# Extreme Power: Saronni Edition



## Steve D (Mar 1, 2002)

After more than 35000 miles on my Merckx, I ordered a new bike last October... A Colnago EP in Saronni Red. My LBS told me it would take 16 to 20 weeks to come from Italy, but it arrived early. It is more beautiful in person than I imagined, and I'm like a little kid at Christmas. 

I'm building it up with Record parts and Nucleon Ultra wheels. The handlebars will be Ritchey WCS classic (round), and I'm going with a black King headset. 

I'm uncertain about everything else. Any recomendations on stems, seatpost, saddles, cages, etc.? Saddle and tape will be white. I've got a Specialized Toupe saddle, but have also used and like the Fizik Arione.

The shop ordered me a KMC chain, but it's gold and I'm thinking that'll be too "bling" for me. Your thoughts?

Here are some pics...


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## cotocalicyclist (Feb 18, 2006)

Wow, that looks awesome! Thanks for the large pictures. I am not a huge fan of red, but I like this one since it is a darker red and looks somewhat metallic.

Really nice. Be sure and fill us in as you build it.

Incidentally, I also switched from a Merckx frame to a C50. They fit and ride quite differently, but both are great bikes. I think you will really like the colnagos if this is your first one. Unfortunately, my Merckx was recently stolen  .


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## i4detail (Feb 23, 2006)

*Incredible*

What a Beauty !!
Seriously putting the hurt on me, any custom painted? or anybody thinking about it maybe old AD paint scheme? 

Can't sell the beloved C50 but thinking of pulling the trigger.

The wait is to long 

All ramblings we've heard before, back and forth

Love it can't wait to see her built


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## Flat Out (Aug 9, 2007)

Stunning. Keep us posted on this thread with your progress. It's going to look great I'm sure. I haven't seen one built up yet so I'm looking forward to seeing yours.


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## Mapei (Feb 3, 2004)

Gloriously, audaciously retro. How come nobody thought of doing this before?


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## ipaul (Feb 16, 2004)

Is this color scheme only available in the EP? or can it be had in either a C50 or EC?

Looks great.


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## lakes road sheep (Mar 19, 2007)

Wow. same paint Job as my wifes old Colnago Master. I bet she would love one like that. That is very nice indeed.


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## Dinosaur (Jan 29, 2004)

Beautiful frame...I wouldn't worry about that Gold KMC chain. It will be replaced sooner or later anyway...I have Fizik bar tape on my Master X-Light. It's blue metallic, but has yet to show any wear or dirt, and I pulled it off another bike that had it on for a couple of months. I went back to Cenilli cork on my new bike. I just like the feel of cork better. As for saddles, use whatever is comfortable. Seatpost-al or carbon? same for stem. I have a stash of cages. I have al and carbon, combo of both, and some stainless steel Performance cages that work just as well as any of them...

I've seen a lot of Colnago's. but I think that is the best paint scheme I've seen yet...


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## MaestroXC (Sep 15, 2005)

ipaul said:


> Is this color scheme only available in the EP? or can it be had in either a C50 or EC?
> 
> Looks great.


Only available on the Extreme Power and the Master X-Light, I believe.


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## Steve D (Mar 1, 2002)

*Here's the latest progress on the build*

I rode down to the shop this afternoon and the guys have started to build up the bike. We're waiting on a seatpost and the handlebars right now, but it is starting to take shape.


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## gibson00 (Aug 7, 2006)

I love that paint finish!!
Is there a paint chip on the drive side seat stay? Looks like a black mark on the red paint.
A friend with a C50 has noticed his paint chips very easily, not sure why.


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## kai-ming (Oct 3, 2002)

gibson00 said:


> I love that paint finish!!
> Is there a paint chip on the drive side seat stay? Looks like a black mark on the red paint.
> A friend with a C50 has noticed his paint chips very easily, not sure why.


