# Again! Big Disappointment with Veltec North America



## optimieron (May 27, 2007)

Hi,

I am very frustrated today! Currently I am working in Europe and I return every 4th week to Toronto to take care of business, etc. 13 weeks ago at the end of this week I ordered a Colnago through Wheels of Bloor, my local bike shop. I wanted a Colnago Extreme-C that was in RB07 colours from this year's issue (2007). I gulped a bit when I heard the price of my dream bike but neverthless I put a sizeable chunk down expecting it to be delivered. This was in April. The shop contacted their distributor Veltec, which took over from Trialtir at the beginning of this year. Feeling fortunate that Ernesto had rectified the situation with his North American distribution network, I was confident that I would be riding in the spring. The frame is a custom order as they had no 56 cm sizes left in stock in North America. OK. So fine. My bike would take 4-6 weeks as this was what they quoted. I thought that this might be a bit low but hey, the earlier the better.

Boy how I was wrong! On every monthly trip back I expected to pickup my frame and have my bike built for me - eagerly awaiting and figuring out what I would put on this gorgeous frame. Instead I was deceived not by my bike shop but by what Veltec was relaying on to my bike shop. Wheels of Bloor had to unfortunately relay the news on to me.

The first delay was that there was some sort of change in paints and that my bike was being built with older paints so they had to reconfigure these paints. Sounded suspicious but OK. Sometimes companies produce/paint in production runs and it does happen. Promises were made that I would possibly be compensated for the extra time. I did not really care as I just wanted my frame. The bike shop had ordered all the parts that I had asked for up to that point (gruppo, wheels, etc) under the understanding that the frame would be there soon, having reduced their cash flow a bit by putting it into stock for me.

The last time I was home, approximately 3.5 weeks ago I was called the day before I was scheduled to come in to do the final choices of tape colour, tire colour, seat colour, etc only to find out that the bike would not arrive. More delays apparently. The bike was still in transit somewhere. Trialtir indicated that they would have the bike very soon with the bike being routed throught the US to Canada to the store - special delivery, extra fast and all of that. OK. Veltec's central distribution hub is in the US so it could be possible. Wheels of Bloor was great ... offered me another bike to be built so I could ride, etc. I declined as I thought that it would not be worth their while to build a bike up for just a few days that I would remain home for this visit. "Don't waste your time during this busy time of the season" I said. Nice offer though.

About a week ago I got a call saying everything is great and the frame is in San Francisco awaiting customs clearance and all is good. This is what my bike shop relayed to me from Veltec. Sounds kinda weird that the frame is going through SF but OK.

Note that every time there is a delay, Radek at the bike shop yells at Veltec over the phone for half an hour or so and they say that they will do good! 

Saturday Radek tells me he will have some news. Call him from Germany and find out that there is no news until Monday. Call him Monday (today) after a long day at work hoping to find out some good news regarding my frame as tomorrow is my Birthday and it would be great to have the frame as expected when I want to come in on Friday afternoon after arriving in at the airport.

The news: Veltec does not exactly know where my frame is. They will tell Radek tomorrow. This time I asked for exact documentation to be sent regarding if it is in Italy or where. Veltec promises direct delivery to the shop this week. They (Veltec) admit that their Canadian representative overpromised the delivery date. 3 to 4 months instead of the 4 to 6 weeks quoted. He just wanted to make a sale and get his commission. He has been subsequently fired by Veltec apparently. Veltec again promises compensation for the frame's delay to me. I just want the frame and to ride now (this summer). Tomorrow I expect to find out if Veltec can rectify their oversights. They will contact my bike shop and give the real answer. I hope for my sake that my birthday will entail correction of this matter with the hope of a brand new frame at my bike shop after exiting the plane on Friday. We will see if Veltec raises to the challenge. The GM whose name is Soeren promised my bike shop that everything will be rectified. Again, we will see if Veltec can correct their oversights.

I was really keen on Colnago but right now I am feeling that I could have flown south from Germany to Italy faster to oversee the production and could have managed the whole process myself. Ernesto if you or one of your representatives is reading this, please rethink the deal that you have with Veltec. Personally this whole experience is giving me grief, with goodwill only going so far with major purchases. I won't switch to another "dream" bike but hey these brands have to wake up with their customer service. Veltec if you are reading this forum, which you should, please be aware that you are seriously undervaluing you potential customer base. Not everyone will realize the dream of owning a Colnago but eventually in North America and perhaps the rest of the world it will cease to be a dream for anyone to want a Colnago no matter how beautiful and perfect they can be. No number of race wins or endorsements will result in future sales if the product is tainted by poor customer service.

If anyone wants to contact me from Colnago or Veltec, feel free. Send an email to [email protected] and we can converse by email or I can provide a direct number for you to reach me at. I will forward you both a link to this posting in hopes that you will read this and rise to the challenge to prove that both Veltec and Colnago are superior organizations who are committed to provided premium products through a premium customer service experience.

As an aside, Wheels of Bloor has been a superior bike shop and has gone the extra mile for me even for situations that were beyond their control. Radek, Peter and the guys always tried to lessen the blow of the impact of the mishandling of their suppliers. I thank them for their efforts.

Thank you all for reading and listening to my rant of frustration. Sorry that I did not proofread it and it is not perfectly business-like but I just had to get this off my chest.

Sincerely,

Michael M. Stahl


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## ETWN Stu (Feb 15, 2007)

Please ask for your money back and put this thing to bed. The last thing that you need is a bike frame doing your head in to the point that you are writing here to get things off your chest.

By the sounds of things, this Colnago gig is far to big for Veltec to handle and they should give it up as all I have read about them is negative. Veltec you should be ashamed of yourself for the entire time wasting operation that you have performed here and the past.. You are no better than the scams that take advantage of unsuspecting pensioners or mom and dad investors. 

Michael: with that said I hope that you can find another ride with Wheels of Bloor so you can keep on their good side.

