Europcar Colnago C59

Velonutter

After my buying my Colnago C59 15oth Anniversary Edition with some money that my mum left to me in her will last year, I also bought off Fleabay a new Ex-Demo 2012 Colnago CX-1 Frameset from the Ukraine at a very silly price that I intended to use on my training nights.

Last December I converted it to run Campagnolo EPS Record and documented it on here: -

viewtopic.php?f=40004&t=12893473&p=18039504#p18021806

Unfortunately I only got to ride it on the Turbo (racked up about a 1000 miles on it) and never had an opportunity to try it on the road as unfortunately my daughter came in from taking our two boxers for a walk and as they had muddy feet she hooked their leads over the left hand shifter whilst it was in the turbo in the hallway whilst she went to fetch a bucket of water to clean their feet.

Now one of the Boxers is a little bit skittish to any noise as they had both been abused prior to us getting them last June.

All of a sudden with my back turned, sure enough Macey raced up the hallway startled by something, towing my other boxer - Lucy and my bike :shock: :roll: :shock: the inevitable happened with a combined weight of 80kgs towing a Carbon bike up a 30ft hallway and the bikes top tube collided with the stairs and fractured the top tube, it was just an accident so no need to get angry or upset, the bikes were covered by insurance, so within 5 minutes I was on the phone to M&S Home insurance.

Everything started very smoothly except that there were no CX-1's with EPS fitment available in a 50s in the UK in a colour I liked, the bike replacement company that they use couldn't offer any assistance as they aren't Colnago dealers, Windwave couldn't help, so I asked my Italian friend if he could help as he had previously obtained my C59 150th Anniversary edition for me.

Now the insurance policies guidelines are to try and put you back into a position no worse that you were prior to your claim, so they had said to me that if I could find an M10 or C59 in a colour I liked then they would cover that.

Some weeks later and my mate came back to say that they couldn't get that colour for me (Colour GDEC), so I came off the phone, thinking I'll do a quick google and see if there is anything available new to my previous searches and I came up with this (Colour CSLM): -



http://dutchandwolf.co.uk/products/fram ... ight-bike/

Mark at Dutch & Wolf was very helpful and agreed to liaise with my insurance company, the Insurance company agreed that I could have it, so a week ago I popped up to Mark to collect the frame, he had ordered the Matt black Seatpost to follow and some Matt Black bottle cages (these are still to follow).

There was a small delay getting the bike built as Windwave hadn't provided the correct Battery mount, but again Mark was excellent at sorting all this out, eventually last Friday Parkers came to the rescue and obtained one for me.

Friday at 2 in the morning the parts from the CX-1 had been transferred to the new frame and the bike was ready for its christening.

I had a fat burning ride to do Saturday morning, only two hours but it should be enough to put it through a safety check before a 70+ ride yesterday.

I realised that I hadn't quite got the front mech or the shifters aligned perfectly and the Colnago Bar Tape was not for me as it was too chunky, so that afternoon, I corrected everything and took it out yesterday for a 72 mile ride.

I had bought some new Bullet Ultra Wheels but decided to stick with my Chinese wheels as they seemed to match the bike better, all I can say is F@#*ing Hell I knew the bike would ride well as it was equal to my other C59, but I never expected the EPS to be that good, it was just awesome, never have I experienced anything like that on the road, when climbing and changing gears it was brilliant, down hills you had to keep checking that you had changed gears completely as it was so quick, I just wish everyone of my bikes was EPS, Campag have certainly got things right, I have Super Record on my other C59 and I thought that was good, but the record EPS just knocked it into a cocked hat

So here are the pictures, I'm still waiting for the Matt Black Colnago Bottle Cages, I bought some new 3T Ergonova ARX Ltd bars and stem to match my other Colnago, the saddle is the Fizik Kurve as I didn't have too much of a problem with that previously even though I have switched all my other bikes to Selle C2's, but I thought I would give this one another go. The wheels are the Chinese 50mm in Matt with the lightweight Novatec hubs on, they weigh about 1570g and are shod with Michelin Pro4's...my favourite tyres 8)

So there you go, this frame is just stunning in daylight, there really is nothing to describe how in your face the colours are and to be truthful after washing it from yesterdays ride this morning the Matt Black cleaned up a treat: -



So I've never been really lucky in lotteries and draws etc. apart from being blessed with a great family, this really turned out to be my lucky day, so along with my other C59, R5 VWD, Cervelo P2 TT bike, Kinesis Gran Fondo and my vintage Geoffrey Butler Track Bike, what more could a man asked for...well perhaps a Colnago Master X-lite in Saroni Red :-)

Thanks for looking.

BTW the CX-1 Frame is for Sale for £200 (Originally from Windwave it was £2495), I'll photo it and put it on the Classifieds, http://www.carboncyclerepairs.co.uk/index.html reckons they can easily fix and spray the damage for £275+VAT so if anyone is looking for a fantastic frame, then they really couldn't go wrong

lovestheclimb

Incredible colour scheme, the best I have ever seen.
I think next bike has to be exactly this one, wouldn't change anything.
It's also a pleasure to read when you have come out 'equal/better' from the insurance company after misfortune.
Enjoy, and more pictures definitely!!

the_fuggler

I'm in love. Beautiful!

upperoilcan

Ooohhh i like that.

One more will see you have a bike for every day of the week !.

greasedscotsman

Love the colours, but has your saddle slipped?

Velonutter

Thanks Lads, the more I look at it the more I love it, you have to see the colours in the flesh to truly appreciate it.

