53cm De Rosa Professional SLX Classic Italian Steel Road Bike Frame Set
£995.00
✓ Original classic frame - built in the 1990s
✓ Suitable for historic cycling events such as L'Eroica
✓ Thoroughly checked over & photographed in detail
✓ Worldwide shipping
Often referenced as one of the 'big four' best Italian constructeurs, Ugo De Rosa has an unassailed reputation in the bike world. Though he only started to build frames in 1953, by 1958 he was being asked by Italian race ace Raphael Geminiani to build him a bike to compete in the Giro d'Italia. Through the 1960s, De Rosa built many bikes for individual professional riders and started to work with the iconic Faema team. By 1969, he had become the frame-builder and personal mechanic of Gianni Motta, providing frames for the whole team. A few years later, De Rosa became the personal builder and mechanic for Eddy Merckx, a professional relationship that was to last into the 1990s. He also built for Francesco Moser, and by 1974, 80% of the bikes ridden in the Giro were built by De Rosa. When Eddy Merckx wanted to start his frame-building business, De Rosa was brought on board as a technical consultant and reportedly trained Merckx's team in Belgium.
We believe this beautiful De Rosa frame to be an early '90s Professional SLX model with internally routed rear brake cable. Though precise dates and models of De Rosa frames are hard to pin down due to the lack of serial numbers, this has all the hallmarks of the Professional and is built from Columbus SLX rifled tubing with the later-style fork crown with heart cut-out. Regardless of the model, De Rosa did not build any low-end frames, and they are all manufactured to a very high degree from the best materials. This frame is finished in a classic dark metallic blue with chrome accents; it has possibly had a repaint at some point in its life, as it is in excellent condition.
If you're taking part in L'Eroica or a similar vintage event, this frame is of the correct age, so you won't be disqualified for being a rule breaker!
The frame's been carefully checked by one of our mechanics to confirm the alignment's correct and there's no damage to the threads. If there are any minor issues worth noting we will do so in the overview section below. Please take a good look at the detailed photos so you can see the cosmetic condition of the frame before you buy.OVERVIEW
Era - 1990s
Country - Italian
Frame Material - Steel
Tubing - Columbus SLX
Weight - 2.735 kg
Stock Code - U-F-R113C
SIZING
Size Guide* - Small/Medium (Approx 31 1/2" Inside Leg)
Seat Tube (ctc) - 53 cm
Top Tube (ctc) - 54 cm
Head Tube - 120 mm
Chainstay Length - 41 cm
Wheelbase - 99 cm
*This is just a guide, not a guarantee the frame will fit as every rider is different. If you're unsure of your size we'd always recommend trying out a bike with similar frame dimensions first.
TECHNICAL INFO
Rear Spacing - 130 mm
Front Spacing - 101 mm
Seatpost Diameter - 27.2 mm
Wheel Size - 700c/28"
Brake Fixing - Recessed Allen Key
Front Brake Drop - 45 mm
Rear Brake Drop - 44 mm
Bottom Bracket Thread - Italian Thread
Headset Thread - Standard ISO (24 TPI - British/Italian)
Headset Stack Height - 42 mm
Fork Crown Race - 26.4 mm (ISO)
Shifter Fittings - Downtube Braze-On
Headtube Internal Diameter - 30.2 mm
Steerer Internal Diameter - 22.2 mm (Standard)
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▼SHIPPING, TAXES & RETURNS
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We've been safely sending orders around the world since 2010. There's a handy shipping calculator on the shopping cart page so you can see the cost of postage as soon as you've added it to your basket. Your order will be carefully packed and sent with tracking & insurance, we despatch most orders within 2-3 days but larger items and orders placed before the weekend can take an extra day or two to process.
We accept returns, please notify us within 14 days and ensure the item arrives back with us no later than 30 days after the order was received.
We don't charge VAT, however, if buying from outside of the UK please remember that there may be import fees to pay directly to the delivery company before receiving the order. Unfortunately we can’t advise on the exact costs as it varies from country to country, so please check your national rates before purchasing.
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▼HELP SECTION
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Seat Tube (ctc) - we measure from the centre of the bottom bracket shell up to the centre line of the top tube to give a consistent measurement regardless of frame design (ctc means centre to centre).
Top Tube (ctc) - this is measured from the centre of the head tube to the centre of the seat tube, along the centre of the top tube.
Chainstay Length - measured from the centre of the bottom bracket shell to the centre point of the rear dropout.
Wheelbase - measured from the centre of the front fork dropout to the centre point of the rear dropout.
Front & Rear Spacing - measured from the inside of one dropout to the other. The dropouts on steel frames can be stretched or squeezed a few mm but it's always best to avoid this if possible, aluminium or carbon frames should never be stretched.
Brake Drop - measured using wheels of the relevant size for the frame, as stated in the technical info section.
Headset Threads - although it's generally recommended to match threaded parts exactly, with headsets you can technically mix and match, unless you have French or the obscure old Raleigh threads, in which case you need to stick to that type.
