pcastlouis

Does anyone know if these bikes are worth the price or are they just overhyped? I may be in a position to get a good deal on one, but I don't know if I would be better off getting an R3. Colnago is an Italian legend and all, but Cervelo has been putting out high-quality stuff. The C50 seems too pretty and too expensive to race. Any thoughts?

linus

R3, that's if you can get one.

ViperZ

How much it's worth is up to you. Some would say it's hype, and some would say it's overpriced.

I think they are expensive, however compared to other top brands they seem right in line.

That Said, I would love to have a C50, and given the right price, I would do it. But that's just me.

shabbasuraj

C50 ....? pure drool factor..

pcastlouis

That's the problem...I think I already know that, I just need to be convinced that the R3 is probably a better choice for road racing and crits. It is just so friggin gorgeous that I keep becoming reeled back in. I know that once I wreck it (which will probably happen) some of the appeal will be lost. There were some good reviews on roadbikereview.com, but a lot of the reviews just seemed like advertising for MAESTRO's site, so I am not taking too many of those too seriously. The other problem is that none of the authorized dealers around here for both brands have any of the bikes in stock, so a test ride is not really an option.

ac71

a BMW is a beautiful car. Nice, fast. But it will never be a Ferrari. Many people can get a BMW, very few a Ferrari. If the price you are requested is not so high, choose the best class...

Talewinds

Hey pca, isn't there a yellow/ black C50 frame hanging on the wall down at Ghisallo in Chesterfield valley? Last I saw they had a ton of Litespeeds and Colnagos.
And who has Cervelo in town now? I don't think Touring Cyclist has them anymore, and I know Maplewood has dispensed with Cervelo and is focused on Quintana Roo.

cyclintom

Looking at my .sig you'll see that I don't have a C50 but I do have a C40.

I've got to say that I was pretty disappointed in how this bike rides. That is - there's nothing at all wrong with it. It is a GOOD bike. But it isn't a special bike.

My Look on the other hand is a spectacular ride. Much cheaper than the C40, and all around a much better handling and riding bike in a way that is difficult to describe. How can you say "better" when the C40 is about as good as anything you've ridden?

What's even more embarassing is that the Fuji Newest which is their cheaper line, is ALMOST as good a ride as the Look!

Now I ride 61 cm or 62 cm bikes and smaller sizes might be different but I've been extremely impressed with my Eddy Merckx titanium bike and my brother (who rides 54's) switched from a Giant TCR to a Litespeed Ultimate and was really wowwed by how much better the titanium bike felt so if you're thinking of a high end bike you might really consider that as well.

fmw

The answer to your question is that, when you buy a Colnago, you buy a name. Not that it isn't a good bike but it is, as you say, way, way, way overpriced for what it is. I consider them the worst value in the bicycle industry right after custom built frames. However, that name continues to draw cyclists like flies. Good luck with the decision.

dolophonic

C50..top stuff.
If you are looking at other frames why not look at a scott frame just as nice as a cervelo prob. cheaper now too.

cyclintom

I presently have a lugged steel Basso Loto from about 1996. This is a fantastic riding bike and you can't really improve on a steel bike from this one.

My Eddiy Merckx Corsa 0.1 is another steel bike that is spectacularly fast and great handling.

I have a couple of carbon bikes and I have to say that I'm somewhat impressed with the way they don't have much road vibration but the titanium bikes is smooth riding as well and I know that it will last nearly forever while the carbon bikes will eventually kick the bucket for no particular reasons.

mellowdave

Cant go wrong witht he Cervy dude.

I have an R2.5, I rode the R3 and didnt like it enough to upgrade the 2.5. I've riddent eh C40HP and a C50 and I agree with the previous poster, Nice bike, but not special enough to justify the price. I think my R2.5 is livelier, and doesnt elicit "snob" comments as I ride by.

That being said, I ALMOST bought one....

pcastlouis

I'll have to check again at Ghisallo. I know plenty of their riders have Colnago's. One of the owners (I think he is an owner) has the Extreme-C, which is incredibly nice. Did Maplewood really stop selling Cervelo? I was in their shop a couple of months ago talking to a salesman, but he wasn't too helpful. He really couldn't tell me when they would have either the Soloist or the R3 in stock, so I just figured I would have to buy before riding. It looks like I will have to look into that.

Patriot

I've heard the new Ghisallo's are quite flexxy, because the new model has been made too light.

