Colnago - believe the hype?

john

john

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Been mulling this one over for a while and would be interested to get some feedback from Colnago owners out there. Fancied a master for ages - specifically a 90s era with the prescia fork and full art decor paint. Come close to buying one on a couple of occasions but it never quite happened for various reasons.

So. Should I dig deep and pick up a frame now before the prices go really high? Or continue to be patient until the right frame appears at the right price? Or just finish off the 5 or 6 road projects I have on the go currently....

Do they really ride that well? Even the most ardent of colnago tifosi would have to admit there is an element of hype around the brand.
 
hype certainly, but in a positive way. You wont go faster. And colnagos are not about weight - its about style. Our club has seen a number of new bikes aired this season (non retro). There's a prince and even a dogma with full super record 11 speed gruppo. But the star is the new colnago on of the lads has bought.
Its a symbol of the ultimate, a known name of quality. When I had my master it was a bike everyone looked at. The ferrari of bikes I suppose.
 
Ridden a couple of 80's Colnago's, good, very good. But i've ridden and
owned better, i think you reach top end bikes, and it's about feel and fit rather than names on downtubes. But then give me a bike made by Ugo De Rosa, himself, and i'll then have the ultimate.
So buy your Colnago, and give me your projects,,,, :LOL:
 
I am biased (i currently own 12 :oops: ),but generally they are very worth the $$. My Mapei C40 and my Master Olympic are among the nicest road bikes i've ever ridden...............

Masters are getting overpriced, Master Olympics are getting silly.

The C40 is a good reasonably priced alternative for what you get. Or a CT-1 :)

Andy
 
There is just something about them... My master with record group isnt particularly light, but there's something about the way it feels and the way it goes... Im not fit but seem to end up pushing the big ring all the time...

I was hugely sceptical, then I bought one, and it really brings a grin to my face every time I ride it. The sizing suits me too...

I would go for it. If you dont think it lives up to the hype, you're unlikely to lose your money on it!!!
 
I have a CT1 and the way it handles and feels is sublime - I have lighter and stiffer bikes, but when racing fast on rough roads it's the only one I'd trust to get me out of a hairy moment
 
Dont know why, but they just feel great.
Best bikes I have ever ridden...ok Bianchi Genius was also great ;)

I have had couple Dreams, Extreme-C and now EPS.
Also one Master and Arabesque.

I wish I would have never sold my Master Pista away.... :roll:
 
Colnago

Its a bit like deciding between a Ferrari and a Lambourgini

or a Hugo Boss or Armarni suit

I have an Orbea team frame in Altec 2 race tubing

and a Colnago Dream Reflex in Airplane tubing

both have campag 9 speed and after a mile I forget which one I am riding

Colnago have the wow factor for sure

really the steel 70's 80's ones are no differant than any other steel Italian bikes as the tubing angles and lugs were all the same untill Colnago brought out straight forks and differant angles to acount for them

its the paint jobs that is the difference
 
A Colnago is a known quantity and a safe bet, but almost never the best bet. I have likely owned a dozen steel framed Colnago bikes over the years, but sold every one of them onwards. They simply don't get me overly excited. Like Mavesyn, I would take any of Ugo's bikes first. I think that you often hear about the dream ride quality of Colnago bikes more often than for other builders simply because they had a much larger production. I remember in the 80's they produced more than 5 times as many bikes as De Rosa.

I did quite like a CT2 and a C50 that I each rode for a while.
 
Apropo of nothing,...I have a late 80's Master with C-Record groupset, which still rides and looks suberb, and a C50 with Carbon Record groupo, and I've never ridden a better bike,....and believe me,....I've ridden a few.
 
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