Advice on puchasing a Colnago please

My first question to the forum, I am a novice so please forgive any stupid questions!

I am back (since childhood) cycling seriously for a year or so now and I am draw to the purchase of my third bike! (I have a carbon wilier and a C2C Bianchi) - I would love to pick up an Art Deco Colnago but apart from info I have picked up on the web I am unsure which is the best model/ year to go after.

Any advice on whether it should be a super, Techno's, master or something like the C40 in Maepi colours which is currently being advertised on the forum for £1000 would be appreciated. I would rather look between £500-700 if at all possible.

Any further guidance on price I should be looking at paying would also be appreciated.

Ahhhhhh

Now there is a question, without wanting to get all philosophical the answer can only be found from within.

I have owned a few Colnago's. I have just sold my C50 frame.

My personal favourite would be a Titanio, but i have a thing for Titanium atm

Good luck

I find myself lusting after a art deco Colnago also. So I'll be watching this thread, as I know very little about them.

There was a '96ish art deco technos(spelling?) which I understood to be the weight-weenie one, in the for sale section recently. That "only" had Shimano but looked minty, I think the seller was asking for around £2200?..

thanks for all advice (apart from Pirate and Some guy)

The one thing I have notice in my year back on the road is that british road cyclists seem to have there head stuck firmly up their arses - to the point of being rude :shock:


Is this the case with this forum?

I'm not sure what to make of your previous post. :?

In answer to your original question -

Are you looking for a complete bike or are you happy to find a frame/ forks and then build it up (or have it built up)?

The most important factor in a bike/ frame is to get the right fit. Once you know the right size frame (and as you probably know, different manufacturers adopt different geometries, so, eg, not all '58s' are alike).

Once you know the right size, looking for a used frame generally involves some compromises - you could be in for a long wait if you definitely want a particular year, model and paint scheme. So, fit first, then other factors flow from there.

What use will it get - racing? Club runs? shortish solo reides? From this you may determine your priorities for comfort, stiffness etc. If you are quite flexible on this, as you have other bikes, this may not be a priority.

In simple terms, I have had 2, C40s and think they are fantastic (designed for and ridden by the pros in the spring classics, they can take some punishment). I got mine for the then typical E-bay price of around £500 each (frame and forks). I've also had a steel Colnago and that was lovely - whenever I opened the door I wanted to ride it, but it didn't feel 'as fast' as the C40s. I also have a titanium 'Ovalmaster', which feels smooth, but not as fast as the C40.

Having firmed up the size and the paint schemes you prefer, you then keep your eyes open to see what comes available.

What are your priorities? :?:

David

PS that Mapei C40 looks gorgeous.

sy1975":350lz9rm said:

thanks for all advice (apart from Pirate and Some guy)

The one thing I have notice in my year back on the road is that british road cyclists seem to have there head stuck firmly up their arses - to the point of being rude :shock:


Is this the case with this forum?

Click to expand...

What was that whole post about? If i had to buy a colnago I'd wait a few months as the prices always seem to drop off over winter, as the prices of all bikes do.

1duck":ldqjuew9 said:

sy1975":ldqjuew9 said:

thanks for all advice (apart from Pirate and Some guy)

The one thing I have notice in my year back on the road is that british road cyclists seem to have there head stuck firmly up their arses - to the point of being rude :shock:


Is this the case with this forum?

Click to expand...

What was that whole post about? If i had to buy a colnago I'd wait a few months as the prices always seem to drop off over winter, as the prices of all bikes do.

Click to expand...

that reply is what is traditionally know as a joke. more than likely said as on a forum full of bike nerds he only got 2 replies.

as for british roadies, i have to agree, ive gone back to mountain biking again as the "scene" is much more friendly. ive given up saying hello to other groups of cyclists only to be ignored or looked upon as something secreted from a dogs arse.
the forum however isnt like that, its friendly, helpful, useful and has its banter, from what i read anyway and im not a frequent poster.

good luck with getting a colnago too, wish i had the money and space for another bike

There seems to be 2 schools of thought about "art-deco" paint jobs.

First is that they are things of intricate beauty telling the world that you are riding an expensive Italian hand-made frame of high quality.

Second is that they are the bicycle equivalent of an ostentatious day-glo shell suit and that something more discrete would be more tasteful.

That is by the by, however and although sympathetic to the second point of view, I do have a yet-to-be-satisfied yearning for Gilco tubing.

My experience of other peoples' Colnagos says that they seem to be more prone to flaking than many of the other paint jobs out there.

Price-wise. They always command a premium. Used ones go for prices that are not that much cheaper than a new one.

If I had to choose (and I didn't already have a De Rosa EL ,which is the best road frame I have ever ridden) , a Master Olympic would probably be the Colnago of choice, but a Tecnos comes pretty close. The Mapei C40 is probably the most iconic road frame of the mid-90s though. And if I had the spare money at the time one came up for sale, would be very hard pushed to resist the temptation.

There are quite a few Colnago Art Decor ( not deco ) on eBay currently, I've just had a look.

I'm in the process of rebuilding a 96 Master Olympic Art Decor but it's taking me some time to find the parts I need...