Nice to virtually meet everyone,
In the process of getting my hands on a C64, I have not been keeping up with technology and trying to gather preferences and why.
Any thoughts on the following:
Carbon Wheelset recommendations?
Dura Ace or Ultegra to save a few bucks?
Disc or Rim brakes?
Tubeless or Clinchers?
SpeedPlay or Shimano pedals?
Headset --> Stem --> Handlebar setup?
Cranks?
Other Accessories?
I ride roughly 150-200 miles a week, weekdays are flats and weekends are climbs.
I’m 5’11” with a slightly larger torso and as I’ve gotten older my setup is less aero than it used to be.
I want the my ride to be stiff, but not harsh/uncomfortable.
I'm not obsessed with bike weight, but try to keep it as light as possible without sacrificing quality/durability.
Thank you in advance!
Have you ordered it yet? I'm surprised you have so many questions for someone buying such an expensive frame. Colnagos have a slightly different geometry (I have two of them).A little more upright.
First off, you should put Campagnolo on it, not Shimano. OK, be like my wife and insist on Shimano. Ultegra is going to function as well as Dura Ace and be a little heavier. But I'd go Dura Ace just because a top flight frame deserves top flight components. Dura Ace is rumored to be coming out with a new version (9200?) this Spring which will be 12-speed. The electronic is rumored to be wireless. I'd wait. Nothing like spending $10k on a bike just to have the components be obsolete a year later.
I'll be honest, I hate rim brakes. They're ugly. They add weight. You don't need them unless you're riding down the side of a mountain in the rain, or are a Seattle resident. Just another load of
[email protected] the bicycle industry is selling us. Yeah, the pros use them. So what.
Carbon wheels. Now there's an argument for disc brakes. I assume you mean carbon clinchers. Do you really want to dick with tubulars? Yeah, carbon wheels look so cool, but for less than half the price, you can get a really nice set of custom made aluminum rimmed wheels with really nice, serviceable hubs and easily found replacement spokes. That savings alone can fund the upgrade from Ultegra to Dura Ace. On a bike, wheels come and go, components much more rarely.
Pedals? What are you using now? Most people I know settle on a certain pedal manufacturer and rarely deviate. If you have multiple bikes, you don't want different pedals on them, unless you like spending a lot of money on shoes. Frankly I like mountain bike pedals (Time ATAC) mostly because I commute a lot (or used to), which involves walking down a sidewalk and across a marble floor. A good pair of shoes with carbon soles is worth the money.
Headset? The last Colnago I bought came with one. If its a standard size, you can't beat Chris King.
Cranks? I use 175's. Used to use 172.5's. 175's were cheaper at one point. Ever look at how much distance 2.5mm is? I could never tell the difference.
Chainrings -- You know about compact versus standard? As I get older, I kind of like compact cranks, but unless you're doing some big hills, there's not as lot of difference -- especially with the ever increasing cassette size (12x32 is common these days -- i used to think 12x27 was big).
Bars and stems? I like the Ritchey stuff, but its all pretty much the same. Don't blow a bunch of money on a carbon stem. Bars, definitely yes.
This is all the opinion of a long time crumedgeon.
