Bianchi Infinito CV vs Colnago CX zero vs Kuota K-Uno

[raymondbroeren]

Hi,

Thanks to your help with my previous 'Long legs, short torso thread' (http://weightweenies.starbike.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=122818) I have narrowed my top three down to (in random order):

- Bianchi Infinito CV http://www.bianchi.com/global/bikes/bikes_detail.aspx?ProductIDMaster=124604

- Colnago CX zero http://colnago.com/cx-zero-2/?lang=en

- Kuota K-Uno http://www.kuota.it/bike.php?IDCategoria=1&IDBicicletta=47&IDColore=1 This is under the assumption that Kuota mixed up the stack & reach numbers on their website.

All bikes fall in the category 'endurance racers'. I will only be buying a frame set and will install my current Campagnolo Chorus 11 speed group set.

Reviews for the Colnago CV zero and Kuota K-Uno are hardly available, although I could find one for the Kuota in German; see http://www.tour-magazin.de/technik/test_center/raeder/rennraeder/kuota-k-uno/a26355.html It got pretty good credits.

Reviews for the Bianchi Infinito CV can be found pretty easy. It was awarded bike of the year by Road cc. See for instance:
http://road.cc/content/review/97052-bianchi-infinito-cv
http://road.cc/content/news/105677-roadcc-bike-year-2013-14
http://www.velonation.com/Gear/Review/View/ID/4203/2013-Bianchi-Infinito-Athena-EPS-Review.aspx
Surprisingly a Dutch magazine tested this bike and only gave it a 6 for stiffness/measurements results.

I consider my self as 'racer' (I used to ride crits 15 years ago) who likes to ride fast, on occasion rides on tracks, loves to climb - for instance in the Belgian Ardennes - and wants finish on top first. I do rides between 30 (50km) and 130 miles (210km). My current bike is a Ridley Noah (3 years old).

Which bike would you choose out of these three if you wanted a racy bike that corners well and handles nimble?

If anyone can post links to reviews of the Colnago and Kuota, then that would be helpful too.

Best,
Raymond

[davidalone]

I am a racer as well ( high cat 4s/low 3s equivalent). I race the older version of the infinito CV ( 2010 infinito without the CV). I bought it because I too am long legs short torso and it fits me without needing spacer tower stack.

it's a fantastic bike. I have no regrets buying it, and if the CV is any better than the old infinito you'll love it. it is stiff enough to sprint, but feels springy and alive enough for long 100 mile days. my team mates ( we are sponsored by a scott distributor) ride scott foils and addicts and the occasional Look 595 and other odds and ends ( mercxx, a time rxr) and the infinito easily holds it's own against these 'race' bikes and others, like the dogmas and cervelos and specialized tarmacs. I've tried the foils and don't really like them, they feel muted and dead.

a point to note is that the infinito is not the best cornering bike- geometry has been retained so I think it will handle similarly. it's very well mannered and well behaved to ride hours at a time with no fuss, and it IS stable enough to bomb down descents confidently, but it does not 'flick' into corners like my cannondale; it's not the best choice for a crit bike if that's what you ride exclusively. You need abit of time and confidence to 'trust' the bike for it to go nice in corners, and I do notice that I need to lean it abit harder into corners than my cdale. that being said it's strangely forgiving; I've hit gravel and sad while doing some hard and fast corners and the infinito was stable enough to save my ass, when I'm pretty sure I would have wiped out if I were on my cdale. It's also strong- in 3 years I've crashed it 4 times, twice pretty seriously. it's survived none the worse for wear except some cosmetic damage. do get some spare derailleur hangers if you go with it though, bianchi makes em a little soft.

the infinito is an awesome do-it-all bike ( you could even put 28s on it and go offroad!) that is abit exlcusive and rare and looks awesome. what's not to like?

[raymondbroeren]

@davidalone:

Thanks for your detailed feedback; very helpful.

The only thing I can think of that I don't like is the fact that it requires a clamp to fix the FD.