Mod: if you find the need to block this, please give 24hrs


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## fabsroman (Jul 14, 2006)

Why should a mod block this. These are the posts that we need to hear about. It makes me glad that I order my stuff from overseas. Michael, you should have just ordered the frame from Bellatisport in Switzerland. He was very good to me. Great communication, and the frame was delivered to me in the US, from Switzerland, just outside of the 4-6 weeks promised once the Colnago factory opened back up at the beginning of September (i.e., I received the frame toward the end of October). The frame took all of 3 days in transit from Switzerland to my doorstep in Maryland and Mr. Bellati sent me an e-mail letting me know when it shipped. Honestly, if you are in Germany 3 out of 4 weeks a month, I have no idea why you are trying to have a Colnago built up in Canada instead of Germany or somewhere else in Europe.


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## ETWN Stu (Feb 15, 2007)

fabsroman said:


> Why should a mod block this. These are the posts that we need to hear about. It makes me glad that I order my stuff from overseas.
> 
> Fabs, I do not want my post to be blocked because I gave reference to the distributor as a bunch of low life petty thieves. It might not wash well at all. So I asked for a 24 hrs leave my post alone plea. I hope that all goes well with Michael and his LBS will understand if he decides to do something thing else. Even in America you guys are looking o/s for better service where here in Aus we look to the States for good deals.
> 
> Stu


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## optimieron (May 27, 2007)

ETWN Stu - Thank you for the response and reading my extended rant with regards to my frustrating experience. I felt that this new North American distributor should be aware of what is happening with particular customers like myself. I am hoping they do rectify the situation for myself and for any others that are not experiencing the level of customer service that they should come to expect. As for tonight, I feel that I have vented and hence can actually sleep. Hearing your and other people's responses allows me to feel that I am justified in my expectations as a consumer.

Again, thank you for listening to my rant. And of course, I will let you know what transpires with regards to this unfortunate situation.

Michael


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## optimieron (May 27, 2007)

fabsroman -Thank you for offering the information regarding the distributor/retailer for Colnago in Switzerland. Judging by the level of service that they have offered you with respect your Colnago purchase, it is what I would expect from a seller of premium products. My main reason for purchasing locally is indeed my LBS. They have more than gone out of their way in the last few years for me and I would like to reward them for their dedication and good service in the past and in the future for products that they sell and service. Unfortunately, they must deal with one particular vendor who have made some mistakes in my case, some of which the vendor might not even be aware of at a higher organizational level. I would like them to have knowledge of my situation, which in turn hopefully will correct matters for people in the future.

Thank you for making the point that stories of customer service both good and bad should be included in the forums. It serves all of us well, either way, to know what companies are good customer service organizations and those that could be lacking.

ETWN Stu - Again, I will let you know what the outcome is and what I decide to do. Thank you for your interest in my particular situation. It is nice to know that people are out there willing to listen and give good advice to others who are first experiencing situations which they possibly have gone through already.

Michael


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## ETWN Stu (Feb 15, 2007)

*Forward your email.*

ETWN Stu - Again, I will let you know what the outcome is and what I decide to do. Thank you for your interest in my particular situation. It is nice to know that people are out there willing to listen and give good advice to others who are first experiencing situations which they possibly have gone through already.

Michael[/QUOTE]

Read your Pm


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## optimieron (May 27, 2007)

*Brief Update!*

Hello All,

As of this evening European time, the update through my LBS is that a senior level Veltec employee currently in Italy at Colnago has promised that my frame will be shipped directly from Italy from the factory to Toronto, Canada tomorrow during the course of business. I have yet to find out why there were a series of oversights but this executive has provided his contact number allowing me to find the reasons why I was accidentally mislead which I will do tomorrow.

Fortunately it seems that in my case I was noticed and they "Veltec" took the appropriate steps in a quick fashion to correct the errors. This resolution should be credited to the fact that this forum let me voice my concerns. Thank you. However, it is still unfortunate that I had to spend hours of my time and elevated stress levels over the past weeks being distracted by this series of errors which culminated yesterday in my message. Hopefully, my poor experiences will serve Veltec as a learning experience during their first year representing the Colnago brand. I will let you know further details tomorrow including what the resolution will entail for me.

Thank you for your time and understanding. Credit should also go to Wheels of Bloor in Toronto for putting themselves forward, representing the interests of their customer, challenging and serving my best interest only.

Michael


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## Len J (Jan 28, 2004)

*Glad it is finally getting resolved.......*



optimieron said:


> Hello All,
> 
> As of this evening European time, the update through my LBS is that a senior level Veltec employee currently in Italy at Colnago has promised that my frame will be shipped directly from Italy from the factory to Toronto, Canada tomorrow during the course of business. I have yet to find out why there were a series of oversights but this executive has provided his contact number allowing me to find the reasons why I was accidentally mislead which I will do tomorrow.
> 
> ...


Reading your original post, I couldn't help wondering if you ever thought of contacting Colnago in Italy directly......I suspect you were being given the runaround.

It will be interesting to se if 1.) YOur frame actually arrives & 2.) what Veltec does to make it up to you.

Keep us posted.

Len


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## campagnoloneutron (Sep 15, 2005)

optimieron said:


> Hello All,
> 
> As of this evening European time, the update through my LBS is that a senior level Veltec employee currently in Italy at Colnago has promised that my frame will be shipped directly from Italy from the factory to Toronto, Canada tomorrow during the course of business....


Thats really very good news that you may have your extra nice Colnago soon. I hope that you enjoy many excellent rides on it. Just too bad the purchase experience of such an item leaves a bit of a bad taste in your mouth when it should have been the exact opposite.

Anyway, post a photo of it when you get hold of it so we can check it out. Hope that perhaps the following old adage holds true on this for you. That is: That quality is remembered long after the price (and purchase hassle) is forgotton. (i added a piece in there...)

