My first 'Nago: C59 NERO

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Imaking20
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Joined: Fri Nov 18, 2011 5:19 am

by Imaking20

Life decided I should take a step back from being as active at racing this year so I've been finding myself much more focused on wearing quality kit, enjoying the ride, and wanting to ride a special bike. I set a goal for myself to buy myself a Colnago for my 30th birthday and ended up being able to take that journey a little early. I long for a white Colnago, but BoB is the next best thing!

Without getting too into the story, here is my Colnago C59 NERO in 52s. Deda cockpit is carried over from my Tarmac (save the larger diameter seatpost), and this is also my first opportunity to build a Di2 bike. The right wheels just came courtesy of KFreytag and I find myself a pretty happy camper. I spent 8k miles on an S-Works Venge, replaced by an S-Works Tarmac - at which point I realized I had been lying to myself about what "comfort" means for a year. The transition from the Tarmac to C59 is a similar evolution in comfort and, honestly, I don't feel I've lost a bit of pep.

I tried to tidy up my Di2 install a bit - the pictures are mostly aimed at showing the routing. Enjoy!

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Last edited by Imaking20 on Mon Jun 19, 2017 7:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.

by Weenie


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bomber
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by bomber

Very nicely done...
Carb loading since the 90's


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KCookie
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Location: Pom living in Australia

by KCookie

Great looking ride, but what's the weight. !!!

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mrgray
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Joined: Tue Mar 17, 2015 1:56 am

by mrgray

slick work here. maybe the first colnago i've seen shimano on that looked good with it. very interested to hear your comments on ride quality but pls tell us if previous bikes had same wheels/tyres?

thanks
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nobuseri
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by nobuseri

Very clean build; nice work
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Calnago
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by Calnago

That's nice @Imaking20. And one of the "electric only" frames before Colnago bit the bullet and started making them both mech/elec compatible. I just can't get used to the look of those Power saddles however.
Colnago C64 - The Naked Build; Colnago C60 - PR99; Trek Koppenberg - Where Emonda and Domane Meet;
Unlinked Builds (searchable): Colnago C59 - 5 Years Later; Trek Emonda SL Campagnolo SR; Special Colnago EPQ

terrible1
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Joined: Tue Dec 15, 2015 10:45 pm

by terrible1

What a beauty! Would look great with a bigger saddle, but that's personal. Enjoy the ride!

Imaking20
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Joined: Fri Nov 18, 2011 5:19 am

by Imaking20

@KCookie- the weight is coming!

@mrgray - the first 400 miles on this bike were as close to like-for-like as I could get from the Tarmac. Same bars, stem, saddle, wheels, tires, and tubes. Initially, that was Zipp 303 clinchers with S-Works turbo cotton tires and Vittoria latex tubes (that combo on my tarmac was more buzzy on chipseal than my wife's Izoard on Archetypes and Clement Stradas!) The real shocker at the first switch was how much smoother the rear end was - conventional wisdom tells us the 27.2 seat post (from the Tarmac) should be smoother than a 31.6 (on the C59). That's definitely not the end of the story here. I swapped the 303s for Reynolds 58 Aero which feel MUCH quicker than the Zipps albeit with a more unsettling ride quality - that setup still felt smoother than the Tarmac/303 combo. I'm only 20 miles into my relationship with the 4.5/Corsa combo... and I think it's going to be a great relationship. I set out yesterday for chipseal and potholes and was shocked by how well everything was absorbed. Legs were garbage so I figured it wasn't worth trying to see how snappy the bike felt!

While I'm rambling - last weekend I had my first chance to throw the bike down a long and very technical descent - I was shocked. The first couple switchbacks I thought to myself "this feels like riding my R6". What a blast!

@Calnago and terrible... I hear ya. The saddle is like your ugly child that you've committed to love anyway for their "spirit". The performance for me is so far beyond any other saddle I've ridden that I can't even think of something more aesthetically pleasing to replace it with that would last more than a week.


-posted from my phone. Apologies for typos!

bikewithnoname
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Location: Paris

by bikewithnoname

Lovely build! I echo Calgano's view on the saddle though
"We live in an age when unnecessary things are our only necessities." Oscar Wilde

ronderman
Posts: 173
Joined: Sun Feb 13, 2011 10:17 pm

by ronderman

I have the exact same frame in 56S. Found it last year as NOS. Nero wasn't and isn't my favorite paint job, but in typical colnago fashion it's still awesome. The electric-only frame is wicked sweet looking - about just as clean as a Red etap specific frame.

I run mine with V1 Campy Record EPS. The frame is awesome and I am certain you have lost nothing from your Venge - Tarmac. Not only are you colnago, now you're back into the world of threaded BBs (so much better).

Welcome!!!!!!

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dj97223
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by dj97223

Beautiful build, except for the saddle, imo. So long as you are moving, nobody will notice the saddle.

Fyi, there are other wide saddles with cutouts that look better -- e.g., SSM Aspide Open. I don't know why Spec cuts the nose off that saddle.
“If you save your breath I feel a man like you can manage it. And if you don't manage it, you'll die. Only slowly, very slowly, old friend.”

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gfeldy
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by gfeldy

dj97223 have you tried the Power?
~GFeldy~
S Works Tarmac w/ EPS
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Imaking20
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Joined: Fri Nov 18, 2011 5:19 am

by Imaking20

The comfort of a saddle is so subjective and the purpose so singular - I'm surprised we are still hung up on this. I've tried over a dozen saddles and this one is far and away the best I've ridden - a sentiment echoed by every single person I know who has ridden the Power. It's not just about the width nor cutout. This saddle has allowed me so much more pelvic rotation and let's me stay exactly where I'm at when riding forearms on the bars. It's been excellent. The only thing holding it from perfection is that it digs into my inner things - noticeable after long, hard efforts in the saddle.

Johnny Rad
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Joined: Fri Feb 17, 2006 6:22 am
Location: Zion

by Johnny Rad

Beautiful. I think it looks very well-proportioned top to bottom (I'm looking beyond the highly personal saddle choice).

I really like the gum walls on the Enve wheelset, too.

Glad to hear it rides great.

by Weenie


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plasticol
Posts: 110
Joined: Sat Jul 18, 2009 11:16 pm

by plasticol

:up: Great looking bike. I have the team in 52s and I love it every time.
Very curious about your saddle. Is this the top of the line?, what is the width? Which saddle are you coming previously?
Thanks and enjoy your Colnago.

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