As for the saddle, after my bike fit with Adrian Timmis, he set the saddle at 6.8cm behind the BB, the saddle is a c0ck hair slightly pointing down as I do my saddles with a spirit level, I know it looks weird, I can only assume that it looks worse with that Kurve saddle.

Just had a funny thought, on Saturday when I was out on this I was overtaken by loads of cyclists, but as I was fat burning I had to keep my HR down, I must have looked a right Mamil riding such a lovely bike at 14mph in order to keep my HR under 110bpm :roll:

mallorcajeff

Just stunning that. Really nice build. Enjoy that. My dog damaged my bike too and he was an abandoned too. Must be something about them haha

Beautiful colour.

declan1

That's just beautiful.

Only thing I would change is the seatpost. Maybe get the Profile Designs setback one. It just looks wrong at the moment.

Velonutter

Thanks All.

The seatpost is the official Matt Black Colnago C59 seatpost with gloss lettering, it's a £200 seatpost, and if you compare it with my other C59 it's exactly the same, probably just an optical illusion because it's in black or either because of the shape with the Fizik Kurve Saddle, everyone is welcome to their own thoughts.

TKF

A C59 training bike. Incredible.

alihisgreat

I hope you've got a good TV tommy grimace?

Velonutter

TKF wrote:

A C59 training bike. Incredible.

Nah, not a training bike, I was just lucky that the insurance company upgraded me, I played things very honestly, I don't believe in trying to scam insurance companies for every penny, just played it straight.

I only do the odd TT, so I don't otherwise race, just nice to have a few bikes to chose from...the R5 is the training bike....lol

kev77

Very nice

matthewhall

Wow wow wow, beautiful bike. Would u take three kids and a dog as part exchange?

declan1

matthewhall wrote:

Wow wow wow, beautiful bike. Would u take three kids and a dog as part exchange?

I don't think he'd want another dog :P

jimmybloom

Holy cow, that's a serious machine right there. Beautiful!

mr_sj

Sunning, absolutely stunning.

Beautiful colour scheme and i just love colnagos. This photo has just convinved me to spend the next few years saving and make my next bike a colnago

Velonutter

Thanks for all your kind comments. 8)

Reading this back again I must look like some flash git :oops: , but I ain't, I would never have had my first C59 if it hadn't been for my Mum, the CX-1 frameset cost me $1750 so was a bargain and that is all it really cost me for the new C59 thanks to the insurance company to replace that with a three and a half grand frame. The R5 I took advantage of their special offer last year to buy one at half price for £1750. I've just been lucky with bargains, I don't have holidays because of my work, don't drink (well rarely) and I build all my bikes from mostly second hand parts apart from the EPS and even that came off fleabay.

I do like to see beautiful designs though and Colnago's light my fire, however this years range does seem rather drab apart from a couple like the Nero, I'm told that Ernesto left the colours to his nephew to chose, whether this is true or not I don't know, but I do think they have gone wrong a little.

TKF

Velonutter wrote:

Reading this back again I must look like some flash git :oops:

I personally don't read it that way and I've enjoyed your bike posts. You are obviously passionate about bikes and actually ride them.

I wish I could justify buying a £1750 frame. That's nearly my entire budget for my next complete bike purchase and I'm already getting it in the neck from her indoors!

Ben6899

Velonutter wrote:

Reading this back again I must look like some flash git...

Not at all. At least you ride your bikes. There's a proliferation of folk who only seem to ever build/sell/swap/build bikes.

Enjoy!

Velonutter

Thanks Lads, I'm glad you see me like that, yep I'm passionate, I ride five times a week and it's great to break the monotony, I love new technology even though I can't take advantage of it and ride faster for longer. I'm just a middle aged bloke with a desire to ride things younger than myself :shock:

Safe riding!

styxd

It looks amazing, apart from the stem spacers.

Velonutter wrote:

Just had a funny thought, on Saturday when I was out on this I was overtaken by loads of cyclists, but as I was fat burning I had to keep my HR down, I must have looked a right Mamil riding such a lovely bike at 14mph in order to keep my HR under 110bpm :roll:

Go faster, you'll burn more fat.

beancounter

I thought my Colnago stable was coming along nicely but I can't match two C59's!

Chapeau, sir.

bc

Velonutter

@ styxd Yep I will trim the top spacers down, I need to do that all on my bikes, but you know how it is, either take the forks, bars, front brake cable off and then cut and not ride your bike or go out on your bike and hope no one notices...lol

@beancounter you do indeed have a lovely stable, I sold my C40 to fund another Colnago, sometimes I wish I hadn't as it really was a cool ride, I wouldn't mind a CT1 but I think the Saroni is calling albeit some time away yet and away from the eyes of my wife, do you think she would notice my changing my Silver/Grey R5 and swapping it for a Saroni red Master?

maxlite

Wow amazing bike, love the build and colour

shipley

Looks fantastic.

My dream bike

awsm

The picture of the frameset alone I really didn't like the colourway but scrolling down and see'ing it built... wow looks absolutely stunning :shock:

flasher

Lovely 8)

Would lose the logos from the wheels though.

Velonutter

Flasher wrote:

Lovely 8)

Would lose the logos from the wheels though.

Thanks, I hadn't intended to use those wheels as I have some Bullet Ultras which I was going to use, but for now these will stay on until I've had a chance to see which looks better.

Rich.H

That looks lovely John. I'm glad you have paved the way for dual C59 ownership

Rich

Velonutter

Rich.H wrote:

That looks lovely John. I'm glad you have paved the way for dual C59 ownership

Rich

Thanks Rich, when are you getting yours?