Allez! ...signed another Colnago owner in the greater Toronto area (C50 and an Extreme)


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## Clausen (Nov 11, 2004)

I felt your exact pain. I ordered a Master XL from Pedal Performance in Pickering in early January and had the same 4-6 quote. It arrived 2 weeks ago. Even tho the bike rides more beautifully than I could have ever imagined the whole process still streses me out thinking about it. I hope all will be rectified and I'm sure you will enjoy your new ride. 

Once built up we should hook up for ride and b1tch.


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## optimieron (May 27, 2007)

*Contacting Colnago Directly*



Len J said:


> Reading your original post, I couldn't help wondering if you ever thought of contacting Colnago in Italy directly......I suspect you were being given the runaround.
> 
> It will be interesting to se if 1.) YOur frame actually arrives & 2.) what Veltec does to make it up to you.
> 
> ...


Len J,

With regards to contacting Colnago directly, I suspect that they would have been next on the list for my LBS. Understandably, I still believe that it needed to be slowly escalated upwards within Veltec first which is was happened. Eventually it did reach the appropriate person within Veltec - the head Colnago brand representative within Veltec. As you might have noticed in my email, Colnago was copied on my correspondence. Although I have not personally received confirmation as of today, I believe that Colnago became aware of the situation themselves. Right now the Veltec Colnago representative is personally taking responsibility for having this frame shipped to my LBS, physically picking out my frame and ensuring that it advances through their production process which is at over-capacity at the moment, or so I am told. The frame is now expected to arrive directly from Italy next week, not Friday which is fine with me. I am expecting that it will be available for me to build & ride for my Toronto week. Veltec apologized citing the large volume of production backlog that is occuring at Colnago due to large quantity orders hitting the factory. They really did not make much mention of why their former sales rep continually mislead my LBS, lengthening the total time at each 4 week interval. I wish he would have come clean by apologizing for this. 

My discomfort level has dropped but still remains as I am in a "I will believe it when I see it" type of moods. Until I touch the frame and inspect it at my LBS, I will remain at least slightly stressed. Veltec has shaken my confidence by not coming through. Hopefully with management involved, they will indeed correct this situation.

As for what Veltec will do to make it up to me, I am still unsure. I am leaving that to my local bike shop to work out with Veltec. The Veltec contact on the phone who was in Italy made no mention of it to me. Asking for Ernesto to sign my frame as a small favour resulted in an unenthusiastic "I will try my best". I guess that is the difference between European and American customer service - something that could be learned. 

As you can see, I cannot outright say or expect to yet say that Veltec has or had gone out of their way to correct my situation and make me happy. Instead I can say that Veltec has taken ownership by correcting a delay and hopefully correcting their own teething issues being the new Colnago distributor. I am sure that it isn't easy taking over from Trialtir but hopefully somehow Veltec can outweigh this situation in the other direction by providing exemplary service for the premium product (Colnago) which they represent in North America.

I will continue to update you.

Sincerely,

Michael


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## optimieron (May 27, 2007)

campagnoloneutron,

Thank you for the wishes. I look forward to ride my bike next week, not this Canada Day long weekend however. In the interim, Wheels of Bloor, my LBS has arranged for me to have a beautiful Cervelo from their store as a loaner for the days until I receive my Colnago Extreme-C. I think this will be a fun test drive of another respected brand. It sometimes makes me wonder how another company like Cervelo would have handled this situation. Nevertheless, Veltec has stepped up a bit (read my update above in my response to Len J) and reduced the bad taste in my mouth as you say a bit. I hope your addage plays true for me and I return to my enthusiasm for Colnagos.

Funny thing - in the last month I started a Flickr photo group called "Molto Colnago" as I was very excited and noticed others shared my enthusiasm for Colnagos old and new along with a passion for photographing beautiful things. Now, I am not totally excited about it at the moment but I am sure it will pass.

Nice to find other Colnago people in and about Toronto. Perhaps there could be a Colnago riding group in the vein of Molto Colnago?

Thank you for your response.

Michael


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## optimieron (May 27, 2007)

Clausen,

I find it is interesting that you experienced the same initial quote for receipt of your bike and it even extended past my total wait time. Companies should not be afraid of lost sales if they quote a higher expected arrival time if they have products of exceptional quality or beauty. Colnago has these types of products. Unfortunately their partners seem more fixated on the sale then representing the product correctly. When you inquire into purchasing a car, the dealership knows that a model with a specific configuration will arrive during a short specific week range (in a particular week) with rare exceptions (significant production downtimes, labour strikes, etc). People will decide if they are willing to wait or not. Why can't this be the situation in the high end bike industry? I don't believe that all purchasers are that fickle. They have strong brand loyalty. Unfotunately distributors prey upon that fact - that we will wait and undergo unusual circumstances like mine with much misrepresentation. In my case, this product has been a dream since I began riding so I was not willing to walk across the proverbial street to another manufacturer. But I think eventually and now in some cases, people in fact do walk after being frustrated and in the long term switching to brands that have not been damaged by poor customer service whether it be from the manufacturer or the distributor or the retailer of these products.

Given that my background is in Supply Chain processes and modeling, I only see this as a opportunity. Clean up your Supply Chain or perish. In this case, I think that there is still opportunity for Veltec to improve their processes as they have started to show in the few months since they have taken over.

Email me to go for a ride and we can ride and creatively discuss biking manufacturers, distributors and their processes. My email is [email protected].

Kr,

Michael


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## Len J (Jan 28, 2004)

*You are more patient than I.......*

although I realize this has been a "sliding" wait..........13 (now 14) weeks to wait for a stock bike is rediculous. There are too many other really good stock bikes on the market.

I hope your shop appreciates you, you very easily could have walked, and no one, shop included, would have been surprised. 

Post picures when it arrives.

