[jmoley]

Sold my LOOK 595 frame and transferred my groupset over to this new frame.

Frame admittedly is 2 years old, been hanging from the wall at the LBS. Its untouched, brand new condition, reason for this is that the fork had to be cut during bike building.

Campy Record 2007 groupset
Campy Record threadless headset
Campy Record italian BB
Swisstop yellow pads
Lightweight standard wheels w/ continental GP4000 tires
Selle Italia SLR kit carbon saddle
Cinelli ram jam 2 'bianca' handlebar
Elite moro water cages

Rides like a dream, frame size is T52, center of BB to top of saddle is 70cm.

Enjoy the pictures.

 

[fabsroman]

Very nice. I've been debating that frame myself, but I think I am going to stick with my decision on a C50 this winter. I just wouldn't race the bike, so the weight savings would be lost for me.

 

[iyeoh]

Oh-My-God! I had to pick up my jaw from the floor. My wife asked me why I was speechless for about 30 seconds.

 

[TiDreaming]

Dam that is a sweet ride. Grats dude

 

[Blue Chrome]

That's a ****in awesome ride!

 

[jmoley]

thanks guys for the warm words....

my brief review of the Colnago after my third ride can be found at weight weenies forum.

http://weightweenies.starbike.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=400386#400386

 

[colnago_ed]

Sold my LOOK 595 frame and transferred my groupset over to this new frame.

Frame admittedly is 2 years old, been hanging from the wall at the LBS. Its untouched, brand new condition, reason for this is that the fork had to be cut during bike building.

Campy Record 2007 groupset
Campy Record threadless headset
Campy Record italian BB
Swisstop yellow pads
Lightweight standard wheels w/ continental GP4000 tires
Selle Italia SLR kit carbon saddle
Cinelli ram jam 2 'bianca' handlebar
Elite moro water cages

Rides like a dream, frame size is T52, center of BB to top of saddle is 70cm.

Enjoy the pictures.

nice looking bike , welcome to the family :thumbsup:

 

[iyeoh]

jmoley,

If you don't mind me asking, which is your LBS in Singapore ?

 

[cpark]

No doubt that your Colnago looks sweet and you love it but your review seemed little wacky......
Much faster, comfortable, smoother and stabel than 595?????

 

[iyeoh]

Of course the differences are negligible, but he's a new owner. Let him have his fun with his love of his new bike.

Can we not compare across different brands? It does nothing but spark flames.

 

[jmoley]

No doubt that your Colnago looks sweet and you love it but your review seemed little wacky......
Much faster, comfortable, smoother and stabel than 595?????

Hi Cpark....

I urge you to test ride a Colnago.... maybe go to competitivecyclist.com and get on their demo bike program.

The LOOK 595 is a nice bike but I am lucky to ride with 2 other Colnago bike owners in my group. and I fell head over heels with my friend's Colnago Cristallo with its ride feel.

My analogy in automobile terms is such...
The LOOK 595 is.... a corvette....fast!!! but its assemblyline made!

The Made in Italy Colnago is a ferrari.... fast, yet luxurious and has head turning WOWness. Italians are all about aesthetics and custom crafted pedigree stuff....impractical, loud, etc etc...yeah perhaps. but cycling such high end bikes is all about image and whoring it out isn't it? otherwise lets all just buy a regular aluminium frame from Taiwan and regular wheels and groupset.

Think about it.... you want a new ferrari...they make you wait, not too long to make you hate the wait and find alternatives but enough for you to pine and savour the satisfaction the moment you get it...., same with Colnago... the mystique and prestige is second the none.

you want a corvette....go to your nearest chevy dealer, drop the cheque and minutes later...you're ready to drive out of the lot.

 

[iyeoh]

jmoley,

Can you comment on how the Lightweight wheels ride? I see that you got the regular 16 spoke front wheel. I myself would buy the 20 spoke version.

I'm facing a buying decision, and its either those or Boras, and the Boras are about $1,500 cheaper, if the term "cheap" can even be associated with Boras or Campagnolo in general.