I love this bike.
No, I don't think that is paint chips, hehe. Take a look at the front, the same "paint chips" also appear at the fork too.:aureola:


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## team_sheepshead (Jan 17, 2003)

As a new Colnago owner (mine is two-months old), I was at first confused about this frame. What's a Saronni and why is this gorgeous, ruby frame hidden under huge, white decals? And why are their WC bands on the seat tube decal but not on the down tube decal? What happened?

Then I did a little digging into Sig. Saronni and his eponymous Colnagos. Congratulations on a fantastic bike. Modern craftsmanship with a nod toward cycling history. Bella! Here's a link to an old Colnago catalogue feat. Saronni:
http://www.joyhobby.co.kr/Item.asp?siteid=joyhobby&itemid=61258&catid=200


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## fabsroman (Jul 14, 2006)

Glad to see that you understand now. That bike was available right when I first started racing, but we couldn't afford it. Seeing everybody with their new bikes is killing me, but I think I'm going to have to stop for a little while after building up 5 over the last year.


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## chuckice (Aug 25, 2004)

Holy gawd. :droooooooooooooooooooool: Gorgeous.


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## Campagmag37 (Jan 28, 2008)

Hi There.
i am a New Member to the Forum...hello...just looking at that Colnago Saronni Carbon Frame.....Takes me back when i bought my Colnago Mexico in the Same colour as the Saronni...i should have never sold the damn thing...remember to post the pics once its fully built...enjoy your bike.


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## PigmyRacer (Oct 3, 2007)

Wow. Looks great, great color scheme. I would match the stem, handlebars and seatpost. Go all WCS. Personally, I also love Deda, particularly on an Italian bike. Its natural, like putting campy on an Italian bike.


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## campagnoloneutron (Sep 15, 2005)

Nice wheel choice... 
and an awesome frame...:thumbsup:


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## fabsroman (Jul 14, 2006)

Funny how that always turns out. So many people regret selling things later on in life. I still have my Mino Denti from 20 years ago, and after I bought my most recent Colnago my wife hinted at ebaying the Denti. That didn't go very well.


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## TiDreaming (Jul 20, 2007)

This is my favorite Colnago at the moment. The Saronni schema is retro perfection and so chic.

Bravo!!


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## Steve D (Mar 1, 2002)

*Here she is, all finished...*

well, almost. I still have to cut the steerer tube, but figured I'd ride it a bit to make sure the fit is right before cutting.


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## fabsroman (Jul 14, 2006)

Awesome looking bike. As far as the steerer tube is concerned, I don't think you could raise the bars any even if they need to be. Colnago doesn't recommend any more than 3cm of spacers be used, and I think you already have that under the stem. Though, without actually seeing the bike and breaking out the calipers, I cannot be entirely sure.


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## Steve D (Mar 1, 2002)

fabsroman said:


> Awesome looking bike. As far as the steerer tube is concerned, I don't think you could raise the bars any even if they need to be. Colnago doesn't recommend any more than 3cm of spacers be used, and I think you already have that under the stem. Though, without actually seeing the bike and breaking out the calipers, I cannot be entirely sure.


I agree. In fact, I think I've got too many spacers under the stem already with 4.5cm. I just figured I would only cut it once so I just left everything as is for now.

My Merckx has a longer headtube and to match the height of the bars, my shop used the spacers so that the fit of the new bike would be exactly the same as the old one. I'm hoping that I'll be comfortable with a shorter stack height below the stem. Ideally, I don't want to have more than 3cm anyway. If worse comes to worst, I may have to flip the stem.

Is 3cm the max that Colnago recommends? I didn't see that in any of the warranty material they gave me, but I might have missed it.


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## fabsroman (Jul 14, 2006)

I cannot remember where I read that a steerer tube can only have 3cm of spacers on it, but two bike shops I took my Cristallo to told me that 3cm was the limit. I thought they were full of BS, so I did my own research and determined that the were right.

Here is a thread from Competitive about it:

http://www.competitivecyclist.com/za/CCY?PAGE=FAQS

You need to scroll down almost to the bottom of the page to find where they mention that they can stack the steerer tube by as high as it is wide (e.g., 1 1/8" equals 1 1/8" of spacers). Later tonight, when I have some time I'll look through my Colnago literature that came with my Cristallo to see if they mention anything about it. I know I saw it in print somewhere.


