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colnago clx 3.0 ultegra di2

the colnago clx 3.0 differs little in overall shape from that of its predecessor, though since this is the ultegra di2 version, there are one or two detail changes specific to the electronics. for starters, if at some point in the future you decided electric was not the way to go, you are somewhat stymied. this frame features no cable stops on the downtube. the electric cables from both front sti units emerge from behind the bar tape and straight into a little box. the cable that leaves the other end of that box enters the top tube via a grommeted hole on the left, making its way internally to both the front gear mech and subsequently, the rear. the rear brake cable is also routed internally but via a separate hole in the carbon tube.

all or nothing, basically.

the frame eschews any of the carbon veneer that featured on previous clx models, leaving a matt black surface with strong white graphics. it's a look that has much appeal and was favourably commented on by many of my fellow pelotonese. other than that, the carbon clx 3.0 forks are married to the frame via colnago's chs semi-integrated headset, taking up all the room nside that oversized head tube. the rear triangle which, in keeping with its brethren has acquired a more squarish profile in places, is effectively a b-stay joined to the monocoque front triangle by means of a lug behind the seat tube. this latter third of the main three has a subtle cutout midway down allowing the rear wheel to sit closer to the bottom bracket. it is also teardrop shaped (as is the seatpost).

with such a large head tube, it is of little surprise that the two joining tubes are not particularly skinny at the juncture. the down tube maintains its girth all the way to the oversize bottom bracket area, while the fluted top tube tapers inwards towards the seat post. colnago measure their sloping frames with reference to their more traditional offerings. thus the 50cm bicycle under review equates to a more regular 54cm, exactly that of my colnago master and c40. the aesthetic of the clx has always, to me at least, been fairly close to impeccable; the black and white offering here only served to enhance that aspect.

shimano supply the ultegra di2 sti levers, the somewhat bulky but very effective front gear mech, that of the rear, the chainset and the sparingly spoked 530 wheels. this is something of a departure for colnago, for on previous models, despite shimano gear-changing, the chainset and wheels more often came from their neighbours at fsa. and while the last two clx models i have reviewed were supplied with vittoria rubino pro tyres, these have now been swapped for michelin lithion 2. these are 23mm width with a very subtle herringbone tread pattern.

the shimano wheels have the now trendy deep(ish) rim, with 16 straight pull radial lacing up front, and 20 at the rear, with the drive side being laced two cross. bars and stem are, surprisingly, carbon wrapped offerings from deddaciai, and though the brake calipers are badged as colnago, they bear an uncanny resemblance to those offered by fsa. colnago supply the carbon seatpost, for this has to match the teardrop shaped seat tube, and selle italia provide the colnago branded saddle with a slot in its middle.

it's also one of the first colnagos i've had delivered that arrived with its very own colnago badged bottle cage. a nice touch.

almost embarrassingly for a bicycle of this pedigree, not only did it arrive with wheel reflectors and a bell, but there were step by step instructions on how to fit those reflectors. strangely, there was little by way of instruction on how to setup the gears or indeed operate them (this is not strictly true; there are copious notes on many aspects of the di2 operation contained in several shimano leaflets printed in endless different languages, but a concise primer in one booklet would surely be of more use?)

naturally enough, the electrics will do little to aid propulsion without a battery, in this case fitted into a bracket behind the chainset and just above the bottom bracket area underneath the down tube. shimano supply a charger and mains cable, along with information regarding how frequently charging ought to be required. that tiny box in front of the head tube has a button that will give an indication as to whether the battery needs charging, as well as allowing the gears to set themselves when pressed and held. nobody ever reads the manual, but if these become more ubiquitous, i think someone needs to write one that is explicitly user-friendly.

perhaps there's room on the bookshelf for one of those the missing manual type books. maybe if i find myself with some apre word processing time...

out and about with electrons

because the gear changing is by means of switches rather than levers, depending on where you'd normally rest your fingers when cycling, it is eminently possible to inadvertantly change gear. i did so several times on my first day out, requiring a conscious effort to sit my hands on the ultegra levers slightly differently than usual. it is also the case that caution must be observed when putting the bike back in the bikeshed; leaning it in the wrong manner against another bicycle will also cause the mechs to move. it would be a simple matter in avoiding the latter to remove the battery, but you just know you're going to forget it next time.

those switches also require an adjustment in changing technique, for no longer do the brake levers shift inwards. upshifting is effected by pressing a tactile button on the side of the blade. similarly that inboard flip lever; it doesn't move either. it does, however, appear to be slightly hinged at the top, for pressing at that point doesn't always shift gear. i am, of course, making it all sound far more complex than is actually the case. in practice, it takes only a few hundred metres to acquire the necessary knack of competent gear changing, and just like riding a bike, you tend not to forget after that.

