# Disappointed w/ Colnago XL



## jkp (Apr 4, 2006)

After years of riding an aluminum road bike, decided to try a steel bike. Purchased a Colnago XL on E-bay- very disappointed with the ride. Ended up selling it for a loss. Now ride a mid `80 Allez SE, and I love. What`s up? Am I goofy or did I pick a poor example of Italian bike building?


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## rcnute (Dec 21, 2004)

Some crimes are best left unsolved.


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## ServingTruth (Oct 2, 2009)

It's pretty much the polar opposite of aluminum... like taking a step back in time.


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## Uncle Grumpy (Jul 25, 2005)

jkp said:


> After years of riding an aluminum road bike, decided to try a steel bike. Purchased a Colnago XL on E-bay- very disappointed with the ride. Ended up selling it for a loss. Now ride a mid `80 Allez SE, and I love. What`s up? Am I goofy or did I pick a poor example of Italian bike building?


Given you've haven't actually spoke about any of the reasons or intangible qualities you feel the Colnago wasn't to your liking, yet still expect us to provide intelligent or at least semi intelligent responses, my vote is "you're goofy".

Grumps


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## buck-50 (Sep 20, 2005)

If it's any consolation, I found my Colnago to be a disappointment as well.

Doesn't mean anything's wrong with you or even that anything's wrong with the bike- Some frames just don't work with some riders. 

Just like saddles- some folks swear by Brooks saddles, some folks hate them. 

You were looking for a certain ride quality, you didn't get it, you moved on.


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## onlineflyer (Aug 8, 2005)

buck-50 said:


> If it's any consolation, I found my Colnago to be a disappointment as well.
> 
> Doesn't mean anything's wrong with you or even that anything's wrong with the bike- Some frames just don't work with some riders.
> 
> ...


What model Colnago? Your '70 Colnago Super? Please elaborate.


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## jkp (Apr 4, 2006)

It was an XL model, I believe a 1988. It felt stiff, lacked the compliance I expected. I still have my aluminum Allez, but use my lugged steel Allez SE far more. Recently acquired a Specialized Expedition, and like the ride of that as well.KP


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## Bocephus Jones II (Oct 7, 2004)

jkp said:


> It was an XL model, I believe a 1988. It felt stiff, lacked the compliance I expected. I still have my aluminum Allez, but use my lugged steel Allez SE far more. Recently acquired a Specialized Expedition, and like the ride of that as well.KP


Colnago Master XLs are pretty stiff. Colnago even says they are made for riders above 160 pounds. The geometry is probably also the exact opposite of the Allez. Like the other posters said, not all bikes work for everyone. That's why they make so many different ones.


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## dmar836 (Nov 17, 2007)

Man, I have a 70s Super and it feels great compared to the jarring aluminum daily rider. Guess I'm easily pleased as I like most all of my vintage frames. I'm sure it's a tad heavier than the Master.


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## buck-50 (Sep 20, 2005)

onlineflyer said:


> What model Colnago? Your '70 Colnago Super? Please elaborate.


late 70's/early 80s. 

Of course it didn't help that it was a 57 square, and I'm more comfortable on a 60...

but, that said, the handling was... awkward- there was pronounced dive in cornering- once it went into a turn, it wanted to dive deeper into that turn and it had to be muscled out.

the ride was harsh, the frame too stiff.

I'm personally of the opinion that Honda had it right and that frames need to have some flex for optimum performance and handling (they call it "tuned flex") The Nag was just too stiff for me to be comfortable.

THe seatstays were like treetrunks on the Nag. Compare that with the pencil-thin fastback stays on the serotta and you can see where the ride is going to be a little less punishing on the serotta. 

Of course, Serotta had David Kirk (among others) designing the NHX, so it was built by people who understood a thing or two about making a fast frame more comfortable. thin seatstays, curved chainstays, skinny tubes all around. Nicest SLX frame you could imagine.

I doubt the super was ever "engineered." not that there's anything wrong with that, but again, in my book, the Colnago just isn't as nice a ride, despite the fact that more people want it.

Edit: and, of course, this is just one man's opinion. Other folks love em. But like I said earlier, frames are like saddles, some just don't agree with you sometimes and there's nothing you can do about it.


