Very, very sweet. Aside from my beloved Pinarello, I'm a sucker through and through for a beautiful De Rosa. That is one cool ride!

Cool bike, classy brand!

Whose signature is that on the chain stay?

No. Next time you get the De Rosa Titanio.

BEAUTIFUL!!! Now that's the cream for any coffee! haha

Ahhhh. . . DeRosa. . . the only brand of bike that I truly covet. They are all so beautiful. Works of art.

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

Koffee: Gorgeous bike!

As far as the seatpost is concerned, just take it out of the seat tube (remember how far to put it back in) and look on the inside. They don't paint that. If it's shiny, it's metal.

Cole

Koffee, I love the color! Beautiful Ride! I am still waiting on my first road bike from the factory. I am getting restless..if the one at the shop had the kind of blue yours has, I would have bought it.

Coffee,

Two questions for you: how do you store your 4 bikes in a studio?? Is it best to just place them against the wall? Are there thingamagies that you can put into the wall that won't damage the plaster that will allow you to hang the bikes up?? Or are their portable versions that you can take from place to place?

Second, I noticed that you're from Chicago: I just joined the Chicagoland bike club because they have a series of interesting rides planned. Do you recommend any good clubs to join for both touriing and training. What's the best place to train--the Lake Shore bike path?? North Branch of Chicago River path (from Devon/Caldwell to Botanical Gardens) Any other options??

I just got serious about biking in the last year, so I'm not totally up on what's up. Any advice would be helpful. Thanks
Nav

You can always try a kitchen magnet. That will rule out steel.

Lovely bike.

Yes please post pics of Ugo and the factory.

I actually have the Hang 2 from Performance- they don't require studs at all, so you can hang your bike right against the wall. Just make sure you have something to cover your wheels so the rubber doesn't stain the walls. 3 of my bikes hang, but one bike stays in the repair stand at all times. I use the repair stand as a means for storing my bike.

I don't know of any clubs for rides. I usually ride alone. I do the lakefront because it's right next to my apartment building, and it's 37 miles when you do the whole loop. The North Branch isn't bad either, but it's not the 20 miles they claim. From Devon/Caldwell to the Botanic Gardens, it's about 34 miles round trip, and I'm being generous with that. The lakefront path gets pretty crowded after 6am, and on weekends, it gets crowded after about 5- 5:30am due to the runners trying to get in more mileage before the LaSalle Bank marathon. The North Branch trail isn't too bad, but I have noticed there are more people around on weekends than ever before. On weekdays, the North Branch is practically deserted. I actually like the North Branch because I like to break there after I've ridden the first 29 (17 miles of trail, plus 12 miles from my place) miles and have a nice lunch- they have great soup and sandwiches there, and you can sit on the patio and get some carbs in before you head out and go back home.

If you decide you want to go for a century, you could easily do 100 miles by completing the full lake front trail, then heading north and doing the full North Branch. You would have to extend a few miles by either going to the corner of Lake Cook Road and Green Bay Road. From there, you can take either road an additional 2.5 miles, and there's your century! It's not that difficult to do, except getting through downtown is just crazy sometimes... traffic sucks!

Another option is to head north- you can do the full lake front, then head north on Wells and run it into Lincoln, continuing north on Lincoln to Foster. Then, you'd just hang a left on Foster and go a few short blocks to the bike path on the right (just after California, I think), and take the bike path north about another mile or so. That would dump you onto Peterson, and you'd just sidewalk it to the intersection past the McDonald's, and turn right at the corner and take that road north a block, where you'd see the Borders book store. Head behind it, keeping to your right to the big parking lot in the back, and ride the parking lot all the way through to the other side, which is Devon. You'll see the intersection of Devon and McCormick Road, and along McCormick Road is a great bike path called the Skokie Sculpture Garden bike path. It runs north all the way to Green Bay Road. If you ended your ride there and headed back downtown to the John Hancock, that is a full, 62 mile ride. But... hey... we know Green Bay Road intersects with Lake Cook Road about a quarter of a mile away from the Botanic Gardens, so it's easy to extend your ride by turning left onto Green Bay Road and riding Green Bay Road to Lake Cook Road, then turn left on Lake Cook Road and ride that half block to the Botanic Garden, where you can rest and eat, then take the North Branch trail back to Devon/Caldwell, and then bike back home. I don't know the mileage there, but I would be willing to guess that you could eek out at least 80 miles on that trip. I haven't tried it myself, but hey... I should.

For a monster ride, you could do that ride I mentioned above, and then ride to the Sculpture Gardens, then when you get to Green Bay Road, you'd turn left, and take Green Bay Road west. I believe Green Bay intersects with Sheridan Road (not 100% sure), and you could take Sheridan Road all the way to Wisconsin. For sure, you'd get in a century.

Koffee

Koffee

Thanks for the input. There's a Performance Bike shop on Diversey near my work, so I'll check it out during lunch for the bike hangers you mentioned. I like the fact that it's portable!

I didn't think to connect the Lake Front and North Branch paths--that sounds like a good idea. Those are the only real paths I know. Last weekend, I did the North Branch path from Devon to Dundee Road three times--with the distance to and from my apartment, that came out to 148 km on my computer.
This sunday, I was planning to do the Lake Path 3 times in succession (from Hollywood to 72nd street), but now I have to give serious thought to combining it with the North Branch path. Less monotony that way..

I had a book on bike trails in Chicago, lent it to someone and then proceeded to lose it when they returned it!
Thanks again for the info!
Nav

Koffee,

Nice bike. You'll have to give us an update when you hit 1000 miles on it (in about two months). Enjoy the ride!!

Jim

The bike path on a weekend? Surely you must be joking!

I'm not joking. And don't call me Shirley.

Seriously, if you can make it up to Evanston, the ride that I like is to park your vehicle at NU by the beach at the huge public parking lot there and ride Sheridan north as far as you like. We've ridden to Waukegan and back, turning around at the second hooker.

Benefits to this ride are:
Merle's in Evanston for lunch: big bell jars of beer and good bbq.
The roads are pretty good.
This section of road receives a lot of bike traffic and the cagers are wary of cyclists.

Enjoy!

Tom

Ok, Shirley!



I have to say that Sheridan sucks for a bit until after you leave Evanston. Actually, I thought the road wasn't that hot until you hit Waukegan. There are definitely good sections to Sheridan Road, but there's sucky parts too. I can't believe how big those potholes can get! All those rich folks out there too... they ought to be ashamed!

But you can take Sheridan Road all the way into Wisconsin and back and do a full century that way. It's well trafficked, but the good thing is that the traffic seems a LOT more aware of cyclists than riding around Chicago.

It is definitely more interesting to try my way then going round and round like a rat in a cage, huh?

If you send me a PM, I can call you and lend you my book(s) on the different trails around Illinois.

Koffee

Can I ride it?

Sure.

But then afterwards, I'd have to kill ya.



Koffee

Awww what a cute little blue bike.

Very, Very, Very nice ride, Koffee. I was dreaming of acquiring a DeRosa when my Fondriest was stolen. But, ultimately, it was just a dream. Now I can live vicariously though you!