Len


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## optimieron (May 27, 2007)

Len J,

I will definitely post pictures of the bike when completed. I am not sure if I have become patient or I have just given in to the perceived futility of dealing the acquistion of something I want via an itermediary that has shown me up until this point that they are fairly incompetent at their lower levels. Yet at other times like on Monday I feel that I have to take abnormally forward actions like starting this thread to make everyone aware of what Veltec has done.

Michael


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## dnalsaam (Dec 6, 2004)

There is only one culprit here and that is Colnago Srl. They have complete control of the whole situation. Your frame was probably ready on time and as promised both by your shop and Veltec, only that somebody went to Cambiago on a Saturday morning with cash in his pocket. They love seeing cash in Cambiago...


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## optimieron (May 27, 2007)

*Colnago Direct?*



dnalsaam said:


> There is only one culprit here and that is Colnago Srl. They have complete control of the whole situation. Your frame was probably ready on time and as promised both by your shop and Veltec, only that somebody went to Cambiago on a Saturday morning with cash in his pocket. They love seeing cash in Cambiago...


dnalsaam,

I was unaware that you could purchase a frame directly from the factory! If so, I could have gone to Cambiago on an inexpensive European flight from where I am in Germany to Milan and gone for a short drive out to the factory a while ago. Could you kindly confirm that this is indeed true? Any other person know if this is true? Also, I find this hard to believe that Colnago would rearrange orders in or just finishing production for a factory which is already at capacity. This would be very unprofessional. Also, the fact that they would just give you a frame in your size in an available colour would be common knowledge for those Colnago afficianados. I would be bringing home a new frame once a year, every time I am in the vicinity of Milan  However, buying the frame would present problems with warranty claims on the frame  

This is an interesting point as I am scheduled to be in the factory's area the first week of September for two weeks. Nevertheless, I should have my bike by then but it would be nice for future reference as I would just like to drop-in to see the factory where my bike was produced. My understanding still is that the factory is generally closed.

*** Update: Oh, by the way the Veltec management representative in Italy did not contact my bike seller directly yesterday from Italy as promised. I guess he figured that he talked to me and I would relay the information to my bike shop. Not professional at all. I am flying back tomorrow to Canada and am hoping that some communication occurs with some fixed dates on delivery from Veltec/Colnago in that time. I told my LBS if I don't receive the bike frame by next Thursday (one week from today) and do not receive something substantial from Veltec in terms of a discount for my troubles, I am cancelling my order. I have lost a good portion of my spring/summer riding due to delays. Wheels on Bloor are great but the bad taste in my mouth is getting worse day by day. 

M.


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## T-shirt (Aug 15, 2004)

Michael,

I hope that you get your Colnago frame soon. I'm sure that it will be beautiful (I have an RB colored MXL).

*Happy belated Birthday!*

Can I just say that while I don't know what it means, "Wheels of Bloor" is the best name for a bicycle shop that I've ever heard. Bloor sounds like the name of some norse god and the wheels are his magic weapon or something.

They'd better send your frame soon or we'll send :mad5: Bloor :mad5: after them.

Thanks,
Tshirt

http://www.wheelsofbloor.com/index.php


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## atlrider (Nov 17, 2004)

This was my experience buying a Colnago a few years ago. If your bike has to be built by the factory - custom order for any reason - get ready for a long wait, lots of excuses. I have to laugh. These stories that the new distributor is telling you are exactly the same stories Trialtir told me/my LBS. It's a game they play to buy time. I'm not sure if the distributor is part of it, or a victim of it. But if you want a Colnago, plan ahead. In my situation, I sold my old road bike in time for the "expected delivery" of the Colnago. For the next four months I rode my TT bike around town. Lesson learned on Colnago.

It did turn out to be a great bike, once it finally arrived.


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## optimieron (May 27, 2007)

*It Arrived!*

Hello All,

I just wanted to thank you for your support during this horrific experience. It did show up and I was built today by my LBS, Wheels of Bloor. There have been some mistakes which will be changed at the end of the week like black Fulcrum wheels instead of the silver ones that are on there and also the Campagnolo Carbon Water Bottle cages instead of the Arundel cages. I will detail the rest of the story from the past 2 weeks in my next post. But for now, here is my build for now. More pictures will also be posted.

Thanks again.

Michael


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## Clausen (Nov 11, 2004)

Great looking bike! I hope the rest of the issues are resolved quickly. How do you enjoy the so far?


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## optimieron (May 27, 2007)

*Ride, etc.*

Clausen, 

I have just managed one ride thus far yesterday. I enjoy it very much ... it is a softer ride compared to the Cervelo that I had (picture attached) as a loaner, although the SLC-SL was a fun ride. The reach is shorter on the Colnago, fitting me better. It's hard to describe but it is a "smaller" bike in a sense but is very responsive and less "twitchy" compared to the SLC-SL. The Cervelo is also stiffer in the bottom end but hey, I am not a huge guy nor a sprinter so it doesn't make much of a difference for me right now. It's hard to explain how much smoother the Colnago feels overal - bit better in refinement. I am going to keep on riding it this week and see how I like it.

I have attached another pic of the current build of the Colnago. It looks like they took a 2008 model and painted it in the 2007 RB07 colour. I have the new fork (75) and I suspect the new frame if there are any changes between the 2007 and 2008 models which I don't believe there is anything significant between the years.


Michael


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## Len J (Jan 28, 2004)

*Congrats........*

nice bike. 

That Cervelo looks fast just sitting there....LOL

So what did Veltec do to "Make it up to you"?

