Soody

i mean 'hideous and garish' as a term of endearment

eja_ bottecchia

So much wrong with your post. So much wrong information. No point in arguing with your “facts” and conclusions.

eja_ bottecchia

New Zealand and the USA two countries separated by a common language.

iab

God forbid a company stays competitive by selling something not loved by C&V.

They should only make lugged steel, guaranteeing their demise because there is no chance in hell someone from C&V would actually buy a new bike and those wanting a new bike don't want lugged steel. No matter how much C&V crosses their fingers and wishes it so.

eja_ bottecchia

Well spoken/written.

smoothness 

You're most likely not the primary demographic of any bicycle company at this point. Companies need to revamp their product lines, no matter how storied their past. Without moving forward with technology and preferences, they become insolvent.

TL;DR: #gatekeeping #firstworldproblems #dinosaur

Kuromori

A Claris bike is a hit to the prestige and exclusivity, which is where most of the brand value of a Colnago is though. There are a few brands that don't sell anything below 105 if I remember correctly.

Johno59

Raleigh, Phillips and literally thousands of smaller bicycle manufacturers attempted to appeal to a lower spec bike and it destroyed them. BITD all the large to medium sized marques had skunk works that made 'specials' that were for a select few and millions of bikes were sold on the coat tails of these thoroughbreds. Nothing wrong with that but once the management culture of cost driven manufacturing became more entrenched in the industry these 'works specials' became viewed as an expensive indulgence and their demise (and the entire business as well) was inevitable.
My point is that there is nothing wrong with the cheap and cheerful bike, the danger is the mindset of managers who are convinced reducing costs above all else will ensure the business's longevity.
The carcasses of so many massive and prestigious businesses across the US and Europe testifies to the sheer folly of this business model.

ramzilla

According to my 63 year old memory, Colnago has produced affordable Shimano equipped bicycles since the early 80's. It's probably the main reason they're still in business. Back then you could purchase a Shimano equipped road bike for $ hundreds less than the same Campagnolo equipped bike. I really don't know anything about elite bike snobs that covet Colnago. I'm too busy riding around and having fun.

Drillium Dude 

We're just like you, riding around and having fun. We're on bikes, too, you know - the only difference is they're better than what you're riding

DD

ramzilla

You know, real men don't ride fancy little crybaby Italyeeni bikes. The Duke (John Wayne) drank beer all night and ate the cans for breakfast. Then he got on his Huffy Space Ranger bike and rode to work. He passed all the airplane glue sniffing wimps riding their sissy foreign bikes. The Duke could ride uphill smoking non-filter cigs. and drinking whiskey all day long.

Reynolds 

That Master is not that bad.

Drillium Dude 

Here's my hideous Super...



...and my garish Mexico:



I apologize to those of you out there now wanting to gouge your eyeballs out of your skulls

DD

Cyclist753

I like orange.....

CliffordK

Hmmm...
Colnago Impact.

https://www.kabucno.com/colnago-impact-bike-p-1771.html



It looks like it has been out for a few years.

Interesting market placement.

VtwinVince

Please, enlighten me as to what is wrong with my opinion. It is based on running an auto detailing shop for twenty years, and seeing the decline in consumer products over that time span. Like most people, you are probably OK with sub-par workmanship and inflated prices.

xiaoman1 

The largest BMW plant is in Spartanburg.
Best, Ben

eja_ bottecchia

Well since you asked.

What evidence do you have that MBs and BMWs are manufactured by slave child labor in god forsaken countries. Please share whatever credible evidence you have to support your statements.

I have owned and driven Mercedes for over 30 years, starting with a 1967 250SE that I bought used from a guy that bought in Germany and bought to the States. In between I have owned different Benz models from large sedans to estate cars to coupes, both gas and diesels. I now own a CLK 350 cabrio that I intend to keep for a very long time. I am not a Johnny-come-lately to the brand.

Thus my experience with the Benz marque comes from owning and driving them. While there have been many changes over the years and, with the exception of a brief period of time in the late 1990s to early 2000s, I have no seen or experience a degradation in quality. In fact, as much fun as the 250 SE was to drive, my CLK 350 is a far superior car—safer, more reliable, less troublesome and far more powerful.

I suspect that these comments apply equally to BMW and Audi.

I own a 1989 Bottecchia built with Columbus SLX tubing and shod with Campy components. I bought it new in 1989 (actually it was a gift from my Mom who although she was too poor to own or ride a bike while growing up, she wanted me to have a fine Italian steed). I love that Bottecchia, it rides like a dream; barring some unforeseen circumstances, I will own it until the day I die.

As much as I love my Bott, my C59 and C60 are technologically superior bikes. They ride better, are stiffer and allow this old guy to climb faster than I would otherwise be able to climb with the Bott or the Master. The paint job on the C59 and C60 is simply gorgeous. Both bikes are well built. The C59 survived a crash where I broke a finger and a couple of ribs. The C60 survived a rear end collision where an inattentive driver crashed into the back of my car.

So you go on with your wailing and gnashing of teeth about the decline of automotive and cycling technology.

Unless you have hard evidence, not apocryphal, barber shop talk, then your opinion is just that: opinion not supported by hard evidence

iab

I recall in 1997, 22 years ago, buying a television, 27" tube, for $300. Today, for $260 that has not been adjusted for inflation, I can get a 4K 50" LCD. My car today is more quiet, safer and gets better mileage than the car I had 20 years ago for pretty much the same price.

While your opinion is not wrong, there is plenty of crap in the world, nothing is forcing you to lower your standard and there is plenty to fulfill that standard.

eja_ bottecchia

Is that damning with faint praise?

Reynolds 

Had to google that...
I'd say no, more like a BIG understatement.

VtwinVince

I think you need to read what I typed. I believe that the quality of workmanship of what used to be considered high end, exclusive vehicles has gone by the boards over the past generation. Using water based paints, poor quality materials and sub par fitment are endemic to the marques I mentioned. And no, I don't hang around barber shops being a blowhard, maybe that's what you do. I have owned three Bimmers over the years, so I am not basing my opinions on hearsay. And where did I say 'child slave' labour? Regarding safety, putting a hundred airbags and multiple computer systems into a car do not make them safer, just more complex and prone to failure.

BFisher

I know I've been assaulted with garishness,

but I like it.

A lot.

iab

Except my car today is more reliable, safer and mind the gaps better than any other previous car.

And using paints that aren't toxic to the environment is actually a good thing.

smoothness 

He's just not getting the "receptive" audience that he thought he was going to get. Cars are safer, more reliable, and last a hell of a lot longer. Bicycles companies have realized that only targeting MAMIL and their ilk is a death sentence. Sports-oriented bicycles are now being targeted to people of all class and creed. E-bikes will become more commonplace with each coming year. Fight me, OP.