May I ask what type of Cannondale you have? Which bike do you use usually: the Cannondale or the Infinito?

You mentioned Merckx as a bike used by your team mates. By any chance the EMX-3 (which I have been examining as well)?

Best,
Raymond

[davidalone]

Pros and cons to the fd issue. A clamp is more reliable and less likely for something to go seriously wrong with the braze on.

My cannondale is an older caad 4 series (circa 2004-5). Carbondale geometry has stayed pretty consistent though, especially with the caads.

I ride the bianchi mostly nowadays, because the cannondale is abit too aggressive for my liking. It's the spare bike and it's a fun ride to take out on a fast hammer ride once in awhile, but the bianchi is just the better all rounder.
I'm in the process of stripping it down and repainting and rebuilding it, so it may see new life yet.


Only one team mate and the store owner ride mercxxs. I haven't had the chance to ride them, but I have to say the finishing looks superb. They are made by pinarello, in case you were curious, so I'd expect them to ride similarly.

[Fatherfaff]

I've been lucky enough to test ride a Colnago CX Zero Ultegra 2014 but unfortunately due to wind and rain it was hard to get a good feel for the bike. However I can say the rear end was very comfortable and compliant while being extremely stiff laterally with extremely direct power transfer. The front end almost felt like a different bike because it felt so stiff all round, up and down, side to side - it went just where you pointed it and tracked well. However my hands did suffer a bit from road buzz as a result. It felt a bit like a Colnago M10 with a softtail on the back. It climbed really well but unfortunately due to the conditions I couldn't really test how well it performed on a high speed twisty descent however at no point did it feel anything other than totally surefooted and I got the felling you could have really blasted it downhill. The frame certainly felt like it could take a beating. Because the bike was so stable (longish wheelbase) and competent it didn't feel quite as "exciting" as a racier machine. This compared to an old original Scott CR1 which feels quite flexy by comparison and can feel a bit too "exciting" on a 50+mph twisty descent. I have subsequently tried a Scott Addict Ultegra and enjoyed that but, while stiffer than the CR1, it did feel a bit flexier than the Colnago but then I am quite a heavy rider (85kg). It was well balanced in feel from front to back and seemed remarkably comfortable despite being a racier machine - it was also incredibly light which the Colnago isn't particularly.

[Newman89]

Hey, first time posting on here usually just read the forums but I think can help here. I'm a racer myself, been off the circuit this past year but currently working on getting back to 2nd cat. Here's a break down of my last few bikes.

Current: Kuota K-uno, Ultegra 6800 11spd, Enve Classic 45s
2013: Eddy Merckx 525, Ultegra 6770 Di2, Zipp 404/Enve Classic 45s (wheels swapped half way through the season)
2012: Cannondale Supersix 3, Ultegra 6700, Zipp 404

*Training bike (which is kind of my control for bike tests): Argon 18 Radon, Ultegra 6700, Mavic Cosmic Elites

Also ridden with a team that was primarily on Colnago CX Zeros so I've heard lots of front line feed back on that frame. Zero experience with the Infinito though... Obviously heard great things however, never a bad review. Also ridden a Trek Madone and Specialized Tarmac but both were pre-2011 so not really equivalent to current models.

So here goes.

Kuota K-Uno: Easily the best combination of comfort and race performance I've come across. Super light, very snappy and great stiffness. It has everything I look for in a race bike. At the same time it's a very comfortable ride, I don't buy into a lot of the marketing jargon on carbon but whatever they've done with this bike it works. Taking it out on my usual 80mile loop I get back feeling noticeably fresher than the Merckx but at nearly the exact same average speed. It's still early days but I am really, really impressed with this bike.

Eddy Merckx 525: The.stiffest.bike.ever. Well at least of the ones I've ridden. So stiff I actually had some joint pain on the first few rides (running Giro Prolight SLX shoes, Look Keo Max carbon pedals), got used to it and damn it would accelerate like a cannon but it's not a bike I would happily do 100 miles on. Luckily my races were never more than 60-80. Handling was interesting as well. Any speed over 17mph and the bike is amazing, but at low speed its very sluggish. From what I've found this is true of all current Merckx bikes. They want to race, end of. Not a bike you can take out for a leisurely ride.