Len


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## optimieron (May 27, 2007)

*Veltec's Incompetencies*

Len J,

Veltec did nothing!! They just kept on making mistakes and denying. I wrote a response letter to them in Italian as the Colnagos were copied on an email to my LBS. I wrote three lines. The first was thank for you finally paying attention to me. The second was cheeky and I wrote that I expected the bike for the Giro not the Tour de France. The third was that I expected Veltec to compensate me for the additional 8-10 weeks it took to send the bike to me based on their quote from their Canadian employee. Their (Soren's) response to cover his ass was he did not understand my "ulterior" motives for trying to get additional goods from them, that I would get my bike when "Rasmussen wins the KOM" and he did not know who quoted the dates (even though he supposedly fired this guy). The LBS gave me pedals, expensive carbon water bottle cages and a trip computer at their cost. I don't understand how people can do business do business like this. This is just one part of a long list of screwups including sending the bike to the states from Italy instead of directly to me. I now have the frame which is gorgeous but the pain of Veltec hasn't been forgotten and will be responded to this week.

Michael


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## Len J (Jan 28, 2004)

*Sorry you had to go thru that......*



optimieron said:


> Len J,
> 
> Veltec did nothing!! They just kept on making mistakes and denying. I wrote a response letter to them in Italian as the Colnagos were copied on an email to my LBS. I wrote three lines. The first was thank for you finally paying attention to me. The second was cheeky and I wrote that I expected the bike for the Giro not the Tour de France. The third was that I expected Veltec to compensate me for the additional 8-10 weeks it took to send the bike to me based on their quote from their Canadian employee. Their (Soren's) response to cover his ass was he did not understand my "ulterior" motives for trying to get additional goods from them, that I would get my bike when "Rasmussen wins the KOM" and he did not know who quoted the dates (even though he supposedly fired this guy). The LBS gave me pedals, expensive carbon water bottle cages and a trip computer at their cost. I don't understand how people can do business do business like this. This is just one part of a long list of screwups including sending the bike to the states from Italy instead of directly to me. I now have the frame which is gorgeous but the pain of Veltec hasn't been forgotten and will be responded to this week.
> 
> Michael


at least you finally got the bike and it is gorgeous. But damn, if that's veltec's way of dealing with a screwup, shame on them.

Good on yer LBS...sounds like they earned much more business.

Lesson for me, is if I can't find the Colnago I want in stock, keep looking.

Len


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## optimieron (May 27, 2007)

*In Stock or Custom*

Len J

Thanks for the comments. I am starting to enjoy the bike. My LBS, has been great and have tried to get me whatever I need for my bike. I expect that the final build will be done on Friday.

As for Colnagos, I guess if you want something that is non custom or as you say a standard in stock colour, then you are in luck. Unfortunately I wanted something fairly unique, or at least I hope is fairly unique.

I will post more pictures at the end of the week

Michael


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## campagnoloneutron (Sep 15, 2005)

optimieron said:


> Thanks for the comments. I am starting to enjoy the bike. My LBS, has been great and have tried to get me whatever I need for my bike. I expect that the final build will be done on Friday.
> 
> As for Colnagos, I guess if you want something that is non custom or as you say a standard in stock colour, then you are in luck. Unfortunately I wanted something fairly unique, or at least I hope is fairly unique.
> 
> I will post more pictures at the end of the week


Your new bike looks great! I noticed that you did get the new 2008 "75" Colnago fork on your bike, thats a little bonus perhaps (likely by chance more than design). Post a few more detail photos of the rest of the frame/bike if you have a chance. :thumbsup: 

A few words from me on how I manage my Colnago acquisitions. 
I follow this process;
I figure out exactly what Colnago frame I want; the model, size and color scheme code.
Check and see who has it in stock. NO special orders... its either in stock delivering right away or forget it. I'll let the LBS order if its reasonable time, a week or so is plenty. Longer than that then forget it, its most likely that their source does not have it. Then I go mobile with the internet to canvas the market for the item. If its not there right away, I'm quite patient in my searches and I just keep looking until I find exactly what I want at the right price. What I'm looking for will eventually show up. Sometimes sooner, somethimes later. If this takes a long time (months) I just relax and enjoy my existing Colnago bike while I am "hunting". 

Once in a while I cannot find the item and I just move on to another newer/different Colnago model or color that I would like to pursue. (new 2008 paint schemes look quite interesting...)

I find for me, that this avoids most potential delivery problems and associated hassles, and when I finally do purchase the item, it gets delivered in a timely manner and I feel good about the process.


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## optimieron (May 27, 2007)

Yes. The new fork is on my bike. I am impressed with it. On the weekend the ride was really smooth. Not sure how much the fork had to do with it. 

Good approach on the acquisition of Colnagos. I will keep in mind for the next one that I purchase, although my wife will not let me get another right away.

Attached are a couple more pics. The black wheels and cages are not in yet  so there are no new overall pictures.

Michael


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## optimieron (May 27, 2007)

*Photos*

Here are a couple more pictures.


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## shabbasuraj (May 14, 2005)

Ernesto has been known to sell a frame at the factory to a customer with a fistfull of cash...

..you just have to know who and how to ask...


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## optimieron (May 27, 2007)

*Buying at the Factory*

I now know that it is indeed possible to buy a frame at the factory. My issue would be if they had my model, my size and my paint scheme there at the time that arrive. I would want some "perfect" instead of saving a few bucks and regretting it. For my frame, they had to wait for it to be painted in a batch with other's with the same particular paint scheme.

Kr,

Michael


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## Ciaran (Nov 11, 2001)

optimieron said:


> I now know that it is indeed possible to buy a frame at the factory. My issue would be if they had my model, my size and my paint scheme there at the time that arrive. I would want some "perfect" instead of saving a few bucks and regretting it. For my frame, they had to wait for it to be painted in a batch with other's with the same particular paint scheme.
> 
> Kr,
> 
> Michael


 Optimieron,
I have read your post about getting messed around by Veltec with great interest. I own two Colnago's, a C50 and a Dream HP. Both were purchased from Mike Perry at Maestro in the UK. A top bloke who will never mislead you on waiting times, colour schemes etc. I'm just glad for you that you were able to get your frame eventually, as i would have never listened to the yarns that you were being spun by Veltec, especially for the money that you were spending. Hope it gives you many miles of pleasure..