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## Bill Silverman (Apr 2, 2007)

There's this rumor going around that steel is inherently "comfortable" and gives a plush ride. Actually the characteristics of a frame have a lot to do with the geometry than the materials (Dave Moulton commented on this on his blog a while ago). The lightweights of the 60's and 70's had relaxed geometry, long wheelbase, and major fork rake, all contributing to a "plush" ride. Great for distance and touring, maybe not so great for racing.

My mid-80's Trek 770 has pretty tight Crit geometry (major toe overlap) and I'm riding on high pressure tubulars. Lemme tell you: I can feel every seam in the road!


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

Bill Silverman said:


> There's this rumor going around that steel is inherently "comfortable" and gives a plush ride. Actually the characteristics of a frame have a lot to do with the geometry than the materials (Dave Moulton commented on this on his blog a while ago). The lightweights of the 60's and 70's had relaxed geometry, long wheelbase, and major fork rake, all contributing to a "plush" ride. Great for distance and touring, maybe not so great for racing.
> 
> My mid-80's Trek 770 has pretty tight Crit geometry (major toe overlap) and I'm riding on high pressure tubulars. Lemme tell you: I can feel every seam in the road!



+1.....geometry has a greater effect on ride quality than material ever will..... 

I have steel bikes that will rattle your teeth....


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## buck-50 (Sep 20, 2005)

Bill Silverman said:


> There's this rumor going around that steel is inherently "comfortable" and gives a plush ride. Actually the characteristics of a frame have a lot to do with the geometry than the materials (Dave Moulton commented on this on his blog a while ago). The lightweights of the 60's and 70's had relaxed geometry, long wheelbase, and major fork rake, all contributing to a "plush" ride. Great for distance and touring, maybe not so great for racing.
> 
> My mid-80's Trek 770 has pretty tight Crit geometry (major toe overlap) and I'm riding on high pressure tubulars. Lemme tell you: I can feel every seam in the road!


THat's part of the problem with buying vintage frames/bikes- often times you really have no idea what the geometry/intended purpose of the bike really was... you get hung up on "it's steel, therefore it's magic" and "it's old, so it must be practically a touring bike by today's standards..."

You only make that mistake once or twice...


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## gomango (Aug 30, 2006)

Geometry for me is "the" big deal. I've ridden my Master Extra Light on very long rides. In 2008 I took the bike on a 325 mile trip. I can say I enjoyed it, but let's be honest, this bike in no tourer. All I had along was a small saddle bag, a credit card, and a good attitude. It turned out well, but by the end of a 105 mile day, I was pretty well shot. This summer I did the same ride with an Eddy Merckx Century. I thought a somewhat relaxed geometry would be a better choice. It was and wasn't for many reasons. Nothing wrong with the bike at all though. In August I happened upon a beautiful old Chris Kvale touring frameset. I am in the process of putting together this gorgeous bike for next year's ride. Maybe what I am trying to say is think about what you want to use the bike for before you plunk down the cash, and make sure the bike is designed for the way you ride. Too bad he lost a little $ on the transaction.


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## Richard (Feb 17, 2006)

I'd add that "tube selection" as well as geometry will affect overall "ride quality."

My 531P tubed Falcon has similar geometry to my Columbus SL Fuso (and judging by the weight and Dave Moulton's general practice of putting SP downtubes and chainstays in 57cm and larger sized frames), but OMG do they ride differently!

And no, it's not the wheels. Both are running 32o box section rims cross laced and similar tires.


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## gomango (Aug 30, 2006)

Richard- agree on tubing! The 531 tubes on the Kvale are very different from the TSX tubes on the Merckx. No doubt.


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## Richard (Feb 17, 2006)

gomango said:


> Richard- agree on tubing! The 531 tubes on the Kvale are very different from the TSX tubes on the Merckx. No doubt.


Ordinarily, I'd agree. But my Bertoni TSX has slacker angles than either the Falcon or the Fuso. Kind of like "apples to oranges" but both the Falcon and the Bertoni are "classic all day" stage race kind of bikes. Their different, but I like 'em both. 

As a lot of knowledgable posters here have said, you can build an "unrideable" bike out of just about anything. For example, everyone "raves" about titanium. I had the opportunity to "test ride" one of the original 6/4 TI Litespeed Vortex's back in the late '80's. That sucker was as harsh as any oversize tig-welded aluminum bike I've ever had the opportunity to ride for more than "around the block."

