Oh, why did I have to see this ?

[bugloss]

Colnagos' just don't appeal to me at all.

Edit: Nor do Tommassini, maybe it's the paint job or something,

 

[colnagolover]

Colnagos' just don't appeal to me at all.

....but then I note that you're still on your way to the half century whereas us old'uns, that are some 40% your senior (by the calendar if in no other way ) have been around long enough to appreciate Colnago the mechanic's bike insight.....

ribbing aside, De Rosas are undoubtedly great bikes and of all other Italian bikes, I'd like to own an eighties De Rosa ahead of all but Colnago but modern carbon frames with ugly brakes/shifters are unappealing to the point of vulgarity, irrespective of maker IMO...

but as I said earlier, I'm an old duff and a throwback so I hope your 50th fulfils your wildest dreams :xmas-wink:

 

[bugloss]

Er, it's made of steel, although they do a Tuppaware model too.

I agree with you about the brake levers Ugh! Maybe there are too many things that I would change, but at least the bars aren't whoppers like most of them are.

 

[BigFoz]

Buy it, put all the modern crap on eBay, then rekit with Record Ti 9spd and some Shamals. Job done

Or ask if they'll do a frame only due to their poor taste in components...

I love Campag kit, it lasts forever, looks beautiful. Right up to about 2009, then it turns to crap.

 

[BigFoz]

But it's still sooo much better looking than the recent Sh*mano kit, which is tragically hideous - the older DA chainsets etc were nice enough you could overlook the STI levers, but the current chainsets are fugly.

 

[bugloss]

Interesting set of opinions so far and I can see the ugliness in the modern stuff, but I am attracted to it because it's pretty much the same frame that I have on two of my 80's bikes, but with a totally up to date set of running gear.
I wonder what the ride is like ?

 

[colnagolover]

Er, it's made of steel, although they do a Tuppaware model too.

I agree with you about the brake levers Ugh! Maybe there are too many things that I would change, but at least the bars aren't whoppers like most of them are.

If money's no object (which it always is for us pensioners!), perhaps you can get the frame and fork and then spec it with the bits that you personally would like - but I imagine avoiding the ugly brakes/shifters is a serious obstacle these days and there are no braze-ons for discreet down tube shifters and I expect bar-ends are probably only available in antique shops....which is why most of my (never to be fulfilled) bike dreams are for Colnagos, De Rosas and Scapins pre '88

http://www.pedalroom.com/p/scapin-10999_4.jpg

http://www.raydobbins.com/derosa/photos/photo1.jpg

They have just that bit more elegance and finesse..

Cheers

 

[David B]

Oh! and a proper saddle too.

What he said. Ride anything much longer than a club '10' on that and I'd be regretting it.

The modern groupset looks OK, those deep section wheels seem out of place though.

David

 

[bugloss]

Colnagos' just don't appeal to me at all.

....but then I note that you're still on your way to the half century whereas us old'uns, that are some 40% your senior (by the calendar if in no other way ) have been around long enough to appreciate Colnago the mechanic's bike insight.....

ribbing aside, De Rosas are undoubtedly great bikes and of all other Italian bikes, I'd like to own an eighties De Rosa ahead of all but Colnago but modern carbon frames with ugly brakes/shifters are unappealing to the point of vulgarity, irrespective of maker IMO...

but as I said earlier, I'm an old duff and a throwback so I hope your 50th fulfils your wildest dreams :xmas-wink:

Interesting, why do you call a Colnago the mechanics bike when Marco Rossin supposedly left Colnago because the quality was going downhill ?

 

[colnagolover]

My inference was that Ernesto Colnago was the mechanic - he had been for years before his production really got under way and he continued to be the head mechanic for Merckx and Molteni until the mid-70s, long after his production was well established and recognised by the European cycling fraternity - and, as a mechanic he knew a thing or two about bikes, angles and materials etc.

Rossin - who I believe is Mario, not Marco - was (in my version) lured from the position as chief builder at Colnago in the dispute caused by Colnago in his turn luring Baronchelli to the SCIC (Colnago sponsored) team. Of course, Rossin took all of his inside knowledge of Colnago bikes with him and started his production on the back of other folks' money...

http://www.rossinbikes.it/en/p/azienda/

as Rossin's own history recounts

Which is why I'd never buy a Rossin, though I admit that their '80s bikes were really lovely machines but that's what comes of neighbourly disagreements - who did what and when!!