Colnago C59 Disc

[jdtate101]

http://road.cc/content/news/54088-tapei-show-colnago-launch-c59-disc-road-bike

The future of road bike design or a waste of time.....discuss.

 

[ianrauk]

my new commuter is a road bike with discs. Kona Honky Inc.
Has BB7 disc brakes. It's not much heavier then my Alu Secteur road bike.
So, yes, why not?

 

[jdtate101]

Genuinely interested to see what the overall feeling is. On my CX I would love discs, but my roadie stops on a dime already, so I'm not sure what discs bring to that party.

 

[StuAff]

I'm with Ian on this. Michael Hutchinson (TT wiz and Cycling Weekly's Dr Hutch) has tweeted that Colnago doing this is like the Pope on a skateboard. I disagree. This, the Volagi Liscio, all the CX alu & carbon bikes with discs..they're only going to become more popular and the sooner the UCI sees sense (if it ever does) and allows disc brakes for pro bikes, the better. With one fell swoop you've got more consistent braking in all weather, zero rim wear, you've eliminated the potentially lethal risks of braking hard with carbon clinchers....

 

[gaz]

Disc brakes bring being able to stop in the bloody wet!!!!!!!

When I had a Day01 it was great in the wet, I was actually able to stop. Now back on rim brakes, you have to constantly think about your braking distance and how long it is going to take you to stop if you need to.

 

[Andrew_P]

If the Volagi was not over priced due to be being new start business and if there was not 14% + 20% Taxation on the Volagi, I would have pressed the buy button.

I have a Roubaix Comp and a Boardman CX Disc, I love riding the Roubaix it is just right for me and I have used it for commuting, I bought the CX as a winter bike the only things I really like about it are the brakes and when wet the full guards.

I really cannot understand and never have why not one bike designer has seen that 80%+ of their Road/Race bikes never ever get to see any competiton riding, the real logic is that they need to equip a bike that is fast light and usable all year round.

When commuting on the Roubaix I am cleaning it often even if just damp wet road, the wheels are a grey black sludgey mess, I go down some short sharp urban hills and on the Spesh in the rain I am always on the brakes clearing the rims just in case.

I am quite surprised that Colnago are the first box shifter to break ranks and the fact they have stuck the disc option on to the C59 I think it is quite a statement on intent.

 

[VamP]

I dunno.

A part of me thinks it's a solution looking for a problem.

Another part thinks that it might just be something the wider cycling populace will embrace. I guess Colnago are testing the waters, but it ain't gonna gain mass acceptance at the high end pricing where it sits at the moment. It can't be used for competitive purposes. So who's going to buy this? On trend early adopters with more money than sense in the first wave. Whether we progress beyond that remains to be seen.

 

[MacB]

Some interesting comments after the article especially around the decision to spec 140mm rotors. The perceived wisdon seems to be that the braking power would be fine but it would limit heat dissipation and increase forces through the dropouts. Probably not the best choice for the heavier riders among us

Still seeing a smattering of 'it's a solution looking for a problem' type comments, which is dismissing issues like rim wear, rim trueness and wet weather braking. These problems don't really exist the same for pros with support cars etc, but they are very real for anyone else. Whether they bother you or not doesn't matter, they bother enough people.

But I do think the decision to make them road race legal or not will remain a big stumbling block. If you're serious about racing are you going to want to train on a different braking system to the one you can use in a race?

 

[Andrew_P]

I think the biggest plus points of the Disc system have been missed by Colnago, and that is using the clearance left by the caliper for using some sort of smart looking QR mudguard. Although I doubt you will ever see that on a C59! I never have seen the logic in the marketing of "Sportive" distance bike that has not got the abilty to be properly protected from the the wet and protect the other Sportive riders.

I keep banging on about it because I think there is massive gap in the market.

 

[MacB]

I think the biggest plus points of the Disc system have been missed by Colnago, and that is using the clearance left by the caliper for using some sort of smart looking QR mudguard. Although I doubt you will ever see that on a C59! I never have seen the logic in the marketing of "Sportive" distance bike that has not got the abilty to be properly protected from the the wet and protect the other Sportive riders.

I keep banging on about it because I think there is massive gap in the market.

Waste of time, if you want that sort of bike, and I do, there's a decent amount of choice out there. Trying to sell mudguards to the boy racers just ins't going to happen. They 'get' mudguards with age and some of them not even then.

 

[Andrew_P]

Waste of time, if you want that sort of bike, and I do, there's a decent amount of choice out there. Trying to sell mudguards to the boy racers just ins't going to happen. They 'get' mudguards with age and some of them not even then.

The only thing I would say is that the box shifters would need to target a whole new sector, people who want to ride to work on a nice light fast carbon during the week, then quick release the guards and set off for some weekend riding.

I think my problem is I am not keen on the Alu\Titanium\Steel designed bikes that can take guards, I suppose in my own little way I have been corrupted by the marketing dept in to liking over sized sloping tubed carbon bikes, which in reality was only bought in so they didn't have to produce so many sizes..

 

[MacB]

The only thing I would say is that the box shifters would need to target a whole new sector, people who want to ride to work on a nice light fast carbon during the week, then quick release the guards and set off for some weekend riding.

I think my problem is I am not keen on the Alu\Titanium\Steel designed bikes that can take guards, I suppose in my own little way I have been corrupted by the marketing dept in to liking over sized sloping tubed carbon bikes, which in reality was only bought in so they didn't have to produce so many sizes..

Oh I get you and it's pretty much how I run my 'road' bike...I have little brackets that stay on the bike at the seatstay bridge and fork crown. The mudguards just slide on to these when I want them and they are cheap, about £12 a set. Though my version of a road bike does have mahoosive clearances, up to 700x42, can take full guards and the clip ons are hybrid ones so cover 700x32s nicely.

But that's not really what you're looking for, you'd like swishy carbon with tight clearances but the ability to easy on/off some clip on guards. The guards could even be in two parts so that the bike kept its 'sexy' lines when they weren't in use. Certainly simple enough, just needs some small fixings built in to the frame.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Hoards of MTB-ers waiting to be persuaded by the marketing types to cross over to the black stuff. They ain't going to buy a bike with rim brakes having become used to brakes that work.

Conservative roadies in racing caps are not the target market....

 

[dodgy]

A sobering read http://www.bikerumor.com/2012/02/14/road-bike-disc-brakes-are-coming-but-will-they-work/

I like the idea of discs on road bikes, but it seems the engineering challenge is greater than we may think. For me, discs would mean a much cleaner bike without the grey sludge and alloy embedded pads that most of us suffer in the winter here.

 

[MacB]

A sobering read http://www.bikerumor.com/2012/02/14/road-bike-disc-brakes-are-coming-but-will-they-work/

I like the idea of discs on road bikes, but it seems the engineering challenge is greater than we may think. For me, discs would mean a much cleaner bike without the grey sludge and alloy embedded pads that most of us suffer in the winter here.

Dear me, that link is getting a good work out today, the guy had superlight brakes designed for cross and then didn't even use them in an optimal manner.

Yes manufacturers need to be aware the people like to drage brakes but people also need to look beyond weight alone.