Not for any other reason but that I can ride it forever and never feel bad. We rode each bike one after the other with the same wheels so as not to let the most important component sway the test…įor the Record, 19 high end bikes have passed between my legs in the last few years while the C40 has stayed. For the Wheels we stuck with swapping back and fourth between the very nice and light Reynolds Stratus Tubulars and the American Classics Very Nice and light 350 Clinchers (Clincher Tires were Veloflex from and Tubulars were from Tufo). Pedals are Speedplay Ti.īars were the standard 3t Prima 199’s and the stem was Colnago’s home badged (a little stouter on the C50 with 4 bolts vs. The Cranks are FSA of course, as their Team Issue set is dollar for dollar and gram for gram better than their competition (Sorry Campy and Colnago…). Unfortunately we couldn’t come up with a 2003 Campy record set, so we had to run the 2004 set which differs in ways we can’t tell, but looks flashier. Old or new, they are secure, comfortable and nice looking. It has smoother sides now, but it’s still a proprietary size (damn it…) and is also still features the “one easy bolt / one pain in the ass bolt” adjustment system. The Seat post is Colnago’s and they did a slightly better job with the clamp. The saddle stays the same in the Selle Italia Prolink Trans AM. We tried keeping the Bikes “apples to apples”. But unfortunately at time of test they only have the Force Carbon Fork available in the 1 and 1/8th size. They remain true to function though staying with a more traditional threadless headset. They increased tube size all over the bike (except the B-stay area) and did it substantially, but the frame weight is only 15 Grams heavier thanks to the new Carbon used.Ĭolnago have finally gone from a 1 inch to a 1.125 headset as well, so the head tube and lug are larger (and stiffer). Side by side you can see the tubes are larger and it’s to address the only weak spot I thought my C40 had and that was that it needed a bit more stiffness. What you can’t see is what lies beneath the surface – and that is a new Higher Modulus Carbon that allows for a larger diameter Top and Down Tube (By about 12%). The cleanly shaped top and down tubes, the smooth integration of tube into Lug is all classic Colnago. Only recently have competitors like Kuota, Argon18 and Giant begun to use more of the capacity of Carbon Fiber to build what are turning out to be the Ultimate bikes to have, so Colnago didn’t need to do much to stay ahead of the game, but this year they made enough of a change to bring on the next number…Īt first glance, you won’t notice the changes from the 40 to the 50. It has Colnago’s sense of tradition in look and was designed well enough that only minor changes were needed for years. It is a nasty combination of Paris-Roubaix toughness and feather weight in a vibration damping material. It is first and foremost a frame that you can ride fast for long distances and do so comfortably. It simply gave people more of the things they want in a frame, while sacrificing less. For each person that wouldn’t want one, there are a hundred that would. There are very few people who are not fans of the Colnago line and the C40 in particular. To me, it’s a testament to Colnago’s effort to do something truly special, and that commitment to offer something special shows in their stock frames as well.Ĭolnago’s C40 has been widely regarded as the frame to have.
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