Cannondale Supersix 3: Another great bike, enjoyed it enough that I had 2 in a row. Obviously they're running the new EVO frame but it's apparently very similar in characteristics just a bit lighter. Solid all round bike but it doesn't have a lot of personality if you know what I mean. It does everything you ask of it, but compared to the Kuota or Merckx, those bikes stunned me the first time I rode them. The Supersix never did that. However, it was also quite a bit cheaper so keep that in mind. Overall, looking at value for money it's hard to beat, definitely the best bike I've ridden in that particular price range.

Colnago CX Zero: Obviously this is all 2nd hand reports but from some very accomplished 1st cat and Elite riders. The bike is very stiff, handling is pretty neutral. But overall the boys felt it was heavy, whether that was more a sensation rather than actual frame weight I'm not sure on. But compared to other rides the Colnago CX Zero didn't seem to impressed as an out and out racer. There was just a sensation that something holds the bike back a bit.

Anyway, wow.. Bit long winded of me for a first post but I hope you find it helpful.

[Fatherfaff]

Yes, I wasn't sure whether it was the awful weather and windy conditions but I did have that feeling that something was holding back the Colnago CX Zero too - I thought I must be imagining it because a Colnago can surely not feel slow! I had recently tried a Colnago C10 and that certainly didn't feel slow. It can't have been the weight of the CX Zero because the 54cm bike I tried weighed in at 8.4kg compared to my own 56cm Scott CR1 at 8.6kg though the Colnago did feel strangely "heavy". I put the less racey feel of the CX Zero down to it's lack of twitchiness but even in a straight line with that undeniable direct and stiff drive chain it never seemed to feel fast - perhaps in the same way that a Ferrari doesn't feel fast at 70mph whereas an old Mini does. Strava didn't throw any light on the matter either - I clocked up a 2nd best time up a local short climb (Norwood Edge) but this was probably helped by a tailwind but a second worst time on a local descent (Askwith) probably hindered by a headwind. I would really like to try the bike on a warm windless day on a really long and hilly ride.....

[limniki]

I purchased a Colnago CX Zero for several reasons...I needed a new ride, was riding a Bottecchia Steel full campy and my ride mate constantly ribbed me and my down tube shifters. I love that bike. I looked at the disc bikes for safety and technology reasons. It was between the Colnago c59disc and Pinarello Dogma disc. It came down to cost and sensibility. The CX Zero is a fantastic bike, I equipped it with Hydro Brakes and Di2 shift. Obviously the ride chatters and can be unruly, compared to steel or titanium, just the nature of the beast. I also wanted to keep the cost less then $10,000.00, which if you have shopped for a disc carbon bike, that's the price point for these toys. The ride took a little getting used to, the rear stays hold the road and has no flex, which on a sprint or uphill, simply divine. The handling has been superb, tracks like a go cart and steers without hesitation, very quick and nimble. The front end is equally unforgiving, but satisfies my desire for a planted feel. As far as weight, comes in at 15.8 lbs w/Ultegra DI2 and Hydro Brakes. I have yet to find any downside to the disc brakes, having been on many descents over 50 mph, brakes work fine...I would not want a 160-180 on the front, would be too tempting to grab too much brake and go over the bars. My only complaint, which is common for Carbon, is the tinny feel from the vibration. I know this is not an issue with a ti or steel bike. I get tired of the commentary the disc brakes do not belong on a road bike, like saying I have the best drum brakes I can get for my Porsche...If not a racer, why not???I have been a serious cyclist for 40 years and love the new technology. My next bike however will be a Titanium with Hydro disc and DI2. I put Zipp 303 Firecrest Disc wheels, so the wheel manufacturer are slowly trickling Disc wheel specific to the market. The Zipps are disc specific with No brake track, wonderful feel. I highly recommend the CX Zero from Colnago.