societa colnago

.........................................................................................................................................................................................................

societa colnago | colnago c40 | colnago c40hp | colnago c50hp | colnago dream |
colnago teams since 1968 | robert millar c40 review | colnago clx | colnago c50 2007 |
colnago arte 2008 | colnago eps | colnago cx-1 | ernesto colnago interview 2008 |
colnago clx centaur | colnago clx 2.0 | colnago ace | colnago super

.........................................................................................................................................................................................................

colnago c59 italia

colnago c59

the c59 is sold as a frame only, no matter what the componentry section of colnago's website says. the writing on the side, apart from ernesto colnago's signature, says that we're dealing with high modulus carbon fibre, though i'm not sure i'd expect any less at this level, (and i'd love to know why they pander to the american spelling of fiber). and in a rather blatant attempt to head the naysayers off at the pass, in larger lettering than strictly necessary, on the back of the seat tube it states made in italy. this is reinforced by an italian shield at the base of the down tube which also infers its country of origin.

currently, however, there is a simple way to know: all the frames coming out of taiwan are of monocoque construction; those from italy are tubes and lugs. thus, the colnago eps, the steel master x-light and this latest, top of the range c59, all hail from cambiago. just so's you know.

things are being done with carbon fibre nowadays that take tubes far away from the common round shaped, even though the steel variety on the master were never truly round in the first place. the almost expected fluting of colnago's carbon is present on the c59's top tube, and also the large, squared down tube. not a great fan of sculpted carbon on purely aesthetic grounds, i find these misgivings undermined by the knowledge of what has made the c59 down-tube a square shape in the first place; a case of form following function. colnago's secret weapon in this instance, is an internal i-beam, running vertically, and re-inforced with thin steel rods. while i have not yet seen a cross-section of the tube (and i doubt colnago would take kindly to me slicing my way through the review model), the desired effect is that it gives the tube, and thus the frame, a degree of torsional rigidity while retaining light weight.

colnago c59

the lugs at each junction are essentially of a round cross-section, meeting round tubes. however, in the case of the down-tube, it becomes square section very quickly, with a flat bottom at the bracket. perhaps surprisingly, the bottom bracket lug is of far leaner proportions than is the norm nowadays. bear in mind however, that lugs impart a greater degree of torsional rigidity (stiffness) than that of a monocoque, without looking like the side of a bungalow. the top tube starts wide at the junction with the colossal head tube, and steadily narrows as it heads towards the seat tube. the colnago fluting, not purely cosmetic, lends a more satisfying aesthetic than the flattening of carbon that seems in vogue nowdays.

joining the round, but oversized seat-tube is the next generation of b-stay, now christened the q, less an evolution than a stark contrast to the soft, curved lines of the former. both seat and chain stays are of squarer section than those beautifully sculpted leaf stays that feature on the eps. whether it's the paint, an optical illusion or hard fact, the stays where they join the dropouts seem almost anorexic in comparison to the rest of the bike.

colnago c59

it may be a trend, or there may be a perfectly judged reason for doing so, but all cables, save that of the front caliper, are now contained internally. gone are the cable stops riveted at the front of the down tube, and the two on the left underside of the top tube. both gear cables disappear inside through the walls of the top lug (presumably obviating the need for any additional reinforcing around the holes), and similarly the rear brake cable is contained within the top tube. i'd be happier commenting on this arrangement after i'd had need of replacing any or all of these cables, since i cannot see how this makes maintenance any easier. i've a suspicion, however, that c59 owners may not be folks who indulge in their own maintenance, so it may bother the bike shops more.

the two gear cables exit from the very squareness of the down-tube more or less at the point where the under bracket cable guides take over. while it may be a trivial point, the internal routing of the gear cables has lost us the cable adjusters that used to feature at the stops. no longer is there the luxury of adjusting on the fly while riding the bike.

with the exception of the master frame, colnago's entire 2011 range now features one or other variation of their semi-integrated headset. in the case of the c59, the carbon steerer of the substantial forks tapers outwards from 1.125" at the top to 1.25" at the crown. i still have reservations over the necessity for not only those sizes, but the need for integration at all on a road bike. however, in view of the tubes that join with the head tube, i can see little option but to sculpt something this big, though pretty it is not.

