Ryan's Vulgar Colnago C59 - 5,708g (Final Pics Up, pg 4)

[RyanH]

@psm, my priorities for a frame have been ride quality over everything else. Through careful selection of parts, I can get most builds into the "light" category. That's why I've chosen Ti bikes twice, ride quality is very hard to beat.

I find most carbon frames as too harsh compared to Ti bikes, so there's a hesitancy on my part to pick up a true WW frame since I'm concerned it won't come with the requisite comfort that I've grown accustomed to. Later this year I'll probably do a full blown WW build though (something sub 10 lbs).

@ben, ya, mental checklist fail. I started taking photos and the crank wasn't horizontal, so I had to restart. Then I decided it was too bright out with too direct of light, so by the time I got to a good spot, I forgot about a few details (disgrace, I know)

ETA: is it really big ring and small cog? I've been doing it wrong this entire time, I thought it was big big, which I didn't do here since the derailleur looks stretched out with the short chain wrap from the compact.
Sent from my VS986 using Tapatalk

[mgoles]

This is just brutal build... fantastic...

[beanbiken]

Yep, that is so cool............ love it

[tonytourist]

Bike looks awesome, Ryan!
How does it fit compared to your Litespeed, and what do you think of the ride?

[PSM]

@psm, my priorities for a frame have been ride quality over everything else. Through careful selection of parts, I can get most builds into the "light" category. That's why I've chosen Ti bikes twice, ride quality is very hard to beat.

I find most carbon frames as too harsh compared to Ti bikes, so there's a hesitancy on my part to pick up a true WW frame since I'm concerned it won't come with the requisite comfort that I've grown accustomed to. Later this year I'll probably do a full blown WW build though (something sub 10 lbs).

Got it. Make sense. Nice build!

I moved from a Cervélo R3 (2009) to a Colnago M10 (2011). I don't regret that. Even if the M10 is almost 300 gram heavier. R3 ride was so harsh...

My M10 is so stiff and yet so comfortable. I don't know what to change to in the future?! Problem.

[cedced74]

Whaou, I love this built ! This stealthed Colnago is such a beauty... Some purists will probably cry because of the Red gruppo, but it works in my opinion !
Congrats, enjoy the ride !

[Ozrider]

That's an impressive weight for a Colnago frame.
I have to agree with you on ride quality and comfort, even though a light bike is great, comfort, ride quality and handling are really important.
It seems like you have achieved all of the above at a low weight.
Enjoy riding it


Parlee Z5, Trek Madone, Jonesman Custom

[Devon]

ETA: is it really big ring and small cog? I've been doing it wrong this entire time, I thought it was big big, which I didn't do here since the derailleur looks stretched out with the short chain wrap from the compact.
Sent from my VS986 using Tapatalk

I was always of the impression/view that it should be big ring, and whichever cog left the chain sitting parallel to the ground (or as close as possible to). This is usually somewhere in the middle.

[Vagabond]

@Vagabond, the chainrings last about 5,000 miles. They shift as well as the SRAM Red rings, but at almost 100g less.

Thanks, I didn't even know they were out there. That's a lot more than I would have expected. Nice looking bike.

[RyanH]

Colnago C59 Comparative Review

I figured I would compare the C59 to a few other bikes that I'm familiar with. My experience with each are:

• Litespeed Xicon: rode approximately 6,000 miles on it from April through November. Raced a criterium and two road races on it (I was injured most of the year). Spent a lot of time on it with the Reynolds 32 wheelset (both Continental Sprinters and Veloflex) as well as the RZRs and Reynolds DV46's with Sprinters.
• Parlee Z5 Sli: rode approximately 2,300 miles on it from August 2014 to January 2015. Raced a circuit race on it. Rode with the 32's having Sprinters on it as well as Reynolds DV46's with Sprinters.
• Specialized Tarmac S-Works: demo'd for 60 miles using the Roval carbon clincher wheels. Was able to get a proper 20 minute climb in and descent on a road I was familiar with.
• Litespeed Siena: It's be awhile since I've been on this bike so I'll refrain from using it in the comparison except for minor references. I did however ride over 15,000 miles on it as well as raced dozens of road and criterium races on it.

My Bike Progression
I got the Siena back in June 2012 shortly after I started cycling. It was my first proper road bike. I started off budget and then eventually built it into a proper race machine. I raced it extensively and cut my teeth on that bike. Frankly, I loved it but cycling friends kept telling me that I need a carbon race bike and that I'm missing out on a much better experience. I resisted for a long while. Finally, in 2014, they got the better of me and I began looking for a new bike.

I did some short bike demos which did not provide very much information, until I got to demo the Tarmac. I felt it was rather harsh, but amazingly stiff. I decided it wasn't for me. I continued to look and decided that if I was going to replace my beloved Siena, it would be with a frame that's considered to be one of the best. I settled on the Parlee Z5 Sli. It was both weight-weenie and supposed to be a supreme ride.