It's always the mix. Geometry, material, tube dimensions and wall thickness, in the case of carbon low to high modulus and layup, etc., that makes any bike frame suitable for any particular rider.

In my old age, I just like somewhat flexy, responsive steel. But hey, I'm an "old fart!!"


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## mtnbke (Jun 2, 2009)

There is a lot of nonsense posted here...

There is a huge 'steel is real' cult in cycling that would champion the aethereal and aesthetic. 

They would criticize oversize aluminum as being 'harsh' or 'too stiff'. However, a vintage/classic aluminum bike will offer an almost telepathic road feel, be a veritable rocket bike (wattage that goes in, goes to the road), and still compare favorably to modern production bikes. 

Vintage handmade steel bikes are irrelevant from a competitive standpoint in road cycling (although not in cyclocross). 

Cycling necessarily has a certain air of exclusivity and pretense that cloud perceptions. Many cyclists ride bikes that have lousy handling, are ridiculously inefficient, have weak and heavy frames, that they just 'love'. 

What they really love is the pageantry and history of Italian cycling, not necessarily the bike itself. Most of it is vanity, some of it is self-fullfilling, and the rest is nonsense. 

If you set up a classic steel Colnago, a classic aluminum Cannondale or Klein, and a modern carbon bike, all with a modern carbon fork, carbon post, and good components and wheelset, and made a group of cyclists ride the snot out of all three for some time do you know what you'd find? 

The same thing that muscle cars find out. The average modern Mercedes Benz station wagon will embarass any classic Maseratti, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Lotus, GTO, Hemi, 'vette, 'cuda, you name it. Sure the older cars have some panache, and an image about 'em, but at the end of the day in terms of straight line speed, acceleration, drivability, even road course manners, the 600hp Benz family wagon is more of a super car than anything else classic or vintage. 

The same with bikes. Modern carbon stuff is otherworldly. After that its aluminum. Steel is, well, lets just say if all the 'high end' steel bikes had been hand made in West Virginia or Mexico, well, nobody would be riding 'em. 

There is very real craftsmanship in a steel bike. The Japanese bikes that Rivendell imports are some of the most beautiful bicycles in the world. However, there is very real craftsmanship in an aluminum bike or a titanium bike, or a carbon bike. 

You can teach anyone to fillet braze in a day. 

Experienced titanium and aluminum welders are a whole different paygrade than experienced steel welders...even when talking about bike frames. 

Cannondale and Klein used to have some of the best aluminum puddlers in the world. 

You can't compare the knowledge and technique required to lay carbon, or to weld aluminum to what is required to braze lugs together.

Which is not to say the bikes are beautiful. They are. 

They just aren't everything their owners believe about the bikes, which reveals what they need to believe about themselves.

Steel is real. Real inefficient. Real heavy. Really unpredictable as high speed cornering forces 'cause the frame to become twitchy and change its track. 

and really pretentious. 

Its kind of like if Tiffany were selling lumps of coal in their classic engagement settings.

Steel is cheap, easy to produce frames from, and irrelevant...

The reason you didn't like the Colnago was because other than the Italian label, which 99% of your attraction to the frame come from, its still a steel bike.

Now, if we were to mock up a classic Olmo, a Colnago, and a Paramount which do you really think the 'nago head's would prefer if they rode all three 'blind'?

You can't be pretentious about bikes built in Wisconsin and Illinois, and most cyclists don't know a thing about the rich tradition of Olmo which makes Colnago seem like a johnny come lately. 

If you remove the vanity, the pretense, the 'Italian steel' thing, at the end of the day what's left is a crappy bike by modern standards.


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## caterham (Nov 7, 2005)

mtnbke said:


> There is a lot of nonsense posted here...


even more of that now


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## gomango (Aug 30, 2006)

uh mtnbke, welcome to rbr, I think. Don't agree with some of your points, but you are welcome to your opinion. I've learned a lot on this forum "listening" to these folks.


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## Richard (Feb 17, 2006)

What's a "vintage classic" aluminum bike?


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## Bocephus Jones II (Oct 7, 2004)

mtnbke said:


> There is a lot of nonsense posted here...
> 
> There is a huge 'steel is real' cult in cycling that would champion the aethereal and aesthetic.
> 
> ...


Are Treks good bikes?


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## nickillus (May 3, 2006)

"...the 600hp Benz"

We all know what the engines are on bikes. This is a faulty comparison.


