CICLI DE ROSA
HEART
The Story
1960-70 INTERNATIONALISATION
- At the end of the 1960s, the frames crossed national borders: in Europe, amateurs and professionals began riding on De Rosa bikes and, from there to a few years, the “Made in Cusano Milanino" frames crossed European borders. During the decade there are several riders who start to choose De Rosa as a builder: Ugo builds for Gastone Nencini's Max Mayer, in '69 begins the collaboration with Gianni Motta that will last throughout his career, as well as that with Eddy Merckx. These are the years in which Rick Van Looy won the world championships: De Rosa is his mechanic and follows him in the team car.
1970-80 THE BIKE OF EDDY MERCKX
- For the first time the company marks the bikes of a Professional team with the “Heart": it happens with the green bikes supplied to the G.B.C. in 1973 with Panizza, Francioni and Turrini. De Rosa continues to build for several professionals: in '73 he arrives at the Molteni as an official mechanic of Eddy Merckx and with him begins a professional partnership without equal: Merckx is demanding and his sensitivity as a rider helps Ugo to understand where to improve the bike. In '76 Ugo builds for Francesco Moser (who with those bikes wins three Paris-Roubaix) and in the Giro d’Italia 74 on a hundred riders, eighty ride on frames built by De Rosa (although not always marked with the heart).
1986 THE PERSONALIZED BIKE
- TIG welding has its debut: using pipes of different sections allows De Rosa to fully realize its "personalized" bikes, realizing his construction philosophy. These are the years of Moreno Argentin, Gianbattista Baronchelli.
1993 THE TITANIUM
- De Rosa chooses to use titanium: material for the chosen few, represents since then the material for connoisseurs. Strong as steel and light as aluminum, Doriano gives it shape with all the processing difficulties involved. A De Rosa in titanium is the official bike of Team Gewis contributing to the successes of Argentin, Furlan, Berzin and Ugrumov. The bikes of the heart is on the podium of all the classics: Milano-Sanremo; Liege-Bastogne-Liege; Freccia Vallone; Giro d’Italia; Giro di Lombardia; Tour de France.
1997 THE ALUMINUM
- Aluminum is the new material: already in 1994 Danilo, who ride the Gran Fondo and builds the bikes, senses that there is a desire for new materials and something different in bicycle world. The frame starts to change because the tubes of section are larger and allow different graphics that give space to emotions and colors. Thus began the rise of this metal, technically versatile, light and reactive that allows high performance. The Merak becomes the frame "testimonial of a technical and emotional change": several successes with Casagrande, that achieved the second position to the Giro d'Italia, Pellizzotti and Caucchioli. The new millennium starts with the victory of Vainsteins and the 2000 World Championship is marked by Merak. The frames are made of steel, titanium and aluminum: they are known and mature materials. The latest generation forks are made of carbon, a young material with potential to emerge.
2000 THE CARBON
- Danilo and Cristiano have learned that evolution is born on the road, the novelties are in the minds of those who ride, in the sensations and desires of those who ride the bike from the saddle. From personal experience they understand that the turning point will be carbon. The new millennium is born with the KING which embodies the De Rosa philosophy of the "Customized" frame. With the improvement of resins and bonding, carbon becomes for De Rosa the ideal material with which to pursue its company head-line that makes its "one-to-one" "tailor-made".
2003 THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY
- The ascent is unstoppable. On the occasion of the company's 50th year, De Rosa makes the Cinquanta, a celebratory frame that arrives on the market with the brand of KING X-light. The era of the modular frame begins: five modular monocoque pieces. The frame thus becomes full carbon and the seat tube section increases to 35 mm. Weights start to fall: a medium-sized frame reaches the threshold of 1,000 - 1,100 grams but De Rosa knows that the improvement in uphill performance can not be separated from safety on the way down. The exasperated search for a "target weight" goes alongside the research on materials and the construction of a frame that gives greater stability and handling. The KING X-light is chosen by Savoldelli, Garzelli, Tonkov. During the last races, Protos (Prototype) makes its debut with which the two riders win some stages in the Giro d'Italia.
2006 THE MONOCOQUE FRAME
- The construction of the frame undergoes an important turning point with the construction of the monocoque frames that simultaneously contribute to containing the weight and favoring performance for appreciable downhill reactivity. The KING3 is born, the third version of the frame that more than others represented the successful result of research and development in the company: the carbon used -K1- is the highest quality fiber used to the best of its potential. The KING3 receives accreditations in Italy and abroad: these are the years of Di Luca, another important rider for his sensitivity and collaboration in his improvement. Carbon conquers the market and De Rosa is among the few companies to maintain production on the four materials.
2008 KING RS
- The KING RS is top of the range and its construction philosophy is readapted on every frame that leaves the factory in Cusano Milanino. Performance is sought in fibers, working with carbon XN70 - T1000 - T800 dosed in different modes. We work on design because the image is also pleasantness of the lines; We introduce aesthetic technical solutions to meet the needs of the current market. More than 70% of the production is exported all over the world: the markets recognize to De Rosa tradition, performance, competitiveness, passion, elegance, design, technology and maniacal attention to detail.
2011 KING3 RS
- The top of the range is enhanced in competitiveness and the KING3 RS - Racing Speed is born. Research and development is refined in the composition of the carbon fibers and the resins used and creates a much more reactive and light frame. Garzelli, Di Luca, Petacchi choose the KING3 RS to compete on the main international circuits, including the Giro d'Italia. All De Rosa production is influenced by these researches: the frames increase in quality, design and elegance.
2013 BLACK LABEL, THE PERSONALIZATION AT ITS FINEST
- The 60th anniversary is celebrated with the publication of the book "Sixty" in 2 versions, Italian and English, which tells and summarizes the story of De Rosa brand. In addition the Black Label line is launched. 4 models with the 4 materials of the De Rosa history revisited in an innovative way.
2014 THE BIRTH OF PROTOS, THE RACING BIKE
- The bike still used today by the De Rosa teams, racing by its nature. Light and reactive, for complete riders ready to compete on any ground.
2016 SK PININFARINA
- From two Italian excellences born an exclusive road bike, very light and designed by the two historic houses with new technologies and exclusive materials: De Rosa and PININFARINA.
2018 THE BIRTH OF ANIMA, THE BIKE ABLE TO COMBINE TRADITION AND FUTURE VISION
- A single word chosen to express the result of titanium processing, which has represented the excellence of De Rosa for over 25 years. Anima is born from here, from the desire to translate the vision and the frame culture of De Rosa into a product. The first De Rosa titanium bike that use Campagnolo 12 […]