I see that you found a 52 cm regular Extreme C. I'm searching hard for a 51 cm regular Extreme Power, and its a royal PITA. I have found 48 sloping, but its not optimal. I have ridden 51 cm Colnago frames forever and many dealers are reluctant to stock the smallest non-sloping frame in the colour that I am looking for.

I can't ride those KOM colours that you have because I can't climb for nuts, and I already catch all sorts of flack riding around on a Colnago in the middle of a sea of Treks and Cannondales lol

 

[fabsroman]

I love each one of my Colnagos, and after riding 60 miles on my CAAD5, I still love my Colnagos a lot more. My Bianchi comes close, but not quite. I've never ridden a LOOK, but I hear they also come close to a Colnago.

 

[fabsroman]

I didn't think that Colnago made a 51cm traditional unless it was a special order.

 

[iyeoh]

You are correct. The official specs for the Extreme Power says the smallest frame is a 52cm. I'm done with generating children, but I would prefer that my crown jewels remain intact lol

However, the C-50 and the Extreme-C come in a 51 cm. This is most frustrating. I think I'm not eligible for the Extreme-C due to my Extreme-W (weight) lol
If I get the C-50, I would cry tears everytime an Extreme Power frame rides by. More prejudice against the vertically challenged lol

Looks like I'll be forced into a 48 cm sloping after all. My LBS insists that its better for me because the top tube is 0.5 cm longer. Never ridden a sloping frame before, so I'll have to get used to it.

 

[fabsroman]

My first Colnago was the Cristallo in 50 sloping, and it was my first sloping frameset. All of them from there have been 50 sloping, with the exception of my Oval Krono TT frame. I think my next frame is going to be a 53 traditional C50, but who knows. I'm thinking about trying to pick up a cheap 48 sloping frameset to see if it would fit me better, but I doubt it. With the 50 sloping, I use an 11cm stem, so if it doesn't fit well, I can always use a longer or shorter stem. The 48 sloping and 52 sloping are on the edge of not fitting me.

By the way, is the Extreme Power really that much better than the C50? If you aren't generating Extreme Power, I seriously doubt you will need such a stiff frame, especially if you are a small guy and you actually ride the bike and lose weight. When the Extreme Power first came out, I wanted one too, but the more I think about it, the C50 is going to be the better frame for me because it is said to be more comfortable. With more comfort comes more saddle time and more fitness. I just rode my CAAD5 for the first time this weekend, and that thing is the most uncomfortable bike I have ever ridden. Luckily, it will only get used a couple of weeks out of the year since it will being staying at my in-law's house in Florida for when we visit, and we live in Maryland. God, I thought my filings were going to fall out yesterday riding that thing.

 

[jmoley]

iyeoh,

boras are 4 - 5 pieces of carbon bonded together, lw are 1 piece carbon rims.

boras can be trued / repaired if the wheel becomes un-true / not straight. lw are suppose to be true....for a long long time....factory backs it.

boras with the decals look fierce, lw are more zen / clean looking.

I think boras aren't as aero as lw wheels. LW are virtual bomb proof..... I accidentally rode thru a pot hole recently...OUCH!!!! but not a scratch / foul up after.

boras here in asia come with wheel bag and skewers, lw wheels come as it is...not wheel bag, no skewers...

boras need external wheel magnets, lw come with in-built magnets for the computer....nice trick thing to have.

boras aren't handmade... in fact I'm not sure where they are made in?? lw are handmade.

it comes down to personal preference... what you like in the wheels. some love the clicking of the hub from campy / fulcrum. some hate it. some love the mavics over campy etc etc.

I personally picked the LW cos its extremely exclusive here in asia( just like 24inch chrome wheels with spinners, and deep dish...ABSOLUTE BALLER!!!!).... not many ppl have the budget / the insane brains to go out and buy a set of wheels that costs more than the greater majority of good frames.