colnago c59

the seatpost is a round colnago carbon, painted to match the frame. as a long time follower of all things colnago, i yearn for the days when art decor was one of the options available on many of their frames. while the quality of a colnago paint job has never really been in doubt, their creativity is, in my opinion, sadly lacking. the c59 is essentially red and white, with almost maroon panels seeping in on the lower par of front and rear forks. i rather like the maroon, particularly where it frames the c59 statement near the front dropouts. but i cannot figure why they found it necessary to paint pointless geometric squiggles at seemingly random points on the chassis. however, having shown the bike to one or two civilians, they thought the colour scheme to be particularly flash, so perhaps colnago have judged this far better than i would.

returning to the forks, i am still seriously disappointed that the dropouts on a bike of this stature and cost, have those little tabs that turn a quick release into a wing-nut. surely anyone purchasing one of these has enough gumption to close a skewer properly? i had been led to believe this was due to american legislation, but my american built cielo is tab free. a real nuisance.

colnago c59

continuing a trend that has featured on every colnago i have had the pleasure of riding, is a braze-on front gear mech. i've met many a cyclist who claims that the braze-on only allows vertical adjustment of this essential piece of componentry, but seriously, how much adjustment is required? i'm with colnago, and long may it continue. band-on clamps are for wimps.

and though a somewhat trivial observation, that head-tube badge is less than complimentary. at one time it was a sharp, clear decal; now it almost looks like a bad colour photocopy that does not do justice to a bicycle of value, heritage and stature. please fix this colnago.

as always, bicycle frames can go nowhere without componentry to help them get there, and while future purchasers of the c59 can add what the heck they like, this particular model bore a smattering of luxury trinkets. gearing was accomplished by a campagnolo record eleven speed setup, though in this case, we only have a part of the groupset, consisting of carbon ergopower levers, front mech, rear mech, cables and sprockets. the cassette went from eleven to 23. other transmission duties were carried out by an fsa, k-force light carbon compact chainset with ceramic bearing bottom bracket. not disappointed in any way, bearing in mind my limited pedalling abilities, i was surprised to see a compact fitted. in a few years, people will laugh when you mention 53/39.

colnago c59

fsa also supplied, in this case, the brake calipers, fitted with titanium bolts and carbon pad holders. the bizarre part here is the built-in redundancy when used with campag levers: there's not only a quick release built into the levers, but another, shimano-like on the calipers themselves. it would not be a regular part of any review to pay much heed to the handlebar tape, but in this case, i mention because i've never heard the name before; smanie. and even that would perhaps not be worthy of mention were it not for the fact that the same people are responsible for the very graphic saddle. tidy and quality stuff (and soon to be available from colnago's uk distributors). the fluffy black tape covered a pair of fsa k-force carbon bars, with a nice flattish section each side of the stem clamp. the stem was also supplied by fsa, and continued the carbon theme. unusual on a review bike, the c59 had a bottle cage already in place, again in carbon, and again from fsa. held the bikefood bottle just dandy thank you very much.

lastly, the bits that really keep the bicycle moving; the wheels. in a marks and spencers moment, these are no ordinary wheels, these are fsa vision tri-max carbon wheels, with deep flange carbon rims and wearing a pair of continental competition tubulars. it is rare in this day and age that a review bicycle is sent with other than clinchers, underlining, as if capital letters were needed, just the sort of rider at which the c59 is aimed. i would like to know, however, why it's not possible to buy a pair of clinchers with that oh so fabulous bobble pattern on the tread as befits a racing tub. surely we are not so shallow as to be obsessed with a constant variation in tread patterns? is anyone from continental reading?

colnago c59

the vision tri-max wheels feature black sapim aero spokes: 20 radial at the front, 24 at the back, built radially on the non-drive side, and two-cross on the sprocket side. the marbled carbon composite rims extend to a 50mm depth, and the spokes enter the rim via standard nipples, meaning there's no need to remove the tubs and squiggle about inside trying to true the rim, should one or two spars on the cattle grid be found missing in action. weight for a pair is claimed to be 1420g without the carbon levered titanium skewers.

