De Rosa Bikes: Evolution & Origins

As we head into Spring (yes, it feels like Spring here in Girona already!) we take a look at the origins & evolution of boutique Italian bike brand, De Rosa. 

De Rosa Bikes: Racing Origins

Ugo De Rosa was born in Milan, Italy in 1934. He grew up with a strong passion for racing & studied mechancis & engineering whilst competing in the amateur Italian peloton. In 1953, at the age of 19, he opened his first shop & started to make racing bikes. Just 5 years later his reptuation had spread & pro-cyclist & hero of the Italian nation, Raphaël Géminiani, asked De Rosa to build him a bike for the Giro d’Italia. And so began De Rosa’s long & strong history at the top level of cycling.

De Rosa’s first team in the peloton was Faema & by 1973 De Rosa was the team mechanic & official frame builder for Eddy Mercx & his highly successful Molteni team. In 1974 De Rosa won the World Championships with Francesco Moser. By the end of the 70’s & 20 years after opening his first workshop, De Rosa bikes exploded on the international scene, with huge demand for his machines in the USA, Russia & across Europe. Ugo decided to close his small workshop next to his home & move to a larger space in Milan.

Keeping things in the family has long been a tradition for Italian bike makers, and it’s no different for De Rosa. Ugo’s three sons Danilo, Doriano & Cristiano joined the company to look after production & to develop the comercial side of De Rosa.

De Rosa are a forward looking company who currently the bike sponsor for World Tour team, Cofidis, who raced to a stage win in the 2021 Giro d’Italia for Victor Lafay. Founder Ugo De Rosa leaves us with these words, a testiment to the forward-looking nature of the company which has the innovation of the bicycle engraved at the heart of its soul:

I am a man who goes straight to the point. And, by force of habit, I never look back and count the years I have spent making frames. I prefer to look ahead, because after half a century, I am still convinced that the bicycle has room for improvement. And, just has I have done up till now, in the future too I want to contribute to the evolution of this fascinating vehicle, which at the same time is so simple and so complicated.

De Rosa Carbon Road Bikes

De Rosa started to manufacture carbon bikes in the year 2000 – let’s take a look at their top of the line carbon frames 20 years later:

De Rosa Merak: Lightweight Race Bike

De Rosa’s Merak is a pure racing machine. In 2020 the Merak has come back to the De Rosa product range, ready for competition, whether its racing at high level competitions or riding granfondo’s. The Merak is a beautiful bike that can tackle the demanding nature of the sport. It’s a lightweight climbing bike promising comfort & aerodymanic excellence.

Whilst selecting the Merak is easy, the real challenge comes with how to spec the bike – check out our three builds below:

• Merak Campagnolo Chorus
• Merak Campagnolo Super Record EPS
• Merak Shimano Dura Ace Di2 

Let us know in the comments below how you’d build yours.

De Rosa SK Pininfarina: Aero Race Bike

The SK Pininfarina is a collaboration between two great icons of Italian manufacturing: De Rosa and Pininfarina, whose shared values for high-performance, artisanship and attention to detail, have been reflected in this aerodynamic bike build. The New SK Pininfaina “aims to be the point of reference for te aerodynamic and fast bikes in the international cycling scenery.”

An integrated cockpit, clean lines, and aerodynamic tubes, the SK Pininfaina is stunning model for those wanting a fast machine to race on, or even for those wanting to win the town sign sprints.

Learn more about the SK Pininfarina

De Rosa Idol: Endurance Road Bike

The Idol is model that stands out in this day and age of road bikes, the slightly curved top tube, the “Arc Slope curvature”, is a signature for the Idol range. The “unmistakeable appearance is able to express the style and design that have always been brand’s trademark.”

See more about the De Rosa Idol

De Rosa 838: The Perfect Introduction to De Rosa

An all-round bike for riders seeking a taste of De Rosa riding, best described by De Rosa themselves:

Simple, decisive, and effective lines with a clear mission: welcoming you into De Rosa’s world, without compromising on style and performance. The frame of the new De Rosa 838 is made of carbon, weighing about 900 grams, it is a slightly sloping frame and offers a beautiful balance with the out-of-saddle. The down tube stands out for its sinuosity and the gearbox is elliptical, polished, to ensure greater stiffness. The chainstays are minimal and the head tube is able to accommodate the fully integrated cable routing for a very clean look and reduced aerodynamic impact. The fork accommodates tires up to 32mm. 838 is your first De Rosa, your first will to ride a heart bike.

Learn more about the De Rosa 838

De Rosa Steel Bikes: 55 Years Later

When Ugo started making bikes in the 1950’s steel was the material of choice. In 2005 (55 years later!) De Rosa returned to it’s origins & launched its brand new lightweight steel frame, the Corum.

Once again De Rosa are reaching beyond just the carbon bike offering with a steel racing frame, Corum. We’re seeing the “want” for steel bikes on the rise once again and De Rosa have hit the nail on the head with this steel frame, built with softer alloy in the fork. The Corum is built for speed, but she’s a bike built traditionally – tying cycling’s history with a new frontier of racing.

Corum – “She is the lone voice. She is the steel and the passion.”

De Rosa Titanium Road Bikes: Anima & Solo

A De Rosa titanium frame is built to “transmit the ultimate riding experience”. On the launch of their new Anima titatium bike, De Rosa had this to say:

Titanium has been in De Rosa’s factory for 25 years and the Anima bike is the latest expression of this, the symbol of an evolving craftsmanship tradition. The frame of the  Anima represents the Black Label tailor-made technology created to mark the excellence of De Rosa frame production. The concept is simple: create a “Made to Measure” frame that fits the body of the cyclist. In the same way that Ugo De Rosa has been building bicycles for over 65 years, the black label program gives the cyclist complete control over the creative process. You choose the materials, details, and geometry to ride a unique masterpiece built and finished by the skilled hands of the master craftsmen in Cusano Milanino.

De Rosa At Eat Sleep Cycle

De Rosa add style & pure Italian passion to our range of bikes on the shop floor. Check out our De Rosa bikes in store or online, or get in touch to find out how you can get yourself a De Rosa, we offer custom builds as well as off the shelf models. Email: info@eatsleepcycle.com.

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