bikemike73 

Hi,

Wondering if anyone has owned or ridden one of these Colnago dream HP bikes ?

I know it's Aluminum/Carbon.

And there are factors like weight of the rider .

Tire size.

Would appreciate any and all information.


Stay/be safe my friends......

dpd3672

I have one, although it doesn't have the HP stays (so possibly earlier than the one you have). I may be somewhat unique (in "the world," probably not so much here) in that I have Colnagos in Aluminum, Titanium, Carbon Fiber, and Steel, all set up with similar group sets, wheels, and tires (10 speed Chorus or Record groups, Campagnolo or Fulcrum Rims, Continental GP tires). I actually just finished a build of a lower end steel Colnago, need to wrap the bars and take some pictures for the album...but I digress.

I know many are fond of advocating for their material of choice...usually steel or carbon, rarely titanium, and almost never aluminum. I don't personally have a strong preference, the individual bike matters more than what it's made of, in my opinion. I've had fantastic bikes in Aluminum (the Dream is one of them, a Pinarello Prince was another), and disappointing bikes in carbon fiber (Pinarello FP2...a good bike, but underwhelming considering the brand and exotic material). Like your children, every one can be special in its own way.

As far as what makes a bike a "dream" to ride (pun intended) or a bad experience, I think that fit is probably most important factor, geometry next, and wheel/tire selection after that. The fork, especially on a Colnago, can affect the ride experience, and Colnago is a rare manufacturer in that they offer options here. Tiny little things like bar tape, saddle, etc can be trivial, but the cumulative effect of the little things can add up to move the needle a bit toward a better or worse ride.

So with my case made for my bona fides to weigh in here, in my opinion, the Dream is pretty much indistinguishable from Colnago's other offerings. There are subtle differences, but overall, it rides like a Master, or a Super, or a C-series bike (the C40/50 at least, I don't have experience with the newer ones). If you want to experience the ride quality that Colnago is known for, you can absolutely experience it on a Dream with nothing missing. If I spend time on them side by side, I can probably feel a bit more harshness in the Al bike, but nothing that I'd probably notice if I didn't try them side by side. It's there, but not distracting. The roads you ride on may make this more or less noticeable, my routes are generally in decent condition...concrete and asphalt with the occasional rough spot, but not perfect or horrible.

As far as the "intangibles" go, you do miss some of the Colnago mystique...the Dream wasn't made by hand in Italy by a skilled artisan. What you do get is the geometry, gorgeous paint jobs (this is subjective, of course, but the Colnago paint schemes are iconic...there's nothing else like them, and the closest second would probably be Bianchi's Celeste or Wilier's Copper color) and ride quality that's unique and damn near magical, to many of us.

If you have one, consider yourself lucky to own it. If you're considering buying, I would absolutely encourage you to take the leap. You won't be sorry.

And since I love posting photos, here's a shot of mine:

Kilroy1988 

dpd3672 Great post, great logic based on experience... Thanks for that!

-Gregory

bikemike73 

Thanks

there is one for sale for 900 in very good condition.

I always ride steel and bought a Cannondale alu bike and was sore after an hour.

The tires were VERY thin. I think 20s

The paint looks great.

Thank you for your advice and experience


Greatly appreciate 🚴‍♀️🚴🚴

bikemike73 

Thanks

there is one for sale for 900 in very good condition.

I always ride steel and bought a Cannondale alu bike and was sore after an hour.

The tires were VERY thin. I think 20s

The paint looks great.

Thank you for your advice and experience


Greatly appreciate 🚴‍♀️🚴🚴

Just checked.....it SOLD!!!!!


That's ok🙂

dpd3672

If you're dead set on getting one, they pop up on Ebay fairly often. A nice frameset just sold today for $350, which is a great deal, in my opinion. I was going to bid on it, but I got distracted at work and missed the end of the auction. It had a little cosmetic damage to one of the chainstays, but it was a pretty bike, and would have made a great daily driver. It had some nice "extras" as well...Colnago Flash fork, Chris King headset, bottom bracket, carbon seat post, and carbon bottle cages. It's a "Reflex," but I believe they're more or less the same bike...crimped tubes of "Airplane Aluminum," etc.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/27550503013...p2047675.l2557