Colnago master / best road frameset ever ???

[Mike Muz]

Re:

Didn't Banesto rider Razesa frames at some point? Or were they a sponsor?
Compared to your carbon bike, I think you may be disappointed in the lack of stiffness in anything steel. Have you considered alloy?.
Generally stiffer than steel IME
Colnago make those too, if it has to be one of those. Dream is a model that springs to mind

Mike

 

[pigman]

Re:

Ive known more than one person say the alu Dream was not colnago's finest hour. One guy who has a selection of Nags prefers steel for the flat runs and his C50 for the hillys. The Dream he hardly ever rides

 

[jalfk]

Re: Re:

Didn't Banesto rider Razesa frames at some point? Or were they a sponsor?
Compared to your carbon bike, I think you may be disappointed in the lack of stiffness in anything steel. Have you considered alloy?.
Generally stiffer than steel IME
Colnago make those too, if it has to be one of those. Dream is a model that springs to mind

Mike

I have a carbon bike (ROSE XLITE 57cm, 7kg) - a bit ugly but very fast, I only use for serious riding occasions and PRs - approx 3000km per year

Diamant steel bike (Belgium not east German) with columbus GARA - very nice bike and have done probably 15000km or more on this as my overly luxurious "around town" and commute bike. This is fast and a very nice ride but is a bit too heavy at nearly 11kg to do hills when my friends are riding carbon.

Which is why I have recently purchased a 3rd bike.... a Battaglin (cromor tubes) which I have kitted out with 10sp 105, fulcrum wheels and ritchey classic hardware. This is lighter than my Diamant and very fast and actually PERFECT, except that I now realize after two rides on this that the frame and forks are slightly damaged (ebay scam seller) so that it pulls to the right when riding with no hands, which means I have to chuck the frame in the bin and buy something else. Where this has made me slightly miserable, I want to go overboard and now buy the absolute best steel frame I can get my hands on, which I thought was the Master, but still considering. I want to buy the end of the month when I get paid.

 

[Lemond75]

I'd have to agree that the Colnago Dream wasn't the nicest bike to ride; great looking bike but pretty harsh; so much so I sold mine after a couple of years and got a C50 instead.

My Tecno's made out of oversized Columbus Nemo which gives a stiff and very smooth ride. I'm sure it's not quite as stiff as a good carbon frame of course, but there's no observable frame flex or chain rub on the front mech when cranking it up a climb. With a mix of new 11 speed Athena and vintage C Record wheels and seatpost it comes in at 8.8kg, so may not be such a hindrance on hilly rides compared to your Diamant.


image by Lemond75, on Flickr

 

[hamster]

Worth a read on stiffness: https://janheine.wordpress.com/2011/10/ ... stiffness/

 

[Lemond75]

Very interesting read hamster; thanks for posting it. Certainly fits in with my own observations - I'm lucky enough to have a Condor Super Accaio as well as the Tommasini and a Colnago EPS, and I'm afraid the Condor is my least favourite by far.

Whilst is made of very modern high tech Columbus tubing (Spirit), with oversized and ovalised tubes, it provides a much stiffer and less comfortable ride than the Tecno with its narrower (albeit oversized compared to traditional) steel tubes.

Both bikes have 25mm tyres, and the Condor has a carbon seatpost compared to an alloy one on the Tecno, but you really feel the bumps and imperfections in the road surface on the Condor whereas the Tecno is very very smooth.

 

[Mike Muz]

Re:

I did wonder why alloy 'nagos went comparatively cheaply on eBay

Now I know

 

[glpinxit]

First off, you are the motor of what you ride. Then, retro bikes are heart over head for me so if I was half my age I'd ride something competitive in a race which would not mean steel.

I have two steel framed bikes - both roughly the same age. One is a Reynolds 531c Ribble/Mike Kowal with modern Shimano 105 10 speed and Look Keo pedals and is my regular Sunday ride. The other is 753 SBDU Raleigh with 40 year old Campagnolo Super Record and toe-strap pedals without cleats and hardly gets ridden. They are both the same size and the Brooks Professional saddle on the Raleigh makes them similar in weight. My (Strava) times have the Raleigh noticeably faster on the same segments.

 

[pigman]

Re:

Bloody good article Hamster. Thx for posting
I have always hankered after a titanium winter bike, but dismissed the idea on the grounds of flexibility. This may make me reconsider.

 

[Midlife]

Best frame ever?

Carlton Professional from the 70-80's. 90 quid new and cheap second hand. Great geometry for road, TT, club runs... The perfect all rounder..the Ford Fiesta of its day

Shaun