since it is not possible to deal with the inevitable torque and speed without being clipped into something, i supplied my own pedals which in turn, had been supplied by mavic. not the titanium axled, cartridge bearing delights that adorn the cielo, but the more lowly mavic sprints with a silver paint covering rather than the chrome applied to the sleek and mighty. pretty darned good all the same.

keeping up with the colnago

expedition number one was on the very eve of the bicycle's arrival; a mere 12km, most of which were employed in settling into a race position (well, a verisimilitude if truth be known), and making sure the bars and seatpost were adjusted to correspond with my athletically honed physique (one of us is kidding here). aside from being like a kid whose christmases have all arrived at once, it rained for half the trip, and the chances of any carbon appreciation were slim.

colnago c59

the following morning, i nipped out after breakfast for a quick whizz to debbie's to appreciate a soya cappuccino before work, a round trip of 30km, and my first words to mrs washingmachinepost upon my return were 'i'm going to have to train to keep up with that bike.'

i have, along with others, often derided brian smith for always cycling in the outer chainring, when those of us of a more staid disposition retain that for weddings and special occasions. however, even making allowances for the fact that the inner ring on the c59 was a 34, i was into the big-ring before i was out of bowmore village, and i don't think the front mech was again used until arriving home. this thing is seriously fast; embarrassingly so. it took me almost ten minutes less cycling to reach debbie's than would normally be the case, and half of that was into a headwind. not only did it make me faster, but sort of demanded, if bikes can do this sort of thing, that i ride out of my skin on its behalf.

it feels exactly how i imagine a race bike ought to feel; taut, fast, stiff and completely chuck aboutable, but undoubtedly the finest way to appreciate its features would be over an extended distance. about 100 miles ought to do the trick, coincidentally, the same mileage covered by the ride of the falling rain, which also coincidentally took place mere days after the c59's appearance at washingmachinepost cottage.

the route of rotfr takes in most of the unkempt roads on islay, including the abattoirenberg forest and a total of twelve cattle grids in various stages of repair and disrepair (i counted them all). it only contains two real climbs; one at 14% and one at 8%, neither of them partiuclarly lengthy, but neither with road surfaces that would give a billiard table any competition. despite the compact 50/34 up front, and a record cassette that stopped at 23 teeth, my slowed climb at kilchiaran, (i was baulked by two riders in front travelling a bit slower), took place in the 21 sprocket. i would more normally expect to accomplish this in a 25. it seems possible that anthony charteau won the king of the mountains jersey because he had no choice.

colnago c59

similarly on the 8% at storakaig, i was doing my best mine host impersonation, combining conversation with sociability, and inadvertantly rode away from my three travelling companions without any additional input from the legs. despite a brief tommy voeckler moment on a sharp, gravelly descent, when the back wheel hit some of the latter and stepped out for a moment, the bike is as confident downhill as up. i'm no expert at the technicalities of carbon layup, but it never ceases to amaze how colnago can produce a frame that exhibits all the stiffness and resilience that i believe the professional peloton demands, yet transfers almost none of it to the rider by way of any discomfort.

there is never a moment when you're not aware this is a serious piece of attack ware. in comparison to a monocoque frame, the bottom bracket lug looks particularly anorexic, but different methods produce different results, and in order to unscientifically check its rigidity, i put the chain in the big ring, adjusted the front mech until it almost touched, and then gave it everything i had on the ascent. i'm not sure i need inform the result, but metal did not touch at all.

i have laboured on for many a year that the standard by which a great frame should be judged with regards to its climbing abilities is an indefinable spring in its step when giving it some welly on even the briefest of ascents. the c59 has this in bucketloads, adding pleasure where pain will eventually reside. roads that deviate from the horizontal can be embraced with joy; in fact, in my case, they were sought out at every opportunity and attacked with gusto.

