Tuesday, October 2, 2007

Behold, my new steel Ciocc!!

My new Italian Ciocc (supposedly pronounced Chee-oach, at least that's how the LBS says it):


(Pardon the crappy photo, but it was dark outside - I'll be sure to get some action-shots & close-ups soon)


When I got it home I took it on a 4 mile spin around the city, and it felt awesome. Sprinting is solid, and so is climbing. Shifting is like butter!

The only thing I don't like about it is the stem angle and the long steering-tube, but they left it long so it can be adjusted later. It'll be interesting to see how this bike feels after a century, or a double-century at that.

Here's the rundown:

  • Ciocc steel frame (1,700 g or 3.3 lbs) - I've only really ridden steel frames and haven't wanted anything else. Sure, carbon would be lighter, but I'm only a low-level contractor out at Microsoft these days, not Bill G. And from what I hear there isn't that much difference between steel and aluminum frame weights.
  • Campanoglo Centaur groupset (bottom bracket, cranks, brakes/shifters, deraileurs) (featuring a high gear of 53x11 that's gonna get me that 60 mph downhill I've been looking for!)
  • Mavic Ksyrium SL wheels - these cost a little more than the frame did! But I'd only heard good things about 'em - and they're so worth it, you can feel the difference accelerating, climbing, etc.
  • Easton EA-70 stem/handlebars - yeah, I should've gotten chrome ones, but I just couldn't wait!!
  • Used SpeedPlay pedals (not bad for $30!), used Dura-ace seat post
  • Bianchi race seat that's just temporary (and isn't very comfortable) - I've got a Brooks Swallow saddle on the way! Then this beauty will be complete.
My Bianchi Eros saw plenty of mileage, and it'll still be around for the nasty days when I don't want to take the nice European bike out into the nasty Northwest winter. (I bought my cyclo-computer back in May, and it says I've logged 4,471.8 km's or 2,778 miles - and about a year of riding before that, so I've probably done almost 5,000 miles on that thing! I think it's ready for a rest.)

If you're wondering where you can get one of these yourself, check out Velo Bike Shop, on Pine St on Capitol Hill in Seattle. Lloyd, the owner of the shop, said they're going to build up similar bikes and sell 'em - he said they had one on the floor for two hours and it was sold. I can see why!

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Very nice. I like the paint. I'm getting used to the weight difference between my Ciocc and my Trek Madone. I don't notice it riding, only picking it up to put it into the car.

Hopefully there'll be a sunny Saturday you can take it for a spin to Carnation and back soon.

Anonymous said...

Hey... I linked to your blog from bike forums. Your new bike, Ciocc, what kind of steel tubing did they use? I've got a steel touring bike with Reynolds 853. I like the feel of it... just too heavy to be a roadie. What does the new bike weigh? sub 20? What did it cost you? Maybe you've answered these questions further down in your blog... I just haven't had time to read that far yet.

Come down to Olympia and sprint that baby down the Chehalis Western Trail. A roundtrip will give you a nice 50+ mile ride.

matt said...

@anon: this ciocc is made of dedacciai (sp?) italian steel - COM 12.5 to be exact.

i haven't weighed it yet, but it's definitely lighter than my last bike, a bianchi eros. the frame weighs in at 1,700 g if that helps.

and i paid pretty much full retail for all of it, through my LBS - I'm too lazy to save $$$, plus i figured it was like a donation to them. =]

it was a little over $2,500 for the complete bike.

Anonymous said...

beautiful...I'm glad to see I'm not the only one still buying steel. my new Deda Zero frame was 3.5 pounds, not counting the fork, which is pretty heavy. The completed bike was just over 18 pounds. so that's probably the range for yours.

ManEast said...

Hi To All
This looks very nice Matt. I have a Ciocc Falco...its made from Deda zero-HT . I made it up with Campag/Chorus/Neutron wheels.
The Pics i have show it with the orig-steel fork..but i have now swaped them for a pair of Easton EC90 full carbon (1 inch). I also have a 13-29 cass... to Ride up wall's !
ManEast

Marco Dees said...