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## buck-50 (Sep 20, 2005)

mtnbke said:


> There is a lot of nonsense posted here...
> 
> There is a huge 'steel is real' cult in cycling that would champion the aethereal and aesthetic.
> 
> ...


Again, your mileage may vary.

Everyone likes different bikes. If everyone got the exact same ride with a bike, there wouldn't be a need for different bikes. Geometry, tubesets, saddle, fork/fork rake, handlebar position all conspire along with rider weight, experience and desires to create a different ride for everyone on any given bike. 

I would agree that Colnagos might be over-rated, but that's because they don't work for me. Other people seem to love them. That's just fine by me. What's a perfect ride to you might be an ugly POS to me. Who cares, right? I like steel. But there's good steel and bad steel just like there's good carbon and bad carbon. 

Not sure why yer posting in retro/classic if you dislike older bikes so much...


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

buck-50 said:


> Not sure why yer posting in retro/classic if you dislike older bikes so much...



+1...other than to troll.......somehow I don't think he convinced anyone with his argument...

If someone likes aluminum or carbon, that's fine........many different bikes to choose from


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## Salsa_Lover (Jul 6, 2008)

I tend to agree about the old Colnagos being overrated.

You in the US seek after and pay high bucks for them, here in Europe you find them at flea markets for low $$$, and there are not many looking for them...

plus, many of they are really ugly


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## cmg (Oct 27, 2004)

Salsa_Lover said:


> I tend to agree about the old Colnagos being overrated.
> 
> You in the US seek after and pay high bucks for them, here in Europe you find them at flea markets for low $$$, and there are not many looking for them...
> 
> plus, many of they are really ugly


Please direct me to an on-line flea market where i can purchase for low $. i sense a new business venture coming on.


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## Salsa_Lover (Jul 6, 2008)

LOL

You have to come here and see

We have the "Velo-Börse" in Zürich every 2 weeks during the summer on different points of the City and Surroundings.

This is an special bike specific flea markets where people go and sell their bikes, organised by the "Pro-Velo" that is an non-profit association that promotes the use of the bike. Attracts lots of buyers and sellers.

You can get old Bianchis, Colnagos, De Rosas, and many other less known steel bikes. I usually see there, Master Olympics, Dreamers etc etc. for some $350-$500,

I passed on a beautiful steel De Rosa in purple mint condition full Record that was $550, then later I regreted.


I paid $70 for my lugged Steel bike ( Vitus tubing ) full Shimano 105 ( 1050 group in superb condition) that I use as a "train station bike", so a bike you leave at the main train station where is most likely it could be stolen.... you see hundreds of those attached to the barriers over here.

I bought a Panasonic in lilac from there for $100 full Shimano 600 and sold it for $250 to a guy who liked the color... etc etc.

Some sellers offer here Columbus SLX tubing NOS lugged frames with chromed forks and seatstays for $300 and standard tubing Italian lugged frames with chrome forks for $150, not so popular as they have Italian threads so not many interested buyers.

Other guys sell NOS Mavic Monthlery Pro for $7 each and vintage GP4 for $14 each, I see them for high bucks on ebay, I bought me 2 pairs that someday I'd build as a hobby project

You get the idea
People buy them to build fixies usually.


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## gomango (Aug 30, 2006)

Hi Salsa Lover. I just spent the month of August with my wife's family in Munich, Salzburg, Graz, Innsbruck, Bolzano, Milan, and ten days in Tuscany. I had to work my tail off to find three bikes of reasonable quality ( two De Rosas and a Colnago) to bring home for friends.This notion that Italian classics are lying around for free or cheap is erroneous. My wife has a close relative in Bolzano that races for a team, and she looks for certain bikes for us. She helped us find the mentioned bikes before we even arrived. I visited many shops in the mentioned cities with very little luck. I found highly over-priced vintage Campy gear for the most part. The only super deal I found was a nice cache of vintage Campy aero water bottles. Oh, and these flea markets/town squares/second hand dealers were a real bust for me. Often I found lots of tie-dyed clothes from Romania, gelato, and illegal copies of Euro soccer jerseys. You've given me hope though, we are going to Geneva next summer for a wedding. Maybe I'll find various SLX frames on the cheap in their abundant flea markets. I can only hope. ....and I'll be sure to let the rbr crowd now they are available when we return.


