Summary
- The Dark Series is not new. BikeRadar and brujulabike both covered it on 3 March 2026, and the framesets reached Colnago Elite Dealers from early March. If you read about it this autumn, you are reading about stock, not a launch.
- Two models, 300 framesets each: Y1Rs and V5Rs, in visible carbon weave under a thin clear coat, with titanium-toned chrome lettering and head badge.
- The inspiration is Pogačar's unpainted Y1Rs from stages 15 and 16 of the 2025 Tour de France. That bike later sold at auction for $190,500, per BikeRadar.
- Pricing follows the painted bikes. cyclonline puts the V5Rs frameset at about $6,200 and the Y1Rs frameset at about $7,500 with its integrated cockpit.
- The frame is the same frame. Colnago's own figures give the Y1Rs 19% less frontal area than the V4Rs, and the V5Rs 13% less, painted or not.
What the Dark Series is
Colnago removed the paint. That is the whole change, and it is a bigger visual change than it sounds. The carbon layup is left visible under a minimum layer of transparent coating, applied to protect the surface and to keep the finish consistent. Branding, down tube lettering and the Ace of Clubs head badge are chrome plated in a titanium tone.
Production was capped at 300 framesets per model worldwide. Bikerumor reported that dealers had to order them in pairs, one V5Rs and one Y1Rs per allocation, which is why the two models appear together in shops.
Where the idea came from
Pogačar rode a raw carbon Y1Rs on stage 15 of the 2025 Tour de France, the uphill time trial, and again on the stage 16 finish at Mont Ventoux. It was a race bike stripped for weight and it stayed that way for two days. BikeRadar reports the auction price afterwards at $190,500.
Our article on what Pogačar actually rides covers how he splits his season between the V4Rs, the Y1Rs and now the V5Rs. The V5Rs at the 2026 Vuelta a España is the more recent piece of that story.
What raw carbon saves, and what it does not
Removing paint and primer typically saves between 40 and 80 grams on a road frameset, per cyclonline. Colnago has not declared an official figure for the Dark Series, which is the honest position given how much paint weight varies with the design.
Put that in context. brujulabike gives the unpainted V5Rs frame at 685 g in size M. A saving of 40 to 80 g on a complete bike is roughly one full bottle cage plus a bolt, or about a third of a water bottle's worth of drink. It is real and it is not what you are paying for.
What raw carbon does not change:
- Aerodynamics. Colnago quotes 19% less frontal area for the Y1Rs against the V4Rs, and 13% for the V5Rs. Those are frame and cockpit shapes, not finish. Colnago also claims 20 W less than the V4Rs at 50 km/h for the Y1Rs, which is a manufacturer figure at a speed few riders hold.
- Stiffness and layup. Same moulds, same fibre.
- Geometry and sizes. Unchanged.
- Durability. A clear coat is thinner than paint, so scuffs show sooner and touch-up is harder.
| Y1Rs | V5Rs | |
|---|---|---|
| Role | Aero all-rounder | Light all-rounder |
| Frontal area vs V4Rs, Colnago figure | 19% less | 13% less |
| Frame weight, size M, unpainted | Not published | 685 g, per brujulabike |
| Complete bike weight | 7.2 to 7.5 kg standard, per brujulabike | Not published for Dark Series |
| Dark Series units | 300 | 300 |
| Frameset price, estimate | About $7,500 with cockpit | About $6,200 |
Prices are the estimates published by cyclonline in August 2026, not Colnago list prices. The Dark Series carries the same price as the painted versions.
About that 6.9 kg
brujulabike reports that specific Y1Rs race setups have reached 6.9 kg, at the UCI limit. That is a built bike with chosen wheels, saddle, bar and pedals, not a catalogue figure and not a Dark Series figure. A standard Y1Rs sits at 7.2 to 7.5 kg depending on build.
The same source notes Pogačar's own raw Tour bike came in just over 7 kg. If a sub-7 kg number is the target, the wheels, the groupset and the saddle decide it long before the paint does.
Is a limited edition worth a premium
It depends on what you want from the bike.
If you want the object, the Dark Series is a collector's frameset. Three hundred worldwide, a finish that cannot be repainted back into existence, and a clear link to a specific pair of Tour stages. That case is about ownership, not about speed.
If you want the performance, the case is weaker. A standard painted Y1Rs is the same frame with the same aero numbers and about 60 g more. A V5Rs in a catalogue colour climbs identically. And a Pro-Owned WorldTour bike from the team that raced it gives you the same platform with race history attached.
That last route is worth a look. The UAE Team Emirates collection is where team bikes appear at Bikeroom, and they are the same frames the Dark Series copies the finish of.
What to check before buying one
- Confirm it is a genuine Dark Series. Ask for the finish description and photos of the chrome lettering, not just a dark colourway.
- Inspect the clear coat. Raw carbon shows every mark. Look at the chainstay, the seat tube behind the rear tyre and the head tube where cables rub.
- Check the cockpit. The Y1Rs price includes its integrated bar, and the bar width and stem length are not trivial to change on this platform.
- Compare against a painted frame. If the price gap over a standard Y1Rs is large, you are paying for scarcity. That is a legitimate reason, as long as it is a decision and not an accident.
Bikeroom lists 539 active Colnago products as of 21 September 2026. The Colnago collection is the starting point, with the Y1Rs, the V5Rs and the V4Rs as separate collections when you already know the model you want.
If you are weighing a limited edition frameset against a standard Y1Rs or a Pro-Owned team bike, talk to our concierge.
Sources: BikeRadar, 3 March 2026; brujulabike, 3 March 2026; Bikerumor, March 2026; cyclonline, 9 August 2026; Colnago, Y1Rs official page; Cyclist, Colnago V5Rs.