the clx 3.0 is largely unchanged from either of its predecessors apart from one or two minor cosmetics on the frame. it is quite possible that i am trivialising these, for with my lack of expertise regarding carbon moulding, perhaps they look different because they have more work to do. i am thinking mostly of the section where the chainstays meet the front triangle. the seatstays too seem to describe a less obvious curve than before, but it's possible this is more of an optical illusion rather than a definite alteration.

gear changing at the rear seems little different than that of shimano's mechanical ultegra. during the review period, it never missed a change once, even when ridden in pouring rain. yes, the battery did find itself covered in isle of wight ferry, but it seems to shrug off such inconveniences without a murmur. if you take the battery out for charging or cleaning, as i did on more than one occasion, be sure to push it fully home in its bracket. i experienced a brief heart in mouth moment when neither front or rear would shift before realising the battery was not properly connected.

the front gear is fascinating, providing the sort of entertainment that would have me either in the ditch or ploughing into the back of a stationary car while watching it work its magic. yet again, the mech never missed a shift and was physically simpler to operate than its cable equivalent. that aside, i still can't get past the thought that electronica such as this is a solution looking for a problem. changing gear in the good old traditional manner is hardly a taxing proposition, and definitely a whole lot cheaper. couple that with the alterations made to the frame to accommodate the electronics, and a degree of versatility has surely disappeared? i have little doubt that di2 is here to stay, but if an expensive replacement becomes necessary at any point when personal funds are low, the option of returning to mechanical operation is no longer there due to a singular lack of cable stops.

i also realise that it is fashionable these days to route the brake cable inside the frame, just as it was when i bought my first colnago, but there is little doubt that external routing is easier to maintain and easier to effect replacement. colnago are by no means the only ones going down this path, but i fear we are losing sight of pragmatism in the face of aesthetic desire. time and fashion will tell.

the colbago clx 3.0 di2 is purchased as a complete bicycle, therefore, aside from the addition of a frame-fit pump, mavic pedals and saddle pack, i have ridden and reviewed this bike as it was when removed from its box. though the top tube may have been a smidgeon shorter than i'd have liked, i fear i may have been seduced by the numbers game, for in practice there were few occasions when the cabin space was found wanting. it seems a tad unlikely that a bike shop would be overly keen to swap out the stem in favour of a longer or shorter version, but that's not to stop the new owner carrying out this of their own volition should it be deemed necessary.

i have made reference to the sizing and fit of colnagos before; setting the saddle to the requisite height as deigned by cyclefit sets the clx up as if ernesto had nipped over to islay and personally measured me for the frame. i rode this bicycle for the entire 100 miles of the ride of the falling rain and was still fresh enough at the end to indulge in the occasional hill-sprint on the way home. power transfer is almost impossibly smooth; it doesn't leap tall buildings in a single bound like the c59, but then the latter costs only marginally less than the clx 3.0 but for the frame only. climbing is a joy, but one of smooth proportions rather than accompanied by frenetic activity. accelerate and the bicycle does so without any inference of absorbing that incredible leg strength you always told yourself you have. stand to climb and the smoothness remains the same.

at some point of a road review on islay, a bicycle is going to have to traverse that road leading from coullabus to west carrabus, a three mile stretch that is often little more than a farm track. potholes, loose gravel, mud, isle of wight ferry, a 14% climb and a cattle grid. i've never managed to break anything yet, well, not much, but i like to think it's one of those portions of a review that might allow a bicycle to show its mettle. the clx survived unscathed, but in the process of descending past the farmhouse at carrabus, it did highlight a feature that seems to have improved in version 3.0. crappy roads become so over a period of time; disintegration is a perennial feature, and i thus found myself inadvertantly trying manfully to avoid potholes of which i was previously unaware and substantial amounts of gravel on the only line of travel left available.

all this presented itself at a speed approaching 50kph, leaving little room to manoeuvre when directed by ageing reactions. yet, despite my heart in mouth reaction accompanied by an impending sense of doom and destruction, the colnago presented a level of navigation that prompted me to smile out loud. neither wheel slid out in any direction. this is what i believe i may be correct in referring to as a classics bike, one that excels in regular use, but positively revels in adverse road conditions. hammer it along the single-track abattoirenberg forest road, one that contains more patches than actual road and that smile will remain ear-to-ear until the last corner. sheer excitement, tempered by a bicycle that refuses to give up the racing line.

