Colnago 2019 range disappointing finish and suitable alternative recommendations please!

[c60rider]

Having attended the cycle show in the UK last weekend once I'd got beyond the trophy/jersey/bike porn that Pinarello had on display (Vuelta, Giro and Tour) I headed for the Colnago stand that UK importers Windwave have. It's an excellent display with every frame on display and bikes to have a play with if needed. I had gone with the intention of checking out a few details on the VR-2 and to look to purchase one and build up my first ever disc brake bike. I left being extremely underwhelmed not just with the finish of the VR-2 but the C64 generally. I'm the owner of a C60 in MHCF art deco finish. What I particularly like is the 3k carbon weave along with the colour. I would have liked a bit more colour but it has the general feel and look of a really high quality frame. My impression of the new range much less so.



That trophy looks incredible in person



I had my eye beforehand on the red V2-R. What I was shocked about was how awful the finish was. The matt paint does make it look pretty ordinary but it was how the details were just stickers. Around the forks, stays, tubes. I think catch an edge wrongly and it's going to peel. What I couldn't understand is why the matt black frame the stickers were underneath a coating so there was no way they would peel. The glossy white was uninspiring and the art deco black one looked nice but at an extra £400 (yikes ) and the fact I already have a black bike with the C60 meant my options have gone.



Quite dull in person and everything you can see that isn't dull, I mean matt, red is stuck on!

Looks and feels very cheap and nasty





What an uninspiring colour and they want £3500 odd for it!!!



This one looked better but at a cost!



The white one in the background with the same style of stickers which looks very cheap but this one under lacquer at least



It was my first close up of the C64 and it felt a real step down in quality over my C60. The plain tubes looked somewhat cheap and the matt finish of the art deco blue looked totally underwhelming again and lacking any kind of vibrancy that a top end paint job should be. It almost looked as though the frames could have been a fake tube/lug construction like some of the chinese knock offs. I know they're not (supposedly) but really disappointed. Come on Colnago you can do far better than this and I'm not spending my money on any of these! I want something special for my £3500 to £4500. If I want ordinary I'll just get a Canyon or a Giant. What does anyone else think? I know these things come down to personal taste and all of that.

[alistaird]

I don't normally comment but was in my LBS and they have a C64 frame on display. Had a good look but it did nothing for me from a finish perspective. I have an E1and just got hold of a Dogma FPX and the finish on both is much better IMHO... Maybe because both my others are near the end of the made in Italy era?

A

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[bm0p700f]

I walked past the colnago stand and the bikes looked a bit ordinary.

[mag]

I can confirm the art decor ones seem to be done with more care (and for example I know there were many cases of the ordinary 2019 style frames being sold with the 2018 style seatposts- e.g. non-matching fonts - that isn't the case of the art decor frames), but yes that comes at a price. So just go with art decor if you can.

[velov]

Being Italian and having a pedigree is the only thing that has carried Colnago for a while now....and this is from someone who owns a C50. I don't get why people pay obnoxious prices for top-end Colnagos these days. The fabled ride quality of the C40 and C50 is long gone.

[robertbb]

I wouldn't waste my money on a new Colnago.

[moonoi]

I can confirm the art decor ones seem to be done with more care (and for example I know there were many cases of the ordinary 2019 style frames being sold with the 2018 style seatposts- e.g. non-matching fonts - that isn't the case of the art decor frames), but yes that comes at a price. So just go with art decor if you can.

Can't agree with that, after waiting almost a year for my art decor (CHDW) concept disc, the paint finish was terrible, with poor masking around the top of the headtube and seat post clamp, meaning that parts of the frame weren't even painted. Took a while to get Colnago to agree to refinish the paintwork, but has to be done locally, so after a month of riding it's stripped back down and off to the paint shop already. Love the ride of the bike, but the quality of finish is way below expectations. Definately not even close to my C60 MHCF.

Personally I found the Taiwan painted frames to be better quality than the Italian art decor ones.

