Colnago has launched their brand new V4Rs. Back in July, Colnago debuted a new bike at the Tour de France, a model which they were calling the 'Prototipo' . It was rumored that was going to be the new V4Rs, 6 months later and Colnago have done it, here is the first look at the brand new Colnago V4Rs. Since the V3Rs had such a good winning pedigree, the new V4Rs has big boots to fill, but will it manage it? Well after scoring 23 victories and 28 podiums in the first four months as the Prototipo, clearly, the new bike is bonding very well to the riders. Colnago claims to have improved the new bike's aero credentials, weight, stiffness and durability. Sam Gupta takes a closer look at the detail and tries to work out if it really is the next winning machine.
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00:00 Back in July, Team UAE Emirates went to battle at the Tour de France, but with one very big
00:06 technological difference.
00:07 They were riding what Carl Nago was calling at the time, the Prototipo.
00:11 A source at Carl Nago also confirmed that five different versions of the Prototipo were
00:17 being tested, each with a different carbon lay-up.
00:19 Clearly, given the name and the fact that Tadic Pogacar rode the V3 RS to victory in
00:25 the 2020 and 2021 editions of the race, it was fair to assume that the Prototipo was
00:31 most likely the upcoming V4 RS.
00:35 Today, Carl Nago confirmed that by launching that very bike.
00:44 The outgoing V3 RS has certainly created some rather large boots to fill after being piloted
00:50 to some of the biggest victories in the sport.
00:53 However, the question still stands, what has the V4 RS got up its sleeve to ensure the
00:58 wins keep on coming?
01:00 Well, given the fact that the Prototipo managed to rack up 23 victories and 28 podiums in
01:06 four months of use, we think whatever has been created, well, it seems to be gelling
01:11 with the riders pretty well.
01:13 Clearly, as the V-Series is Carl Nago's dedicated race performance bike, improving
01:18 the offering's aero credentials was very important.
01:22 Carl Nago has tried to achieve this with a multitude of new improvements.
01:26 These start with a brand new fork, which Carl Nago has tried to integrate seamlessly with
01:30 the new head tube.
01:32 This head tube is bigger than the one found on the V3 RS, but this has meant they could
01:36 maintain a circular steerer rather than opting for a D-shaped steerer, and thus meaning it
01:41 could route the hoses through a larger upper headset bearing.
01:45 That's not all for improvements at the front end, though.
01:47 Carl Nago also created a new integrated cockpit to shelter all the hoses from the wind.
01:53 You may also notice that the bottom of the bars are ever so slightly flared.
01:58 I can only imagine that this is for control when descending in the drops.
02:02 To ensure all the hard work of making sure the front end is as slippery as possible,
02:07 Carl Nago have also created their own 3D printed head unit mount.
02:12 So far, it's only compatible with the new Wahoo Bolt V2, but I'm led to believe that
02:17 new head units will eventually be compatible too.
02:20 And it's a good thing that they did create such a mount, because it saves a grand total
02:24 of 0.75 watts at 50km/h.
02:28 Brilliant.
02:30 It must be said, all the wind tunnel testing Carl Nago conducted on the bike was done so
02:35 at 50km/h, much like the Bianchi Altre RC.
02:39 I do wonder if manufacturers are having to test at these higher speeds to extrapolate
02:45 a bigger difference in wattage savings.
02:49 Are the days of testing at a more reasonable 40km/h gone forever?
02:53 Of course, for the pros who do reach these speeds with ease, and amateurs who happily
02:58 hit that on descents, then I guess the testing data is still of value to some extent.
03:04 But since this bike has seen the inside of a wind tunnel, what are the hard numbers?
03:08 Well, since so much work was done to create a brand new cockpit for the V4 RS, let's
03:13 start there.
03:14 The new cockpit is claimed to have a reduced drag surface of 16% compared to cockpits mounted
03:21 on the V3 RS.
03:22 Overall, Carl Nago claimed that the V4 is faster than the outgoing V3.
03:28 Now, you might be expecting Carl Nago to make a weight-saving claim on the new model.
03:33 And you'd be absolutely right.
03:35 However, don't get too excited because I did have to read between the lines to get
03:39 the full picture here.
03:40 The claimed weight-saving is 57g, not a lot by any means.
