Quick Take: 2010 DeRosa Corum – Steel in the Peloton – By Kurt Gensheimer
From the pro peloton to local USCF races, carbon fiber is the material du jour these days. Forks, wheels, components, water bottle cages, headset spacers; they’re all made of carbon. And of course, the frame, the nucleus of every bicycle, is where most of the carbon fiber craze is focused.
But what about good old steel? Is there a place in the modern peloton for the tried and true material which has been manipulated by man since 1300 years before the birth of Christ? The Men of Steel Racing team, an Indiana-based USCF club thinks there is. And in order to prove it, they turned to one of the most legendary names in steel – DeRosa.
We recently got a chance to ride a Men of Steel Racing team bike on a rainy Indianapolis afternoon; a 2010 DeRosa Corum, TIG-welded by hand in Milan, Italy by Doriano DeRosa himself. If you want a custom, steel Italian race bike, it doesn’t get any better than this.
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I had a beautiful 59 cm red DeRose made in ’83 and it was the delight of my cycling life. I foolishly sold it a couple of years ago and have regretted doing so ever since. I am pleased to see a new steel bike that is light and doesn’t punish the rider!
I’ve got mostly steel at home and one TI bike. My 36 year old Raleigh Pro MK IV with it’s hand built 531 frame is still a joy to ride which I do most weekends. As they say Steel is real.
OH NO! Classic Classic Italian steel without Campagnolo. What is the rider thinking? I guess he wasn’t!
Interesting. My first real bike was a Raleigh competition with 531 Reynolds. I loved that bike. The guy who sold it to me had taken the Du-race components off and put them on his Raleigh Pro MK IV. I wound up having a major crash in a slotted rain gutter. My brother who was a bike shop owner helped me rebuild it with good parts and new wheels. I really loved that bike and was sorry I sold it till my brother offered to sell me his De Rosa TSX Diamante with full Campangolo Record. WOW! Last year times were bad and I had not sold a house in a year and couldn’t get a job. I was overqualified. So I had to sell the bike. I wound up selling the components and keeping the frame. I plan on re painting the bike and bringing it back to New. It was a 1991 Derosa and it had ergo 8 speed. I may rebuild it with Sram but I would rather build it with Record or chorus. I am riding a Scott CR1 with Campy Centaur and it frankly is better then the old Record. Mine is a ten speed with a triple. I am 204 pounds and 57 years old. Climbing is hard for me. I have short legs 29″ inseam and because I love to body build I have a big upper body so I need my triple.
The funny thing when I got the Scott and was riding downhill after a short climb I was shocked. I thought it would be so much better then the Derosa. It was lighter so it descended slower. It was great up a hill but as far as the rest the Derosa was at least equal. I later put carbon bars on the Scott and that made the ride so much smother.
I miss the the braise-ons and that beautiful artistic build on the old bikes. Tig welding is hideous! But it works. People are using Sram a lot these days. The last time I tried Sram on a Specialized I was not sure I liked it. It felt tight and stiff compared to Dura ace and as far as Campy well it was like a California Pizza and a Pizza from NYC in Little Sicily. Dura ace is like a Chicago pizza. Different and a matter of preference. I like NYC Pizza and since I moved to California in 58 I have not had pizza anything like it. That is how I feel about Campangolo. Once you ride Record you are ruined. Same goes for a hand made steel bike like Derosa or Colnago or Pinarello with Campangolo record. Like Pavoratti, a meal at Rao’s and a fine old Barollo.
I’ve got a steel (carbon fork) singlespeed I ride at least once a week (I did about 8k kms on it two years ago, training) an aluminium bike I train on and an aluminium bike as a race bike…and the steely rides or feels no more comfortable than the alloy framed bikes (I’ve had a bunch of other roadbikes too).
While the bike above it cool I just think steel is looked at with Rose (Rosa) tinted lenses nowadays.
Also – it the bike above is a race bike with race bike geometry etc why is the seat so low?
If it’s owned by a tall person it should be higher than that. It’s ended up looking a bit silly.
Paulus- the seat height is in keeping with the old rule of thumb that you should have a “fistfull” of seatpost if your frame is the right size. The current trend toward very small frames with long exposed seatposts and tall riders hunched over almost like clowns on circus bikes is what looks silly at time!
God bless you Men of Steel!
God bless the De Rosa’s too!
I have had the De Rosa UD, King & Corum. But the Corum is the one I like best for my weekend long rides, with the comfort of steel. I have built the Corum using Campagnolo Record Carbon Components & Lightweight wheel sets. The Corum is a real joy to ride & very beautifully built.
Hi,
im about to flog of my colnago extreme power in saronie colours to get my delicate bum back on a something non-plastic, non aluminium, non-ti lol
i found a beauty of a de rosa diamante including a steel fork.
i owned a pinarello gios pegoretti duel concorde all in steel as someone said above here…im spoiled and made a bad choice lol