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## Steve D (Mar 1, 2002)

fabsroman said:


> I cannot remember where I read that a steerer tube can only have 3cm of spacers on it, but two bike shops I took my Cristallo to told me that 3cm was the limit. I thought they were full of BS, so I did my own research and determined that the were right.
> 
> Here is a thread from Competitive about it:
> 
> ...


Thanks, Fabsroman. No need to search any more. Competitive Cyclist is a fine authority for me.


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## fabsroman (Jul 14, 2006)

If you don't do anything stressful (e.g., hard descending, hard braking, hard cornering), you might be able to get away with a higher stack height. I had a stem break one time about 22 years ago, and smashing into the back of a parked car wasn't fun. Couldn't imagine pulling a Hincapie and having the fork steerer break off with the handlebars in my hands. I guess I could still use the rear brake and try to steer the bike no hands, but something tells me that I would be on the ground as soon as the steerer snapped.

I'm actually surprised that your LBS let you out of the shop with a steerer tube that high. If you wrecked and told me about it, I'd recommend suing them. They should at least have people sign a release for any steerer tube that is left too high.


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## tmluk (Sep 19, 2005)

*Gorgeous Bike*

Wish I have a trust fund! Would be nice to have an Extreme Power to pair with my C50. Also wanted a C50 Cross ... 

There are other ways to raise the height of the handlebar without resorting to stack height. Instead of having a negative rise on the stem, use a 0-degree rise or flip the negative rise stem to turn it positive rise.

E.g. the bar height difference by flipping a 100mm Deda Newton stem (82-degress) is ~ 28mm. What is the spec for the stem, looks like a Newton stem.


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## gibson00 (Aug 7, 2006)

As well, you can experiment with different handlebars that will allow you to mount your ergos a little higher up. Your current bar has them set up a little below the top level of the bar. Something like a Deda Newton Anatomic might effectively raise them up higher.

Gorgeous bike!!!


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## Steve D (Mar 1, 2002)

tmluk said:


> Wish I have a trust fund! Would be nice to have an Extreme Power to pair with my C50. Also wanted a C50 Cross ... .


I wish I had a trust fund too. Have you seen the origianl Saronni on ebay right now? Wow, I would just love to have that one, plus this one. That'd be pretty cool...



tmluk said:


> What is the spec for the stem, looks like a Newton stem.


My Newton is an 86 degree (+/- 4 degrees). I chose this stem so that if I wanted to run it "level", it would be higher than the standard 84 degree stem. And if I need to flip it, it won't be as drastic a rise.

Last night, I lowered the stem so that I've only got 2.5cm of spacer underneath now. I'll take it for a couple of rides like this and see how I feel.


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## Steve D (Mar 1, 2002)

*Here's the finished project...*

The bike is all done. Ended up cutting the steered tube today after leaving 2.5cm of spacers under the stem. After a couple of long rides, this seems very comfortable so I'm confident that the bike it set up correctly.

I ended up swapping the carbon cages for some King ones. I like this look better.

Here are a couple of more photos from yesterday and today.


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## lakes road sheep (Mar 19, 2007)

That is absolutely gorgeous. How does it ride ?


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## fabsroman (Jul 14, 2006)

I think I have said it already, but that is an awesome looking bike. Now that you have the spacers at the proper level, I can sleep at night without worrying about your steerer tube cracking off.

I stared at the first two pictures for several minutes, and not just because the bike looks awesome. I was staring at them trying to figure out how you had the bike supported for those pics. Please share because I would like to do the same thing with my bikes for some pics. You can send me a PM if you don't want to get this thread derailed.


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## Steve D (Mar 1, 2002)

fabsroman said:


> I stared at the first two pictures for several minutes, and not just because the bike looks awesome. I was staring at them trying to figure out how you had the bike supported for those pics. Please share because I would like to do the same thing with my bikes for some pics.


It's actually pretty easy. All I did was lean the bike up against a stick that I placed in the crank arm. Works just like a kick stand.


