Columbus Xcr Build Advice

Sergeant Rock

Hi

I am looking for advice on a new build project. After some lengthy research and cajoling of my misses I have been given the green light for a new frame purchase to replace my Look 566. The Look 566 has been a very comfortable bike but I have always found it a bit lacking in character. In contrast I got a Genesis Flyer a couple of years ago, which I think is great, and I restored my much loved Harry Quinn 531 for vintage time trial duty this year, which has also been fun to ride. Basically I have an itch for steel again but it needs to be fast, light, comfortable and lively.

I am planning to go for a Enigma Extensor Columbus Stainless Steel custom build. The build is going to be as per their standard specification except for the bottom bracket which will be a BB30 shell. The other option I am considering is an oversize seat tube which will allow me to fit a Storck SP185 Ultra Comfort Carbon Seat-pin, which has had great reviews, See here: http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/ ... -11-44709/ I am also hoping it will also stiffen up the bottom bracket area, along with the BB30 shell, to give a really positive feel but with the steel build and the Storck seat-pin it should still give a comfy ride.

Has anyone had experience of the Storck seatpost and or a Columbus Xcr build with a seat tube specced for 31.6mm seat post diameter. The Cinelli Xcr frame uses this standard but I have not found any test ride reports on this frame.

Adivce will be received with thanks.

giant_man

Have you tried the Extensor? I don't understand your need to go with a BB30 shell or the need to stiffen up the BB area. The Xcr is plenty stiff enough, and that area is beefy enough. Good choice on builder, the lads at Enigma are superb, you can get other makes who produce XCr frames of course, Cinelli being one and Milani being another, but in your position I would too go to Enigma, who are very accomodating and excel in customer service. Good luck with it.

sungod

Sergeant Rock wrote:

<...>
Has anyone had experience of the Storck seatpost and or a Columbus Xcr build with a seat tube specced for 31.6mm seat post diameter. The Cinelli Xcr frame uses this standard but I have not found any test ride reports on this frame.

Adivce will be received with thanks.

i've got a cinelli xcr, the seatpost is indeed 31.6

the frame is the stiffest i've ridden (but i've not ridden loads of bikes, so not sure where it really lies in the scheme of things), 'zingy' seems the popular description from this thread...

viewtopic.php?f=40042&t=12780379&p=16979569

for me, the seatpost makes a real difference to comfort on rougher road surfaces, i tried a few and now use a light cf post with a bit more give

wrt bb, i've got the original bb30 frame, but assuming there's not a big difference in the non-bb30 shell from columbus, i doubt you'd see much, if any, difference in stiffness there, for me the attraction of bb30 was the narrower stance it enables, also i like the minimal look and ease of service

bigpikle

have you thought about NOT using XCR? You are asking about a super stiff frame design and material yet looking for comfort at the same time?

I have an Elite and an Ethos, and the Spirit tubing in the Elite makes a plenty stiff and lively frame but doesnt sacrifice comfort in any way. I've covered >5000 miles on it since spring including >700km across the Raid Pyrenean in 4.5 days and had no comfort issues. I also have an old 531 race frame and the Elite is far more comfortable than that, with the CF fork vs 531 certainly helping, as well as riding better as well.

Just a thought...

crankycrank

Why not consult with Enigma and tell them what you want for ride characteristics? They are the experts in determining what type of construction should be used to achieve a particular result. Changing to a specific seat tube dia or BB type can change the feel a bit and possibly not in a good way.

ynyswen24

I agree with crankycrank. If Xcr is anything like 953 then it'll be very stiff, perhaps more so than the vast majority of riders will require or want. If you're going to get an enigma then talk things through carefully with them first, Mark at enigma knows his stuff and can find the tubing combination to give you what you want.

Sergeant Rock

Hi Guys

Thanks for the feedback so far. I am currently dealing with Jim at Enigma, who indeed is being very helpful, and I am going down later in the month to get a fitting and test ride the Extensor and the Elite and probably the Ti Excel for comparison. Not definitely set on the Extensor, really just exploring possibilities at the moment, but I do like some of the particular features of stainless steel particularly the fact that you can polish it and leave it unpainted and its corrosion resistance.

