Bike porn

On the Bespoked tip, I can't find a decent picture from the stand but the Wittson frames looked serious.

The guy who builds them used to build the titanium Colnagos. The price seems really good - €1,989 with Enve fork and Chris King headset, and the integrated Ti seatmast, Paragon dropouts etc. Should be about £1,650 I guess. (Edit: also, lifetime warranty, free shipping and no import duty in the EU.)

I thought taking an armchair to the show was a stroke of genius on their part.

^^ That 1580g, is that just the frame? No fork and headset?

^ don't know, it's not clear from the site. I would guess that it's frame only but including the integrated seatmast.

Edit: clearly I'm not very familiar with Ti frame weights - if it's comparable to a Moots then it probably includes the fork.

GTFO!
Weird geo

Was wondering why you said, now I cannot unsee that ridiculously steep seat tube.

Actually so do Ritchey if you want light.

Oooh, good call.

6 and the most wanted Italian in the world

http://www.pignonfixe.com/showthread.php?tid=93339&page=167

that is not this guy?

piles of Lasers...

Smiles of Lasers?

The guy who builds them used to build the titanium Colnagos.

Shame Colnago ti frames had a nasty habbit of cracking...

the twin downtube ti colnago's were certainly problematic
"I have seen this and emailed around to a few bike shops and looked extensively on the web for reviews...the word on the street is to avoid this frame, it has severe breakage problems. Not all of them but a significant amount to make it risky to buy a frame like this. Lightweight and heavewieght riders all had problems so its not a matter of how hard you race it or how much you weigh. The seller told me that he has sold many of these in Europe and that none of them have broken but I was told(by bike shops and Colnago lovers) the Euro frames had the same problems as well. So maybe he is just saying that to try to offload the frame. Not worth the risk i think, considering you can't sue anyone or get a warranty, in case you are flying down a hill at 40 mph and the welds break. Nice frame but too risky."
the welder with the colnago experience may not be at fault. poss head office as the problem is regarded as a design flaw
''There was an inherent flaw in the design, with the two down tubes, especially with Ti. The down tube of a bike is where the strength of the bike really comes from. With 2 down tubes, it is literally impossible to create equal tension on those both (sort of like the spokes in the wheel - if one is off, the opposite one is stressed more while riding). With the Ti, when the bikes takes a lot of abuse, it tended to develop a crack in one of those tubes. Not horrible, but it would then have to be repaired, and you still might not get the correct tension, thus cracking again later down the road."
(source)
with the cti. id be more concerned about the ti-carbon stay join then cracking, not heard too much bad about the later models
still. if I was in the market for ti, i go for a ti orientated builder
if the bi tube stiffness problem was apparent in the carbitubo, glad i got a mono one

"Colnago clearly has a problem with Carbon longevity. I'd advise anyone to think many times before buying one. Their reputation for reliability is somewhat suspect.

I have had a CT1 (titaunium/carbon) from new. Bought in Dec 2005 and told it would last a lifetime. I have only ever used for summer events (no more than 2500 spring summer miles). I took it out from winter hibernation (nicely wrapped up and greased against rust), put on its SECOND ever chain (!) and noticed the drop-out had corroded and the carbon stay had developed a crack.

Shocking service from Colnago. They wasted lots of time with questions (all of which I answered fully) but after well over a week of emails with them they said hard luck it's too old. They also can't repair it...."
source from new. Bought in Dec 2005 and told it would last a lifetime. I have only ever used for summer events (no more than 2500 spring summer miles). I took it out from winter hibernation (nicely wrapped up and greased against rust), put on its SECOND ever chain (!) and noticed the drop-out had corroded and the carbon stay had developed a crack.Shocking service from Colnago. They wasted lots of time with questions (all of which I answered fully) but after well over a week of emails with them they said hard luck it's too old. They also can't repair it....)
(quite a discussion if your interested)
with c40, 50 and extreme c eras, only probs are stay joins to drop outs, there are no exit holes for excess water run out, so the joins can corrode on the inside

I had a Colnago Bi Titan and it cracked, not at the BB but at the top of the seat tube.

not near the clamp?

I didn't say I would build it, but that a lot of the thought that has gone into the design resonates with what I think would make a fun bike.

Just rustling your jimmies!

^ don't know, it's not clear from the site. I would guess that it's frame only but including the integrated seatmast.

Edit: clearly I'm not very familiar with Ti frame weights - if it's comparable to a Moots then it probably includes the fork.

A 57 ish moots standard road is around 1500 grams for frame only. RSL quite abit lighter. But moots was never about weight. Plenty of lighter ti frames out there.

not near the clamp?

yes, quite close.

would too much clamp torque been a suspect if the crack is not near a weld?

A 57 ish moots standard road is around 1500 grams for frame only. RSL quite abit lighter. But moots was never about weight. Plenty of lighter ti frames out there.

Yeah, by Moots I meant the lighter variants of the Vamoots. Dunno, I'm guessing now that weight includes the fork.

the twin downtube ti colnago's were certainly problematic

Yes, I'd heard the Bititan was fragile but I assumed that was mostly down to the design. Never understood those two small tubes over one large one.

Bugger, I rather fancied a Bititan. I suppose I'll have to satisfy my 'nago urges another way.

^ Italian tricolore cable donuts and Busyman bartape too, total wankfest.

The paintwork was genuinely incredible though, so sharp.

Isn't that just that Cinelli Caleido tape?

Isn't that just that Cinelli Caleido tape?

No, you can see the tricolore. Busyman does a lot of Baums too.

http://fyxo.co/

Fun colour match with the Grammo, but the straight lines are jarring next to the swoops on the frame.

would too much clamp torque been a suspect if the crack is not near a weld?

it was exactly around the edge of the weld of the seatstays.