# Strong! CX-1 take a big hit



## Gnarly 928 (Nov 19, 2005)

Riding yesterday I hit a hole (must have been a BIG one) in the road really hard. So glad I was on my Colnago and not one of the other high end bikes I have recently had..Had that been my Scott or even my Look, I would probably have had two frames and a long walk home..... My first thoght was..."There goes a wheel, at least, and maybe the whole frame, but everything felt ok there) As it was, my Carbon Creations seat post broke...It fractured at the top of the seattube, but didn't snap, it just got soft. At first I thought..."Broke a saddle rail, or perhaps a mounting bolt" and I rode on to the next junction before getting off to check. The post had turned to mush. I pushed the broken section down in the seat tube and rode on home. So much for the urban myth that "carbon just snaps, fails catastrophically, every time"

Thank you, Oregon DOT, for that crappy sewer line project patch job, in the shade, right down the center of the rural highway... 

Thank you Ernesto, for not making fragile ultra light frames.


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## dharrison (Oct 27, 2009)

This is great news. I just bought a CX-1 2 weeks ago. Glad to hear you and your Colnago survived.


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## icsloppl (Aug 25, 2009)

You may want to do a hard visual check for cracks and paint dispacement as well as a tap test on anything suspicious looking.

IMO it's pretty impressive that the post designers were sucessful in providing a mix that was able to fail yet maintain adequate structural integrity to support your weight. That's not easy...


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## mimason (Oct 7, 2006)

How is the rear end compared to your Scott? I have a couple of racer friends that moved away from the CX1 indicating it is noodly in comparison to their new R3 and Scott respectively. Reason I ask is that I can pick up a barely used frame for a good price.


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## Gnarly 928 (Nov 19, 2005)

mimason said:


> How is the rear end compared to your Scott? I have a couple of racer friends that moved away from the CX1 indicating it is noodly in comparison to their new R3 and Scott respectively. Reason I ask is that I can pick up a barely used frame for a good price.


 "Noodly"? I disagree. That is not a word I have ever heard in conjunction with CX-1s from my friends and team. I've had bikes that I could feel flex in the back end...King, Orbea Orca, Look 585 and Merlin...all felt noodly, especially during crit corners...Never ever felt any flex with my CX-1, and I ride at 165-170lbs on mostly Zipp wheels.

I don't have a Scott any more, sold mine and I am very glad I was not riding that when I hit the hole that broke my seatpost recently. Or my Look with it's fragile-seeming carbon bearing seats and downtube and carbon dropouts..

I think saving weight is carried too far by some brands..especially when it means you might destroy a frame in normal usage or break something with a tiny allen wrench when you are doing a race-adjustment or normal maintenance. I like how Colnago values dependability over a couple of saved ounces. I'd rather have a 16.8lb bike that I always depend on than a 16.2 oz bike that I have to baby, one that you don't dare touch without a really accurate torque wrench, one that probably would never survive even a soft crash.. 

I've stopped switching bikes since I got my CX-1...I like it, so I've not been inclined to keep looking for better, after trying perhaps 2-3 premium frames per year for some years. It seem to do everything I ask in any race or training situation. It's the best all-around frame I have ridden, and is easy to maintain and durable.

I'd say try one for yourself, especially if you get a good deal on one.. You don't like it you can always pass it on without loss.


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## nightfend (Mar 15, 2009)

I never complain that my Colnago Extreme Power is 1200 grams. I take that as a sign of its extra durability and so far it hasn't let me down.


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