societa colnago

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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 ace | colnago clx 2.0 | colnago super | colnago c59

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colnago c40 review by robert millar

millar_colnago

the following review was first published in pro-cycling magazine in june 1999 and is the only time they have ever reviewed a colnago of any kind. review is by robert millar (yes, that robert millar - since i couldn't make up my mind whether to place this on the societa colnago pages or robert millar pages, i've made it accessible from both.)

you'd better believe the hype behind this particular colnago, becuase it looks and feels like it's all true. the ultimate accolade comes from every pro who rides or has ridden one. would they recommend it? yes! would they buy one with their own money? yes! everything about ernesto colnago's finest frame convinces you that it can't get any better. the paint is shinier and deeper, the detailing exquisite, the standard of construction impeccable, the finishing touches are superb, and it lasts too. robbie mcewan (at that time with rabobank) brought along last year's bike as well and it wasn't the usual sorry collection of scrapes and bangs of a normal year old pro racer. the paint was just as good as the new one and it feslt just as tight to ride.

even equipped with robobank's pave proof wheels, the c40 is light, and when you ride it, it seems even lighter. it floats over the oude kwaremont pave despite my slow, non-race pace, without any jarring from the straight forks, or the short rear triangle. it feels a little frisky on the wet sections, but that's because i don't weigh enough to deal with cobbles naturally, and no fault of the frame's.

millar_colnago

dodging the sand and gravel patches down phil's hill (so-called because phil anderson used to train on it) to russeignes, the bike is in its element: it likes going fast and it loves smooth tarmac where the ride is delighfully silky. the steering is especially tactile, a perfect combination of fast responses with stability and surefootedness. zippy, nippy and grippy, just like race bikes should all be. up to the coffee shops and bars at the top of the kluisberg, the lightness shines through again, with no flex anywhere on the frame, resulting in an instant response when out of the saddle, satisfying little surges coming from each pedal stroke. down the other side between the houses and pavements, the c40 eats up the corners with assurance, the front wheel going exactly where you want it to, almost telepathically. on to the concrete slabs leading to kluisbergen the wheels soak up most of the hrshness of the joints and the frame absorbs the remainder, giving a comfortable ride even over the railway line crossing and the speed bumps. the left and right handed corners in the town illustrate the bike's ability to regain speed with no apparent effort, quickly responding to sprinting input with snappy acceleration.

i pass a few cyclo-tourists just before the dodgy right turn onto oude kwaremontstraat for the second time and they instantly spot the colnago before i'm round the lampost and dodging the cowpats again. another lap and the same sensations, the dura-ace groupset purring away as the c40 convinces me to go faster, try just that little bit more, to be a racer like it is. this bike has everything covered: it can sprint, climb, and descend. it's comfortable, it looks good, it's strong, it's light the finish lasts. ownership means instant respect, instant envy. so, life after a c40, never the same again. probably.

the review took place around the roads of flanders and interesting to note that the cost of the entire biuke as tested was £2650; frame only £1650 - about £1000 less than the current cost of a c50 frame in 2006.

colnago

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societa colnago | colnago c40 | colnago c40hp | colnago c50hp | colnago dream | 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 ace | colnago clx 2.0 | colnago super | colnago c59

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