gsa103

Going from a road to mountain bike, you'll typically pick up 2-3 mph just from reduced aero drag.

Another option would be bank the money and say if I get under 90kg then I'll get the C60.

eja_ bottecchia

@robbo400 You write about having a fear that you are not good enough for your C60. Nonsense mate! 99% of the people here are not good enough for the bikes we ride. I was rding on a century ride and I thought that I was doing well. Towards the end of the ride I was climbing an 8% grade and hammering away when all of the sudden I was passed by a guy riding a heavy, steel frame single speed bike.

He looked at me, smiled, wished me a good day and then rode to the top ahead of me.

Yes he was faster than I was on that ride...but the ear to ear grin on my face, while riding the C60, couldn't be matched.

robbo400

@motosonic : thanks for the suggestion about Wilier. I remember the Pirate riding them before Mercatone switched to Bianchi and also borrowed a friend's Wilier Lavaredo for a month in the late 90s. Great bike and I would rate them n a par with Bianchi.
@gsa103 : great suggestion in terms of motivation. In the meantime, I need something to help me get to 90kg...
@Bottechia : if I may call you "Ottavio" thanks for the morale boost. nice story. The thought of that C60 and its attraction is so big

Thanks all. I'll keep you updated. Please keep any ideas on an interim bike coming...

kbarch

The only thing I'd add is that, while you may wonder if it's practical or if you might regret it, if you feel compelled to ask whether you should splurge on something, then you probably shouldn't, especially if you aren't normally the type to seek validation from other people. The C60 is nothing more or less than an object of desire, and we don't need anyone to tell us how much we desire or are willing to love something.

redfooj

Buy a used Glashuette Senator.

wphamilton

I always do, at least a little bit. But there is something about owning and using something of extraordinary quality, that is extravagant by your own standards, that always makes it pleasurable. I can't deny that, and surely wouldn't try to deny it for anyone else.

If @robbo400 truly wants the Colnago but is only worried about the "fiscal responsibility" of buying it with his bonus, it's probably that sort of thing and it will be well worth it.

CliffordK

So, around 220 lbs, and about 22 lbs over the limit. Many "limits" by manufacturers are quite conservative.

What I would do and what a sane person would do may not be the same. What is the limit on? Frame? Wheels? Perhaps De Rosa would clarify. Personally, I'd probably ride it. Be careful about bumps, and leave the backpack home.

Anyway, I don't think I'd use that as an excuse to leave it hanging in the garage.

I'm sure I've been way over the limit on my old Colnago Super... more about that later.

I wouldn't worry about insulting Ernesto, or your "worthiness"... Just how much you will ride, and whether you will ride more with a bigger smile when on the C60.

I'm a very long-time Colnago rider. I posted a photo of my C-40 earlier. But, I bought my Colnago Super when I was about 16, many moons ago

Perhaps Ernest would have groaned at the thought of one of his fine racing bikes coming to the USA, getting a now vintage rack installed, and spending time from commuting to light touring, and being used by a High School student, and a College Student.

Fast forward 30+ years later, and it is much more battered. It has lost a few of its original Campy parts. But... it is still on the road. It isn't a wall hanger, or stuck in the bottom of some "collection". Probably not a lot of miles, but the years and miles do add up.

Even after being replaced by a younger, sexier sibling, it still enjoys some road time. And, not quite according to the original design specs.



I pass people, and get passed by people. I don't worry about it anymore.

Anyway, this is an early enough frame that it is quite possible that old Ernesto was involved with the actual production, and perhaps brazing. I would hope that it brings a smile to his face with the thought that his frame is rapidly approaching 50, and has seen pretty continuous use over those years, even if it has retired from the race course decades ago.

It is hard to say. Of course, I have the C-40 not he C-60. But, I've been riding skinny tire road bikes since I was about 10, so it would be impossible to tell how one person will react to another. I think I would be comfortable on any one.

You have the MTB and the DeRosa. Perhaps you could compare the two as a start. Your bike won't (shouldn't) suddenly crumble in the first 10 miles of riding it. Although, perhaps you don't want to ride it for thousands of miles without clarifying the design concerns.
Really not bad after being off the bike for many years. And on a MTB.

Many casual riders like to sprint to 20 MPH, but spend a lot of time at slower speeds. Add a few MPH, and your ride corresponds to 16 to 18 MPH... Nothing to fret about.

You could custom build a used Roubaix frame, or just about anything else with Campy if you wish.

I really like the 11s Campy I built my C-40 up with (mostly).

However, I was also noting that my Tricross shifts nicely, and I think with Shimano Tourney? So, perhaps one shouldn't give up on Shimano.

Shuffleman

Funny, I was thinking the same thing. The GTR is beautiful. OP, why not stick to a weight loss regime and get back on the DeRosa? I ride Colnago and love them but De Rosa makes just as sweet of a bike. De Rosa is a special bike and you could develop a nice sense of achievement by making weight for it. Buy the hybrid and get the weight down for the bike you have.

CliffordK

For some reason, Campagnolo has been slow at releasing hydraulic disc brakes.

One could still use other brand mechanical, or mechanical/hydraulic hybrid brakes with the Campy brake levers.

But, I would foresee the new Campy hydraulics making a big splash in the European comfort and cross bike markets, whenever they are officially released.

