Welcome Guest [ Login | Register ]

Colnago Ace.

Here is an article written by Chris Hill and published in Australian Cyclist Magazine.

Colnago ACE

By Chris Hill : 01-Mar-2010

The Colnago brand name has long been associatedwith exquisitely crafted top-end road bikes. It has been the leader inmanufacturing racing machines with cutting-edge frame design, supreme handlingand classic Italian paintwork. The only downside to these upsides is the heftyprice tag.

Colnago is the brand you would ride if only you could work up the gumption to persuade the wife to sell her car. And on a cost/benefit ratio, this ‘little' negotiation would come at too considerable a price as you'd be taking out the rubbish, mowing the lawn and driving the kids to school eight times a day. Well, the days of having to pay for sweet bikes in the form of heaps of chores and loads of goodwill could be over for good because, starting in 2010, you can have your two-car family, your wife's high regard AND your very own Colnago gracing the garage wall.

Colnago has finally started pedalling the streets of your everyday neighbourhood and, the best part, it has come bearing gifts.The Colnago ACE is fresh off the production line for 2010. It comes as a complete bike and possesses a full carbon monocoque frame, yes, carbon Colnago monocoque frame, all for under three-and-a-half grand. Well,a dollar under. It retails for $3499.

Colnago rates its frames on three criteria: weight, rigidity and comfort. Compared with the top-of-the-line models, its mid-range ACE doesn't take too many prizes for weight and rigidity, according to Colnago, but it packs a punch when comfort is factored in.

This is because the full carbon monocoque frame uses 49mm-diameter tubing in selected areas, which dampens road shock, and because it employs its new Real X-frame design. Real X means the bike's head tube is raised 20mm, to create a less extreme riding position.

This is great news for the target ridership of the bike: folks who don't want to blow their budget on a Colnago and break their back riding in an aggressive position in the process. And in this department the ACE came up trumps on its test ride.

It zipped along almost effortlessly on the flats, climbed in a sprightly mannerand had all the handling subtleties you would expect from a top-end Colnago.This was without having to spend 45 minutes on lower back, gluteal and hamstring stretching to make certain I could saddle up the next day. OK, that might be taking it a little too far, but there certainly is a market for classy bikes designed so you don't have to be as flexible-as-a-yoga-master and a five-massages-per-day professional bike rider to keep them in motion for a couple of hours. The only downside of the ACE is it could be argued that it's not the full deck when it comes to running gear. To couple such a sweet frame with Shimano 105 levers and derailleurs is a bit of a let-down. But I guess the price tag makes this an inevitability, sadly.

The Shimano RS20 wheel set is good without being great and the Colnago TIII700x23 tyres perform well in a straight line and around bends. I like the FSA handlebar, stem and seat post combination with its thick white tubing. And the Colnago saddle is surprisingly comfortable.

Colnago's new mid-range road bike, the ACE, is a positive step forward for a bike manufacturer that is looking to appeal to a new consumer group in an increasingly competitive market. It is not pitched at the niche boy racer, but boy, does it race.


Colnago ACE
Frame and fork: ACE full carbon
Brake lever: Shimano 105
Front/rear derailleur: Shimano 105
Chain: Shimano 10 Speed Chain
Freewheel: Shimano, CassetteSprockets 12-25
Stem: FSA Alloy Stem OS-150 WhiteØ31,6
Seat post: FSA SL-250 SBS WhiteØ31,6
Handlebar: FSA Wing Pro CompactWhite Ø31,8
Chainwheel: FSA Gossamer MegaexoCompact 38/52T
Wheel set: Shimano RS20
Tyre: Colnago TIII 700x23
Front/rear brake: Colnago X - Brake3
Saddle: Colnago 25
Sizes: 42/45/48/50/52/54/56/58
Colours: White and Red/White
RRP: $3499

Like to check our price?