jet sanchEz

I caught a De Rosa but I don't know much about it except that it rides nicer than anything else I have. There is no tubing sticker and no model name on it, can someone tell me what I have here? Everything appears to be C-Record except the brake levers.

The derailleur needs to be adjusted as you can see but everything else is perfect. What is with the little blue gem on the brakes? I think I recall something about these but I cannot remember what was special about them....

JunkYardBike

I hope you ride faster than joe!

Incredible catch! Congrats!

kalifornsky

i still regret the day I turned down a perfect de rosa in my size because I didn't have the cash.

jet sanchEz

Funny enough, I sold a bike yesterday for a profit that was almost exactly what this De Rosa cost me. My bike karma must be in sync with the universe

And I am serious, I don't know anything about these blue gems in the brakes...do they pop out if I need to adjust the brakes?

JunkYardBike

Those are the Cobalto brake calipers. The plastic jewels pop off mid ride, then you search for replacements in anguish for years, and finally end up paying $200 a piece for them.

Actually, I have no direct experience with them, so I can't answer your question. But if you search the 'for trade' thread you'll see joe is looking for one (or maybe 2).

They are coveted.

5cagm

Ya those things are crazy rare, especially with the silly jewel still attached. I'd take em off and get a pair of last gen super record brakes that are almost identical. They have a conical nut with a flat top in place of the older ones' dome shaped nut caps that some say was transitional into the cobaltos. Ps I love the C-Record crankset and rear derailleur!

mainducoyote

Ah I saw that one , this morning I was wondering why it had'nt already been sold and why the seller lowered his price. Very nice catch, I was just too far away...

jet sanchEz

Heh, I thought it was a joke at first, especially with the "REDUCED PRICE!" in the title. Hard to believe it is my size too...

What type of tubing do y'all think this is made from? The sticker at the front of the bike has Eddy Merckx' name on it...

splytz1

My De Rosa has the same sticker, but I've seen many De Rosas with that sticker, so I'm not sure that it signifies any model in particular.

The lugwork, rear brake bridge, and other minor details strongly resemble those of my 1980 Professional, which is Columbus SL, but if the C-Record group is original to the bike, then yours must be a later model. If the inside of the frame is splined (pull the seatpost to find out), then it's SLX. If not, I suspect SL.

If your experience is anything like mine (I've had it about 2 months), then I hope you agree that it is an ideal ride! Fast, comfy, nimble but not twitchy, super responsive... fun.

gomango

What a beautiful bike.

Hard to tell on my iPhone, but it looks a little like a 1986 SLX we purchased for a friend who had been seeking a De Rosa.

I am terrible at dating bikes, but SLX or Professional, it is very nice.

Contact De Rosa directly with your serial number in hand at: info@derosanews.com

They'll give you a little more specific information.

Impossible to beat a De Rosa any way you look at it.

They are the very best riding bikes imho.

MarylandDeRosa

congrats!

jet sanchEz

So, now that I have had the bike a week, I have changed a couple of things and have some more questions!

I'd like to send my serial number into the link provided by gomango but I don't see anything on the BB. Would a serial number be within the BB?

The C-Record parts are very nice but I have found that the seat post doesn't want to keep the saddle snug---I find that the nose points up after a bit of riding, is this something that C-Record seat posts are known to do? I also see a "5" engraved into the side of the post near the top, what the heck is that?

Lastly, how can I know if these are truly C-Record parts? They are supposed to be quite valuable but I am probably going to upgrade to some Chorus ergo shifters on the bike so I may sell the parts off....

Here are some photos of the bike as it sits now. I felt that the Brooks didn't really match the look of the bike and I love this old Sella Italia saddle that I have so I switched that out. The brake levers were some crappy Dia Compe levers that didn't work too well once I put on some dual pivot Veloce brakes so I popped on some Record brake levers.

joe englert

wow, attsa nice bike. you better ride faster than me or ill catch you and grab that bike. around late 80s pro model. they used that eddy merckx decal for a number of years on that model. make sure those cobalto nuts are on good or youll lose one like i did. if you want to sell or trade that beauty keep me in mind. congrats. cheeers! de rosa's rule!!

5cagm

As far as I can tell they are C-Record parts. Check velospace for pictures to compare to. Some of them are my own from an auction I had on ebay for C-record parts. The rear derailleur on this bike appears to be 1st gen, as does the crankset based on the engraved logo. Anyways just check on velospace, C-Record parts don't say C-record anywhere on them. Or at least the early ones don't.

jet sanchEz

K, thanks. So only C-Record parts are engraved? What is the '5' about?

5cagm

I don't believe that is the case. It is that of the C-Record parts from the mid to late 80's only the more valuable 1st generation C-record parts were engraved on the cranks. The '5' could very well denote 1985. I would search campagnolo date codes in google. I remember that my crank was a 1984 with the date code being a 'C' inside a circle which was for 1984. This was a pre-mass release first gen crankset. Here is the link to velobase https://velobase.com/ViewSingleCompon...m=115&AbsPos=3