Colnago C40 HP

Price Paid:  $1900.00 at Online/Ebay

Favorite Ride:
Hockley Valley

Bike Setup:
Record 10 (Alloy crank), Deda newton 31mm front end, Kris King headset, 2004 Campy Neutrons, Fizik Aliante saddle, Garmin 305.

Summary:
I had an original C40 that was a little too large fpr me so I puchased a 2004 C40HP in NL4 paint scheme. I am 5'10" and fit perfectly on a 56cm frame, a string word of advice would be to get professionally sized at a shop before ordering, these are expensive frames and you have to get it right. I hav placed over 12000kms on this frame so I can now write a proper review. The frame is amazing, not the lightest but who the heck cares, I mean what is 150g??? Like most people will notice. The frame handles like a dream on downhills, I have taken it to 90Km/hr with extreme confidence. The frame has a great climbing ability with just the right amount of stiffness, the carbon on this bike makes the ride very comfortable and does not have a dead feel to it. Once you have the geometry/saddle and stem dialed in you will be amazed at how many hours you can put on this bike. I have mine built up with 2005 full record as it should be, my wheels are 2004 Campagnolo Neutrons that add to the climbing ability and comfort level. Overall I love this bike, I have used it for several road races and it performs great.

Strengths:
- Build quality and Paint
- Titanium BB!!!!!!!!
- 28mm seatpost for less flex
- Front end/Star Fork are superb (KK Headset)
- HP diamond stays add just the right amount of comfort
- 1" Headset has been great so far
- Out of the saddle climbing stiffness
- Pride of ownership

Weaknesses:
- Don't scratch it!
- Where to park it?
- Less space available in living room
- Overtime hours required for purchase

Similar Products Used:
2002 Colnago C40 (Another awesome bike!)
2005 Giant TCR2 (Great racer)
2002 Pinarello Surprise (Trainer bike at best)

Price Paid:  $1500.00 at Maestro

Favorite Ride:
Chew Valley Loop and Burrington Coombe

Bike Setup:
C40HP with full carbon Record, Neutrons, Deda finishing kit.

Summary:
Finally went and did it, and took my C40HP (probably the one of the last ones) out last night. Whatta ride!!! I'd had a couple of Airbornes before, including the much vaunted Torch, which was in fairness a nice bike. Doesn't handle the the C40 though!

A couple of pointers for anyone interested in buying Colnago: The man to buy from is Mike Perry at Maestro - he has years of experience as a Pro, and he runs a team. What he doesn't know probably isn't worth knowing. Don't believe it if anyone tells you he can't get frames any more because he's not an official distributor. I was at his premises yesterday, and he's up to his eyeballs in C50s, Dreams, Mixeds, you name it - all spanking new stuff!

Mike built up the bike for me, and charged me a pittance for the benefit of his experience. It fits me very, very well. This came after an abortive attempt to use the output of bikefitting.com with Fred Baker Cycles in Bristol. I'm sorry to name names, but the experience there was not satisfactory: I was told my frame is too small, and that I need a frame with a 59cm top tube. To do this on a Colnago means a 64cm frame, whereas for leg length I need a 58cm.

If you want a Colnago, go speak to Mike.

Strengths:
Climbing; Descending; Stiffness; Looks

Weaknesses:
Obsolete - you'll need to buy a C50 now!

Similar Products Used:
Airborne Manhattan Project; Airborne Torch (it's better than both of them).

Price Paid:  $2900.00 at tokyo

Favorite Ride:
abashiri to mokoto up to bihoro and tsubetsu pass in eastern hokkaido

Bike Setup:
10s campy record, deda newton bars and stem, mavic cosmos for training, kyseriums for racing

Summary:
smooth. light. beautiful. colnago c40hp. but how does it ride? for me that was the problem with deciding on a c40hp. i knew the reputation, but couldn`t verify it with a test ride. so i took a chance and ordered a c40hp without ever once riding one. i contemplated what size to order for about a month. colnago offers so many sizes and the geometry is just slightly different that i was afraid i would order the wrong size. i am 177cm, 65kg, and have fairly long legs. eventually decided on a size 57cm and once i finally got saddle for-aft position correct i have been very very pleased. perhaps what i feel most about teh c40hp is that the bike makes me a better rider by forcing me to pedal smoother and more evenly. i remember when i first climbed on it i nearly lost my balance when i stood up to attack the hill. not near as stiff in the bb as my previous alu bikes, but then again that`s why i chose carbon. the frame has a slight snap to it. not really a flex but more like a responsive snap that jumps foward as if it becomes an extension of you. it`s like it stretches with your pull and your pedal stroke must therefore be smooth and even to compensate. similarly when sprinting the same snap is there. this time more like a rhythm that you can channel into, like a right-to-left pow-pow as you sprint for the line, generating power from that snap of rhythm. again, if your pedal stroke is sloppy this will feel strange. an alu bike will just go regardless of how you pedal, but the c40hp will respond in kind to the stroke. if the pedaling is bad so`s the rhythm. if the pedaling is poor so`s the motion. if the pedlaling is pure so`s the result. it`s a race bike that listens to the rider. with the right stroke it flies up hills and descends with stability and confidence; smooth hugs. and once again, it seems as if the frame responds to the rider`s body. when tight and compact, i swear the frame also compacts and draws in tight to corner with safe speed. it is a fabulous frame. once you ride it all other bike shopping will be for cross or tt frames. you just will not need nor desire another road bike for quite some time.

