The front triangle of the bike is a monocoque construction with the tubes bearing the trademark Colnago cross section, which roughly replicates the Colnago cloverleaf. The frame has been updated with a tapered steerer and new fork, the rear brake cable is now internally routed and the chainstays have reverted to a large rectangular section. It is testament to the quality and precision of the Ultegra components that, upon realising that all the cables for brakes and gears had been released for packaging and transport and needed to be readjusted prior to use, even a ham-fisted mechanic like myself was able to have the bike tuned and running inside five minutes, and it continued to be reliable throughout the test. The dark charcoal of the Shimano’s workhorse Ultegra components sits wonderfully against the crisp white and deep red of the CLX’s metallic-flecked frame. The test bike came equipped with a Shimano Ultegra drivetrain, Shimano RS30 wheels, Deda bars and stem, a Colnago-branded Prologo saddle and some Colnago-branded brake callipers.
On the CLX3.0 however, a shaped seat post, huge headtube and large chain stays aren’t allowed to detract from the overall aesthetic. Often modern bikes can look like no thought has been given to style. Upon receiving the new Colnago CLX3.0, one thing was very evident, Colnago still make magnificent looking bikes. Colnago also seem to do something that seems to come naturally to Italians, making a high-tech piece of equipment look fantastically stylish. In fact the C40 is the bike I ride before I hop on each and every test bike, as it gives me a great benchmark as to what a good bike should be. The lugged carbon frame of the C40 combined with the seemingly simplistic Star Carbon fork, combined to give a ride that is still to this day among the best I have experienced. I can honestly say I wasn’t disappointed. I bought it to see if the often talked about, seemingly mythical quality, know as ‘Italian handling’ actually existed. A few years ago I was lucky enough to get my hands on a lightly used C40 frame, a frame from the mid 2000s that was, as with many Colnagos, said to be about the best frame of its time. They are the type of bikes that are lusted after by weekend warriors and aficionados alike. Colnago have for many years produced bikes that have been heralded as being the best of their era, bikes that are capable of winning tours and one-day classics.
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