Historic bicycle brand Colnago has been on a new model binge recently, introducing an all-road version of its C68 and, more recently, a gravel version, the C68 Gravel, which adds off-road capability to the brand's lugged Italian line. And now a new model of the brand's race-oriented line, the G4-X, has been unveiled.

The new gravel bike replaces the existing G3-X and serves as the off-road version of the Colnago V4Rs road bike that Tadei Pogachar and his UAE Team Emirates teammates race.

The new model aims to fit the needs of the modern gravel racer, offering a balance of performance characteristics while also capitalizing on its history of success in cyclocross.

As is typical of ever-evolving gravel bikes, the headline specs will come as no shock: the G4-X embraces the wide tire trend, offering 45mm tire clearance, 5mm wider than the G3-X and 3mm wider than the C68 gravel. This figure leaves room for a larger clearance of 6 mm around the tire radius, but not to the extent recommended by the manufacturer.

In another well-established move, the G4-X has full internal cable routing and ships with Colnago's cockpit CC.01 wide gravel version. This has a larger flare than the standard CC.01, 3 cm per side instead of 1 cm per side. It is a standard 1 ⅛ steerer, so it is compatible with aftermarket options.

The G3-X had an additional "lunchbox" mount on the top tube, which was retained on the G4-X, presumably to satisfy riders during long races like Unbound, although the G3-X had two mounts under the downtube, These were technically intended to hold small rubber mudguards to protect the bottom bracket area. This bumper has been discontinued, but the two mounts remain for Reuters who wish to carry spare bottles or tool caddies.

Speaking of the bottom bracket portion, the Italian brand has also followed the industry trend of reverting to threaded bottom brackets, especially in the gravel arena, where they are widely recognized for their improved reliability and creak resistance. In this case, the larger T47 standard is being used instead of the smaller BSA standard.

Finally, the clamp portion of the seat post has been strengthened, allowing the rider to tighten the post with more torque to resist slipping on rough ground.

Compared to the C68 gravel, the G4X has shorter chainstays and front, and a shorter wheelbase. This, combined with the steeper head tube angle, makes it a bike that Colnago says is "suited to an aggressive riding style. The wheelbase is also slightly shorter than the G3-X, but the head angle is slightly steeper and the reach is longer.

The model will be seen under Colnago-sponsored athletes starting today, but will be available to the public starting June 20, in five configurations (three with SRAM groupset and two with Shimano groupset).

From the higher-end to the entry-level models (if Colnago has such a thing), the prices are as follows.