The Holy Grail : Colnago C40 B-Stay Mapei World Champion
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- SalsaLover
- Posts: 431
- Joined: Sat Jun 19, 2010 8:21 pm
- Location: Zürich, Switzerland
I went for a short test ride, and yes this bike has indeed the fabled "magic carpet" ride. Holy Grail in every way, and that even with normal pants, no cycling shorts
I decided to go with the Cinelli Caleido and the special WC end caps, the blue shades of tape and hoods didn't match well the blue in the frame.
Cinelli Caleido por Salsa_Lover, en Flickr
Here a pic on my usual spot, but it was full sunny so I will come back later for a final shot with less shadows
C40 Mapei WC por Salsa_Lover, en Flickr
and here on a more shady spot
C40 Mapei WC por Salsa_Lover, en Flickr
As the C40 has a shorter head tube than the C50, I needed a bit higher stack of spacers to have the same setup though.
I decided to go with the Cinelli Caleido and the special WC end caps, the blue shades of tape and hoods didn't match well the blue in the frame.
Cinelli Caleido por Salsa_Lover, en Flickr
Here a pic on my usual spot, but it was full sunny so I will come back later for a final shot with less shadows
C40 Mapei WC por Salsa_Lover, en Flickr
and here on a more shady spot
C40 Mapei WC por Salsa_Lover, en Flickr
As the C40 has a shorter head tube than the C50, I needed a bit higher stack of spacers to have the same setup though.
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Stunning frame, curious to know how it would look with less spacers and stem flipped though.
Oooh, Monday morning treat... Very nice @SalsaLover. You know it's a great frame, etc., I know it too... that's a given. But... a few things would make the whole look even better I think:
1) White tape is nice, but you HAVE to rewrap it. You've got bar showing through. It's like ripped nylons on the most sexy pair of legs. Still nice, but c'mon, do it right.
2) I've never seen Campy levers with the white hoods that I think look good, except if perhaps a Penguin was riding the bike. Black.
3) White pedals are hurting my senses.
4) The red spacer above the stem... sore thumb. Detracts from the frame. Black.
5) You've got a black groupo, black seatpost collar, black stays, black headtube spacers... so what colour should the headset be....? It's not a trick question... black. No biggie.
6) Please, try to find the matching fork. That would really complete this bike more than anything. It would tie into the stays at the rear much better.
Wow... I seem pretty critical but the more I like something, the more I'm gonna look at the details. Lol. This frame really has a lot going on and it doesn't need any detracting elements from it. Even the red endcaps on the brake cables I would change to black. But all that stuff is just minor... the frame is a beauty. Great great find. Enjoy it. Keep it. Don't ever sell it.
1) White tape is nice, but you HAVE to rewrap it. You've got bar showing through. It's like ripped nylons on the most sexy pair of legs. Still nice, but c'mon, do it right.
2) I've never seen Campy levers with the white hoods that I think look good, except if perhaps a Penguin was riding the bike. Black.
3) White pedals are hurting my senses.
4) The red spacer above the stem... sore thumb. Detracts from the frame. Black.
5) You've got a black groupo, black seatpost collar, black stays, black headtube spacers... so what colour should the headset be....? It's not a trick question... black. No biggie.
6) Please, try to find the matching fork. That would really complete this bike more than anything. It would tie into the stays at the rear much better.
Wow... I seem pretty critical but the more I like something, the more I'm gonna look at the details. Lol. This frame really has a lot going on and it doesn't need any detracting elements from it. Even the red endcaps on the brake cables I would change to black. But all that stuff is just minor... the frame is a beauty. Great great find. Enjoy it. Keep it. Don't ever sell it.
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
Unlinked Builds (searchable): Colnago C59 - 5 Years Later; Trek Emonda SL Campagnolo SR; Special Colnago EPQ
- SalsaLover
- Posts: 431
- Joined: Sat Jun 19, 2010 8:21 pm
- Location: Zürich, Switzerland
Hello Calnago
1) I will replace the tape piece under the hoods, so the black will not show ( even though black is part of the color scheme you know, Iride )
2,3) I like 'em White
4) I only put the red one because, I don't have any other in 1" and just because I did cut the steerer too long, I need it to press the headset, I have to recut it and remové 5mm then no spacer on top.
5) it's a Record headset, that's all you need to know
6) If ever I have the luck to find a NOS matching fork I will buy it, for sure, but I won't put a used fork or attempt a repaint on it.