One can't wait for vaporware forever, but it might be a reason to have some patience with new purchases.

kingston 

In 2010, I was around 220 lbs and decided I wanted to lose some weight so I made some big lifestyle changes and started riding my bike. It was a mountain bike that I bought new in 1990 and swapped out the tires for some heavy slicks. At the time, I went to a few bike shops and really wanted to get a fancy road bike. I made a deal with my wife that when I lost 30lbs, I could treat myself to a fancy new road bike. It took me a couple of years to do it riding that old mountain bike, and in that time I learned that I don’t really need what a fancy road bike has to offer, so I bought a decent off-the-rack touring bike for around $1,500 instead. Fast forward another 5 years or so, and I’ve lost another 25lbs and accumulated half-a-dozen or so more bikes that may be worth £5,000 all-together. I ride somewhere between 5-6,000 miles a year and still don’t feel the need for a fancy road bike. I live in a fairly well-to-do area and see a lot of overweight guys in their 50’s riding expensive new road bikes with a fistful of spacers and the stems and handlebars all jacked up and think to myself that they could be just as slow and a lot more comfortable on a much less expensive bike. This is not to say that you shouldn’t get the C60, just that what I thought I wanted when I got back into cycling and what I want now are very different.

eja_ bottecchia

@robbo400

Actually my first name is Ernesto, like Colnago. The screenname bottecchia comes from my first Italian race bike, the 1989 Bottecchia SLX shown in some of the pictures that I have posted on BF.

I talked to Mike a few weeks back, we also exchange regular e-mails. He used to sponsor a racing team. He son was a racer, mostly in Belgium. Mike rode, as he likes to say, on the same roads that The Cannibal rode...Mike was actually in some of the same races as Merckx.

He love Belgium road racing and he is a big fan of the Spring monuments.

You can buy any of the bikes suggested here and you will do just fine. Buy a bike from The Maestro and if you develop a friendship with him, as I have done, you are going to get more than just a superlative bike, you will get a real education on cycling.

If my health permits it, I will do next year's Tour de Flanders (the amateur version if course). His son may meet me in Belge and be my "guide."

Cheers mate!

lorenzo01

I am a big fan of both vintage and new Colnago steel bikes.

lsberrios1 

Get the C60. I'd love to have one if the opportunity arises. Sounds like a good build

Red90

Whether or not the C60 is worth it to you is a very personal question. It has a lot of great things going for it from being a great bike, rich history, name, Italian made and great looks. Whether those things are worth it for you depends on your own financial capability and how much your willing to spend on those attributes. No one can tell you whether or not 5K is right or wrong.

The bigger problem is that you care what other people think. If you decide to cycle, you have to be thick skinned enough to realize cycling is for yourself and your own enjoyment. Who cares if your fully decked out in spandex and carbon, and some old dude in flip flops on a Walmart bicycle our rides you up a hill. I've been humbled many times, but I cycle because it makes me happy. When I first started cycling I felt my heart was going to explode and legs were on fire just on the tiny hill that tourist were easily putting along on.

Now I can get up local mountains and do some gran fondo events. And all of that is from incremental gains from pushing my cardio and muscles. As the famous saying sort of goes, "it never gets easier, you just get faster". Still, most people that are out road riding are faster than me. That doesn't mean I don't deserve to have a nice bike. If I spend all this time riding, suffering and conquering, I damn deserve a nice bike that I can afford. I don't care if it's more bike than my body, it makes me happy and I spend hours on it, screw what anyone thinks.

pdedes

ochs und junior moon phase. ride the de rosa

eja_ bottecchia

Agreed 100%. Just look at my signature.

That's a beautiful bici.

lorenzo01

I think once you go Colnago, you never go back . I am going to pick up this new Arabesque tomorrow.

eja_ bottecchia

Yep, it's a cult-like thing.

BTW, gorgeous bike!

lorenzo01

The last bits are going on tomorrow. I hope to have some better pics soon.

gsindela

Get the C60. I suspect you'll always be longing if you get something down the scale.

bruce19

Sounds like every Spring to me.

WhyFi

dunrobin

I'm not familiar with the c60...it's not in my pay grade. I can tell you that cycling helped me lose 30lbs and moderate my knee arthritis to the point that I can play basketball, poorly, with my kids.
If it's something that will encourage you to ride in the way you see fit, sure. I do wonder about the geometry...is it relaxed or race oriented? Will you be able to ride it for hours at a time or will it cause extreme discomfort?
Your derosa would be a fine start. Smoothness and spinning are key. The wheels would be the sticking point. Most bikes at that time would have a hard time fitting 25mm tires.
I'm probably about 20lbs over the weight limit of my pinarello montello es. I can, if I choose to mash, flex it quite a bit. Or I can spin and it rides beautifully.
Lots of good choices..the c60 being the best.

kansukee

I say buy the bike if you like it. Life's too short to live wondering what if...

Kevindale

I was surprised to read that you're afraid to ride the De Rosa because you're 7kg over the weight limit (I noticed that the bike is apparently rated to 210# in the US, so by that standard you're barely past the weight limit). I know of lots of riders who regularly ride frames that aren't rated to handle their weight, with no problems except a little more flex. As long as you're not riding over potholes, and doing high speed descents, it seems extremely unlikely that your weight will will break the De Rosa before you get your weight down.

It sounds like you loved the ride of the De Rosa. The simple solution is to bank the money, keep riding the bike from your friend to get back into some shape, and get back on the De Rosa as soon as you get it tuned up. Once you're back into good riding shape, and feel 'worthy' of a better bike, see if the fever for the Colnago has subsided. If it hasn't, revisit the subject. In the meantime, prove to yourself that you really are going to be riding enough to justify the whole decision.