What is the actual difference (as a user) between these two frames? I understand that the price, equipment and series of gear components are different, but what about the difference between the frame constructions, is it just cosmetic or will it affect my riding experience?

Wilier Bassano


Rose Pro DX Multicross-2000


The weight is about the same, the price of the Rose is almost 350$ higher, but then it includes disc brakes, Shimano 105 components all over and the possibility to hand pick each component yourself - but the Bassano bike just looks a bit cooler

Without having to search down all the specs, which I'm not going to do, I'd say the disc brakes are the biggest differnce and it looks like the wheel base on the Rose is longer.

I detest flat bars so I personally wouldn't buy either.

Odd thing is that I followed the provided link to Wilier and did not see the Bassano listed...

one has a sloping top tube and the other does not..

Given 'Size' is seat tube length, same number has different meaning. if the seat tube is shorter.

Ride both and decide. You can't tell how a bike will feel until you're in the saddle.

Having said that,it looks like the Rose will take wider tires,which should give it the edge in comfort,but there's still how well the bikes will fit you.

All:

What does it mean for my every day experience, whether the wheel base or seat tube is longer or the top tube is sloping? I'm aware of the visual differences, i'm just wondering if they mean any difference once you ride the bike instead of looking at it.

A local bike shop told me that the Bassano should be medium sized for me, and Rose's webshop tells me that the 54cm model would fit me.


I've tried the Bassano and it's really nice! But no disc brakes...
Rose bikes are only sold online and in their store in germany so they're not that easy try anywhere.

That's what I think too.

Your fit on the bike affects your comfort, efficiency and performance every single minute that you're on the bike. A more expensive drive train will shift more smoothly but that will only benefit you while you're actually shifting - maybe 1% of the time. Compared to your fit on the bike, nothing else even comes close in importance.

+100. A local professional bike fitter told me that he set up two bikes for a rider to "test" (I don't think the rider was going to purchase either). One cost twice what the other, but the fitter set up the cheaper one properly for the rider, while the more expensive was set up deliberately wrong, as in seat too far forward/handlebars too low. After test riding both bikes, the rider preferred the cheaper bike hands down.

Flat bars work for some people (a couple of my bikes have them), while drop bars work for others. Choosing one or the other bike on that basis, though, is silly.

Frame design

The sloping to tube has more clearance while straddling the bike at a stop. Years ago it was a big debate about whether or not the tighter triangles of the bike made for a stiffer more responsive frame (alum was popular). With today's materials,who knows? I also have a CAD3 Cannondale and don't feel any more flex than my more modern sloping carbon fiber bike.

I never liked the sloping top tube look but took a chance on one of my bike purchases. I actually like the sloping tube as I find it very comfortable as far as control at stops. If given the choice, I'd go with the sloping tube.

But do you think there would be a significant difference between these two bikes, if the seatpost, stem and handlebar etc. are adjusted to fit me?

The primary purpose of this bike is getting around in Copenhagen (capital of Denmark), 5-10 km (3-6 miles) trips from home to work etc. - and maybe some longer trips in the weekend - so a flat bar would provide the best comfort and be most useful for me.

So, what you tell me is that the sloping top tube provides some extra room between my legs, when I stop the bike at a red light? But should that be a problem with the straight top slope model, as long as I get one that fits my body?

My words were "has MORE clearance" and you put it as "extra room", that's exactly what I mean. Not to say the properly fit straight top tube doesn't allow an inch or so, I'm am saying the sloping top tube offers MORE.

Once you test ride both designs, you will understand what I mean.

The type of riding you do and the level of performance you want out of a bike. An example would be riding a road bike for a road that's built for a mountain bike. As you narrow down the type of riding and your own experience, you will come to realize certain things about a bike.

A professional rider will notice things that I don't.

If a bike fits you properly,then you will have enough space over the toptube that you won't hit anything. Sloping toptubes just give you even more room. I have bikes with both and don't care either way;I'm more concerned with how the bike handles and how comfortably it rides.

Without riding both bikes,you'll never know which fits you better,and which one's handling you prefer. If you've ridden a Wilier that fit you well,look up the geo chart for that size on their website,and compare it to the geo charts for the Rose.

Except from the seat stay and the top tube, the geometry of the frames look almost identical - am i right?

Try both of them and see how they ride. Make sure they are identical in one aspect: the wheels and tire. Switch them when you try the two frames. Test ride does not mean a ride around the parking lot. Tires should have same inflation levels. If you normally ride with 90 psi front and 100 psi back, then make sure its the same for both rides.

Thanks for your replies - they are appreciated!

The main purpose of the bike is every day commuting through the city, with a lot of red lights etc. but in the weekends I might go for longer trips if the weather allows it. I'm going to use the bike in both summer and winter - in Denmark where I live we have 2-3 months of ice and snow every year, and a lot of rainy days.

I can't try the Rose before I buy it, because they are only sold online and in ONE store in Germany - but I can return it within a month. I've been at a lot of bike stores and tried similar bikes though! Maybe I should just buy the Rose and then go back to the store selling Bassano and try the Bassano again, after I've had the Rose for a couple of days - and then - of the Bassano feels much better, return the Rose.

This is why I feel that test rides are often irrelevant. Yea, the conventional wisdom is "ride the bikes and decide", but unless you have a very exceptional bike shop, they'll probably adjust the seat height and send you on your way. Other tweaks, like seat set back, seat angle, handlebar type, stem length and height, brake hood position can make a night and day difference. Not to mention tire quality, size and PRESSURE.

Test rides - in my opinion - are virtually worthless unless both bikes are set up to you, at least in a rudimentary sense. The bike shops in my town wouldn't do that. I often think that when someone falls in love with a bike on a test ride - it's not false, but it's probably because the bike, as it sat, was a better fit, just by chance. Not a bad reason to choose a bike, but a bad reason to not choose the other.

I have three bikes, ranging from cheap to pretty expensive. Different materials and geometry. Level top tupe, slanting top tube. Once I get them set up to what I've found is a comfortable position, and inflate the tires properly, all are very comfortable and would pass a test ride. THey handle differently (wheel bases, etc.) and "feel" differently when accelerated and climbing, but all are comfortable to ride.

Thanks for all the replies. I ended up buying the Bassano two days ago and it's very nice!

I ordered the Rose bike 3 days ago (2 were in stock at that time), but 25 hours after ordering, I got a messages telling me that the bike was sold out in my size and that i could wait 2.5 months for their 2014 collection. I complained a little about their faulty stock status and showed them some screenshots of regular errors around the site, at the stock status indicators, but got an arrogant answer that their website was fine and that my browser was not up to date (I use the latest Chrome) - and they would not offer my any discount for the inconvenience, if I would be loyal and wait until end-october for the 2014 model, instead of buying another bike... So I went to the local store and bought the bassano right away!