Summary
- Colnago launched the G5-X on 7 October 2026. It is a new platform, not an update of the G4-X, designed around 50 mm tyres with clearance for 53 mm.
- The geometry is longer and lower: head angle from 70.5° to 71.5°, an 80 mm BB drop on the three smaller sizes, 435 mm chainstays across the range.
- Claimed weights are about 950 g for the frame and 420 g for the fork. Down tube storage, six mounts and a round 27.2 mm seatpost come as standard.
- Three SRAM XPLR builds at €4,900, €5,750 and €9,200. Electronic groupsets only.
- If you want a mechanical groupset or a tighter race fit, the G4-X still makes sense, and it is the Colnago gravel bike with the widest choice of stock.
What Colnago changed, and why
The G4-X arrived in 2024 and did well in long races. Piotr Havik won the Badlands on it in a record 36 hours 15 minutes, as BikeRadar reports. The G5-X keeps the race focus, but the brief was wider.
Colnago used four events as references: the Traka 200, Unbound 200, Badlands and GranGuanche Audax. They range from a single day on fast gravel to several days of self supported racing. BikeRadar's headline sums up the intent as "a V5Rs for the dirt".
Three changes stand out against the G4-X:
- Tyre clearance goes from 45 to 53 mm. Colnago keeps the road ISO margin of 6 mm around the tyre, rather than the 4 mm some rivals use, and that is what keeps 2x road cranksets compatible.
- The D-shaped aero seatpost is replaced by a round 27.2 mm post, which adds compliance and opens the door to some dropper posts.
- There is now a storage compartment in the down tube and six mounting points, two of them on the fork, plus a bento mount on the top tube.
Colnago did not chase aero. Its designer, Davide Fumagalli, told BikeRadar the goal was not an out and out aero race gravel bike.
Weight: the claim and a scale
The claimed frame weight is about 950 g, with a 420 g fork. BikeRadar gives the frame figure for a size 51, bicidastrada for a 48. The G4-X frame was between 1,050 and 1,120 g depending on size.
For the complete bike, BikeRadar reports a claimed 7.2 kg for a Red XPLR in size 48 with 50 mm tyres. Bicidastrada weighed the same build in size 51 at 7.8 kg without pedals. Different sizes and a scale against a claim, so the gap is not all marketing, but it is worth knowing which number you are reading.
Geometry
Five sizes, 45 to 57. These are Colnago's published figures.
| 45 | 48 | 51 | 54 | 57 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reach | 377 mm | 385 mm | 392 mm | 401 mm | 411 mm |
| Stack | 536 mm | 555 mm | 573 mm | 591 mm | 613 mm |
| Head tube angle | 70.5° | 70.5° | 71° | 71° | 71.5° |
| Seat tube angle | 74.5° | 74° | 73.5° | 73° | 73° |
| Chainstay | 435 mm | 435 mm | 435 mm | 435 mm | 435 mm |
| BB drop | 80 mm | 80 mm | 80 mm | 77.5 mm | 75 mm |
| Front centre | 599 mm | 613 mm | 622 mm | 637 mm | 649 mm |
Source: colnago.com. BikeRadar adds a 52 mm fork rake, with 72 mm of trail on a 50 mm tyre and 68 mm on a 40 mm tyre. A low bottom bracket and a long front centre point to stability at speed on rough descents rather than quick turn in.
A practical example: Nicola Checcarelli of bicidastrada is 183 cm with a 77.5 cm saddle height. He rode a 51 and said he could move to a 54 to reduce the drop from saddle to bar. Stack rises 18 mm between those two sizes. If you ride a G4-X today, compare your current numbers with our Colnago gravel size guide before choosing.
Builds and prices
| Build | Groupset | Wheels | Cockpit | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red XPLR | SRAM Red XPLR AXS E1 1x13 | Zipp 303 XPLR SW | CC.01 Wide, carbon | €9,200 |
| Force XPLR | SRAM Force XPLR E1 1x13 | Vision TC45 carbon | CC.01 Wide, carbon | €5,750 |
| Rival XPLR | SRAM Rival XPLR E1 1x13 | Vision TC45 carbon | Deda Superzero Gravel bar, Colnago SR10 stem | €4,900 |
All three use a 40T chainring with a 10 to 46T cassette and 50 mm tyres: Goodyear XPLR Inter on the Red, Pirelli Cinturato Gravel RH on the other two, according to Tour. The frame is the same carbon across the range. The Vision TC45 is the OEM version of the SC45 i30. Colours are Carbon Green and Carbon Blue.
The Force build gets the same one piece cockpit as the Red for €3,450 less, so the premium on the Red is mostly wheels and groupset. Bicidastrada picks the Force as the best value of the three. The Red ships first, the Force and Rival from mid November according to Brújula.
On compatibility, the frame takes a 1x chainring up to 50T, any 2x gravel crankset and road compact or super compact. Groupsets must be electronic. Our groupset explainer covers how SRAM AXS compares with Shimano Di2 and Campagnolo.
First ride impressions
Bicidastrada rode the G5-X on the white roads and rocky trails of the Chianti. The bike felt light, with quick steering and a road bike response despite the 50 mm tyres. It felt secure from the first fast technical descent. The tester put the limits down to the semi slick tyres rather than the frame.
Comfort was above the average for gravel race bikes, helped by low pressures: 1.4 bar front and 1.5 bar rear for a 67 kg rider. The CC.01 Wide bar, with 3 cm of flare per side, felt stiff but well shaped. The open question is aero, where Colnago chose handling over drag.
What Colnago does not say
No frameset price at launch. No stiffness data and no aero figures. No frame weight by size, and the two sources disagree on which size the 950 g refers to. No team or athlete programme is attached to the launch.
G5-X or G4-X
If you race long events on rough ground, carry kit on the bike or want to run 50 mm tyres, the G5-X is the more complete tool. If you want a mechanical groupset, ride mostly fast gravel on 40 to 45 mm tyres or want to spend less, the G4-X still makes sense.
The Colnago collection on Bikeroom lists eight G4-X and four G3-X at the time of writing, mechanical Shimano GRX builds included, and a new G5-X Red XPLR in sizes 48 and 51. The gravel category covers the alternatives. For the wider picture, read our gravel race bikes for 2027 explainer, the Factor Elara piece and the Canyon Grail 2027 article. The road bike the G5-X borrows its lines from is in our Colnago Dark Series article.
If you are unsure which generation or size fits how you ride, talk to our concierge.
Sources: bicidastrada.it first ride, Nicola Checcarelli, 7 October 2026; BikeRadar, Warren Rossiter, 7 October 2026; Escape Collective, 7 October 2026; Tour, October 2026; Brújula Bike, October 2026; Colnago official G5-X page.