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## Nielly (Sep 21, 2009)

Ah but the journey to this mystical place of lore, spoken only of in internet message boards is bound to be fraught with peril. And will you still wish to share your stories of the secrets of Shangri-la (bikeri-la) with the outside world - knowing that to do so will ensure its destruction.


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## Nessism (Feb 6, 2004)

mtnbke said:


> There is a lot of nonsense posted here...
> 
> 
> .



:cryin: :cryin: :cryin: :cryin: :cryin:


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## Fivethumbs (Jul 26, 2005)

Last year's Leader bike from ebay?


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## cmg (Oct 27, 2004)

the quest continues. I have owned Colnagos, Aluminum and steel. if i can find a 49-50cm Master light i'll do it again. a Cinelli super corsa, modern Bianchi steel, 2 Serottas, Torellis, Raleighs and 2 customs and currently building an Guerotti SLX frame. the search will never end. Just the way i like it.


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## Salsa_Lover (Jul 6, 2008)

Sure, "Classics" don't abound but you find them among the 200 other bikes for sale.

These are entries on an online auction site, like ebay but local, with prices higher than you'd find on a flea market.

I lookd for some Colnagos as this is what you seem to like best but nothing good in the moment so I checked for some I like 

Bianchi Record 848, 57cm, 1985, full Record, ~ $600, no bids

https://www.ricardo.ch/kaufen/sports/radsport/rennvelos/bianchi-rekord-848/v/an582261906/










Bianchi Campione del Mondo, 70's full Record, 55cm , ~ $950

I know the seller, he's trying to sell this since the begining of this summer, started at $1500, now his price is going down.

https://www.ricardo.ch/kaufen/sports/radsport/rennvelos/vintage-bianchi-cdm-rennvelo/v/an574155496/











This seller has many lugged New Old Stock Columbus SLX, chromed forks and stays, internal cable routing frames for ~$350, several sizes, the paint is not so pretty, but you could have it custom painted if you wish, in fact it looks like it was oversprayed with green to hide the original paint, maybe it is easily removable.

He has 54, 55, 58, 59 etc.

https://www.ricardo.ch/kaufen/sport...hmen-aus-slx-rohren-groesse-58/v/an581325140/










and this other on standard tubing Oria Spezial for $170, he has 59,60,62










This same seller sells NOS Mavic tubular rims for cheap, I bought some for my Cross bike wheels project.

for example a pair of Monthlery Pro NOS in 32 or 36 holes, $16 the pair.











This other sells a Basso Astra NOS frame in Columbus Extra EL for $500

https://www.ricardo.ch/kaufen/sport...-italien-stahlrahmen-groesse-59/v/an581331228










etc etc.


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## nagatahawk (Jun 14, 2007)

I ride a steel bike, Debarnardi 57" that came with Shimano 105, i converted to campy veloce and swapped the wheel set to vuelta super lights. It's kinda fast now. but still heavy. It rides bike stiff and feels big. I think the frame is to large for me. Ive had steelys with criterium geometry, they responded quicker but you still had to really muscle them to get them moving ( heavy) I recently got a test ride on a Ridley Noah with Campy record 11 speed. The ride was similarly stiff, maybe a little more compliant. but it accelerated so twice as fast, not to mention the ergonomics and shifting.
There is no comparisn between steel and anything else modern. 

however, I don't know why but I still really like steel italian bikes.


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## mtnbke (Jun 2, 2009)

buck-50 said:


> Not sure why yer posting in retro/classic if you dislike older bikes so much...


I love vintage and classic bikes, and for what they are.

Some, obviously are better than others.

You can take a vintage/classic Cannondale or Klein road frame equipped with a modern carbon fork, and carbon seatpost, with modern components, wheels etc. and it will hold its own to any modern race bike. That's saying something.

I love the quality of what came out of Japan in the 80s. There were some fantastic bikes and components.

I hate the vanity and snob appeal of vintage italian steel and Campy components. There really wasn't much, and still isn't going for these bikes other than that. In their era there were better frames and components. 

Mavic SSC was infinitely better than anything Campy had out (and redefined what a gruppo, or better yet groupe, as it was french, meant in the modern context). 

I get frustrated with formulaic Colnago/Campy obsession. 