I built the Parlee up, rode it in the off-season and then got injured...for three months. For a time, there was a prospect I wasn't going to be able to ride again. Frustrated, I decided that I didn't need the Parlee since I probably couldn't race again as well as the diminishing value of it in the used market. Plus, there was a specialness with the Litespeed that I didn't have with the Parlee. To me, the Parlee was another mass produced frame. I found the Xicon for a steal and sold off the Parlee.

Back on a Litespeed, I was pretty content. In April, I finally conquered my injury and was able to ride again. I didn't spend much time in the mountains but primarily did the group rides. It wasn't until I started pushing the bike that I found an issue: twitchy handling while descending above 40mph. I began trying to diagnose, which was challenging since I couldn't always hit 40mph on my local training routes. I thought it was the new Vittoria Pave tires. Swapped wheels, still noticed the problem. Tried many different positions since many suggested it was me. Tried the headset and then skewers. No luck. At this point, I was getting frustrated. I placed an order for a stem, my final thing to eliminate without definitively saying it was the frame. While waiting for that, I did a big mountain ride which we spent nearly an hour descending. I was tired and wasn't confident in it's handling. I was fed up at this point. Later, after pulling the trigger on a new frame, it turned out it was the stem after all. Something about the stem's flex allowed for oscillations to build up while descending. A 3T Arx II stem eliminated that immediately.

Why the C59?
I began searching for a new frame. Equipped with my stack and reach numbers, I eliminated a lot of frames. A Look in a small worked, a small Time ZXRS worked except the setback on the post was going to be a possible issue, and a 50S or 52S in the C59 worked. At this point, delving back into the world of carbon, I wanted THE BEST frame, the most revered frame. Look and Time were considered great, but the Colnago C59 kept coming back as the most magical. I wanted something comfortable, stable, easy to handle and pleasant to ride. The C59 was billed as all of that.

How does the C59 stack up?
It's a great bike, but….I think the Parlee is better. Here's a rough relative comparison of the frames I'm familiar with:

BB Stiffness
Tarmac > C59 >= Parlee > Xicon >= Siena
The Tarmac feels like you have a steel I-beam between your legs. Neither the Parlee or the C59 have that awe-inspiring sensation of how stiff a BB can be. On the other hand, they're stiff enough, especially for my puny 1200w sprint. The Xicon and Siena you can feel flex at high leverage efforts but once you get used to it, it mostly goes unnoticed and doesn't detract from the ride or experience.

Liveliness
Xicon/Siena = Parlee > C59 > Tarmac
This is harder to quantify but this is one area the Parlee excelled. It was able to match the liveliness, organic feel of the Ti bikes.

HT Stiffness
They all seem the same to me.

Handling
There are a few aspects to handling: cornering, stability and general riding around. The Litespeed and Parlee felt pretty much the same in those 3 regards. I feel like the Tarmac had a slightly more aggressive handling, primarily cause I nearly ate it doing no hands while riding it. The wheel didn't gradually go, it just went and I nearly didn't save it. Descending, I think the C59 feels the best but it's only by the slightest of margins. I really need to do back to back to get a better impression.

Comfort
Parlee > Xicon/Siena > C59 > Tarmac
Comfort can be broken into two categories: fit and vertical compliance. Fit is something out of the control of the bike while compliance is not. The Parlee excelled at this in spades. It was somehow a smoother ride than the Ti bikes. The C59 trails the Ti bikes while the Tarmac seemed harsh compared to these. Everything was felt with the Tarmac (in fairness, a lot of this could be contributed to the Specialized stock tires/tubes).

Aesthetics/Build Quality
The C59 is really gorgeous in person. The Parlee is perfunctory in appearance and somewhat bland in my opinion. The Parlee could really use a nice paintjob instead of the matte and ghosted logos.

Conclusion
I won't deny that the C59 is a great bike, but the Parlee is just a little better since it nails the compliance aspect of it. I'm not going to run out and replace this with a Parlee, but, truth be told, if a small Altum in blue comes up on the classifieds for a good price, I'll probably pick it up. In the mean time, I'm going to ride the shit out of this bike.

[plasticol]

Great review Ryan
I have tried/own most of the bikes that you mentioned and somewhat agree with you in your conclusions, with the exception that, even that the Parlee and C59 are in the top, I would ultimately prefer the Colnago ride over the rest, never like Ti ride much, but it is really a matter of personal taste at the end.
Also, I wanted to mention that I noticed that your position is a little questionable. The seat looks too low, almost level with the handlebar height, that may influence the way you perceive the frames. IMHO.

[PSM]

Great review Ryan
Also, I wanted to mention that I noticed that your position is a little questionable. The seat looks too low, almost level with the handlebar height, that may influence the way you perceive the frames. IMHO.

I aree. I have to sit correctly on a bike in order to make conclusions. In this case, positions looks seriousley strange to me aswell.

Otherwise awesome build.

[KCookie]

Hey RyanH, any chance you can give a review on the padded Burk Saddle. Cheers

[bruno2000]

Nic elooking bike but I would have advised a size smaller, no?

[LionelB]

That's a beauty even though I can't get used to these WW straight seatpost.