Bike at Bedtime: Nathan Haas’ gorgeous Colnago G3-X gravel bike for Unbound

When it comes to getting creative with the crayons, the gravel world has us roadies well and truly beaten. When the Unbound Gravel race starts on Saturday, former World Tour road racer turned gravel pro, Nathan Haas will line up on this beautiful Colnago G3-X.

While we’ll take a look at the Aussie’s setup in a minute, let’s first have a little dive into the inspiration for the design of the paintwork. Here’s what Colnago had to say:

“Nathan's G3-X, on which the drawing of the iconic Colnago cyclist stands out, portrayed from behind on the top tube, is also a tribute to this land, Kansas and to the colours of its flag. On the frame is the phrase ‘ad astra per aspera’, the motto of Kansas in Latin, which literally means ‘through the roughness to the stars’, perfectly embodying the spirit of the pioneers and their dream of realising the impossible.”

“Nathan's look is curated by designer Richard Pierce who, in collaboration with Colnago and Castelli, also led to the creation of a special kit inspired by the special cycling trends of the 2000s. Choosing, mixing freely and re-proposing something from the past combined with the modern: this is how Colnago decided to celebrate the cult of vintage in the era of personalisation, always in the name of its own, unique style.”

Obviously, a bike is more than just its paint and Haas’ setup is equally lovely. A Campagnolo Ekar 13-speed groupset sits at the heart of the bike and looks stunning with its glossy carbon finish.

> Review: Colnago Ekar Groupset

Haas is obviously expecting a fast race as the chainring looks like a 44T to us. Combine that with the tiny 9T cog at the back and you’ve got a hefty gear for a sprint finish.

Campagnolo is again called upon to provide the wheels. These are the new Levante gravel wheels and they ooze class as any Campagnolo wheelset should. The glossy rim finish is matched by beautifully smooth hubs.

Those wheels are shod with Vittoria’s Terrano Dry tyres in a 38mm width.

> The 10 best gravel bike tyres for 2022

The saddle is from Fizik in the form of one of the brand’s fancy 3D-printed designs.

And then at the front of the bike, Haas has a traditional two-piece setup with a long Deda stem holding the matching round bar. It’s a very Italian affair.

We can sense that a few of you with deeper pockets are just itching to get your hands on one. Well, unfortunately, it is not a design that is intended for sale. That hurts my soul.