# Fell back in love



## rplace13 (Apr 27, 2011)

I have a confession to make....feel a bit embarased, but feel I must come clean.

RFly and Salsa will probably remember, maybe some of the rest of you will to. I wanted a Colnago for some time, got a C-40 in May and really liked it, except I felt it did not climb all that well. Still I rode it faithfully most of the summer. In July the UPS man brought me another Italian beauty, a Pinarello Prince, and the Colnago sat while I put the Prince through the wringer the next few months. Still I lusted after the classic look of the C-40 and it's world class paint job. My wife would say from time to time...didn't we agree you were going to sell that Colnago when you got the Pinarello? Hmmm, she does have a point there.

Fast forward to my birthday weekend two weeks ago. I was determined to ride the day before and the day of my birthday. Figured I'd close out one year and start another on good terms. I also felt like a change, so I pulled the C-40 off the wall and put some air in the tires. Sitting close to the Prince it looked a bit "small". I looked at my commuter, same story. Grabbed the measuring tape and sure enough the seat on my C-40 was exactly one inch lower then all the rest of my bikes.:blush2:

I checked and measured again...WTF? I simply must have "remembered" my seat height wrong. I did have a birthday and I am getting old. This all makes sense because I was at a shop in October test riding a few bikes and the shop owner was setting them up for me and when I told him my seat height he said that seems low for you. On the test ride it was too low and I quickly upped the post about an inch and the bike felt much better.

So off I roll with my raised up C-40 for the next two days. It felt smooth and comfortable, responsive but not twitchy. Great all around ride. The hills seemed to pass right under me too. Not sure if it was the nice, sunny, crisp fall days, the feel of a different bike, or what; but it sure did seem to be a better climber and all the stuff I did like about it was still there.

Another thing I really liked was the stiff, loud, hard, precise shifting of the Campy 10 speed levers over the 11 speed on the Prince. I have 10s on two bikes, the C-40 and my commuter, but pretty sure the levers on the commuter are 2008 while the C-40s are older. The C-40 says BB on them IIRC and the commuter say QS. Did some of the older 10s Campy levers have stiffer springs? I seem to remember you could "upgrade" levers to a red spring or something, but I never paid to much attention to why that was.

Can't believe it has been low all this time and I did not "feel" it riding or notice it in some other manner, like a sore knee or something. At any rate me and the C-40 are best friends again.


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## Ride-Fly (Mar 27, 2002)

Glad you fell in love again! 

I recall I somewhat agreed with you about the climbing ability of the C40. I too felt that it didn't climb that great- that I had to sit and spin at a higher cadence to climb a hill at the same rate on my C40 compared to my best climbing bikes. But recently, I noticed that I climb hills on my C40 with less effort but at the same speed as I do on my other bikes. I still think that for some reason, the C40 "seems" to climbs slower but I think it has more to do with how stable and smooth the C40 rides. 

The more I ride the C40, the more I love it's ride quality. 

OBTW, I agree completely on the crispness of Campy 10. 11 spd is soft and lack that clunky sharpness of 10 spd. But I think the shape of the 11 spd hoods is perfection!


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## turbodogs02 (Oct 24, 2011)

I can only dream of someday having the same such "dilemas" as you guys....multiple bikes....should I ride the Colnago or the Pinarello today, hmm....


Ah, well it sounds like it was a pretty fortunate find on the solution.


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## fabsroman (Jul 14, 2006)

I remember this completely. Kept telling you that there is no way the C40 could possibly feel that much worse than the Prince while climbing. I stand corrected, it can feel that much worse if you don't have the bike setup properly for you. LOL

Glad you finally came around and that you gave the C40 another chance.

Now, the real issue is how are you going to talk your wife into allowing you to keep both?


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## Salsa_Lover (Jul 6, 2008)

easy. Sell the Pinarello

then sell some Kestrels etc. and buy more Colnagos 

Saddle height even some mms makes a big difference IMHO, A great bike with incorrect fit would not ride or feel great.

My dilemas are bigger than yours BTW, with my inminent move on a better and nicer appartment in december, but with smaller cellars and no bike room I will have a big problem to keep all the bikes.... I will have to sell some


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## rplace13 (Apr 27, 2011)

More "research" is in order to determine if any will be sold. The longer they both stay put the better. She is getting a new bike here shortly. A wet bike of sorts so her baby does not get dirty. I think once she has a chance to appreciate multiple nice bikes there might be room for two Italians on my side. Problem is I am getting a new commuter at the same time, so she is not catching up to me at all in the bike count. We are both going back to steel for these new ones.

I still think the Pinarello is a better climber, but the difference is not nearly so drastic. Funny that I have been giving some thought to what I might do if I could only keep one. I feel the Prince is a "better" performance bike given my likes. It seems to put ever bit of my efforts directly to the pavement. On the other hand I like the C-40 better. Probably a looks thing more than anything else. While the Pinarello is not uncomfortable by any stretch, there is a smoothness to the Colnago. I think if there could only be one, single, bike in my garage it might have to be the C-40.

Salsa, I sold the Kestrel...at least the Evoke...I still have my SC200 Kestrel set up as a fixie. I feel bad you have to trim the heard. I love all of yours I have seen. You can send a few to me for safe keeping and I will send them back when you have more room. You really have a nice collection, do all you can to keep them. I call dibs on the Dream ;-)


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## fabsroman (Jul 14, 2006)

Salsa_Lover said:


> easy. Sell the Pinarello
> 
> then sell some Kestrels etc. and buy more Colnagos
> 
> ...


I would not be moving. Thankfully we moved into a bigger house with plenty of storage for the bikes and guns. Now the budget just has to support the habits.


