Colnago Air 105 2012 Review
The Colnago Air certainly comes with top marks in the looks department but unfortunately it doesn’t quite have the performance to match. The air is a combination of aluminium and carbon, with a 6061 aluminium frame and carbon seatstays. The Air gets its classy looks thanks to a hydro-formed hexagonal top tube and down tube and a seat tube that flares along its length, thickening out where it meets the bottom bracket junction. The Air is a step up from the Tiagra Move and a couple of hundred pounds more expensive.
Colnago have equipped the air with the standard Shimano 105 groupset and the performance was more than acceptable on our test ride. The good news about the 105 is not only that it performs well but the fact that the performance should last thanks to the excellent build. The not so good news is that the Air comes with a Tiagra cassette with a 11-25 combination. This doesn’t provide the Air with the friendliest of shifting options and made some of our longer, steeper climbs harder work than we would have liked.
The overall weight of the bike (9.07kg) also didn’t help with the hill climbs or acceleration but the good news is that the Air performed impressively on the downhill stretches. The bike was very responsive on the descents and the Shimano R500 wheels and stiff frame really made us feel confident and in control. Colnago’s own dual calliper brakes also provided excellent braking performance and combined with the impressive Continental Ultra Sport tyres we really felt we could let go down the hills and into the corners. One of the main problems with the Air is that it doesn’t really live up to it’s name. The frame is actually quite heavy and chunky and we felt that the carbon seatstays did very little to change the overall heavy feel of the bike. The Air is not helped by the over-sized aluminium wishbone and Deda seat-post either, which really didn’t help to provide a comfortable ride over rougher ground. The bar and stem were the saving graces though and provided stiff and responsive feedback throughout our rides.
Although you may be left with the impression that the Air is a poor choice this is not the case. Colnago have produced a handsome bike with good handling, it’s just a shame that the chunky frame and fairly hefty weight result in poor climbing and acceleration performance. The Air is certainly not a bad choice though and could be ideal for the more powerful rider. Just bear in mind that it might be worth considering other, cheaper and lighter options out there before making a final decision.
Written by: Quatos