The CLX 3.0 Ultegra bike includes a complete Ultegra drive train, Shimano wheels RS30, Deda Carbon bar and a bevy of other, quality components. Over 50 years of experience have gone into the CLX 3.0 making it the perfect bike for a wide range of riding from racing to club rides. Ernesto Colnago's passionate eye for design fully comes through in the CLX 3.0 bike in terms of a stealth matte black finish and striking black and white graphics. This bike also features a pleasantly low price tag even though it could pass for a machine costing easily a thousand more.
The Colnago CLX 3.0 is completely new for 2012. One of the most critical changes is the new , oversize fork that now rotates on a 1 1/8" to 1 1/4" headset for more confidence during high-speed descents. The top tube now features an internally routed rear brake cable. Like all of Colnago models, the CLX 3.0 sports more square chain stays for better stiffness during climbs and sprints. The paint finish is textbook Colnago - intricate and beautiful. Except for the head badge, none of the colored areas or logos on a Colnago frame is a decal thanks to the skill of their painters.
At 1180 grams for a 54cm frameset, The CLX 3.0 is fairly light, but more importantly, it strikes us as built to last. The tubes of Colnago frames are built with an advanced filament winding system. This process, which is performed over a solid, stainless steel INOX core, yields a highly consistent wall thickness. Layers of carbon are compressed with extremely high pressures. This advanced process limits excess resin in the composite, reducing weight while increasing strength. Frame integrity is a crucial aspect of Colnago design. Their frames and forks are tested in the Colnago Lab to withstand impacts far beyond international standards, and to retain their strength after impact. That means your Colnago can still be ridden to the finish if the worst happens.
Colnago invented modern bicycle racing geometry and has refined it to perfection with handling that is unwaveringly precise but stable at speed, so a long day in the hills is a battle against the grade and your riding companions, not against a twitchy bicycle. Colnago ride quality is rooted in the idea of balance too. A frame must be stiff, to convey your power to the road, but it must not be harsh. Features like their 3PRS internally-ribbed tubes and over-sized chainstays with leaf-shaped seatstays simultaneously improve rigidity and dissipate road shock.
A word on sizing. Colnago describes the frame size as the actual seat tube length from the center of the bottom bracket to about the middle of the seat collar extension. Since most manufacturers list virtual sizes on sloping top tube frames (the size to frame would feel like if the bike had a horizontal top tube) Colnagos run larger than what they may seem at first glance so we strongly suggest sizing off the virtual top tube length and head tube length.
Bike specifications
- 17.6 pounds
- Shimano Ultegra shifters, derailleurs, crank and cassette
- 50/34 chainrings and 12-25 cassette
- Shimano RS30 wheels and Michelin Lithion tires
- Colnago brakes, saddle and seat post
- Deda Zero stem, Nuova Sfida carbon bar and tape
