tornadoes16

Hey everyone, I recently picked this up. I plan on cleaning it up and changing some of the components.

Can anyone help with ID'ing the year the bike was made?

Excuse the dirty pictures; I took these right when I got it.

Set:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/4425577...7622719531920/


Thanks!

Brian

thirst

About mid 80's at the oldest....

Classic & Vintage will probably give you more info as there are some De Rosa experts in that forum. That bike would make a great road bike, you should "convert" it.

thirst

longbeachgary

My guess would be mid eighties based solely on the top tube cable routing. That is one sad bike - I can't wait to see what you do with it.

longbeachgary

Check out that bike in the background with the crazy warped wheel.

Reynolds 

There is hope, it's not drewed.

tornadoes16

Yeah, I'm guessing it's an 86. I've been exchanging emails with De Rosa directly trying to figure this out, but I thought I'd give the forum a shot.

Yeah, that bike rack is where bikes go to die. I think people kick them. I carry mine up the stairs to the 3rd floor.

I cleaned the bike up, and it definitely looks better than it did. I wish the paint wasn't so chipped...

I picked it up VERY cheap, so I really can't complain too much.

Brian

MerckxMad

Looks to me to be mid-80's. What's the serial number? Also, there may be a date label stuck to the steerer tube of the fork. If you strip it and powder coat it in Saronni red, you'll have one nice bike.

kimconyc

It's '80s--the flat crown fork, shape of the horizontal dropout, cable routing.

Look for a serial number on the bottom bracket shell.

Hopefully the inside of the tubes aren't rusted. If they aren't, pick up a can of JP Weigle Framesaver and treat the frame the way it should be treated.

Just from the pictures, you can easily restore the frame but it will probably cost more to do that than you paid.

Please turn it into the road bike it was meant to be...

tornadoes16

You are correct.

I'll probably have it powdercoated sometime within the next few months.



De Rosa says the numbers that I see don't make up the serial number. (IE 10 A)


Do they make replacement stickers?

kimconyc

They sell decals on eBay. You can have the frame stripped, powdered red, re-decal, then clear-coat.

Make sure to use Teflon cable liner to protect the bottom of the frame after you fix it all up

Look for numbers on the steerer tube.

tornadoes16

Yeah, that's the plan!


I see no other numbers on the BB, steerer tube, or anywhere.

kimconyc

https://www.raydobbins.com/derosa/

Looks pretty much like yours, except in better condition

kimconyc

More 1986 vintage:
https://subtle.org/se/gallery/bikes/derosapro/

tornadoes16

Yep, I saw that site during my search.





However, the downward orientation of the 'De Rosa' logo on mine, is different than here on the '86':




So, it might be an 88,89.


edit:



Maybe because it's a different model? IDK

kimconyc

Yeah, the 1988/89 seems like they had the same downward "De Rosa" on the seat stays.

Good catch!

You just need to figure out in which of those years they made red.

It would suck if your frame was already repainted once to another color. That would make it harder to narrow down the year...

tornadoes16

I really doubt it was ever painted..parts of all the original stickers are there. They made 'Rosso Trasparente' and Ferrari-Red, but I'm not sure if it's the same color.

Any idea if the chain stay part of the frame is just a silver sticker?

cuda2k

Thread moved by request of tornadoes16.

tornadoes16

thanks!


bump for the De Rosa gurus

gomango

Hardly a guru, just a rider. I've got a Professional SLX that has a few things in common with yours. Here are a couple of older pics to get you going.











I emailed DeRosa directly, and they report this is a 1993. I have a copy of the original invoice for the frameset and that was from January, 1994. That might not mean much, as two other folks ( a DeRosa dealer in Italy and a veteran local racer) say differently. Date isn't as important to me, as I am not a collector. I just think this is the best riding bike I've ever owned.

As for yours, it has a world of potential to be brought back to life. I would think about a respray at the DeRosa factory, or have a top shelf US painter take a shot at this bike. If you powdercoat this frame, get a quote from Spectrum. I just saw a fellow club rider with a repainted Primato this last weekend and it was gorgeous. This is definitely worth your time to do it right.

jebensch

That frame is going to shake off those Ourys and Dia-Compes like the Black Stallion!

Can't wait to see where this goes.

tornadoes16

LOL, Right now I'll be using this to ride around campus. I'm in the process of cleaning it up and figuring out what I want to do with it. Whatever I do decide to do, it'll be done right. This is my first bike I'm attempting to fix up, as I usually just tinker with cars. I'm going to get some new pedals with cages ASAP, and just get it in 100% riding order. The flip-flop hub is nice.

Thank you for the pictures! I am currently talking with De Rosa, trying to figure this out. I'm not a collector, but I would like to know all the specifications! Where was the serial number on your bike?

gomango

You are welcome. Post #9 has the right spot for the info. I also pulled some info off the steering tube (original shop sticker and faded name of Ugo Derosa off another sticker) when we rebuilt my bike last winter. I'll see if I have a pic of this somewhere around here. For what it is worth, you are going to need a baseball bat to protect that bike around a campus. It would last about a half hour here. Buy the best lock you can afford. Or better yet, find a nice Schwinn Collegiate in your favorite color for the same price and ride that instead. It will give you a chance to take the DeRosa apart and start the renovation if that's is what you want to do with her.

tornadoes16

I'm looking forward to another email back from DeRosa!

I have it locked up nicely here, but people tend to kick and destroy bikes here...as well as steal them. I've been carrying it up to my 3rd floor apartment whenever I ride it.

I probably won't be taking this apart to restore until at least the winter, maybe the summer. For now, I'm going to enjoy it in its current state...it's 'new' to me.

I can't find any information, nor have I asked De Rosa about sending them a frame for a resto..but does anyone know process/pricing. I planned on going to a local, reputable powdercoater near me and do it that way. I've already run the idea by him.

tornadoes16

Does anyone know where I can get a factory dustcap for the stem/original or rep. parts?

gomango

Ah, the million dollar question! The idea of replacement parts opens up a whole world of possibilities for your DeRosa's focus such as period correct and retro, Campy or Shimano, modern components versus NOS or lightly used. A mix of new and old. Tubulars versus clinchers. Ergo, STI, or DT. I won't get into the fixie versus geared bike debate here, but I would go with gears on this one. By all means, ride and enjoy her right now, but start your long term plan for the bike. Where to buy parts? Just about anywhere. First of all, ebay and Craigslist are good sources for used. Do you have a trusted lbs to buy parts from, or are you comfortable buying from online merchants? Use the search tool on this forum and over at RBR. If you speak another language such as Italian or German, I can give you some additional pointers about sites. There are enough people around that "really" know what they are talking about, you'll get answers and feedback if you ask. Many decisions and many hours of research to figure out your path. In the end, you have a real live DeRosa for goodness sakes, and they are special bikes. You can't beat that.