Colnago, Roubaix or CR1_which one ??

Carpe Diem

Hi,

I,m looking to upgrade my bike to a full carbon job, mainly for sportive rides (Etape/Marmotte etc) and training in good weather.

I,m a bit of a porker at 200ibs and I currently ride an airborne Zep, which has got me around the last 2 Etapes.

Am I too heavy for carbon? One Lbs said the Viner reviewed recently had a rider limit of 90KG

Also which of the above bikes should I consider, the Roubaix is a used s-works sl dura ace, the Colnago the CLX model with 105 group and the Scott is the CR1 Pro, all are a similar price.

Thanks

pneumatic

Bit of a porker? Getting on a bit? Having trouble keeping the old love handles inside the lycra? Still enjoy a pint as much as a pedal?

Tell me about it! 95 kilos and still riding.

My Roubaix hasn't complained yet. On the contrary, it goes like a missile and I have trouble keeping up with it.

Haven't tried the other two, so can't really comment on them, but the bike shop took one look at me and said "try the Roubaix, sir!". They were not wrong.

Technical reasons for this include the zertz dampners and the high headtube, giving a more forgiving ride than a standard road bike, without any discernible loss of performance.

I've not heard of a frame giving way under the weight of the rider, and I've seen some spectacularly rotund middle aged riders out on Sunday rides in France.

So, my advice would be to test ride a Roubaix.

Brian B

Conlago extreme power has no upper rider weight limit - all other colnagos have an 85kg upper limit but like every thing else nowadays it is probably some legal get out clause.

top_bhoy

Brian B wrote:

Conlago extreme power has no upper rider weight limit - all other colnagos have an 85kg upper limit but like every thing else nowadays it is probably some legal get out clause.

Indeed - and should it snap mid-way down a descent, you're stuffed - in more ways than 1.

I'd like to think that Colnagos testing regime means that the frame will have been tested to an extreme range of weight tolerances but pared back by a percentage for safety and legal reasons. I wouldn't recommend exceeding the manufacturers statements.

aracer

Top_Bhoy wrote:

Brian B wrote:

Conlago extreme power has no upper rider weight limit - all other colnagos have an 85kg upper limit but like every thing else nowadays it is probably some legal get out clause.

Indeed - and should it snap mid-way down a descent, you're stuffed - in more ways than 1.

I'd like to think that Colnagos testing regime means that the frame will have been tested to an extreme range ofweight tolerances but pared back by a percentage for safety and legal reasons. I woudln't recommend exceeding the manufacturers statements.

I find that very hard to believe - I thought all that chunkiness in a Colnago made them wonderfully strong, so why do they need weight limits? I mean it's hardly as if the frames themselves are super light. By contrast my much cheaper yet lighter carbon frame has no weight limit, despite not having all the obvious chunkiness which would make it strong.

(apologies to the OP for hijacking your thread - those who this is aimed at know who they are).

Carpe Diem

Brian B wrote:

Conlago extreme power has no upper rider weight limit - all other colnagos have an 85kg upper limit but like every thing else nowadays it is probably some legal get out clause.

Thats interesting, the LBS selling me the Colnago assured me there was no weight limit and it was plenty strong enough!

Did you get this info off the web? any advice would be much appreciated

Lagavulin

I currently have an Allez but I'm looking at a new bike and considered a fair few bikes including the Cannondale System Six 105, a Roubaix of some description, a Tarmac and the Colango CLX.

I've been told to ride a Colnago with Shimano would be like selling your soul to the devil but I can live with that, and the 2008 model in white looks simply stunning to me. My white RR1850s might make it look even more "ooooh".

The thing thats putting me off the Colnago is the lack of a dealer. I'm on Tyneside and I believe the nearest Colnago dealer is the Teeside area. After that I think its Cumbria.

With regards the Roubaix, the more relaxed ad comfortable ride appeal to me but there appears to be two different frames for the Roubaix. The Comp and Eite frames appear to differ from the Expert, Pro and S-Works models.
Is it worth paying for the Expert?

I owuld liek to get into half-day and full-day riding. Right now my Allez starts to take its toll on my after about 4 hours in the saddle. Is the Tarmac any more forgiving than the Allez or is it purely a racing bike?

Brian B

This is not where I got my info and I cannot remind where I read about 85kg but i remind reading it somewhere and I was 87kgs at the time and thought well thats a Colnago out out the frame(pun intended) when choosing a new steed at the start of this year.


http://www.competitivecyclist.com/za/CC ... CT.ID=1849

Carpe Diem

Just been on the Colnago website.

The warranty states, riders above 95kg must request Colnago to fabricate them a frame for their weight.

So I just get in, I,ve got 5 kilo's of cake to play with before I,m back on the Ti bike

greg roche

I rode for Nippo last year and we were sponsored by Colnago in Italy. I'm not aware of what Colnago say about upper weight limits on their bikes, but at the team we all had teh relatively basic Strada SL frames for training and racing. However, the Polish rider on the team , Marius, (who won teh Archer GP that year) was 82 or 3 kilos and one of teh most powerful riders i've ridden with. Colnago provided him with a custom Ti frame that was badged up to look like ther rest of ours - but it wasn't. He told me it was because Colnago didn't want him breaking an SL.

I wouldn't have thought you'd breat a Roubaix, though. If you're set on Carbon, i think i'd look at one of those.

Greg

top_bhoy

I don't want to sound obnoxious but I would lose the weight first on a relatively inexpensive bike and when lighter, get the more expensive carbon frame kit - then it'll feel better, probably have a greater choice of frame and a greater sense of satisfaction in achieving a goal when it all comes together .

Carpe Diem

Thanks for the replies.

My weight fluctuates during the year, as the etape approaches, I,m down near 82-84 kilo's.

I,ve always been a big lad(think rugby player) and I,m in my 40's now, so losing weight is getting hard work.

I dont want to be up near the limits on these bikes, so I think I'll stick with Ti.

I,ve just ordered an Enigma Echo, I,ve ridden the etape frame and it was fine, the echo is similiar, just a bit more racier.

acorn_user

@lagavulin
Which tyneside shops have you been to? I assume the Specialized is at Edinburgh bikes? M Steels would sort you out with a nice Condor or Trek. Ask custom_freak about those

Lagavulin

I've mainly used the Edinburgh Co-Op in Byker.

I've had a few looks into Denton Cycles and while I've not used M Steels as yet I've heard very good things.

Apparently we've now got an Evans at the Metro Centre.

Monty Dog

For powerful riders, a Roubaix is probably too flexible based on feedback from two friends who ride them - great training bikes, but less so for really pushing-it.