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## optimieron (May 27, 2007)

Ciaran,

Yes. Well unfortunately everyone tried their best (including even Veltec who shipped bikes directly at high costs to themselves) but it just became a mess. Lots of people seem to have great experiences with Mike at Maestro. I am just wondering about dealing with any warranty issues that may arise with a shop in the UK and would prefer to deal with a local shop instead. 

Michael


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## fick (Jul 30, 2007)

Hi Micheal,
Congradulations on finally getting your rig. Very beautiful!! Just a question, what size diameter seatpost ?
Thanks
CP


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## optimieron (May 27, 2007)

It is a 28 mm seatpost, hence the colnago issue.


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## fick (Jul 30, 2007)

Well, I thought so but wanted to be sure. I'm waiting for an Extreme C from Mike at Maestro. He has been nice to work with. Please let us know how it rides and keep those nice pictures coming.
CP


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## optimieron (May 27, 2007)

Sure. Will let you know how it rides. Thus far it has been really smooth. My body is not that abused like with the Cervelo that I was riding just before I got the Colnago. What colour scheme did you get?


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## fick (Jul 30, 2007)

PROO like the C50


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## optimieron (May 27, 2007)

Sounds nice. Any other info on your build?


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## fick (Jul 30, 2007)

Well, nothing too spectacular. Pretty much like what's on my C50. Campy Record, Zero G brakes, not sure what crank, probably Power Arms from Storck, Neutron tubulars, Colnago seatpost, Ritchey Axis 4 stem, Zipp flat top bars Selle Italia SLR carbon saddle. I've got a pair of Hyperon tubulars for special occassions.


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## optimieron (May 27, 2007)

Sounds nice and light. What colour wheels, tape and seat since your frame is primarily black?


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## fick (Jul 30, 2007)

Check the photo of my C50 that I posted yesterday on the picture post thread. It will look just like that.


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## Ciaran (Nov 11, 2001)

optimieron said:


> Ciaran,
> 
> Yes. Well unfortunately everyone tried their best (including even Veltec who shipped bikes directly at high costs to themselves) but it just became a mess. Lots of people seem to have great experiences with Mike at Maestro. I am just wondering about dealing with any warranty issues that may arise with a shop in the UK and would prefer to deal with a local shop instead.
> 
> Michael


 Michael,
Your local bike shop is to be commended for all of their efforts. When i bought my C50 from Mike Perry at Maestro, he told me that Colnago give a two year warranty and that he would give me an additional 4 years on top of that making it 6 in all. I'm not sure if i told you before but i'm from Ireland so i would share the same concerns as yourself. I bought the frame from Mike but bought the dura ace 10 speed groupset from my LBS. So i tried to keep everyone happy. They were only too delighted to build it up for me as frames like these don't come into the shop every day. By the way i like your forum about Colnago's on flickr. I own 3 Colnago's.


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## optimieron (May 27, 2007)

Very "stealth" as my LBS would say. Thank you for directing me to your pictures. Hope your new bike is just as nice or nicer.

Michael


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## Troy16 (Jan 2, 2003)

If you think that wait was bad pray you never have a frame warranty issue. LOL

Nice looking ride.


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## optimieron (May 27, 2007)

*Update to be coming very soon!*

Hi all ...

The story just gets better ... check this space over the next few days and I will update you on the bike which I now have and love. It is very interesting.

Michael


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## fabsroman (Jul 14, 2006)

Come on, you can't leave us in suspense like that. Let us know what the new scoop is when you get a chance.


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## optimieron (May 27, 2007)

Hi All,

I just wanted to let you know it is the end of the year and I wanted to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Thank you to all for your help with my Colnago earlier this year!! I did not get any favourable reaction from Veltec by the way. Nothing except a cheap pin was my reward. Anyways, the bike is great and I enjoyed it this fall riding the cobblestones in Flanders (Belgium) which was a definite highlight!!

All the best, 

Michael


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## Dinosaur (Jan 29, 2004)

I wanted to order a Master Carbon from my LBS and they told me that Colnago's are almost impossible to come by now....so I purchased another brand.


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## optimieron (May 27, 2007)

I dropped by my LBS in Toronto this past week and they told me that another person put in an order through Veltec for a Colnago Extreme-Power with a custom paint job and they again quoted 6-8 weeks and now are up to 14 weeks. My Colnago is excellent but again the NA distributor is probably the worst one out there. I am going to email the Colnagos again to thank them but to let them know that the person who is the head of distribution for their brand that they are working with is entirely incompetent. 

Michael


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## tmault (Feb 5, 2006)

Not to further disparage Veltec but here it goes. I ordered an Extreme Power from my local dealer in October. Veltec calls said dealer two months later to let them know the frame has arrived and will be shipped. The frame never shows up and my dealer calls Veltec to inquire as to its location. Veltec them informs them they have decided to pull the dealership and the frame will not be shipped. I can appreciate that Veltec had a justifiable reason to end their relationship with my LBS but that they decided not to fulfill existing orders is completely unreasonable. I contacted Soren at Veltec and he had the nerve to tell me that they pulled the dealership prior to when I placed the order. If that was in fact true then why did they contact my dealer to say the frame had arrived and was being shipped? Looks like I will be contacting Maestro or Bellati Sport to get the frame.


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## fabsroman (Jul 14, 2006)

I seriously doubt I will ever be buying a Colnago from an American dealer. There is just way too much BS going on here, and the price difference is just too large, to justify buying it from an American dealer via Veltec. You have to wonder how Colnago decided to use Veltec instead of Trialtir. At least Trialtir had a website that provided some decent information. Even Colnago's 2008 website has some issues with the frame geometry charts that I noticed lately.