The bike rides like "floating on a cloud" climbs like "scalded monkeys" and descends like the "dollar-to-gold parity"
Excellent, I did miss the C40 ride for soooo loooong.
1) I will replace the tape piece under the hoods, so the black will not show ( even though black is part of the color scheme you know, Iride )
2,3) I like 'em White
4) I only put the red one because, I don't have any other in 1" and just because I did cut the steerer too long, I need it to press the headset, I have to recut it and remové 5mm then no spacer on top.
5) it's a Record headset, that's all you need to know
6) If ever I have the luck to find a NOS matching fork I will buy it, for sure, but I won't put a used fork or attempt a repaint on it.
The bike rides like "floating on a cloud" climbs like "scalded monkeys" and descends like the "dollar-to-gold parity"
Excellent, I did miss the C40 ride for soooo loooong.
Is that a spacer tower with a 17 degree stem?
Ha! You know how I love those eloquent ride descriptions...
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
Unlinked Builds (searchable): Colnago C59 - 5 Years Later; Trek Emonda SL Campagnolo SR; Special Colnago EPQ
- SalsaLover
- Posts: 431
- Joined: Sat Jun 19, 2010 8:21 pm
- Location: Zürich, Switzerland
CaptainP wrote:Is that a spacer tower with a 17 degree stem?
The C40 and the Master have identical geometry as the C50 but their headtubes are 1cm shorter. I think Colnago went on the C50 and forward with a little longer headtubes for comfort I guess.
That and the fact the Record headset have minimal height compared to the Chris King.
On the Master it's the same but it has a quill stem so there is no spacers, even though the Stem height is the same.
I like the -17° ARX/Rotundo combo, so it is setup like that, I will see probably will experiment with the -6° stem too, but on a traditional geometry bike I prefer the -17° Stem.
I've seen bikes with humongous head tubes and slammed -6° stems, with compact bars and Ergos pointing to the Sky.... my bike is surely lower and allows me to go with the back paralell to the floor, like it is now, them hooks and drops, I use them often
Last edited by SalsaLover on Mon Oct 28, 2013 6:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- SalsaLover
- Posts: 431
- Joined: Sat Jun 19, 2010 8:21 pm
- Location: Zürich, Switzerland
Calnago wrote: Even the red endcaps on the brake cables I would change to black
them endcaps are not all red, It has one red, one blue, one green one yellow
Nice!
I would go for black tape, hoods and saddle personally.
I would go for black tape, hoods and saddle personally.
- SalsaLover
- Posts: 431
- Joined: Sat Jun 19, 2010 8:21 pm
- Location: Zürich, Switzerland
well, the goal for this bike is to be my "comfort bike"
Meaning, it has the pillow ride, semicompact and clinchers, ready to be taken to alpine centuries, traveling through Switzerland, Italy or France. when the current Vittorias worn out, I have 2 sets of Veloflex Corsa 25/23 for her.
The C50 will be kept permanently on carbon tubulars ( Boras and Hyperons ) for the more "sportive" rides.
The Master will be alternatively on the Open Pro clinchers and GP4 alloy tubulars, for sunny "recovery" ones.
Probably will setup the C40 on alloy tubies and Vittoria Pavés too... but not necesarilly
I think that covers all the needs
Meaning, it has the pillow ride, semicompact and clinchers, ready to be taken to alpine centuries, traveling through Switzerland, Italy or France. when the current Vittorias worn out, I have 2 sets of Veloflex Corsa 25/23 for her.
The C50 will be kept permanently on carbon tubulars ( Boras and Hyperons ) for the more "sportive" rides.
The Master will be alternatively on the Open Pro clinchers and GP4 alloy tubulars, for sunny "recovery" ones.
Probably will setup the C40 on alloy tubies and Vittoria Pavés too... but not necesarilly
I think that covers all the needs
SalsaLover wrote:Calnago wrote: Even the red endcaps on the brake cables I would change to black
them endcaps are not all red, It has one red, one blue, one green one yellow
@SalsaLover: Yes, I noticed the blue one, on the front derailleur cable but just assumed the rear derailleur cable cap was the same. The blue is ok as it complements the major blue Colnago lettering on the frame, so you were granted artistic license on that one. But change the green one to blue also.
