Ratfish

I recently bought a stem off a guy who had ridden to the agreed upon location on his C40 HP that had a frame kinda like this with the wacky chainstays:



He said that he had owned a lot of carbon bikes but that this one stood out in his mind as the most comfortable ride with the best overall feel of any bike he had ever ridden. As soon as I saw his bike up close I wanted one (that I would no doubt buy used) but I'm wondering if Colnago owners could chime in on the "every carbon bike is more or less the same" posts I've been seeing lately. I talked to the guy for like 20-30 minutes about his bike and he said he couldn't be happier and would never go back to any of the other types.

So, would it be worth it for me to fork over a few grand on a used Colnago, or is it just hype? I just saw one on consignment somewhere that had the exact same 9sp DA components as my Bianchi, so I could just get a frame and transfer it over if it would be noticeable. My current frame is aluminum, so I'm sure there would be a difference, I just wonder if it would be worth it.

Trogon

I love my C50, but it's not my favorite carbon bike. I like Colnago geometry in general (I have 3 of them) but I don't think they're magical. They make great bikes, just like dozens of other builders. I do like their paint jobs though.

zatopek

My C-40 rides like dream. I like it better than my Tommaso Super Leggerra Ti, S-Works E5 Al and Masi Gran Criterium Al w/ CF seat and chain stays. I'd say my Torelli Express steelie rides as well as my Colnago.

rooftest

My C50's frame looks just like that one. (not that horrible paint job, though.) I like it.

Ratfish

Damn, I was hoping that there was some magic at work here. Aside from their paint style, is there anything about the frames that is special? Is EPS just a gimmick?

Trogon

Their geometry is a bit different than most, and if it works for you, it provides a nice fit and a great ride. My heaviest bike is a Colnago Master X Lite and I feel the fastest riding that thing. I'm not any faster of course, but it just zips.

You buy one because you like the way they look and the way they fit. No bike is magic, some a just a bit better than others.

Dubbayoo

A Colnago is probably the only name brand bike I'd pay retail for; always wanted a C50 or EPS. not crazy about the C50 chainstays

zoomtt

I have/had a Felt F4, DeRosa Idol, Colnago Extreme Power.

The Colnago is not even comparable to the 2. I am a colnago follower for life.

Blacklab78

Here's my EPS. I've had giant/s-works/cervelo/BMC and none of them come close to the ride of the EPS. I don't think i'll ever buy another brand carbon frame again.

alancw3

based on everything i have read both the eps and the extreme power have been added to my short lost of carbon must have bikes.

varian72

That is one sweet EPS. that p[paint scheme is the best Colnago I've seen other than clear coat

kensuf

Whoever said "every carbon frame rides the same" is incorrect.

Jay Andriot

I've owned 3 Colnago's, currently ride a C40. Anyone who thinks all carbon frames are the same does not know what they are talking about. You can't beat how a Colnago handles. You can very easily beat how much they weigh. Life is a trade off.

Jay

clausen

My other main road bike is a AL Bianchi but after buying my Colnago I would be hard pressed to buy another manufacturer. The geometry makes the bike feel lighter than it is and extremely stable in all condition.

Ratfish

So it seems that there is a quality difference then. I'll have to see how cheaply I can acquire one of these enchanted bikes or at least frames.

DaveSSS 

Prospective buyers might do well to review the geometry. Unfortunately, Colnago does not list their head tube angles, but some idea can be had by looking at the long front-centers. I do have charts from a few years back that list the HTA for each size.

In general, Colnago uses slack HTAs to create more steering trail than some other brands, which makes for stable handling, but slow steering. Pinarello also follows that general trend in geometry.

I've owned two C-40 frames. I didn't really notice the slow steering until I moved to Colorado and started riding technical mountain descents with hairpin turns. In that type of turn, you really notice the additional steering trail that requires more steering input to keep the bike turning. It wants to go straight. I really prefer a bike with a little less trail for this type of terrain. The C-40 was a decent riding frame, but nothing magical. I think my current LOOK 585 rides better and it's certainly lighter. It's got less steering trail, so it steers a little quicker, but it's not as quick steering as some other brands. In the 51cm size that I ride, the 585 has a 72 degree HTA with 43mm of rake. A Colnago would have a slack HTA of just over 71 degrees in this size, with the same fork rake. The fastest steering brands would have a 73 degree STA.

VintageDude

I own two carbon frame bicycles. A Colnago C40 HP B-Stay and a Trek SL 5.9. I can say that the Colnago has a much smoother, forgiving ride, but I'll also mention that I'm riding on cheap tubular tires on the Trek and pricey clinchers on the Colnago, so this will make some difference. The Colnago is also much more stable - tracks straight and is not as nimble as the Trek, which is fine with me since I'm not racing and prefer stability over agility.