As a compromise I am also considering a hybrid build, which I believe they have done before, with XCR seat and chain stays and the rest of the frame in Columbus Spirit tubing, as used on the Elite. I would have the rear end polished and then have a painted front end so it would just look like a painted Extensor but if the Extensor is as stiff as indicated it should soften things up a bit but would still give me the finish I want and a positive lively ride.

With regard to the BB30 bottom bracket my reasons are similar to what 'sungod' said. Better ankle clearance, cleaner look and easier set up. Maybe I've been unlucky but I've gone through a lot of bottom brackets in the last few years so I'm keen to try this standard. I also recently picked up a latest model FSA SL-K compact BB30 chainset at a silly price (£275) brand new, boxed from http://www.buybikebits.co.uk/acatalog/F ... t--73.html and will use this in my build.

Regarding the oversized seat tube, sounds like this is a step to far.

Any more advice welcome. I will let you know how I get on later in the month.

ugo.santalucia

Sergeant Rock wrote:

Hi Guys

Thanks for the feedback so far. I am currently dealing with Jim at Enigma, who indeed is being very helpful, and I am going down later in the month to get a fitting and test ride the Extensor and the Elite and probably the Ti Excel for comparison. Not definitely set on the Extensor, really just exploring possibilities at the moment, but I do like some of the particular features of stainless steel particularly the fact that you can polish it and leave it unpainted and its corrosion resistance.

As a compromise I am also considering a hybrid build, which I believe they have done before, with XCR seat and chain stays and the rest of the frame in Columbus Spirit tubing, as used on the Elite. I would have the rear end polished and then have a painted front end so it would just look like a painted Extensor but if the Extensor is as stiff as indicated it should soften things up a bit but would still give me the finish I want and a positive lively ride.

With regard to the BB30 bottom bracket my reasons are similar to what 'sungod' said. Better ankle clearance, cleaner look and easier set up. Maybe I've been unlucky but I've gone through a lot of bottom brackets in the last few years so I'm keen to try this standard. I also recently picked up a latest model FSA SL-K compact BB30 chainset at a silly price (£275) brand new, boxed from http://www.buybikebits.co.uk/acatalog/F ... t--73.html and will use this in my build.

Regarding the oversized seat tube, sounds like this is a step to far.

Any more advice welcome. I will let you know how I get on later in the month.

So.. why not the excellence? The other frames look no different from any standard off the peg bike with sloping geometry, but the excellence is a little work of art... I urge you to think again

As for the steel, who cares... the difference between one and another is beyond perception

Hoopdriver

I have one of Enigma's 'Excellence' builds and it is lovely - I had it made out of Columbus Spirit and love it

Here is a gallery of images of Mark Reilly building the frame:

http://www.my-bicycle-and-i.co.uk/2011/the-fine-art-of-framebuilding/

And another about the build itself:

http://www.my-bicycle-and-i.co.uk/2011/my-new-bicycle-and-i/

THe guys at Enigma were great - very knowledgeable and helpful; highly recommended.

Sergeant Rock

Thanks for the info 'hoopdriver', your build is absolutely beutiful. I had had a look at the Excellence and wasn't considering it because I thought it might be a little to retro. My Harry Quinn has similar, all be it not polished lug work, to the frame shown on the Enigma website, and is a real beauty. But I have built this bike up using new old stock period parts or parts that are very sympathetic to its time i.e. no carbon fibre or coloured anodising.

The build I am looking at now will be using a fully up to date component spec i.e. lots of carbon and I would have to see one in the flesh / speak to the guys at Enigma to get a feel as to whether it would look right.

Of course it could look stunning what ever I put on it!

Hoopdriver

THe guys at Enigma are very knowledgeable and can make you a frame that'll look good with whatever spec you put on it. Don't underestimate colour. I think colour and livery make a big difference too; there's no way the colour scheme on mine would work with carbon

bigpikle

I was going to hold out for an Excellence build but got a great deal on my Elite frame so decided not to wait and save loads instead. It will come one day though

Hoopdriver - yours is a great looking build.

Eyorerox

Cycling Plus say the canyon seat post is the most comfortable, sounds like snake oil to me

http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/ ... -11-45082/

have a look at this old article regarding different steels

http://www.habcycles.com/m7.html

Click on the pages to make them larger

Sergeant Rock

Excellent article. Never seen a test like this before. I guess it confirms the artisan of the frame builder is what ultimately counts.