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## optimieron (May 27, 2007)

Next time I will be buying a Colnago frame from another dealer as well. Soren used to work for Trialtir before Veltec I believe. I think that the issue is with the people at the top. I would love to forward some of the "mails that he wrote back to me that he spent over $1200 dollars on my frame expediting it to my dealer after the frame took 17 weeks not the 6-8 weeks originally quoted and trying to make me feel better that he did not pass this cost on to my dealer or me for the horrendous mistake. He tried to make me feel guilty for asking for normal customer service indicating that he has "more important things".

Afterwards he "promised" me goods which never arrived at all with the exception of a pin. I continually gave him my address and pursued him but he never came through. He even suggested that if I withdraw this "thread" about his incompetencies that he would send me the goods. I went along with it to see what would happen. Over months, like his bikes that he sells, he never came through. He even suggested that I am not even on his top ten things to do given he had bike shows to organize. Who the hell says that to any customer? I guess this is the "Soren Krebs" School of Customer Service. 

But as Soren is in tight with the Colnagos there will be no change unless the whole house is cleaned so to speak. I am tempted to again email the Colnagos but if they would respond to their unhappy North American customers of Veltec their distributor who knows.

Michael


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## fabsroman (Jul 14, 2006)

It is probably a catch 22 as far as Colnago is concerned. Their "American" sales are probably pretty low because Americans like us are buying our frames from Maestro, Bellatisport, TotalCycling, etc., so they really do not care about their American distributor too much because it does not comprise a large portion of their sales. Then again, I could be wrong. Now, if the internet wasn't around and us Americans just stopped buying Colnagos altogether, then I bet that Colnago would be interested. Best thing to do is not buy any Colnago from a LBS that uses Veltec, but from an overseas vendor. Explain the situation to your LBS and offer to compensate them for their lost profit if they build the bike up for you. In my case, I just build the bikes myself.

Another thing to keep in mind is that there are other frame manufacturers out there other than Colnago.

By the way, I would never tell one of my clients that I had more important things to do than bother with their matter. I try to make everything as important to my client as if it were me in their position. I heard a pretty good saying in undergrad English class. If you do a good job, a person might tell one or two people, but if you do a bad job, a person will tell at least 10 people about it. Kind of holds true for this thread. Hopefully, they are learning a lesson about this.

I also find their website dreadfully pathetic compared to Trialtir's. When I first got my Colnago Oval Krono off of ebay, it was missing the threaded cable guide adjusters that go on the downtube and Trialtir was the only one to repsond to my e-mail for help at the time the two companies were switching over the Colnago duties.


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## optimieron (May 27, 2007)

Update: A representative from Veltec, James W, contacted me in February indicated that he would like to correct my issue with the poor service after finding my posting here on this forum. To my surprise he suggested that he would be willing to send a care package, tires (in a colour to match my bike) and something special all the way from Italy. After following up via email and by phone to see where my package was over the past 4 months as nothing ever was delivered I have given up with Veltec. I sent one last email to James stating that he is no better than Soren and that my LBS is still having difficulties getting custom Colnagos (now 9 months) from Colnago via Veltec, I suggest that you purchase your frames in Europe or somewhere else. Or choose another make, despite the beauty of a Colnago.

Best regards,

Michael M. Stahl


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## fabsroman (Jul 14, 2006)

That is utterly pathetic. Honestly, I'm looking at a C50, and even if I wanted to pay the insane US prices, I cannot find a single dealer that has it in ST01. Most of them only have it in ST02 and I just don't like the white. Come time to buy it, my only dillema will be Maestro or Bellatisport.


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## optimieron (May 27, 2007)

fabrosman, I think that you just have to put your custom order in at the end of the season (September/October) and wait over the winter until it arrives in the spring. I am sure that they can build you your C50 in your size & colour (ST01). Try to avoid Veltec if you can, although as I had mentioned if you order in the fall you will get it in time for the next outdoor season. By the way, ST01 is an excellent choice.

Michael


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## carbon13 (Dec 23, 2007)

your post was too long to read


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## optimieron (May 27, 2007)

Latest Post or earlier posts? My last post was short but my original was more lengthy.

Michael


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## carbon13 (Dec 23, 2007)

original post.


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## optimieron (May 27, 2007)

Well you will have to read it if you are interested .. I am not interested in posting a summary. Some members who participate in this particular Manufacturer forum remember the issues and some have also felt the pain themselves.

Kr,

Michael


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## Ciaran (Nov 11, 2001)

optimieron said:


> Well you will have to read it if you are interested .. I am not interested in posting a summary. Some members who participate in this particular Manufacturer forum remember the issues and some have also felt the pain themselves.
> 
> Kr,
> 
> Michael


Michael i've read your orginal post and even replied to it a couple of times.In my eyes no amount of "freebies" from Veltec could make up for the grief they have put you through.Thank god i don't have to deal with them where i'm from.I'd have cancelled my order long before it got this far.Fair play to you for sticking it out.As i've said before i bought my 2 Colnago's from Mike Perry.A dream hp and a C50.I am at present recovering from Testicular Cancer and all throughout my Chemotherapy, Mike kept intouch with me, especially when i was at my worst.For this i am going to buy an Extreme C or Extreme Power off him when i get back to work.It's the very least i can do.He has a brilliant new website,http://www.maestro-uk.com/ and the level of customer service he offers will be hard pressed to beat.


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## fick (Jul 30, 2007)

Fabsroman,
Go with Maestro. Mike is a real good person to deal with and I think his prices are reasonable.


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## fabsroman (Jul 14, 2006)

I don't doubt that Mike is a good person. When I was looking for my Cristallo, he was very prompt in responding to my e-mails, and very nice in doing so. Utlimately, I went with Bellatisport on that purchase, and Mr. Bellati was also very prompt and very nice in responding to my e-mails. After I bought the Cristallo from him, he tried to find a cheaper aluminum frame for me to use for racing, but couldn't find something in my budget.

I checked Mike's website, and the price for a C50 seems to be close to $5,000, while they are $3,550 at Bellatisport. If I were to buy the frame today, I would have to go with Bellatisport just based upon price because we are not talking about $100 in difference. I'll have to see what the prices are when I finally decide to buy the frame (i.e., when my wife says it is close enough to Christmas).