Olmo made better bikes than Colnago, and has a much more storied tradition. However, unlike Colnago, Olmo didn't focus so intensely on distributing bikes to the US market. 

To me italian steel is the emperors clothes. There is a cult out there that will enable the obsession, but there just isn't anything to obsess over. 

There are so many more interesting, and better bikes than Colnagos, and better components than Campy to boot...

It still cracks me up that modern Campy kit has so much prestige. Its pure vanity. Its not even italian. Its Taiwanese made for crying out loud...

The American obsession with status and cycling are a perfect confluence for people spending their moolah on crap, and thinking they have gold.


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## caterham (Nov 7, 2005)

mtnbke said:


> I It still cracks me up that modern Campy kit has so much prestige. Its pure vanity. Its not even italian. Its Taiwanese made for crying out loud...
> 
> .


'not one to let _facts_ get in the way of a good rant, eh,sport?



campagnolo is produced in italy and over the past several years, wheel assembly and increasingly their carbon-graphite production is being shifted to romania


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## cmg (Oct 27, 2004)

nagatahawk said:


> I ride a steel bike, Debarnardi 57" that came with Shimano 105, i converted to campy veloce and swapped the wheel set to vuelta super lights. It's kinda fast now. but still heavy. It rides bike stiff and feels big. I think the frame is to large for me. Ive had steelys with criterium geometry, they responded quicker but you still had to really muscle them to get them moving ( heavy) I recently got a test ride on a Ridley Noah with Campy record 11 speed. The ride was similarly stiff, maybe a little more compliant. but it accelerated so twice as fast, not to mention the ergonomics and shifting.
> There is no comparisn between steel and anything else modern.
> 
> however, I don't know why but I still really like steel italian bikes.



Because the ride is not just about speed. I'll never be fast whether on carbon, aluminum or steel. Average speed 18-22 no matter what i ride. So for now i'll stick with my recently cobbled together classic SLX frame. Mix of parts, campy record/chorus and full carbon fork . I think it would look great with a chrome Colnago Prescia fork and if i come across one it'll go on.


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## buck-50 (Sep 20, 2005)

mtnbke said:


> I love vintage and classic bikes, and for what they are.
> 
> Some, obviously are better than others.
> 
> I get frustrated with formulaic Colnago/Campy obsession.


Well, see there's a perfectly good solution to your problem- if you don't like it, don't buy it.

But as I said before, do you really want the stuff you love to attain legendary collectible status? I mean seriously. As a former Klein owner, they're awesome bikes. ANd that awesomeness is in no way diminished by the fact that right now I can get one on the local craigslist for $125- in fact, that makes them more awesome. 

Same with shimano 600 components- they're well made, easily the equal of anything Campy made at the time, and I can get a set of brakes for $20. 

Why be upset about that? the stuff you love costs less- that's awesome. And if anyone gives you any crap about it, who cares? What the f*** do they know?


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## Nielly (Sep 21, 2009)

mtnbke said:


> I love vintage and classic bikes, and for what they are.
> 
> Some, obviously are better than others.
> 
> ...


Man, you really don't like Colnago but I have to wonder if you were actually riding a bike in the 80's. I didn't ride a Colnago (it was Merkx and Pinarello around here at that time) but I don't recall any components back then to be "infinitely better" than Campy. Try not to be such a downer and enjoy what you have and let others do the same.


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## laffeaux (Dec 12, 2001)

nagatahawk said:


> I recently got a test ride on a Ridley Noah with Campy record 11 speed. The ride was similarly stiff, maybe a little more compliant. but it accelerated so twice as fast, not to mention the ergonomics and shifting.
> There is no comparisn between steel and anything else modern.


I'm not sure I understand this. Steel bikes don't shift as well as a "modern" bike? What about a modern steel bike, do they also shift poorly? And do they lumber along the road being so heavy?


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## booglebug (Jul 16, 2009)

Just started riding again after a long layoff, road and raced all of the 80"s. I had a Nishiki until I broke the seat tube lug at the bottom bracket, moved to a Ciocc, and then to a Raleigh. Started a small business in 1990 so the riding came to an end until the start of 09.
Rode the Raleigh till August when my new Colnago Dream with carbon stays,bars and fork on the alum. frame was complete. Cannot beleive the ride this bike has!! Smooth, Light,Fast and very comfortable!!
All that said, just bought a 90"s pinarello frame( what I"ve wanted forever) and plan to go all Campy!! Very excited to build this bike!!!!!!!!!
Is this steel, Campy stuff reserved for us older guys that tried to act like Lemond?
No disrespect to anyone, but did you need to come from that era to love the steel bikes?


