A which Colnago question

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Calnago
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by Calnago

Ha... the comic strip looking back of the man on the top tube was one of those things I thought was pretty tacky when I first laid eyes up close on a Colnago with that graphic. But he grows on ya, I guess. I still don't have a Colnago with that little guy on it anywhere, but if I ever found a yellow Art Décor Master in my size, I'm sure I would welcome the little fella into my home...
Picture ripped off of some website, credit to whoever this frame belongs to...
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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

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TomColnago
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by TomColnago

I'm glad the top tube man has sort of grown on you calnago as he also lives on my calf aswell as my C40 top tube :lol:

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MJB
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by MJB

If you can get over the hairy legs he's right there leading the way.........
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Calnago
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by Calnago

Ha, there he is. That must be a newer Master Light, no? I'm guessing because his helmet looks more "aero" than it used to be :).
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

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Mr.Gib
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by Mr.Gib

After more thought and research, the EP appeals to me the most.

According to some anecdotes, the EP has the best tire clearance of the bunch up to and including the C60 - a big plus. Can anyone confirm?

Comfort is still a bit of a question mark. If I go tradition geometry I would probably have 12 to 15 cm of seatpost between the collar and saddle rails. A 31.6 mm diameter tube that short is not going to provide much give. Leads me to conclude that that legendary Colnago comfort is built into the rest of the frame. Curious how owners feel about this. It would be nice to think of an EP as an all-day bike although not essential.

Italian threaded BB I assume? No problem - I would probably go Chorus 11, so super record BB. Cheap and easy to get in Italian threading.
wheelsONfire wrote: When we ride disc brakes the whole deal of braking is just like a leaving a fart. It happens and then it's over. Nothing planned and nothing to get nervous for.

SLCBrandon
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by SLCBrandon

I have a trad geo EP and it's my favorite bike I've owned and I've had most of the funnest ones over the last few years, IMO.

I've typically used 26mm Turbo Cottons on it and it has no clearance issues with those. To the comfort questioned (which is obviously very subjective) it's very much my all day bike when I'm going on longer weekend rides with friends.

All of my bikes are for sale all of the time......accept the EP.

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MJB
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by MJB

I fit nicely on a Colnago 52 sloping with either 90 or 100mm stem so I tried the EP in a 56 trad which is very close to a 52s in size. As it turns out I'm not quite as happy on the 56 trad as I am with 52 sloping - the 56 trad for me is very rideable but 52s is a fit.

As a result of me just fitting onto a 56 trad EP I ran my seatposts at very short lengths as indicated by the photo I've attacted here. I had barely 10.5cm of pillar showing above the clamp. I ride with a slightly lowered saddle height for my own reasons but after using the EP with three seat posts including a shimmed Zipp SL Speed 27.2 post I can say there was no perceptible difference in the ride quality between any of the seatposts at such short settings.

I rode my C50 with a regular matching Selkof seatpost (which is only 28mm on the C50) with heaps of pillar showing and I have to say the EP is every bit as smooth and comfortable over distance as the C50 was - both bikes on high end carbon rims with quality wide/heavy tubular tyres. The last air of tyres I ran on the EP were 27mm Vittoria Pave tubulars and these fit with bulk clearance on my EP both front and back.

So what I'm saying is that a slightly ill fitting EP for me was every bit as comfortable hour after hour as the well fitting C50 was. The C50 is famed for being an uber comfortable grandfondo frameset and my experience of the EP is at least the same.

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Last edited by MJB on Thu Feb 09, 2017 5:59 am, edited 2 times in total.

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MJB
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by MJB

Ha, there he is. That must be a newer Master Light, no? I'm guessing because his helmet looks more "aero" than it used to be :)


This one is a 1999 Master X Light in size 54 square I found as NOS at Brick Lane Bikes in London. It's actually a 'Soft Paint' frame which was impossible to keep clean from chain fling so I prepared it and had it double coated with 2 pack clear coat by my local auto panel guy who happens to like an airbrush challenge occasionally too.

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MJB
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by MJB

FWIW the fork clearance on my EP with a 27mm Vittoria Pave tubular on a Bora 35 rim
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EP-fork-clearance-Pave-27mm.jpg

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Mr.Gib
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by Mr.Gib

That's good news on the tire clearance. Thanks for all the great info.