colnago c59

with a slightly sloping top tube, the sizing of the c59 follows that of colnago's previous sloping examples. this particular bicycle could have been made for me; at 52cm it translates to a 54cm traditional, though the seatpost would have allowed a substantial increase in height, should such have been required. with the smanie saddle pushed all the way back on its titanium rails, and despite only a 120mm stem fitted (i prefer a 130mm), the cockpit had bags of manoeuvrable space, likely contributing to the inherent chuckability. stacks of space to move about, whether sprinting (inside joke) or re-defining the phrase giving it welly on anything remotely like an upward slope.

cycling 100 miles around the island will inevitably induce one or two occasions of bicycle/car interfaces; that's what passing places are for. on a c59, this can be turned into a highly enjoyable sport, sprinting for the nearest passing place in order to gain brownie points from indigenous or visiting motorists. any sudden input of power is accomplished with an absolute minimum of fuss; the bike just wallops forward. i've not been driven in anything motorised with a turbo, but i have a notion that this is probably what it feels like.

100 miles also counts as rather a lot of sitting down, in this case on that rather graphic smanie saddle. wieghing a whole lot less than not very much, atop a shiny set of titanium rails, rather than featuring a cutout in the middle it has, instead, a valley, thus relieving pressure on the bits from which you would wish to have pressure relieved. at around 40 miles, discomfort began to interfere, though no more than i've found is the case on any saddle at around that distance. however, shift on a few more miles, add in a brief stop at ardbeg, and the second half of the trip was agony free; in fact, it was rather comfortable, and i finished my century in much the same way as i'd started.

colnago c59

everything worked well. campag's eleven speed cassette still had two, small shiny sprockets unused, but the gear changing, while not as slick perhaps as either shimano or sram, was confidence inspiring, never missed a beat and remained solid throughout. having an 11-23 at the back seemed to match a lot better with the 50/34 at the front, rather destroying the spinal tap pokings of fun at the need for eleven in the first place. changing at the front was not quite as precise as i've experienced, but every now and a again that impression would be destroyed by a series of incredibly smooth changes, so it could just as easily have been pilot error.

campagnolo's ergopower shifters look wrong, or at least in comparison to the standard fare of several years ago, but in practice, they make for a very comfortable hand position. i notice that super record has cooling ducts right at the top of the lever, something absent from mere record, but the sculpting of the lever blade has been well thought out for comfy fingers. braking, via fsa's top of the range calipers was both smooth and predictable, with no snatching, grabbing or lack of grip in the wet.

colnago c59

islay is criss-crossed with little single track roads that are mere steps away from farm tracks; they're there to underline the island's agricultural rurality, and quite ideal for giving a bicycle and its wheels a hard time. running up past west carrabus, over borraichill and down to coullabus is likely the very worst of these, though i will admit that's not saying much. splattered with loose gravel, potholes from which a bicycle would have to be dragged by tractor, and a liberal spread of isle of wight ferry (hot and steaming and comes out of cows backwards). roads such as this can compress an entire day's testing into one 5km hurtle, enhanced on this occasion by driving rain.

deep rimmed carbon wheels have all but become de rigeur these days, and it's hard to deny that they add a certain frisson to the appearance of any bike, the c59 included. but if wheels were purely cosmetic, their performance wouldn't be under consideration 1.4kg for a pair of wheels is not ultra light as comtemporary hoops go, but as part of the overall package, this wasn't much of a disadvantage. without a following mavic car, there's the possibility of a substantial amount of faff if you puncture, but in an ideal world, we'd all ride tubs; sorry for all those who figure the latest clinchers are easily their equal, but i beg to differ.

however, what i'm most interested in, given that these ran oh so smoothly on what little patches of good tarmac there are over here, is how they reacted on the crappest of roads, and how stiff are they laterally? the crap stuff was handled with ease, including a smattering of good, bad and indifferent cattle grids. lateral movement has to be measured by my other wholly unscientific method: keep the brake shoes mere millimetres from the braking surface, then thump it hard up some hills. sadly, there was noticeable movement; brake rub was immediate. however, all is not lost, because to be honest, the only real effect was an audible one. forward motion seemed not to be impeded in any significant way, and i have to admit that i wouldn't, and probably you wouldn't, ride with the brakes that close to the wheel.