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## gun2head (Sep 3, 2006)

Taking great liberties here and speaking on behalf of all the retro 80's racers..."I LOVE IT!!" What a flashback to those days ...


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## slowdave (Nov 29, 2005)

sexy just damn sexy, i love my look but im getting a colnago this post has sealed it. Again sexy!


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## NealH (May 2, 2004)

That is one great looking bicycle. Simply superb.


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## TiDreaming (Jul 20, 2007)

Get a Deda fang and some frame protection stickers on that headtube pls before you get frame rub on the headtube!!


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## Steve D (Mar 1, 2002)

TiDreaming said:


> Get a Deda fang and some frame protection stickers on that headtube pls before you get frame rub on the headtube!!


Really? Do you think a Deda fang is necessary if the front derailuer is adjusted correctly? I've never used one, except on my cross bike. I don't even know if a fang would fit around the seat tube on the Colnago.

I do use a clear sticker on one spot where the rear brake cable rubs against the seat tube, but the headtube seems okay.

I was actually thinking about crossing the deraileur housing at the headtube and then re-crossing the cables under the down tube. I think this looks neater and certainly prevents any type of cable rub on the headtube. Anybody have experience doing this?


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## clm2206 (Sep 12, 2006)

Steve D said:


> Really? Do you think a Deda fang is necessary if the front derailuer is adjusted correctly? I've never used one, except on my cross bike. I don't even know if a fang would fit around the seat tube on the Colnago.


Absolutely yes. The chain dropped once on my AD-23 C40 and it scratched badly the chainstay. Dropping the chain can be common when shifting to the small chainring and hitting a hole at the same time, no matter how well tuned is your FD.

By the way, the 35.0 mm dog fang fits on a C50 down tube nicely.


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## fabsroman (Jul 14, 2006)

I'm going to be putting dog fangs on as any of my new bikes as possible. I dropped the chain on the Cristallo and it chipped the clear right where the drive side chainstay meets the BB. I was pissed and almost started crying on the side of the road. I'm going to fix it though once I get some time.

As ar as crossing the cables is concerned, yes it will eliminate cable rub on the headtube, but it will probably break the actual cables a lot more frequently since they will be rubbing against one another where they cross over each other further down the downtube. I've been wondering why they don't just change up the orientation of the cables under the BB so that they can be run without touching the headtube and without crossing under the downtube. I should look into inventing something for Colnagos, because the guide under the BB simply screws in.


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## slowdave (Nov 29, 2005)

I cross my cables underneath the down tube no problems yet running it on a few of my bikes no head tube rub, and no problems with the cables breaking where they cross, IMO the cables should not be rubbing enough to break as they are a throw away item that will start to degrade in performance before there is enough wear to break them.


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## fabsroman (Jul 14, 2006)

How does a cable degrade in performance such that it needs to be changed before breaking? The only thing I can imagine is that it will stretch and need to be adjusted. Are you worried about rust or something? If they aren't sliding in the casing real well, how about taking them out and lubing them up. I rarely replace a cable unless it breaks. Maybe I am doing something wrong. Please let me know if I am.


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## thelivo (May 14, 2007)

Thats beautiful. I have an old Saronni frame that i am getting stripped and painted like that for some real retro stylee. Am toying with the idea of making it a fixie too.

Unfortunately that is the only colnago paint scheme i actually like!


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## fabsroman (Jul 14, 2006)

You must be pretty picky then if out of all the different paint schemes over the last 30 years, the Saronni scheme is the only one you like. I have a lot that I like, just not a lot of money. LOL Maybe you are blessed in that way (i.e., you don't want many of the Colnagos).


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## Bonked (Nov 11, 2002)

Unbelievable! This has got to be the best paint job Colnago has come out with in years...I'd die to have one. Gorgeous!


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## gibson00 (Aug 7, 2006)

Steve D - The bike looks -perfect-. Like everyone else, I love the paint job. Congrats.


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## MCF (Oct 12, 2006)

Lots of bikes are sold with 4cm of spacers. 4 should be fine...


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