If I was to race, I would probably go Scandium. Specifically, if I was going to do alot of crits.

Actually, if I was to race right now, I would probably use the new TST Ti bike I just built up. For some reason, it is stiff as all hades, yet rides like a dream. Very comfy.

linus

Oops, I don't think OP meant the bike Ghilsallo, sounds like there is a shop called Ghilsallo.

CastIron

If I had money to burn on cycling goodies, then yeah I'd add a C-50 HP in a second. But since I actually have to work for my scratch, then no, I'll likely never own one. Too little bang for the buck. It's an off the shelf frame for the price of a full custom.

botto 

i'm sure it's an amazing bike. many expensive bikes are.

imo the colnago premium is for the paint job, so make sure it's a good one

Talewinds

Ummm, yes, "Ghisallo" is the bike shop. There's a bike called a Ghisallo now? This is getting too confusing! Helmets, stores, frames, WTF?
PCA, I was in Maplewood Bicycle last week and they had (1), count em (1) Cervelo in there, and tons of Quintana Roos, I overheard the professional fitter stating that they are aligning with QR to support their triathlon business, which encompasses 60-70% of their sales.
There's no doubting that Cervelo makes really nice bikes, but there has to be a reason that every shop in town keeps kicking them to the curb in favor of representing other manuf's. lines.
You mentioned buying before riding, which I've done plenty of, but, judging by how thorough some of our local shops are fitting people to their bikes before they buy them now, I would put some pressure on the shop to get you fully fitted before you buy. Not getting fitted properly enough is not a mistake I'll make again, especially at the price range you're talking.

Talewinds

Ooops, oh yeah, the Litespeed Ghisallo, I forgot about that one....

Moochers_Dad

I just saw a Colnago framset up close for the first time. The paint job was about the worst I've ever seen from a manufacturer of that caliber.

Patriot

Sorry, I misread your post. I thought you were talking about the Ghisallo frame.

HJR

I have a bike shop owning acquantance, who I was buying a bike from for my wife. He gave us a really good deal on her bike, and asked me about my ride. At the time I just picked up my Cervelo Superprodigy and told him that I'd love to get an R2.5. I had been really happy with my Soloist and had found that the Cervelos really fit me and my riding really well. He told me that they had been trying to get Cervelo in their shop for a while, but that Cervelo is really difficult to get a contract with. Because they are a small company with limited production capacity, they take an opposite approach to the Treks and Giants of the world. They only contract with one store per city (or area in large metropolitan areas like Los Angeles). He was frustrated by it, because the local store that carried them is a multiple location store in Southern California (8 stores) and the one closest to him only carried one or two Cervelos, so he felt he could really have a free market with them. But Cervelo said no because a couple of the other stores in the chain sold lots of them. Anyways, the point is that Cervelo is not capable of being in every store and chooses not to be in every store, so people bad mouth them in favor of the products they sell. With the exception of the early R2.5 manufacturing issues, you cannot find much negative press about Cervelos. They make well-engineered bikes, that excel at their missions. I love my Cervelos, (four total) and I'd love to have an R3 someday.

As for the C-50, I've test rode one for a very short time. It was nice. Not worth the money IMO, but nice nonetheless. If it speaks to you, buy it and don't look back. It's like a car. If it is for transportation, buy the best value. If you love driving, but the one you love. If it is not love at first sight with the Colnago, get the Cervelo. I love Colnagos and I'd get the Cervelo.

Talewinds

I understand the idea, the one you describe sounds more typical of what I would assume about them, however, it doesn't shed any light on why one shop here will rep them, then give them the boot, only to be picked up by another good shop, and then get the boot again. We know they're good products, but why can't they hang onto a dealer? Maybe the dealers have larger lines i.e. Trek, which both of these stores do, that are putting too much pressure on them to carry too high of a percentage of their product....?

pcastlouis

Thanks for the all the advice. Many shops in the area seem to be catering more to the triathlete. I have no problem with that, but the focus is being taken away from a lot of us who only race bikes (which is becoming more popular in our area it seems). Was the Cervelo the clearance bike from their website (a 61cm I think)? They have been pushing that one for a while.

shabbasuraj

R3's have had some QC problems related to the paint and decals... just want you to be aware of that....But some other forumites have been posting that Cervelo has been shipping better finished bikes as of recently.