Hi there

It's pronounced as 'chuck'. I ride an aluminium Ciocc new age in light blue with black Spinergy carbon wheels, lots of other Easton carbon parts (a.o. fork) and Shimano Dura Ace group. Weight = 6.8 kg.

Anonymous said...

I recently puchased a Ciocc steel frame w/Ultegra 105 Compact (see link). It has been terrific.

http://www.smartcycles.com/zar/frame_67.gif

Anonymous said...

not sure why link is getting clipped
www.smartcycles.com
slash zar slash frame_67.gif

matt m said...

awesome, glad to see another happy ciocc owner!

btw i'm loving my ciocc more than ever, and have done almost 1,000 miles on it this month!

Anonymous said...

I have a ciocc steel bike (1995) size 53 Columbus SLX pearl white with yellow decals. Ciocc is a bergamo dialect and pronounced as "cho-chee" (cho like choco) or maybe "siotsi" i read it in an article in a bicycling magazine issue somewhere in the 80"s. it is not pronounced as KIOK or SioK.

Dr.Pacson
philippines

hammerhead said...

Bought my ciocc back in 1983 (got a deal on it and paid $823...real money back then) It was my first serious road bike. I "graduated" to other bikes over the years, including..Pinarella (aluminum and carbon), Fuji (all carbon) After moving with it for all those years and hanging in my garage I decided to bet it back on the road. Just touching it brought back the same feelings I had that first time I saw it. (sort of like a childhood sweeheart). I take her for a test drive tomorrow and can hardly wait!

Alice said...

Ciocc.. The first serious frame I bought circa 1991, with my wages from my first job. If I remember rightly it was lugged, and built using Columbus SL, and had chrome forks and stays.. Had a nasty accident on it and had the frame rebuilt using SLX oversize tubing!

Nice, but not as responsive as Reynolds 853 which came out a few years later.

10 years i've been out the scene.. so much has changed with frames, everything is carbon and alu, and complex alloys and fantasticly expensive!

Good on you for going with steel, I tried a low end Aluminium frame one time and hated it.. talk about dead ride, light asa feather and completely lifeless.. I could go faster on my MTB than I could that stupid alu thing.

Happy riding. Stay safe!

Anonymous said...

Nice CIOCC, I am currently building up a CIOCC Pro race carbon which is made from Deda EOM 16.5 steel and carbon seat/chain stays.
I did a search on youtube for CIOCC, and there is a video of a guy who goes to Giovanni Pelizzoli himself to have an old Ciocc restored. Giovanni Pelizzoli pronounced the name Ciocc and gave its meaning, he pronounced it "chuch" like "church" but no real "r". He claims it means nothing, that it was his grandfather's nickname along with his dad's and his. If I remember right, I also saw that the word had a reference to being a joker, or having luck, and that is where the 4 card suits comes from, the diamond, heart, clubs, spade. Quatro Assi means 4 aces, and they have the 4 suits of cards for a design, Ciocc's just has the suits, no cards.

Anonymous said...

Hey There. Nice bike! I just got an old Ciocc Falco (same as yours, except blue/yellow). Love it!...I decked it out in Campy Record and it's all Italian.

Question for you. I'm having seat post slippage issues - it seems the seat tube is for a 26.8mm, but I had to shim with a can to keep from slipping. What size seatpopst do you have (that's working)? I'm just hoping it's not a 27.0mm post!

Again...beautiful bike, and thanks ahead for your response!

Unknown said...

Nice looking bike. I'm partial to Steel frames as well, although I have an old Cannondale crit bike that I am currently building up, but everything else in steel. I just finished building a vintage 1980's Ciocc Team Time Trial bike, and soon will be trying to restore my Davidson Stiletto Crit bike as well.

But I really like that frame and how it all setup. Very clean looking and I bet it moves.