03:46 The frame itself is actually ever so slightly heavier, but the new fork shaves off 15g.
03:52 In all, when you compare the frame and fork of the V3 to the V4, there's actually only
03:56 a 12g saving.
03:58 You have to look at the total frame module, which includes the headset, handlebars, and
04:02 stem to get the full saving.
04:04 When you consider that this is comparing an all-in-one integrated bar from the V4 with
04:10 a separate, more conventional bar and stem system found on the V3, the weight-saving
04:15 isn't too impressive and isn't anything to write home about.
04:19 However, for a bike designed to go fast everywhere, weight really isn't a key priority.
04:24 And just to be keeping very much in the same ballpark, well, it's great for a bike that
04:28 was already pretty light.
04:30 Of course, don't forget the 6.8kg weight limit that the UCI imposes on race bikes.
04:35 And that will always mean that big drops in weight for a bike like this just aren't practical.
04:42 Colnago claims to have increased stiffness by 4% when sprinting and 5% when seated.
04:48 They say they've identified areas which experience differing forces in different riding positions
04:53 and then have gone about laying the carbon up to counteract those forces to ensure all
04:58 the power goes down to the tarmac.
05:01 Colnago's machines and methodologies of testing stiffness are actually patent pending, so
05:06 they weren't able to share too much more information here.
05:10 However, I'm sure when we get our hands on the bike, hopefully, we'll be able to feel
05:15 the increased stiffness.
05:17 The last area Colnago has said they've put time and effort into is actually the robustness
05:22 of the frame.
05:23 Now, I for one am very happy to hear that a big brand like Colnago is actively trying
05:28 to make their top end offering more robust and resilient to knocks and bumps.
05:33 For example, the new seat stays improve on their flexural and stability impact, which
05:38 goes on to helping other components that are found in the frame, such as the headset.
05:44 Now, speaking of the headset, they've actually included a ceramic speed headset, but it's
05:48 very much unlike your normal headset because it's made of a unique solid polymer and it's
05:54 got stainless steel components inside.
05:57 It does mean that it doesn't need re-greasing, much like your normal sealed cartridge bearing.
06:02 And while it may occasionally feel stiff after a duration of not being used, when you get
06:07 it moving again, it'll feel buttery smooth.
06:10 I'm also told that the lifespan of these headsets is incredibly long.
06:14 On to price, and I don't think that it's going to be a huge surprise that the latest offering
06:18 from the Italian brand is punchy.
06:21 It's very punchy.
06:22 At the time of filming this, I've only got the price in Euros.
06:26 So for the V4 RS Team Edition, equipped with a full Dura-Ace groupset, with the power meter,
06:31 with a set of NV 3.4 wheels, and that new Colnago integrated cockpit, well, it's going
06:39 to come in at €15,260.
06:40 Now, if you want to buy the frame set, which includes the frame, the fork, the seat post,
06:46 and the headset, well, that comes in at €5,250.
06:52 To put that frame set price into context, though, it does land itself right in the middle
06:56 of what an S-Works Tarmac SL7 or Pinarello Dogma F frame set would cost.
07:02 Overall, to my eye, the V4 RS represents another step in the right direction.
07:08 They're taking the proven performance of the V3 RS and have gone about making it more responsive
07:14 and better to ride on a wider variety of surfaces.
07:18 And this is only furthered when you consider that the new bike can accommodate 32C wide
07:22 tyres up from the V3 RS's 28C.
07:25 Now, when you pair that with a bike which is claimed to be even more slippery in the
07:30 wind, I'm sure we'll be seeing this bike piloted to many more victories over the next
07:35 couple of years.
07:36 My colleague and resident Colnago aficionado, Simon Smythe, is actually currently out in
07:41 Spain riding the bike.
07:43 So we should hear very soon what he has to make of it.
07:46 Be sure to tune in to January's Tech of the Month where we'll have his first ride impressions.
07:50 What are your thoughts on this new bike, though?
07:52 Sure, it's incredibly expensive and designed for the pros, but would you choose this over
07:58 and above a Pinarello Dogma F or a Specialized Tarmac SL7?
08:03 Let me know down in the comments below.
08:05 If you enjoyed the video, then please do drop it a like.
08:07 Subscribe to the channel for more content, and I'll see you again very soon.
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