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## Dinosaur (Jan 29, 2004)

Trialtir was no better... I went through a similar ordeal when I ordered my Master X-Light in 2002. Somehow I think it's partially Colnago's fault as they limit the productions of their frames. 

I went into my LBS last year to order a Master Carbon (wanted something different but with a steel frame). I was told that Colnago's were extremely hard to get and that Veltec was having problems. If I had come in a couple of weeks sooner I could have picked up a Master Carbon frame/fork for $1500. None left in my size. I ended up buying another bike, not a Colnago and not steel. I love the new bike but I still love steel.

I would wait it out. It will be well worth waiting for. Nothing rides like a Colnago.


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## optimieron (May 27, 2007)

ciaran,

Best of luck in your recovery. I am sure you will be riding whatever Colnago you desire. I definitely think that people taking the higher moral ground will definitely prevail. Thanks for your input to this discussion.

Br,

Michael


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## optimieron (May 27, 2007)

fabrosman, niice to hear that you are getting excellent customer service from both organizations. Unfortunately for sourcing purposes, my LBS has to go with the North American distributor which is Veltec. I could however arrange for a custom frame to be ordered through a European distributor and bring it back to North America to be built.


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## optimieron (May 27, 2007)

Apparently some of the Colnago Trialtir guys just moved over to Veltec when the distributorship changed. True, nothing does ride like a Colnago.

Michael


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## Richieg (Sep 16, 2006)

fabsroman said:


> I don't doubt that Mike is a good person. When I was looking for my Cristallo, he was very prompt in responding to my e-mails, and very nice in doing so. Utlimately, I went with Bellatisport on that purchase, and Mr. Bellati was also very prompt and very nice in responding to my e-mails. After I bought the Cristallo from him, he tried to find a cheaper aluminum frame for me to use for racing, but couldn't find something in my budget.
> 
> I checked Mike's website, and the price for a C50 seems to be close to $5,000, while they are $3,550 at Bellatisport. If I were to buy the frame today, I would have to go with Bellatisport just based upon price because we are not talking about $100 in difference. I'll have to see what the prices are when I finally decide to buy the frame (i.e., when my wife says it is close enough to Christmas).


 The price for a C50 at Bellatisport is currently $5120.


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## tmault (Feb 5, 2006)

I just checked the Bellati Sport website and I see a price of $3584.60 for a C50 at current exchange rates. I plan to order an Extreme Power from them shortly.


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## Richieg (Sep 16, 2006)

Not sure what the deal is. If you click on "US currency" it list a price of $5120 for a C50. Can you provide a link for what your looking at?


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## tmault (Feb 5, 2006)

$5120 is the full price at Bellati. If I add a C50 to the shopping cart a discount of $1536 is applied for a net of $3584.


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## Richieg (Sep 16, 2006)

Ok, thanks for the help.


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## fabsroman (Jul 14, 2006)

Yes, the list price is $5,120, but the YOUR PRICE is $3,584. You need to look at the YOUR PRICE on Bellatisport's website to get the price that the frame will cost you. Shipping to me was $100 for the Cristallo.


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## Richieg (Sep 16, 2006)

I finally figured it out. Thanks. If your buying a Colnago, you might as well get it at the best price you can find, even if it doesn't have a "USA warranty" If the frame breaks, your "S.O.L." when dealing with Veltec sports. I talked with the guys at Glory cycles a few months ago and was told they have customers still waiting with warranty issues dating back to 07' Colnago's are nice frames, but it's a shot in the dark if you have a problem...


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## fabsroman (Jul 14, 2006)

Yeah, when I took my Cristallo to the LBS to buy a headset from them and have them install it, I got the 30 minute speech about how I only got a 1 year warranty with my frame because I bought it overseas, and that I would have received a 3 year warranty if I bought it from them. Guess how much that additional 2 years worth of warranty cost, $1,100. I got the Cristallo for $2,500 total, and the frame at the LBS was $3,600. Oh yeah, forgot sales tax, so it would have been $3,780. I told them that if the frame happened to crack in half the day after I had it for a year, I would just take the $1,100 I saved on it and put it toward the newest and greatest Colnago frame. I had a couple more issues with them after that, and now refuse to even set foot in their shop.


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## Richieg (Sep 16, 2006)

If you have an American Express, use it to buy your new Colnago. They will give you one extra year on the warranty. How do you like the Cristallo (sp?) Is it pretty much a CLX, but made in Italy?


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## fabsroman (Jul 14, 2006)

The Cristallo is nice, but it rides almost exactly like my Artes. I can hardly notice any difference between them. It is a pretty stiff frame. I'm going to get a C50 over the winter, so I'll really have a comparison point between all the bikes. If the C50 rides just like the Cristallo and Artes, I'm going to stop buying bikes for a decade. Then again, if it rides smoother than the others, I'm going to stop buying bikes for a decade. LOL


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## gibson00 (Aug 7, 2006)

If you like the color, and take a 54 or 56, check it out, $3k US:

http://www.totalcycling.com/index.p...ories/frames_colnago/FR_COLNAGO_C50_PR11.html


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## fabsroman (Jul 14, 2006)

Before the ST01 and the STIT schemes came out, I liked that one. Plus, my optimal frame size is a 53 traditional, but I could use a 54 since I ride the 50 sloping without any trouble. For an extra $500 or $600, I'll get the scheme I like and the optimal frame size. However, if the difference were $1,500 or $2,000, I would have to seriously debate it.


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## optimieron (May 27, 2007)

fabrosman i hope you find your frame size & colour combination.

m.


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## optimieron (May 27, 2007)

Update - No emails nor communications from Veltec after one week! They truly are ignorant. The president doesn't email me back nor does James. Oh Well. I guess eventually the Colnago folks will contact them as I emailed them as well.

M.


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