Bike Check #011 | Jeff Tatard: 27 years later, a return to Colnago

For once, Jeff Tatard isn’t asking the questions. Guillaume Judas turns the Bike Check tables on him. Behind this 7.3 kg, €10,500 2024 Colnago V4Rs lies a story that begins long before the Corima wheels, Ultegra Di2, and Miche carbon chainring. In 1998, his father gifted him a steel Colnago Master. Then came team-issue bikes, a Pinarello F10, three S-Works, two Factors… and 27 years without a Colnago. Until this nearly new opportunity came along from the VC Rouen team. A return to his roots, but with a few extra watts, a lot of black, and just the right amount of tuning.

By Guillaume Judas – © Photos: Jeff Tatard

For nine of the first ten Bike Checks, Jeff Tatard was on the other side. He was the one asking the questions. This time, I’m taking back the mic. And ultimately, it only makes sense to profile my colleague’s bike. Because Jeff’s Colnago tells as much about how he rides today as it does a story that began nearly thirty years ago.

In 1998, his father bought him a steel Colnago Master to celebrate passing his high school exams. Then cycling life took its course. Team-issued bikes came and went. When he started buying his own machines again in 2011, he went through a Pinarello F10, three Specialized S-Works (the SL3, SL4, and SL5), followed by two Factors (the One and then the Ostro). But Colnago remained at the back of his mind. Right up until the V4Rs.

« Ever since the V3Rs, it’s the bike that’s appealed to me the most. » And since his work at 3bikes allows him to ride many exceptional machines nowadays, he was able to compare: V3Rs, V4Rs, V5Rs, and even the Y1Rs. Yet his favorite remains the one he owns. The V4Rs. Welcome to 3bikes Bike Check #011.

What is your bike?

A 2024 Colnago V4Rs in size 485. The exact same model Tadej Pogačar rode to his first world title. Jeff’s build relies on a 12-speed Shimano Ultegra Di2 groupset, paired with 172.5 mm crankarms and a 4iiii power meter on the left crankarm. Up front: 52/36, featuring a 52-tooth Miche X2 RD 2026 aero carbon large chainring. At the rear: an 11-30 cassette.

The wheels are Corima 45R carbon, wrapped in 30 mm Hutchinson Blackbird Race Racing Lab tires. The Shimano rotors are 160 mm front and 140 mm rear. The Colnago CC.01 integrated cockpit in 110 × 390 mm plays a huge role in the bike’s sleek silhouette. Black Supacaz Super Sticky Kush Classic handlebar tape, Speedplay pedals, and a Selle Italia Rovus Evo 3D saddle complete the build.

On the scale: 7.3 kg. Estimated build price: around €10,500.

Jeff has been riding it since January 2025. And after trying to add a few American touches with custom stickers, he has finally reverted almost entirely to black. Almost. Because there is always something left to tinker with.

Why this bike?

Because initially, Jeff hadn’t planned on buying it. The opportunity came via VC Rouen and Pascal Carlot, their sports director, who offered him a V4Rs that had barely been ridden. The bike was practically new. And above all, 40% cheaper than its retail price. Hard to pass up. But the story also resonates because the brand already held a special place for him. « I hadn’t owned a Colnago since 1998. »

In the meantime, Jeff feels Colnago went through a period where the brand appealed to him less. Then things changed. The V3Rs put Colnago right back at the top of his personal wishlist, and the V4Rs sealed the deal.

Why this one over another? Because he isn’t looking for a specialized machine. He loves race bikes that can do it all. « It’s light in the climbs, responsive when accelerating, cooperative when you want to lay down 300 watts for a threshold effort, and stable on descents or through technical sections. Plus, I think it’s genuinely beautiful. »

Having tested the last four generations of Colnago race bikes he could get his hands on, his choice remains unchanged. The V4Rs.

How did you build it?

Jeff dabbled with color. For a while. American handlebar tape, Rotger Stickers Colnago decals inspired by the stars-and-stripes flag… Then he took it all off. « Ultimately, it’s in full black that I find it most striking. »

Everything? Not quite. The blue BBB CoreCap valves stayed. They’re practical, he thinks they look great, and they represent the exact amount of tuning he’s willing to accept on this bike today. But his favorite part is elsewhere. The Miche carbon chainring. « If you ask me what difference it makes while riding, frankly, I haven’t got a clue. I can’t tell the difference. But I think it looks drop-dead gorgeous. » That at least saves us from inventing a 3.7-watt gain at 47 km/h. The truly functional choice, on the other hand, lies in the tires.

Jeff rides on 30 mm, a choice he particularly appreciates on imperfect roads: more grip, better vibration damping, and a handling profile that stays consistent with the versatile use he expects from the bike. The main compromise, however, involves the integrated cockpit. The 110 × 390 mm fits him well. Fortunately. Because wanting to change length or width simply means changing the entire cockpit.

How does it perform on the road?

Where does Jeff like his V4Rs best? A rolling circuit with corners and punchy accelerations. Not necessarily an endless climb. Nor a perfectly flat highway. But a course where you have to brake, carve a line, turn, and then lay the power back down. « You exit the corner, stomp on the pedals right away, and it just shoots forward. »

On descents, its stability is what he loves. The bike holds its line and gives him enough confidence to let it run. And when the hours start racking up, the 30 mm tires provide that extra touch of compliance to keep the bike from feeling punishingly harsh.

Jeff’s rating? 8/10.

The missing two points come down to two main things. First, the lack of compliance of the integrated cockpit when it comes to adjustments. Second, the price. Because at retail price, the numbers climb quickly. Jeff benefited from a discount of around 40%. But with a Dura-Ace build and ENVE SES 4.5 Pro wheels, he figures you can very quickly leap from a bike around €10,500 to a setup approaching €15,000. At that level, even an exceptional bike has to start justifying its cost.

If someone stole it tomorrow? Would you buy the exact same one?

No. And that’s perhaps the most surprising answer after everything that’s been said. Jeff loves his V4Rs. In fact, among the recent Colnagos he has ridden, it’s the one he would choose again today. But if his garage were empty tomorrow morning, he’d take advantage of the tragedy to switch projects entirely. Destination Italy. Pinarello Dogma F. And not just any. « I’d get the same one as Pidcock. » Though without the Zipp wheels. Since he’d be breaking the piggy bank anyway, Jeff would push the concept much further with a set of Partington wheels at around €6,000, a SRAM Red groupset, and above all a 1x setup with an XPLR rear derailleur. Rational? Not entirely. But after 11 Bike Checks, he’d be in a poor position to claim that cycling is purely a matter of common sense.

Same concept. Another bike.

One bike. Four photos. Four questions. Four answers. Bike Check, the 3bikes series that cares less about what a brand says about a bike than why its owner chose to ride it.

=> To find out all about the gear found on Jeff’s Bike: COLNAGO

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