Touring bikes – light & sporty: The Koga Colmaro Sports put to the test

Does the Koga Colmaro Sports look familiar to anyone? That’s right, the The Comaro Extreme gravel bike from the latest MYBIKE test built. With its relatively long top tube and short wheelbase, it already stood out back then, but – as is particularly evident here – it really comes into its own when combined with cleverly chosen stem and handlebar options. The hands are positioned significantly higher here than on the gravel version, in contrast to Rose Backroad For example, the handlebars are the narrowest in the test; with their slight backward bend, your wrists are perfectly straight, so you can sit comfortably on the bike for long periods.

The seatpost also helps with this, thanks to its subtle yet noticeable flex. Once you’re in the saddle, you don’t even realise you’re riding a proper sports bike. The frame would even pass for a road bike base; in principle, apart from the wheels, this is a road bike with straight handlebars. Koga has also very appropriately fitted a pure road bike groupset here, with Shimano shifters designed specifically for such cases. Triple chainrings have gone a bit out of fashion, but the wide range of gear ratios for sporty gear changes suits this all-rounder perfectly.

Frame and tyres of the Koga Colmaro Sports

Alongside these sporty yet highly comfortable components, two key features give this version of the Colmaro its own distinctive character: firstly, there’s the aluminium frame – which received high praise in the last issue – and which, in terms of the weight-to-stiffness ratio, is more than a match for its carbon rivals. Both the welded seams and the transition to the straight carbon fork are exceptionally neat, as is the matt paint finish – provided you don’t touch the bike, as matt colours are particularly prone to grease marks. The second feature – the tyres – is both bold and great fun. A 35 mm semi-slick for the city: despite its well-known puncture protection, the Conti rolls and accelerates incredibly quickly, even though the wheels are more robust than ultra-light.

With its rather narrow tyres and a maximum system weight of 110 kilos, the bike isn’t really suited as a world-travelling bike, even though the aluminium rear triangle would easily accommodate all sorts of luggage racks, and there are plenty of threaded mounts on the frame for racks, bottle cages and panniers. That’s a bit of a shame, as the neutral riding position, low rolling resistance and wide range of gear ratios are just begging you to set off on a long ride. It’s perfectly fine for short trips and getting about in town, though.

Conclusion on the Koga Colmaro Sports in the MYBIKE test

The Koga Colmaro is almost as stiff and almost as sporty as its carbon rivals, but offers a far more comfortable ride. Due to its comparatively low payload capacity, the model loses out on long tours; however, the tyres’ lack of off-road capabilities is offset in the ‘Sport’ category by the most dynamic performance figures overall on tarmac: acceleration, cornering, climbs – brilliant! As the saying goes, it’s better to travel light! – Timo Dillenberger, MYBIKE editor

Key information about Koga Colmaro Sports

• Weight: 10.7 kg
• Price: 1,699 euros >> available here
• Frame set: Aluminium, carbon fork
• Maximum system weight: 110 kg
• Men’s frame sizes: S/M/L/XL, Mixed: S/M/L/XL
• Seat tube / Top tube: 460 / 544 mm
• Stack / Reach / SR ratio*: 547 / 376 mm / 1.45
• Wheelbase: 1020 mm
• Drive: Shimano Tiagra 3 x 10 groupset, 3-speed crankset 50/39/30 teeth, Shimano Tiagra cassette 12–28 teeth
• Brakes: Shimano UR300 hydraulic disc brakes, 160 / 160 mm, MT201 brake levers
• Wheels / Tyres: 28" aluminium wheels, 32 steel spokes 2.0 – 1.7 – 2.0 mm / Conti GranPrix Urban 35 x 622 mm
• Saddle / Handlebars: Selle Royal Asphalt / Aluminium 10° curve

*SR ratio: calculates the ratio of the frame’s height to its length; the higher the value, the more elongated the geometry.