Booglebug


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## cmg (Oct 27, 2004)

booglebug said:


> Is this steel, Campy stuff reserved for us older guys that tried to act like Lemond?
> No disrespect to anyone, but did you need to come from that era to love the steel bikes?



Suspect this is probably the case. that and just now being able to ride the bikes we couldn't afford earlier. and may the search for Nirvana never end. always looking forward to the next build.


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## deadlegs2 (Oct 3, 2009)

Anyone up for a bunnyhop the railroad tracks contest?? I'll ride my steel Pinarello and you can ride "the madone"? First one to clear it 10 times wins..

oh and btw...There is no such thing as an 80s Master XL


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## Unica (Sep 24, 2004)

booglebug said:


> Is this steel, Campy stuff reserved for us older guys that tried to act like Lemond?
> No disrespect to anyone, but did you need to come from that era to love the steel bikes?
> 
> 
> Booglebug


I think this could be the case, and as CMG said also about being able to afford the bikes we dreamt off as kids - I know this is the case for me!

I've long thought that the 'golden age' of you chosen sport is when you first got really serious with it. For me and cycling, that was the late '80s and very early '90s, so those are the frames, componants and riders that I want and admire the most.


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## Cervelo-er (Apr 10, 2004)

Unica said:


> I think this could be the case, and as CMG said also about being able to afford the bikes we dreamt off as kids - I know this is the case for me!
> 
> I've long thought that the 'golden age' of you chosen sport is when you first got really serious with it. For me and cycling, that was the late '80s and very early '90s, so those are the frames, componants and riders that I want and admire the most.


That would explain my love for Kleins... My golden age is the early 90's, in Southwest Washington, just 40 miles from their pre-Trek factory. When you ride the trails Gary designed those bikes for, you really see why they were such special machines.


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## Fredrico (Jun 15, 2002)

Unica said:


> I think this could be the case, and as CMG said also about being able to afford the bikes we dreamt off as kids - I know this is the case for me!
> 
> I've long thought that the 'golden age' of you chosen sport is when you first got really serious with it. For me and cycling, that was the late '80s and very early '90s, so those are the frames, componants and riders that I want and admire the most.


Others can tap in on this, but I think there actually was a golden age between '82-'92 to be generous. "Lightweight bikes" had been built out of steel alloys invented for airplanes before WW2. Geometry and fit, as well as drivetrain transmission issues, had been perfected, and aluminum alloys finally became durable enough for cranks, handlebars, brakes, and derailleurs. The best racing bikes in the mid 80s were down to 21 pounds, light enough to average 22 mph on club rides, about the same as today. 32 spoked wheels were standard, slightly overbuilt and reliable. Campy components were also overbuilt, head and shoulders above all the other component manufacturers. Form followed function first, other criteria like aerodynamics secondary. Strength and durability still overruled light weight.

All that changed with the introduction of aluminum and carbon fiber. One might even say it was a renaissance: mountainbikes, front shock absorbers, click shifting, clipless pedals, one wonderous invention after another. And here we are, 11 speed cogs and electronic shifting on 14 pound carbon fiber bikes! Asking whether they ride better, or ride as well, as those '80s classics, is the same as asking someone who raced Ferraris in the .50s what he thinks about the Ferraris made today. They're simply different animals, each excellent in its own ways.

Frankly I think carbon frames, b-rifters, sealed bearing wheels and BBs, saddles, pedals, have strength, reliability, and serviceability issues that have yet to be overcome. Maybe in a few years, all this technology will add up to a level of sophistication those 80s bikes had, and we can tell our grandkids what great bikes they were!


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## deadlegs2 (Oct 3, 2009)

16.5lbs and you can actually tighten the seatpost without worrying about having a heart attack.


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## cmg (Oct 27, 2004)

deadlegs the colnago is a beauty. is it a 49cm frame? How she ride with the chrome fork?


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## deadlegs2 (Oct 3, 2009)

cmg said:


> deadlegs the colnago is a beauty. is it a 49cm frame? How she ride with the chrome fork?


I dunno..not mine..I found it in the nag pictures post..Maybe more info is there..


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