With a history reaching back over 60 years, De Rosa is a brand synonymous with the golden era of Italian road bikes. While the brand's history is rich with tradition, for 2020, the iconic marque has undergone a suite of changes, complete with an updated logo, an overhauled range and a refined brand identity future of Italian made road bikes.
The company itself was established by amateur bike racer and engineer Ugo De Rosa in 1953. Over the next decade or so, De Rosas’' became a fixture in the professional peloton, becoming the bike of choice for some of the sport’s icons such as Gianna Motta and Eddy Merckx.
Moving to the present day and De Rosa continues to build high-performance aluminium, carbon, steel and titanium road bikes both off the peg and made to measure. It’s this commitment to hand-made quality that has seen the resurgence of the brand in recent times. So without further ado, thanks to De Rosa Australia, in this article, we'll step you through the updated 2020 carbon fibre road bike range.
Merak
The pinnacle of the 2020 De Rosa range and all-new to the lineup after a six-year hiatus, De Rosa says that the Merak is a representation of the future of the brand. Sharing a similar silhouette to its all-around race bike rivals, the Merak features dropped seatstays for additional comfort, a claimed frame weight of just 800 grams (Size 54) and a host of integrated features.
This is complemented by an all-new integrated stem design that houses both the headset and all shift and brake cables. By cleaning up the front end of the bike, the Merak has a noticeably sleek aesthetic that is said to provide a boost to the aerodynamic performance too.
Dropped seatstays are all the rage right now, and it's not hard to see why. More exposed seatpost means more compliance, which equals more comfort while also increasing aerodynamic efficiency. The Merak will hit local shores in eight sizes from 46 to 58cm, three colours; Blanca (White), Blu (Blue), and Nero (Black). Both frameset and complete build options will be offered with prices starting at AU$6,800 for a frameset, and AU$12,400 for a complete build.
SK Pininfarina
Supercar styling, superbike build kit and desired the world over, the SK Pininfarina represents the flagship aero race bike option in the De Rosa product line-up. First launched in 2015, the SK Pininfarina has seen an update for the coming year, with a host of refinements making their way onto the new frame.
The cockpit has been wholly updated, now featuring fully integrated cabling, cleaning up the aesthetic of the front end while increasing the aerodynamic efficiency. The frame shapes have also been tweaked thanks to style house Pininfarina, with the sail at the rear end reducing in size by 20% increasing comfort and the wind-cheating abilities. The frame itself makes use of a new carbon lay-up while the top tube has also been tweaked, now slightly flatter in profile. Elsewhere, the downtube and headtube have both had the airfoil profile tweaked for more efficiency in the wind.
Finally, the SK also makes use of a brand new fork, which second to tyres, has the most effect on ride quality. We stated in our review late last year that the SK Pininfarina was amongst the most comfortable aero race bikes we’ve had the privilege of riding, so we’re excited to see how the new bike fares.
The 2020 SK Pininfarina is expected to hit local shores in September and will be available in both frameset and complete build options. Framesets will be priced from AU$6,700, with complete builds starting from AU$12,300.
Protos
Favoured by UCI Pro-Continental teams NIPPO Vini Fantini, and Israel Cycling Academy, the Protos is the Italian Marque’s all-around race bike. The bike itself carries over mostly unchanged from 2019, save for a fresh lick of paint and a new aesthetic thanks to the in-house rebrand recently undertaken by De Rosa.
Famed for its oversized downtube that’s proven to increase stiffness and handling characteristics, the Protos looks to serve those in the market for a classy all-around race bike well.
Unlike the rest of the 2020 race bike range, the Protos will be offered in both disc and rim brake options when it hits local shores in September. Both framesets and complete builds set to be offered.
Pricing starts from AU$6,995 for a rim brake frameset, whereas a disc frame will set riders back an addition AU$100. Complete builds will set riders back AU$12,400 for a rim brake Campagnolo Super Record 12-speed fit-out, with a 12-speed Super Record EPS option also available for those wanting to spend a little more. Two colours will be offered; Bulgari (Gold) and Tiffany (Powder Blue), while frame sizes 45 through 58.5cm, will be available.
King
A staple of the De Rosa product line-up, the King is designed to suit those looking for a versatile all-round racer to that’s equally adept at clocking up long hours in the saddle, as it is in road races.
The King makes use of a hi-modulus carbon fibre frame. The frame is comprised of TI1000, TI800 and XN10 carbon fibre, a blend that aims to balance stiffness, weight and compliance while upfront, an integrated fork improves the aero efficiency.
As a sign of the times, the King will land in Australia in disc-specific guise for 2020 in a stunning Blue Navy colourway. Pricing for a frameset only option starts at AU$6,300, whereas a full Campagnolo 12-speed SuperRecord disc-equipped steed will set you back AU$11,500.
Idol
The third and final overhauled model for 2020, the Idol is designed as De Rosa’s endurance bike option. With swooping lines, a smattering of the latest bike tech including fully integrated cabling, flat-mount disc brakes, and space for wide rubber.
With a frame weight of 1060g and a geometry focussed on stability, the Idol looks set to be the ideal day-long ride companion. It’s also the most affordable ride in the 2020 range, available with a mechanical Ultegra R8020 groupset from September onwards from just AU$6,495.
The Idol will hit local shores in either a Grey/Red mix, or a stunning deep red colour dubbed Rosso Rubino.
With the 2020 De Rosa range landing in a matter of weeks, right now is a great time to grab a deal on 2019 model year De Rosa bikes right here, at BikeExchange.
