Colnago to use blockchain tech on 2022 bikes

Colnago will begin to use blockchain technology across its frames starting in 2022, providing a digital passport that can be used to demonstrate authenticity and offer proof of ownership. The first bike to feature the tech is the Colnago V3Rs that 2020 and 2021 Tour de France winner Tadej Pogačar will ride at the World Championships this weekend.

“Colnago's technical partner MyLime has developed and created an RFID (radio-frequency identification) tag that is inextricably linked to the bike frame and grants access to the information in the bike’s digital passport through a smartphone app that is linked to the blockchain,” says Colnago.

“When the frame is sold to a new owner, the transfer of ownership can be managed with MyLime’s certified process. The transparency offered by MyLime's blockchain solution will lend absolute traceability and will ensure the bicycle's value over time.”

> NFT digital image of Colnago bike sells for $8,600 

Colnago says that the data stored on the blockchain cannot be faked or changed once registered, providing ultimate proof of ownership.

Colnago’s Head of Marketing Manolo Bertocchi said, “We have been looking at the security provided by blockchain technology to give our customers the confidence to know that the frame they are buying is authentic and to demonstrate the chain of ownership forever. We will also announce other functions based on blockchain with the new year.”

Of course, you can add your own RFID security chip/tag to any bike, linking it back to you if it is ever stolen. This wouldn’t do anything to prove the bike's authenticity, though.

Tadej Pogačar’s Colnago V3Rs for the UCI Road World Championship this Sunday features an ‘Ice & Fire’ finish that is said to have been designed by the Slovenian. It will be auctioned off at the launch of the new Colnago website and app in 2022.

The bike features a 12-speed Campagnolo Super Record EPS Disc groupset, Campagnolo Bora Ultra WTO 45 DB wheels, and Vittoria Corsa clincher tyres. It is equipped with a Deda Elementi Alanero DCR carbon-fibre handlebar, a Prologo Scratch M5 Nack saddle, and Colnago’s carbon bottle cage.

www.colnago.com/en/IceandFire