Strengths:
responsiveness, handling, comfort, the paint scheme is beautiful (mine is nl10).

Weaknesses:
obviously the price reflects this, but it is not a beginners bike. takes time to find the right bike position, for bigger riders or super strong sprinters maybe the frame moves too much.

Similar Products Used:
cannondale caad 3, caad 4, de rosa planet, reynolds 853 steel voodoo

Price Paid:  $3200.00 at www.Maestro-uk.com

Favorite Ride:
Valley of a thousand hills

Bike Setup:
C40HP in LX11 colour scheme.Dura-ace 10 speed with 04 Mavic Ksyrium SL wheels Itm millenium handlebars and stem.Selle Italia Flite saddle.

Summary:
From the time I first saw one at a race 10 years ago I've always wanted a colnago.Any frame that can handle Paris Roubaix and the mountains of the Tour de France must be special!For me they offer the best combination of proven race capability and beauty and of course that Italion tradition.After much research I decided to buy a C40HP.I can only say that I love this bike.I have no regrets over spending this amount of money for a bike.I got the LX11 scheme and it is finished off beautifully!Even non cyclists look twice at it!Mike at Maestro set it up for me and it was an almost perfect fit straight away.It is extremely comfortable.The bike is amazingly light and nimble yet stil provides that stable front end.The carbon fibre soaks up the vibrations from the road for a fantastically smooooth ride, yet when you put the power on, none of it is wasted or lost in flex.You feel like you are on a rocket and you tend to ride a gear higher then you normally would.I got the new dura ace 10 speed and that group is so smooth.Sometime I have to look down just to check that I actually changed gears!One last thing I must add is that if you are thinking of getting one then do yourself a favour and speak to Mike Perry at Maestro.He was superb in helping me buy the bike.The day my bike arrived I went down to his shop to pick it up and finalise some of the parts.I ended up spending the morning at the shop while he set everything up and told me some great stories about the pro peleton over a cup of coffee.All in all a superb bike from a superb store.

Strengths:
Light, amazing handling.Makes you feel so proud to ride one of these beauties!

Weaknesses:
none

Similar Products Used:
A few various bikes but nothing remotely similar to this!A few steel and aluminium bikes.

Price Paid:  $5800.00 at Val's Cyclery Minot,

Favorite Ride:
Anywhere

Bike Setup:
Record. ITM, Campy Eurus wheels (awesome wheels!), TIME pedals, Vittoria EVO tires (excellent tires)

Summary:
I"m 6'4". I have a smooth pedaling style, weigh 175 lbs and purchased a 62cm TM12. NOTE: Colnagos are optimized for riders weighing around 182lbs and LESS.

I've been riding and racing bikes since 1971. All the bikes I've owned have been steel. This year I made the jump to carbon. Alu bikes just didn't make sense to me. Although there are some great ones out there (Cannondale CADD 7 for example) they dont have as refined a ride as a carbon bike. It's easy to understand that a builder can fine tune the production of a carbon bike to produce a superior ride.

I investigated many different carbon bikes on paper and I settled on the C40HP. It has a history. An excellent one, refined on the european circuit, Paris Rioubaix, the tough spring classics, etc. Not having a chance to actually ride anything besides a TREK, I went for the bike with the best pedigree. I made the right decision.

Strengths:
Comfort, speed, style, climbing. Ferrari makes the tubing and lugs! You can't beat that kind of quality imput. Prepare to add a mile an hour or two to your average.

Weaknesses:
Gosh I hope I don't crash this thing!!!

Let's face it. When everything is said and done, it's only a bicycle. NO BICYCLE is worth paying nearly $6,000 for unless you're a pro. HOWEVER, you only turn 50 once!

Similar Products Used:
I've owned steel bikes since 1971. Except for the C40HP, steel rules!