[hannawald]

Not a Colnago fan but from pure aesthetics point I like c64, the red one or white-black combination. It looks modern and timeless at the same time:)

[mag]

Can't agree with that, after waiting almost a year for my art decor (CHDW) concept disc, the paint finish was terrible, with poor masking around the top of the headtube and seat post clamp, meaning that parts of the frame weren't even painted. Took a while to get Colnago to agree to refinish the paintwork, but has to be done locally, so after a month of riding it's stripped back down and off to the paint shop already. Love the ride of the bike, but the quality of finish is way below expectations. Definately not even close to my C60 MHCF.

Personally I found the Taiwan painted frames to be better quality than the Italian art decor ones.

Interesting. I've seen quite a few recent Colnagos (few Concepts and V2-rs, but mostly C64s) and if there were any art decor ones they always looked at least slightly better in details. Based on what you describe I'm guessing it could be due to some of their painter guys not being very good at it, so whenever you become the "lucky winner" of his work you're going to get issues like those you describe. But that would really affect only part of their production so you can still see some much better ones... In short, the quality of their work varies a lot, which is definitely not good as you most likely would have to go to Vatican and pray for the good of the whole universe to be the really lucky one and get a nicely painted frame. This shouldn't be necessary at those prices - they should take care of it for you.

With those painted in Asia I've seen some more general (small) problems affecting majority of them.

Also I have to say that most of their 2019 paintjob variants look... let's be nice and say... "somehow strange". I mean especially those secondary color details which OP describes as looking like stickers. That's especially for V2-r and Concept frames and I'd suggest to look for their 2018 versions if you can find some. And you should be able to get them at a discount so it's actually a double win.

As for whether they're worth purchasing (especially the C-series) - if you can get some at discounted price then why not. But the list price is another matter, I'd be hesitant here and would probably look at other Italian made (built) ones in this case.

[c60rider]

[/quote]

As for whether they're worth purchasing (especially the C-series) - if you can get some at discounted price then why not. But the list price is another matter, I'd be hesitant here and would probably look at other Italian made (built) ones in this case.
[/quote]

What would you recommend as an alternative? I was going to do another thread asking this question and probably still will but i was going to go for a v2r disc but i think that's unlikely now. The other frame i was considering was the 2019 Bianchi Infinito but I'm not all that keen on the celeste colour. I like Italian and Italian built would be even better.

[Visus]

I heard bad things about Bianchi service if you ever need it (though same as colnago)

I‘d look at Basso, still italian made (afaik) and personally made good experiences with the quality, durable finish of the paint (allthough my Astra frame is from 2009, so things may have changed)

Take a look at their „bikebook“ https://www.bassobikes.com/k-content/ba ... K_2018.pdf

Edit: the pdf isnt really up to date so better visit the website: https://www.bassobikes.com

[c60rider]

Yes the Basso diamante disc is one I've noticed and ticks several boxes, there's a bit of exclusivity about it, it looks really good and the finish looks impressive. I'm not keen on an integrated bar/ stem but it says that's only an option. Thanks for that

[nestornnk]

V2-r is painted in Taiwan and i noticed a few frames, all of them TNMR color with quality control issues.
Usually the frames painted in Italy like c64 and art decor colors are of a much higher quality.

[nestornnk]

As an alternative i will suggest the Cipollini Bond.
Their build quality is excellent and quality control is present at every stage of production

[mag]

Re Basso:
That's right, the new Diamante looks stunning, the available colors are just awesome. I keep looking at some of its photos almost every day since its launch - just can't help myself.
And I too don't like their stem especially, but it's true that you aren't forced to use it.
If you have an opportunity take it for a test ride since the older Diamante is a little harsh (more than one would expect I'd say) which might not suit you, but the new one should be better in this regard anyway.
Also, sometimes you may be able to have them do a sorta custom paint job for you (if you like a paint job of some other model, or even some old one which they don't do anymore, they're able to replicate it), they're quite open in this regard.

Another option is Sarto for example, with them you can have fully custom geometry.