colnago c59

they are quite stiff, and despite the comfort of the c59, felt just a wee bit harsh, though with such deep flanged rims, i figure that's inevitable. however, let's put things in perspective here: this whole bike is first and foremost, a race bike, not built for nipping down to the shops, and while even racing cyclists like their comfort as much as the next man, compromises do have to be accepted as part of the package. the well-heeled recreational cyclist would not be disappointed; all is relative in the high end world of carbon. deep flange wheels will never compete in the comfort stakes with a pair of handbuilt, three cross standard wheels, but they are a good bit faster. swings and roundabouts. it's also a comforting notion that the wheels can be trued in the conventional fashion, without resorting to exotic tools and concealed nipples.

out and about on the first few rides was a bit of an eye opener to someone more used to a degree of sedateness in his cycling, but like ben ingham's recent movie about dario pegoretti, there are surprises on each subsequent outing. often convinced that it is simply an accident of birth that i am not robert millar's twin brother, the c59 not only allowed me my moments of fame in an upward direction, for the first time, acceleration was still possible when my legs were screaming no more. the bike obviously ignores screaming legs. similarly on the flat: sitting in the big ring, with only two shiny sprockets left at the cassette's outer reaches, going as fast as i thought possible, invoking the scottish mantra gie it laldie squeezed out several more kilometres per hour.

breathtaking with no turbo lag.

colnago c59

c59 v eps

i am not in the habit of comparing different models of the same marque, nor of comparing models from different brands, and i don't intend to start the habit as a matter of policy. however, i am aware of a certain desire amongst the cognoscenti to know how colnago's latest italian creation comares with its previous top of the range, a frame still available, though a couple of hundred pounds less expensive. while not entirely sure exactly how to put this into words, particularly since some will undoubtedly not have ever been aboard an eps, and impressions are, by their very nature, entirely subjective, i have a theory.

here is my theory, which is what it is (to paraphrase john cleese).

the eps was designed in conjunction with erik zabel, one of the finest sprinters of his era. at the risk of being very unkind, and grossly undervaluing the skills of the sprinting fraternity, basically they spend the day sheltered from the wind inside the peloton, doing as little as humanly possible, then practising their art in the last couple of kilometres.

therefore, a sprinter needs a bicycle that is comfortable, has sufficient gusto to get over any bumps that may be included in the stage profile, and have sufficient ooomph to allow a train ride to the line. job done. the c59 is an out and out race bike, ideal for the likes of anthony charteau to nip off to mop up those additional mountains points, and more than ideally suited to the likes of thomas voeckler, with a penchant for squirreling off the front and making for the flamme rouge all on his own. of course, if you're sacha modolo, you can sprint with it too.

colnago c59

or, if you have previous colnago experience, the c59 is to the eps what the c50 was to the c40, if that helps in any way.

the c59 is likely the most exciting bicycle i have ever ridden. there have been cycles across this threshold in previous months and years that have been designated as race machines, but none have felt like this. they have either been so harsh that you really would have to be paid to ride them, or they work, but seemingly less than i. the c59 lets the rank amateur (me) have a glimpse at what it's like to be in formula one, and unlike a mclaren, this is affordable.

just.

the colnago c59 italia retails at £3,300 for frame only. fsa's vision tri-max wheels retail at around the £1000 mark. the build as tested would be around £7000. thank you to colnago uk for providing this fabulous machine, but if you want it back, you'll have to come and get it (you hope i'm kidding).

flickr set

colnago

posted friday 6 august 2010

top of page.

..........................................................................................................................................................................................................

societa colnago | colnago c40 | colnago c40hp | colnago c50hp | colnago dream |
colnago teams since 1968 | robert millar c40 review | colnago clx | colnago c50 2007 |
colnago arte 2008 | colnago eps | colnago cx-1 | ernesto colnago interview 2008 |
colnago clx centaur | colnago clx 2.0 | colnago ace | colnago super

.........................................................................................................................................................................................................