather than to a model.

Neither method is better. They buy you different things. Modular gives you a repeatable, known frame with a known history. Tube-to-tube gives you a frame that can be pointed at you specifically.

2. Fit - this is the decision

Colnago sizes in centimetres, measured on the seat tube, and it does not follow other brands' logic. A “54” from another brand tells you almost nothing about which Colnago you are. The C72 comes in seven sizes: 420, 455, 485, 510, 530, 550, 570.

The Cima can be built to your measurements - geometry, carbon layup and ride character all specified.

Real talk: most riders fit a stock size, and if you're one of them, you're paying for a custom option you don't need. But if you're between Colnago sizes, or your proportions don't sit neatly on a chart, the Cima removes the compromise entirely. That's not a small thing on a frame at this price.

3. Money - and this one is genuinely surprising

The Cima is $1,500 cheaper at frameset level. Custom normally costs more than stock. Here it doesn't, and it's worth understanding why before you assume the cheaper one is lesser.

4. Badge, recognition and resale

Colnago is one of the most recognisable names in cycling. A C72 is instantly legible, holds value, and comes with blockchain registration that extends the warranty by a year if you register within 30 days.

Sarto has been hand-building frames since the 1950s and has made frames for other premium brands for decades. Far fewer people know the name.

The honest trade-off: if resale value or the reaction at the coffee stop matters to you, that's a point for the Colnago. If you'd rather ride something almost nobody else has, that's a point for the Sarto. Both are legitimate reasons to buy a bike - pretending otherwise would be silly.

5. The details that decide real builds

• Storage: the C72 has an integrated downtube compartment - twist the tab at the base of the bottle cage and it lifts off. The Cima doesn't.
• Cockpit: both are integrated. Colnago's CC.02 is 15g lighter than the CC.01 it replaces and has a revised curve for a more aggressive position with better brake control low down.
• UCI racing: the C72 is homologated. If you race under UCI rules, that matters.
• Position: the C72's geometry update raised the stack-to-reach ratio, so it can be set up more relaxed for long days while keeping racing DNA. Colnago is explicit that they don't use the word “endurance” and that this is not an endurance bike.

Who each one is for

The Colnago C72, if:

• you fit one of the seven stock sizes
• you want the Colnago name, the resale, and the registration/warranty
• you want integrated storage and UCI homologation
• you want a known quantity with a roughly 60-day lead
• you want to choose from Colnago's configurator colours

The Sarto Cima, if:

• you want the frame built to your measurements, not selected from a chart
• you want to specify the carbon layup and the finish
• you want the lower frameset price
• you're happy being the only one at the coffee stop with one
• you don't need downtube storage or UCI homologation

Questions people actually ask

Is the Colnago C72 made in Italy?

Yes. The C72 is designed and handmade in Italy. Frame construction happens in Cambiago, with carbon tubes and joints produced by an Italian supplier in Pordenone. Painting is done in Cascina, and assembly happens back in Cambiago.

Is the Sarto Cima made in Italy?

Yes. Every Cima frame is built entirely in Sarto's workshop in Veneto, using tube-to-tube construction with each carbon tube laminated by hand.

Is the C72 an endurance bike?

No. Colnago doesn't use that category. It's racing geometry with more compliance and clearance than before.

Which one is lighter?

Colnago publishes 895g for a size-485 unpainted frame. Sarto doesn't publish a figure, because the weight depends on the layup you specify - which is the point of the frame.

Can the Cima be built to my measurements?

Yes. Geometry, carbon layup and ride characteristics can all be specified. It's also available in standard geometry if you don't want that.

Can I get the C72 in a custom colour?

Yes, through Colnago's configurator. There are four standard colours as well.

Which is cheaper?

The Cima frameset, by $1,500 CAD.

Do you sell both?

Yes - which is why this comparison doesn't tell you to buy one.

How to decide

Come in and get fitted. The single question that settles this is whether a stock Colnago size puts you in the right place on the bike. That's answerable in one session, and it's a better use of an hour than another week of reading.

If it does fit you, you have a genuine choice and it comes down to badge, storage and lead time. If it doesn't, the decision makes itself.

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