However, I knew there was something I forgot in my previous post... that is... it looks like you've got a Teflon sleeve over the stainless steel brake cable between the cable stops on the top tube. Get rid of it. It's ugly. Like those little rubber donuts some people put on their cables. Unless the cable is actually hitting the frame during riding and rattling, it's a useless superfluous piece of ugliness that does nothing.
As for the spacer tower... it's fine, given that you wanted the -17 degree stem look. But I'm now of the mind that I think the -17 stems really worked best (aesthetically) with the older quill stems, the kind that just flowed over the top smoothly, as opposed to the hard edges on the top of a current "A-Head" type offering. But starting out with the -17 is the way to go, because it's an easy change to go with a -6 if you decide to. Can't really go the other way around without going significantly lower which doesn't appear what you want to do.
And yeah, some tubs would do it better justice. I don't have one bike for this or that and I know, or at least think, you were saying all their different uses as sort of tongue in cheek humor. My road bikes can all be used interchangeably, as far as road conditions or weather goes, different disciplines (mtn biking for example) excepted of course. I do have different wheels/gearing however, also interchangeable.
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
Unlinked Builds (searchable): Colnago C59 - 5 Years Later; Trek Emonda SL Campagnolo SR; Special Colnago EPQ
Salsalover...congrats..what a bike!
Do rewrap the bars, and do experiment with the 6 degree stem. i know you like to mimic the level stem as per old quill ones, like on your master, but the extra cm of spacers makes it look awkward in my opinion. Even more so when its something evidently just for aesthetics, when there exists another viable option. I wouldnt consider swapping a 6 degree stem for it to look upwards, but here, any 6 degree will look so good. i am guessing 40 mm of spacers here, maybe more. if you swap to a 6, it would translate to ) mm of spacers, stem slammed, now that would look very good.
Do rewrap the bars, and do experiment with the 6 degree stem. i know you like to mimic the level stem as per old quill ones, like on your master, but the extra cm of spacers makes it look awkward in my opinion. Even more so when its something evidently just for aesthetics, when there exists another viable option. I wouldnt consider swapping a 6 degree stem for it to look upwards, but here, any 6 degree will look so good. i am guessing 40 mm of spacers here, maybe more. if you swap to a 6, it would translate to ) mm of spacers, stem slammed, now that would look very good.
I agree there's no point of a -17 stem on top of all these spacers. Less spacers and less stem degrees would be nicer IMHO and result in a stiffer front (in theory at least).
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- SalsaLover
- Posts: 431
- Joined: Sat Jun 19, 2010 8:21 pm
- Location: Zürich, Switzerland
You are surely right about the geometrical equivalence of a high rise stem...
But that's not what I look for, I look for the classic esthetics on a classic geometry bike.
I just measured the headset stacks, stem and bars positioning on my 3 bikes and the 3 are almost identical.
Notice this stem heights, are made like this, to mimic the same fit as an slammed -6° Stem, on the C50, that's the reason why there is a need for spacers with a -17° Stem
ColnagoStacks por Salsa_Lover, en Flickr
The Master has a classic quill look and don't look too high at all, however the stem rise is exactly the same as the C40, off course the headset top nut is also there and reduces the perceived lenght
The C50 looks less "bad" because of the tubes being thicker, and the head tube is 1 cm higher, but if you see the picture that cm is over the top tube, just like if it was an spacer, the geometries are still the same for the 3 frames
I prefer the horizontal stem so I will keep it like it is for a while, then I will experiment on lowering progessively the bars to see how lower can I get.
But that's not what I look for, I look for the classic esthetics on a classic geometry bike.
I just measured the headset stacks, stem and bars positioning on my 3 bikes and the 3 are almost identical.
Notice this stem heights, are made like this, to mimic the same fit as an slammed -6° Stem, on the C50, that's the reason why there is a need for spacers with a -17° Stem
ColnagoStacks por Salsa_Lover, en Flickr
The Master has a classic quill look and don't look too high at all, however the stem rise is exactly the same as the C40, off course the headset top nut is also there and reduces the perceived lenght
The C50 looks less "bad" because of the tubes being thicker, and the head tube is 1 cm higher, but if you see the picture that cm is over the top tube, just like if it was an spacer, the geometries are still the same for the 3 frames
I prefer the horizontal stem so I will keep it like it is for a while, then I will experiment on lowering progessively the bars to see how lower can I get.