Well folks, instead of rushing to the keyboard and banging out a blog post on this subject, I thought I would give it a few days to digest the pictures and information from the recent Taipei cycle show. Also, good to let the dust settle and collect one’s thoughts! Perhaps, like many other lovers of Colnago, when the pictures started beaming over from the show my initial thought were WOW, just taking in the whole visual impact from the pictures and information. To be honest, I really didn’t know what to think. I was pretty much sitting on the fence.
However, to be honest, after a few days of revisiting the pictures and getting my head around the whole ‘disc’ concept, It completely dawned on me just how good this disc breaking system is. My mind immediately went back to the Colnago prestige which I recently had on test ride from the lovely guys at Windwave who are the distributor for Colnago within the United Kingdom. That bike also came with disc brakes and functioned extremely well. In fact, the stopping power was immense and you could quite easy stop on a dime as our American friends would say.
So, with that in mind, why shouldn’t the principles of disc braking be applied to a road bike? Ok, getting over the initial visual hit of the disc brakes being on a Colnago C59, it really doesn’t look that bad! In fact, it gives it quite a beefy and meaningful look. Folks, I really think we need to be honest with ourselves here, this is the future…… embrace it! Ernesto has taken this by the short and curlies and placed it on a thoroughbred Colnago road frame. A frame with immense creditability if the name ‘Colnago’ didn’t quite hit the spot for you! Even at 80 years of age, this guy is still at the cutting edge of race bike R&D and it’s Italian!!!! What ever bike you ride or whatever team you follow, this has got to be commended!
So, how will disc brakes improve the international world of cycling and perhaps improve your own personal game? Well, this is my view of it all. Firstly, you get fantastic stopping power. I also remember when Ducati and MV Agusta upped their game with Brembo callipers, wow, could that sport bike stop. Not only could they stop, they also look drop dead sexy! So, come on folks, if the guys in the motorcycle world can get all worked up to a finally tuned orgasm, why can’t we! In months and years to come, this kit will look sexy with carbon fibre lust. You can just see it now!
Sorry, I digress slightly. Ok, what other benefits can we expect. Well, perhaps this will also free the hand of carbon fibre wheel builders etc. At the moment, they have to work in strength and of course rigidity within the carbon layup to allow for a strong and compliant brake surface. How many times have you attempted a tricky technical descent on a pair of carbon wheels which are either wet or incredibly hot. It’s no fun, that’s for sure! Or when the wet grit attaches itself the soft brake pads and then makes indentation marks on your rims every-time you apply the brake. Have you ever put your fingers over a pair of glowing hot carbon rims. We all know the braking issues. Also, we all remember the problems Geraint Thomas from Team Sky faced on stage 12 of the 2011 Tour de France, not funny. Especially, when he could of seriously injured himself or gone over the edge. Even the commentators were talking about carbon wheels being used in various conditions.
So, with this in mind, the whole disc concept will enable wheel builders to produce lighter and more agile wheels if they don’t have to take into consideration the whole braking surface issue. And….how about this, using a pair of latex inner tubes on a pair of carbon clinchers! At the moment, most carbon wheel builders will always warn against latex tubes with carbon clinchers. I have spoken at great length on this subject to Carbon Sports (Lightweight Wheels) and Michelin tyres. Also, Campagnolo warn against using latex inner tubes with their Hyperon clinchers! so, even this is great news!
Folks, we could waffle on about this subject all night discussing the pros and cons, but I just feel the future is very much all about disc brakes! Very thought provoking…Ciao!
Love the bike, love your ‘new’ blog. Look great!
Thanks my friend !
Love the new bike and I would love to have one. I will begin to save now so that I can continue the Colnago tradition in my house. I currently ride a 40 year old Master Light that rides as smoothly as ever and I put a couple of hundred miles a week on it. I love the Colnago brand and will continue to be loyal to it.
awesome c59,but no disc brakes for me.
Oh so juicy! Then add Di2 or maybe even Campy eps and you have one hell of a cx or road racer. Just plain awesome
Really like the new look of the website! Not yet sold on the idea of disc brakes on high end road race bikes. Don’t know that I need lighter rims, as the ones I have seem on the edge of where I’d want to be right now in terms of stiffness etc. and I’m not sure making them even lighter would make me happier at 80km/h or more frightened on a sketchy downhill. Pluses for discs include braking in wet conditions for sure, and it solves the problem of overheating carbon rims. The braking power generated is kind of a non-issue given the miniscule amount of rubber actually on the road. How easy would it be to lock that wheel up and skid?. Versus the tires in mountain biking and cross and the difference in terrain (pavement versus dirt). But the bulk, the added weight, on a high end road bike? Where every effort is made to drop every last gram. And with all the aerodynamic craze going on and the lengths manufacturers go to get rid of every last bit of wind turbulence, how do the disks affect that? The answer to that has to be “negatively”. There is a tradeoff between the two, and I don’t think it’s clear which one wins out in all conditions. I think discs make a lot of sense for almost every other discipline… cross, mtn, commuters, hybrids, but for the ultimate road racing bicyle, not quite so sure yet. However, it may follow that if all the other disciplines adopt them, then probably so must the high end road stuff if for no other reason than to fit into manufacturers “standards”. Time will tell. For now at least, I’m in no hurry to switch.
Once again the craftsmanship looks superbly clean and well thought out!
the cable routing at the chainstay was neatly executed..can it be possibly done on the fork as well? Also maybe it could look more aerodynamic if CF cover or that sort of is placed around the hydraulic mechanism interfacing the disc.
Thanks Guys…always great to get the views and comments!
As a guy who has one leg in the road community and the other in the MtB crowd, it is painfully agonising watching how slowly road bikes evolve relative to there dirt brothers. This is definitely a step in the right direction says the 80 kg rider who has smelled a lot of burning brake pads on long descents.
Next roadies need to embrace tubeless tires, another MtB innovation that is too long in coming to the road.
Euh… tubeless tires??? ‘Tubes’ (aka tubeless tires) have been around for ages in road cycling. Or do you mean someting different?
Beautiful bike made even more beautiful with Campy. I just can’t get used to a fine Italian machine with Shimano or SRAM (ugh). Once again, it will be the most coveted bike in the peloton but I will have to be happy with the Superissimo, C-40, Oval Master, and Master in my stable of bikes; each of which I love to ride.