Colnago CX Zero launched

Colnago have launched the new CX Zero and CX Zero Disc, a completely new platform for the Italian manufacturer aimed at the endurance sector where comfort and ride performance are priorities. And following on from the groundbreaking C59 Disc, there’s a disc-equipped version too.

Colnago describe the new CX Zero as the bike for 'every rider', which we'll take to mean it's an all-rounder that's good for racing, tackling sportives and epic all-day rides. And cobbled races if you're a pro. It slots into their road performance range along with the CLX and CLD. The CX-1 appears to have been dropped from the range this year.

Complete bike prices will start at £3,499.95 with a Shimano Ultegra build. The CX Zero frameset will cost £2,199.95, the CX Zero Disc frame £2,499.95.

The CX Zero is shaped with their Classic geometry which aims to minimise the saddle to bar drop with a higher front end, promoting a comfortable position. Aggressive race bikes are all well and good, but not ideal if you can’t comfortably reach the drops.

The CX Zero has a longer wheelbase and taller head tube than an equivalent sized C59. These are both changes that should give the bike a stable ride at a range of speeds, better cope with rough roads and raise the bars to a more comfortable position. Geometry for a 52 includes a 55cm effective top tube, 17.6cm head tube and a 100.6cm wheelbase. Stack is 577mm and reach 380mm.

With a gradual shift to wider tyres in the road market, and particularly in the pro peloton, all bikes will be fitted with 25mm tyres. This, along with the 27.2mm seatpost, should offer the comfort and compliance that many people seek in a road bike. The seat stays have been clearly shaped to allow some degree of flex, with a very flat narrow profile where they meet the seat tube, which they do well below the top tube. The chainstays are bulged and oversized to resist flex when the power is put down.

Colnago have also introduced a new proprietary press fit bottom bracket on the CX Zero, which they say they’ve been working on for years and apparently addresses problems they identified in the current crop of press fit standards. They don’t give away any actual details about it, so we’ll speak to the right people and find out what it is all about.

The CX Zero will also be offered with disc brakes, the second disc-equipped model in the Italian company’s range following the C59 Disc debut at Eurobike last year. Instead of the Formula disc brakes they used on that bike. the CX Zero Disc is equipped with Shimano’s new R515 disc brakes, and they’re using a 160mm front rotor paired with a 140mm out back. You can read about Shimano’s new stoppers here.

The rotors are attached to Colnago’s own Artemis WH32 wheels. A mechanical Ultegra and a Ultegra Di2 build will be available. Like the Pinarello Dogma Hydro we saw yesterday, the CX Zero uses regular quick release skewers.

We can expect to see Europcar riding this bike at the early season classics next year, races like Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. That means the team won’t have to adapt the Prestige CX bike as they did this year.

The ‘endurance’ sector as it has been dubbed is rapidly filling with interesting bikes from most manufacturers. This year we’ve seen the new Cannondale Synapse, Bianchi Infinito CV and Merida’s Ride Carbon, plus those that have been around for a few years like the Trek Domane, BMC GF01 and Specialized Roubaix.

We’ll confirm prices and availability when we get that information. More at www.colnago.com/cx-zero/