The Koga Colmaro Allroad remains true to its position between a racing bike and a gravel bike. Many details on the beautiful, classically styled aluminum frame are new; However, for all-round good driving characteristics, a shorter stem is required. Given the very attractive price for 2024, this is definitely still possible!
The Dutch premium provider is just as much a specialist in touring bikes as it is experienced in cycling. Bikes that fall somewhere in between are therefore a must for the company. The Koga Colmaro Allroad has been a rather sporty gravel model for a number of years, which has now been completely revised and can definitely be considered a novelty. However stands "Allroad" still for a bike that is in many ways closer to a racing bike than a typical gravel bike.
Koga Colmaro Allroad: "Gravel light" with narrow tires
This starts with the tire clearance, which is limited to 35 mm, which means that the bike is more predestined for well-ridable natural paths than for real terrain. With a 73° steering angle and a long top tube, the bike is also close to a racing bike in terms of geometry, whereby the frame of the new Koga Colmaro Allroad has a significantly longer wheelbase than its predecessor, which Velomotion presented in 2018 - 1.023 instead of 994 mm, so that you can now you can no longer hit the front wheel with your toes.
Aluminum in its most beautiful form
The frame of the Koga is made of aluminum and is probably one of the most beautiful things made of this material. No welding seams are visible in the area of the head tube and seat tube node, the transition to the carbon fork is perfect and the rear stays are very delicate. Only the thick weld beads on the dropouts and bottom bracket indicate that metal is used here. All lines are routed inside; on the new Colmaro Allroad, the now D-shaped seat post is attached with an integrated clamp. The metallic blue finish, which takes on the look of classic Koga racing bikes, is also very successful.
Handy with a short stem
You can also feel the proximity to racing bikes when you take a seat on the Colmaro. With a long reach and a moderate stack, you sit very stretched out, and the test bike has an almost 120 mm long stem (factory specification 110 mm), which has a negative effect on the steering behavior, because the Colmaro seems sluggish and stubborn when pedaling out of the saddle. This can be remedied by changing to a 90 stem - now the handling is much more neutral and the sitting position is also more balanced. Koga should rethink this, because the supplier is not doing its bike any favors with the long stem.
The Koga is complete Gravelbike when it comes to completion with SRAM Rival 1 including 11-42 cassette and 44 chainring. The nominally 34 mm wide WTB Byway are ideal for asphalt and dirt roads and fit the all-road concept; at almost 37 mm on the wide tubeless rims of the DT Swiss G1800, they have enough volume for more demanding sections of track. The narrow handlebars, which widen from just 41 cm at the top link to 44 cm at the ends (centre to centre), are again close to the racing bike.
Road Plus, Allroad or Gravel light? Whatever the concept of the Koga Colmaro is also called: As a racing bike that is not exclusively tied to the asphalt, the bike impresses with its classic Koga look. With the shorter stem trimmed for more handiness, it can be moved sportily and accelerated quickly; The frame stiffness feels high and the bike runs straight ahead safely and in a stable manner. The only thing missing from the perfect all-road racing bike is a finer gear ratio, i.e. a narrower cassette and a second chainring. Technically this would be possible, as the Dutch show with the Colmaro Sports with straight handlebars and (somewhat antiquated) 3×10 gears, and perhaps also more appropriate to the concept of the Colmaro Allroad. Unfortunately, Koga does not offer a frame set for self-assembly; Given the currently extremely low price, that doesn't have to be the case: at the start of the 2024 season, the Koga Colmaro Allroad costs just 1.799 euros.
At 9,4 kilos, the Colmaro in the classic Koga look is quite light for an aluminum bike. Only the comfort leaves something to be desired. A carbon support would make the bike noticeably lighter, but given the D-shaped cross-section it would be difficult to find a replacement.
Fast alternative to the new Colmaro Extreme
Of course, the Allroad is not made for demanding trails or bikepacking tours. For this purpose, Koga has been offering the Colmaro Extreme gravel bike, which is suitable for travel, since the 2023 model year. In contrast to this, the Colmaro Allroad is in short supply when it comes to mounting options: two bottle holders can be attached, as well as a mudguard on the fork - there are no useful threaded holes on the rear triangle, so you would have to make do with awkward clamps.
Ultimately, with the classically styled Dutchman you get a beautiful sports bike that is probably just as suitable for off-road use as many road riders would like it to be, and is sportier than many a real gravel bike. And the Colmaro Allroad should also make a lot of friends with its very low price.
WEB: koga.com
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