Wow, thanks for the accolades. I do love this bike!

Well, I now have 4 bikes in my little studio. 2 junker beater bikes, 1 Bike Friday, and 1 DeRosa. I have a bit of breathing space now, as the Bike Friday is being overhauled at Yojimbo's. When I pick up that bike, I will be bringing in the DeRosa for a tune up, since I really haven't had the microadjustments since I bought it.

The Campy components are FANTASTIC. I have the shimano 105 on my hybrid bike and the shimano ultegra on my Bike Friday. With the shimano, there was a definite improvement in my riding for the hybrid bike. With the ultegra, the shifting on my Bike Friday is almost effortless. It took a little getting used to shifting, but then again, since I had the road bike handlebars for the first time, it just took time getting used to riding like that anyway! Then when I started riding the DeRosa, I was so scared of that bike that I didn't ride it for months. It just sat there. Then I rode it once before I left for my trip in May, and when I returned, I still let it sit for a week before I took it out, and then when I did start riding seriously, I noticed right away that the Campy components are seriously great- superior performance, and when I shift, I have to actually look down because it shifts so well and so fluidly, and so crisply that I cannot believe sometimes that I actually shifted! Rarely do I downshift anyway, because that bike is just so light and responds so well to what I ask it to do. I am happy with my Campy components, and for my next bike, I will definitely go with Campy... maybe Chorus or Centaur. I would have brought them back from Italy, but my last day in Vicente, I could not get in touch with the manager in charge of the Campagnolo factory out there, so I just contented myself with riding past the factory on my way back to Verona. But my next trip to Italy will definitely include a side trip to Vicente and a day trip and factory tour at Campagnolo, and I will get my components there and perhaps build up a carbon frame bike myself... but that's another time.

By the way, the signature on the frame is Ugo DeRosa.

I will have to dig up a picture I took of Ugo and Cristiano standing in front of the Cinquanta. They were nice enough to pose for me and let me take pictures of their factory, and they gave me a factory tour when I returned again in June. They are good folks.

Much as I'd love another DeRosa, I wouldn't mind trying out a different Italian bike maker for my next bike. I was there when they were building those new DeRosa King bikes and the new DeRosa Titanio bike. No matter how hard I begged, they wouldn't give me either bike. Imagine... making ME pay! I begged real hard for that Cinquanta too, but Cristiano said it was so expensive even HE couldn't afford to buy his own bike. Ha!

Koffee