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## Salsa_Lover (Jul 6, 2008)

fabs, I'm jealous.

You know here in old Western Yurop, we have great life standards. Very good income,short work days and long holidays, clean and sports friendly cities, plenty of cultural and gastronomic delights, beautiful lakes and mountains etc etc etc.

But if you want to live in a lively city, you have to live in small appartments paying a very high rent. 

Living on a house with a garage and plenty of space as I had when I was in America its only possible if you are rich or if you want to live on a small town ( and still rich  ).

That is fine, I got now a very nice central and modern appartment with a view, in the quiet side of the Zürich Center, 100mts from the main Lake shore. But there is not as much place as I had on the previous ( just two blocks away from the new BTW, but the building is old and was due for demoliton next spring. )

I would maybe rent a cellar room for the bikes somewhere, because here in my neibourghood even a 2x2 cellar room with no windows is expensive


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## Le Turbo (Jun 10, 2010)

We've moved from bikes to apartments? I've just been searching for one myself, and the first thing I checked out was whether I have space for my four (some to be five) bikes (packing the old place, they've been driving me mad having to move them around every time I moved a box or piece of furniture). Now I have a lovely place in the highest position in Cape Town, looking out over the entire city and bay - ecstacy and happiness! I also have the steepest road to get up - the car only takes it in first gear, so this is going to mean weaving across the road or walking.

And on climbing Colnagos: both steel; a Master Olympic and a Superissimo. First couple of times I rode, I thought the Master was the ultimate bike. But now I've put different wheels on the Superissimo (Mavic SUP instead of Gen 1 Ventos) she flies up hills and everywhere else and leaves the Master in the shade. She's also so supremely comfortable and steady on the road, it's ridiculous.


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## FrenchNago (Jan 1, 2011)

Ride-Fly said:


> Glad you fell in love again!
> 
> I recall I somewhat agreed with you about the climbing ability of the C40. I too felt that it didn't climb that great- that I had to sit and spin at a higher cadence to climb a hill at the same rate on my C40 compared to my best climbing bikes. But recently, I noticed that I climb hills on my C40 with less effort but at the same speed as I do on my other bikes. I still think that for some reason, the C40 "seems" to climbs slower but I think it has more to do with how stable and smooth the C40 rides.
> 
> ...


same here as C40 compared to C50.....it is minute but i guess it has to do with the flex in the C40 tah is a tad more than c50 or Pinarello etc...


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## FrenchNago (Jan 1, 2011)

Salsa_Lover said:


> fabs, I'm jealous.
> 
> You know here in old Western Yurop, we have great life standards. Very good income,short work days and long holidays, clean and sports friendly cities, plenty of cultural and gastronomic delights, beautiful lakes and mountains etc etc etc.
> 
> ...


ha salsa you make me tremble!!! I'm moving to London sometime down the road (luckily only 30% of my time) and biking there seems like a nightmare..........vive la France


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## Salsa_Lover (Jul 6, 2008)

I know London is one of the most nightmary place to get a flat, you get a rat cage on an attic that costs some 2000 quids  , Good luck with that. And remember to ride on the other side of the road 

La France is a beautiful place, I wouldn't leave it for London, but I guess your professional interests take you there so....

here is a drawing of how I organised my little cozy and exclusive flat in the heart of the heartless-and empty-soul-bankers-city,  it is still a great place to live and first (or second I guess ) best places to live in the world according to many sources.

Notice the bike related space and cabinets  I could comfortably fit 4 Colnagos in there.


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## FrenchNago (Jan 1, 2011)

Salsa_Lover said:


> Notice the bike related space and cabinets  I could comfortably fit 4 Colnagos in there.


 love the colnago bed


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## rplace13 (Apr 27, 2011)

What is that to the left of the TV, a turntable perhaps? I love vinyl.


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## Salsa_Lover (Jul 6, 2008)

LOL, I'd love to, but vinyl records take too much space  now all my media collection fit on my 2 TB disk  - it is the table for the modem and WiFi


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## Evil Laugh (Oct 9, 2009)

CyclIng from London in ok, lots of pretty countryside and some short steep bumps, just head south. Lots of nice pubs etc. It's not Provence or the Pyrenees but much more interesting than anything between Brittany and Bordeaux for eg. 

Good luck.


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## Ride-Fly (Mar 27, 2002)

FrenchNago said:


> ha salsa you make me tremble!!! I'm moving to London sometime down the road (luckily only 30% of my time) and biking there seems like a nightmare..........vive la France


See, that is what makes me jealous!!! I want to live in Europe!!! Almost anywhere in western Europe. I envy you Frenchy! And you too Salsa!!


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## Karbon Kev (Sep 7, 2009)

Yeah in UK today, nothing wrong with cycling in London on the RIGHT side of the road lol!


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## FrenchNago (Jan 1, 2011)

Evil Laugh said:


> CyclIng from London in ok, lots of pretty countryside and some short steep bumps, just head south. Lots of nice pubs etc. It's not Provence or the Pyrenees but much more interesting than anything between Brittany and Bordeaux for eg.
> 
> Good luck.


Yeah noticed that while driving out to the Tunnel last week.......seems like lots of nice rolling counrtyside and short bumps. Was in Liverpool too; found some great rides around there going west towards wales along the coastline!!!:thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## rplace13 (Apr 27, 2011)

Ride-Fly said:


> See, that is what makes me jealous!!! I want to live in Europe!!! Almost anywhere in western Europe. I envy you Frenchy! And you too Salsa!!


But we got room for our vinyl collections. Mine takes up more space than my bikes to.


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