chuckability by any other name.

that chuckability relies, however, on having a safety net; in this case, those colnago badged calipers. having had to setup and cut overlong cables when the cycle arrived from taiwan, i initially feared i had got it wrong, for the brakes seemed to require more of a handful of pressure to actuate than i thought seemly. however, it took less than a few kilometres to get the hang of the finger strength required, a feature that seems dependent on the spring strength at the caliper end of the equation. of course, what goes up must come down and what goes in must come out. this spring tension provides substantial brake release as its corollary, and in my mind, this is a very good thing.

it is during moments such as these that the wonder simply increases, for how is it that an all carbon frame that displays a level of stiffness that might just make mark cavendish blanche, can be so comfortable to ride? the wheels, while just a touch on the heavy side, are also just the wrong side of comfortable. deeper than normal rims, coupled to very few, high-tension spokes were never likely to offer a cotton wool route to cycling joy. the carbon frame, in keeping with the majority on offer nowadays, is conformed to provide stiffness where stiffness ought to be. it's the modern way. yet despite being aware of this, the clx 3.0 is fabulously comfortable to ride. how do they do that?

add the wheel weight to the extra heft caused by the electrics (that battery is remarkably solid), and the clx 3.0 is never going to win a competition against a bunch of helium balloons. however, weight is something of an overstated factor these days, and in the reality of the bike ride, you'd honestly be hard pushed to notice.

likely one of the most oft changed features on a bicycle presented as a fait accompli would be the saddle. cyclists have notoriously fickle and bony bums, taking little to cause upset and discomfort. i am thankfully possessed of a bum that seems mostly saddle agnostic, but in this case, the colnago badged selle italia was a positive delight. even after one hundred miles in the saddle at the ride of the falling rain that chamois and lycra were as delighted to sit around as often as possible as they had been at the get go. i recall a review of the clx 1.0 that attributed modest discomfort to the teardrop shaped seatpost, an assertion that seemed a tad weird at the time and positively idiotic come this iteration of the bike.

a bike costing five pence less than a rather frightening £4,000 ought to deliver darned near everything the prospective owner expects and it would take either a brave or misguided person to deny that this is the case with the clx 3.0. i think it unlikely i will ever be truly convinced that electrics are the future the bicycle world has been waiting for, but i cannot deny that the di2 worked flawlessly throughout the weeks i had the pleasure of riding the bicycle. and allied to that, it disappoints that the frame is not able to handle regular gearing should the decision be made to revert to mechanical operation at sometime in the bike's future. the internally routed rear brake cable ought to be easy enough to maintain or replace, but carrying out any similar work on the electric cable seems a rather daunting prospect.

on arrival, the cable exiting the seat tube and connecting with that bulky front mech looped perilously close to the jagged teeth of the outer chainring, something i confess i didn't notice until out and about. it was a less than onerous task to feed the cable back into the carbon tube and away from impending danger, but i have absolutely no idea how i would have effected any repair had the cable snagged on the chainset and broken. of course, popping the bicycle back to your local colnago dealer should something this disastrous occur and letting them deal with the agony is always an option, but some of us either wish to or have to be a smidgeon more independent when it comes to repair and maintenance. i can see hours of frustration should such come to pass.

however, leaving aside how the gears do or do not change, the nub of my review has to be the colnago itself. if it were mine, i'd change the wheels, but nothing else. i might rail against internal headsets and the concomitant increase in head tube diameter, one that flows through to the fork, but the reality of the situation is that this might conceivably be responsible for the uncanny steering response that kept me out of trouble. would you want to be the one to phone colnago uk saying "you're going to laugh when i tell you..."? neither would i, but that does not mitigate that reviewing a bicycle means i might occasionally push just a tad harder than would normally be the case. it's nice to know ernesto's got my back. the standard ultegra version of this bicycle leaves £1,000 in your bank account yet offers the same comfort, controlled excitement and chuckability as the one with the electrons.

i've had a soft spot for the colnago clx since version 1.0. were i in the position of shopping for a new colnago, this is the machine i would buy. there is no doubting every centimetre is a colnago through and through, versions 1, 2 and 3 have displayed a robustness that laughs in the face of modern day road conditions, particularly the agricultural meanderings that are a part of islay life. i don't wish to give the impression that the hebrides are worse off than the rest of the country, but i think it likely that they are, making them the ideal location to give bicycles a hard time.

if anyone's struggling to think of an appropriate christmas present to send to washingmachinepost cottage...

sunday 12 august 2012

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