This issue is a bit of a deal breaker when considering a C59. Shame because there are many more available.
wheelsONfire wrote: When we ride disc brakes the whole deal of braking is just like a leaving a fart. It happens and then it's over. Nothing planned and nothing to get nervous for.

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Calnago
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by Calnago

Interesting on the fit on your EP fork. I presume that is a "Carbon 75" fork? It is the same fork as on my 2008 C50. Just as a comparison, a 25mm Conti 4000Sii clincher on the 19mm internal width rim I was experimenting with plumps up bigger than the 27 Vitt that you have on the Boras (are those the new 35's with the 17mm internal width? Or are they from the first year they came out when the rim was still the 15mm internal width?
The rear is very tight with this wheel combo as well on the C50 and as such I probably wouldn't run this combo on my C50. So to Mr. Gib... keep that in mind as well.
However, the Carbon 75 fork on the later C50's and the EP does indeed allow a taller tire in the fork than either the EPS or early C59 (they increased the clearance on the latest runs of the C59 just before the C60 came out). And while the C60 fork does clear it, barely, there is still more height above the tire on the Carbon 75 fork. The trouble comes at the rear. Cant speak to the EP or EPS, but the C60 has marginally better rear clearance than either the C50 or C59, so I would pick the C60 for overall best useable clearance. In fact, these wheels i was testing with won't even fit in either the front or the rear of my C59. And I'm not talking just slight rub. Rather, they will not even turn because they are right up against both the fork crown and the rear brake bridge. I had pretty much the same experience with the wider ENVE 3.4 front rim. Forget about running 25mm clincher tires on those rims with these frames unless you want to start shimming out the dropouts, which I know people have done.
And once again, all of this doesn't apply to tubulars as their inflated size is much more consistent.
Hope that helps rather than just confuses your decision further.
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

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MJB
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by MJB

Yes, my EP has the carbon 75 fork and yes, my Bora 35 are the current wider 24.2mm rim model. My digital calipers tell me that @ 90 psi the Vittoria Pave 27mm tubular has a 27.072mm wide profile, measured right opposite the valve.

My C50 was the last of the run (2010 model) it also has a Carbon 75 fork and it fitted a 25mm FMB Paris Roubaix tubular on a skinny 19mm (outside width) tubular rim which I recall measured as wide as 26.8mm at a decent inflation but with the same generous clearance as the EP.

I'll try and dig up an image of the rear clearance of my EP with the Vittoria 27mm tubulars on it. I know the seat stay and chain stay bridges occasioanlly took a scrape when the road was damp-ish and any gravel washed out onto the bitumen was sticky but I don't recall how close to the seat tube the 27's came.... watch this space.......

Ok got one with seat stay gap attached
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joeyb1000
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by joeyb1000

Just to add info: I have a C60, EPS and EP (had CT1,CT2 and president). I like the ride of the EP best. A little more comfortable and a little bit of "spring" in it. But, I only weight 150lbs and have no sprint.
My riding buddy, however, likes the C60 best. But, he's 205lbs and is a sprinter.

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Mr.Gib
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by Mr.Gib

Again thanks for all the info everyone.

So more questions now that I have made up my mind on the EP (with Campy Record 11).

Headset - just get CK? Or should other options be considered?
Seatpost - must it be Colnago? Handlebar will be Fizik Carbon 00, but I find the Fizik post heavy for the price. Other suggestions? Lot of owners go Deda, but with a Fizik bar maybe better to go unbranded. Maybe a debadged Hylix?

I want to keep the bike fairly "correct".
wheelsONfire wrote: When we ride disc brakes the whole deal of braking is just like a leaving a fart. It happens and then it's over. Nothing planned and nothing to get nervous for.

by Weenie


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AJS914
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by AJS914

I wouldn't rule out a C59 based on clearance issues. My C59 is very comfy with 23mm GP4000s (measure 25mm). These are full on racing bikes; they shouldn't have bigger tires!

BTW, I tried 25mm GP4000s (measure 28mm) on my old bike. The difference between the 23s and the 25s was marginal - no where near enough of a difference to rule out a frameset.

The C59 really achieves the stiff yet comfortable balance like no other bike I've ever ridden. It feels very lively unlike some carbon bikes that feel more wooden. I love the C59.

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