I've seen boras.....on at least 2 - 3 other bikes on saturday mornings. they are like 24 inch chrome wheels with spinners.... stunning but not as knock out as LW...at least to me.

I haven't ridden the boras so I can't comment.

end of the day...can one justify the extra $1500 or so difference in price between the 2 wheels?? I can't comment, it comes down to the individual.



as for sizing of the 51cm vs 52cm traditional colnago frame? I should have picked the 51cm traditional frame. but its only 1cm difference in seat tube length.... top tube length difference is 4mm.... hardly anything really... just run a shorter stem.

btw, 48cm frame is equivalent to 52cm traditional...research on the virtual top tube of sloping 48 and the actual top tube on T52....SAME!!!! most catalogues do not show it...but colnago distributors might have it....!


last but not the least...real enthusiasts buy colnagos in traditional geometry.... not the commercial sloping frames.

traditional frame bikes don't have the extended seat post look... but thats what traditional frame bikes look like. old skool!!!!!

end of the day....I built my bike using as much high end italian parts as possible minue wheels....headset used is campy record headset. I couldn't get hold of colnago headset, and I refuse to put chris king headset. nothing wrong with chris king...but my reason is that they made their name / reputation in mtn bike headsets.

 

[Bocephus Jones II]

Wouldn't you feel like such the poser riding that if you weren't a great climber?

 

[iyeoh]

To fabsroman and jmoley,

I have funny dimensions. I'm not small. I'm 5'9". I just have a tiny inseam and a super long torso. My regular frame is a 51 cm Colnago with a 52.7 cm top tube. I need to use a 13 cm stem with that frame and jam my seat all the way back. Even then, I have a super high saddle to stem height of almost 5 inches, making my bike look like its ridden by a mini Mario Cipollini. Due to the length of my torso, I am actually very comfortable on that setup and the weight balance is spot on. Over the years, I have gotten used to riding on the hoods, so I rarely go to the drops unless descending or sprinting.

Anyway, as much as I want, I cannot go to a 52cm. As it is, I lean my bike whenever I dismount and only the chamois in my shorts saves my crown jewels from bruising. As it is, I cannot ride my bike in anything other than cycling shorts.

I cannot go to a 50 cm, and Colnago never made on that size, because the top tube would be too short. I'm already riding a 13 cm stem. A longer stem would look cartoonish, and there's a danger of too much front end weight while descending.

As to Extreme Power, I want the stiffest bike possible. I have always bought Colnago's stiffest bike and I love it. In the late 80s, when the Ti craze struck, I bought a used Ti frame (popular US brand shall remain undisclosed) with Dura Ace because I was pressured to do so by my riding buddies. Ti was the craze back then and everyone was enamoured with comfort. I *absolutely* hated that bike. I would stand up and the bike wouldn't respond. It was plush riding, but I was too upset to enjoy the comfort. Anyway, I also ordered a custom Eddy Merckx in Columbus MAX in a 50 cm size. The smallest frame they made was 53cm. Eveeryone thought I was nuts but I loved the stiffness of that bike. Unfortunately, it was stolen from my hotel room (along with some valuables) while I was vacationing in a Carribean tropical paradise (which shall remain undisclosed).

To befair, in the mid 90s, I bought myself a Colnago C40 with that period-specific Bora wheels. It was an expensive bike,but I didn't like it as much as my Master Olympic steel bike. It felt like I was riding a wooden plank. I gave it up before it devalued too much.

I have ridden a modern C50 and it feels different from the carbon bikes from the 90s. Either that or I'm old and unfit now lol

Another reason for wanting an Extreme Power is that I'm very heavy. My weight is embarrassing, so I wouldn't tell you. Its about 25 pounds more than I ought to be for my height. However, I'm pushing 50 years old, and I weigh just 15 pounds more than I weighed in high school by avoiding the alcohol. I think that's decent.

 

[merckxman]

You HAVE to get this helmet

to go along with the bike. It's a GIRO Atmos Polka Dot.