Look 555 or Colnago Master XL ?

I'd choose the Look because I like the modern look of the frame. If I could have two the steel frame is appealing. You haven't ridden carbon and these two are worlds apart. You need to go out and test ride.

Good luck.

Both are excellent frames from very reputable manufacturers. But you are really comparing apples and oranges. You need to decide what rocks your boat - both are indeed quality frames and both are bombproof in terms of reliability.

If you have to have one of these two get fitted and decide which one fits you better.

Ride 'em both and see which one twists yer nipples the most, and then buy that one. As said by others, they're both top notch frames, giving up nothing in terms of quality......or cache, if that sort of thing means anything to you.

youhaditcoming said:

Hi

I have never ridden a Carbon bike, these 2 models are close in price, one carbon and the other one steel.

Which one would you guys choose ? Look 555 carbon frameset or Colnago Master XL steel frameset (with carbon fork)

I'm looking for a quality frame and long lasting 🙂. I currently ride on Aluminium,

Thanks

You answered your own question when you said, "long lasting'. No carbon frame will last as long as a well made steel one(Colnago is one of those) and I think the ride is superior as well.

Peter@vecchios said:

You answered your own question when you said, "long lasting'. No carbon frame will last as long as a well made steel one(Colnago is one of those) and I think the ride is superior as well.

Actually, that sort of argument doesn't work. Both will last as long as the owner wants them to, and in fact, can easily outlast the owner. There are zero technical reasons why CF products won't last as long as bikes. If you want, I can show you space hardware, made of CF that experiences loads orders of magnitude greater than a bike that will still be intact long after we're dead.

Ride quality is also an invalid argument for several reasons:

1. Ride quality is, by far, determined by tire inflation pressure, seat, wheelbase, and fit. Full stop.
2. Such an argument implies that steel, CF, aluminum, and magnesium have some inherent ride quality. This is completely wrong. If it were so, there would be a lot of materials engineers who would be suddenly unemployed. That such an argument is a load was proven by a magazine years ago that did a blind test wherein riders were supposed to determine what material the frame they were riding was made of (again, they could not see the frame.). The net result was that riders couldn't reliably discern what material composed a given frame.

This is where information for new cyclists...and even experienced cyclists...goes all pear shaped, i.e. when experienced folks continue to present unfactual information or myths as fact. It is for that reason that the whole, stupid "steel is real" BS continues. Now, before you chime in, yes I've ridden steel frames. Lots of 'em, thank you.

One thing is for damned sure: don't go to you LBS expecting to learn something factual about frame materials.

I have a Look 565 frame, and I'm very happy with it. That being said, I'm sure you can find people who are equally happy with their Colnago frames.

There are so many choices out there, I just ended up picking something I liked the look of (nyuk, nyuk). I suggest you do the same.

alienator said:

Actually, that sort of argument doesn't work. Both will last as long as the owner wants them to, and in fact, can easily outlast the owner. There are zero technical reasons why CF products won't last as long as bikes. If you want, I can show you space hardware, made of CF that experiences loads orders of magnitude greater than a bike that will still be intact long after we're dead.

Ride quality is also an invalid argument for several reasons:

1. Ride quality is, by far, determined by tire inflation pressure, seat, wheelbase, and fit. Full stop.
2. Such an argument implies that steel, CF, aluminum, and magnesium have some inherent ride quality. This is completely wrong. If it were so, there would be a lot of materials engineers who would be suddenly unemployed. That such an argument is a load was proven by a magazine years ago that did a blind test wherein riders were supposed to determine what material the frame they were riding was made of (again, they could not see the frame.). The net result was that riders couldn't reliably discern what material composed a given frame.

This is where information for new cyclists...and even experienced cyclists...goes all pear shaped, i.e. when experienced folks continue to present unfactual information or myths as fact. It is for that reason that the whole, stupid "steel is real" BS continues. Now, before you chime in, yes I've ridden steel frames. Lots of 'em, thank you.

One thing is for damned sure: don't go to you LBS expecting to learn something factual about frame materials.

Didn't intend to chime in, not looking to argue.

youhaditcoming said:

I have never ridden a Carbon bike, these 2 models are close in price, one carbon and the other one steel.

Which one would you guys choose ? Look 555 carbon frameset or Colnago Master XL steel frameset (with carbon fork)

I'm looking for a quality frame and long lasting 🙂. I currently ride on Aluminium,

DAY 1. You'd probably be happy with either ...

YEAR 10+. If you get the LOOK, you'll probably wish you had bought the Colnago Master XL -- if you get the Colnago Master XL, you'll probably be delighted that it was your choice.

BTW. There was ONE (?) steel Colnago that had carbon fiber rear B-stays, and that should be avoided ... maybe they don't make it any longer ... the craftsmanship on it seemed inferior to other steel Colnago frames that I've seen (I would say that even the "Classic" had a marginally better finish) OR maybe it was just the look of the Shimano components (Kidding! I love most-but-not-all of Shimano's components) which were on a display bike that I saw at my LBS a year-or-so, ago ... figure that about $300 (!?!) of the retail cost of the more expensive Colnago frames is in the paint/finish.

BTW2. As trivial as this may sound, regardless of which new frame you select, give as much thought to the frame size as is possible based on your riding style AND your aesthetic sensibilities. A centimeter here-or-there of frame size doesn't really matter since some adjustments can be made with the stem length & handlebar (different handlebars have different reach & drop). If you love the fit of your current frame, consider the amount of seat post exposure you want on the new/next frame ...

Although SOME would recommend a "professional" fit OR your LBS may provide a "free" fitting with the purchase of a new frame, if you can tweak the fit of your current frame you will probably be better off, IMO, since you know how you ride ...

alfeng said:

DAY 1. You'd probably be happy with either ...

YEAR 10+. If you get the LOOK, you'll probably wish you had bought the Colnago Master XL -- if you get the Colnago Master XL, you'll probably be delighted that it was your choice.

BTW. There was ONE (?) steel Colnago that had carbon fiber rear B-stays, and that should be avoided ... maybe they don't make it any longer ... the craftsmanship on it seemed inferior to other steel Colnago frames that I've seen (I would say that even the "Classic" had a marginally better finish) OR maybe it was just the look of the Shimano components (Kidding! I love most-but-not-all of Shimano's components) which were on a display bike that I saw at my LBS a year-or-so, ago ... figure that about $300 (!?!) of the retail cost of the more expensive Colnago frames is in the paint/finish.

BTW2. As trivial as this may sound, regardless of which new frame you select, give as much thought to the frame size as is possible based on your riding style AND your aesthetic sensibilities. A centimeter here-or-there of frame size doesn't really matter since some adjustments can be made with the stem length & handlebar (different handlebars have different reach & drop). If you love the fit of your current frame, consider the amount of seat post exposure you want on the new/next frame ...

Although SOME would recommend a "professional" fit OR your LBS may provide a "free" fitting with the purchase of a new frame, if you can tweak the fit of your current frame you will probably be better off, IMO, since you know how you ride ...

well said, better than me......