ericbaker

Looking at this bike in the basement of a shop

Im thinking its a Professional SLX, but im not familiar with De Rosa's timeline. Approx year? late 80s-90s?


De Rosa Dropouts
internal cable routing
no tubing decal
lots of cutouts and whatnot
White fork is original

Where the trained eyes at?

thanks for looking

KonAaron Snake 

Looks mid-90s to me...


It could be a Nuovo Classico/TSX or a Professional (SLX).

Little rough - mid-grade parts...$1100 seems fair. I sold a similar open eBay for 1300, but cleaner.

DMC707

Nasty looking corrosion on that bottom bracket shell ------ you may be buying a nice Chorus takeoff group and a frame that is worth nothing but to be a conversation piece.

Unlike the previous poster, I don't consider Chorus to be "midrange" -- its nice stuff -- Veloce and Athena would be closer to midrange, with Athena being nice too

But given the condition of that bottom bracket shell, I would try to get the thing for $600

Wildwood 

Late to the thread.
I got an '87 DeRosa Professional (7 spd, Campy, delta brakes) in better shape than this one for $1100 just over a year ago. Seattle is a pretty good market for used bikes. $600 would be a low ball, but less than $1100.

KonAaron Snake 

I think there are some things you folks are missing - it's being sold by a shop, not on CL. Using CL pricing as the standard won't work. Your better deal doesn't set an average price - the one I sold for $1,300 I paid considerably less for.

Chorus wasn't top of range...it's spitting hairs, but to me if it's not top of range, it's mid-range. Call it upper mid-range if you want. As far function, I doubt there's much difference between record ergo and chorus in this period.

I agree with the post about the BB shell...looks like you need to take a close look.

zukahn1 

Well a very nice bike but the corrosion on the frame plus ugly paint scheme will likely hold the value down quit a bit. I would consider $800 a fair price.

KonAaron Snake 

No shop I've been in would sell a De Rosa with Chorus ergo for $800, even one that looks a little rough.

gomango

+1

I happen to think it's quite good looking.

Needs a major overhaul and cleaning though.

Some OA, tires, cables, brake pads, bar tape(assumed) and for gosh sakes check out the stem extension and seatpost while you are at it.

BB shell is likely fine, but needs scrutiny as others have mentioned.

It would be a cold day that I would let that go for less than a grand.

miamijim

I've seen shops sell bikes for reasonable rpices just to turn over their cash. Someone probably traded it in for a few hundred at best and thr shop may want to turn it real quick.

With the BB rust and chrome rust on the chainstay you should be able to leverage the shop. I'd offer $400 and go from there. Anything Campy except Record is dead money.

That BB is NOT bad at all....most of it's surface rust and will clean up real nice.

KonAaron Snake 

You guys must have different shops - I'm envious; all of which is to say price varies by location.

For the most part I agree regarding non-record campy prices, but tose monoplanars can sell nicely.

MetinUz

I am surprised nobody said anything about the mismatched fork color?

jet sanchEz

I think it is a Nuovo Classico and that the fork colour is close to original, all of the panto's and the bottom bracket are similar to my 1993 Nuovo Classico but not at all similar to my 1987 Professional. The cable through the top tube wasn't found on Professionals either.

The bike would have looked something like this originally:

Odin99

if the shop hasn't taken the time to even clean if off a bit, they must not be trying to get top dollar... i'd go with the $400 - 600 offer...

gomango

My wife's De Rosa came from the shop with this unusual color combo.

They were the colors for a local shop and according to the original invoice from De Rosa were "racing frames."

There were 8 of these framesets and we've owned two of them, while a riding buddy owns/rides a third.

While badged Primatos, they appear to be Nuovo Classicos, as they are built from TSX.

My wife couldn't care less about all of this. All she knows it is fast and she received it on Valentine's Day.

gomango

There are a used shops in town here that might have a De Rosa like this, but I don't know of one that would be ignorant of De Rosa branding.

This would get cleaned, overhauled and promptly inserted into the local CL rotation for $1,300.

Would it sell at that price?

I've been surprised, that's for sure.

If this bicycle were to be a trade at a new shop locally it never would have hit the showroom floor.

An employee would snap it up instantly and would have to work for free for the next week or two to pay it off.

miamijim

In todays internet age NO shop is ignorant of any branding or should be. What they're ignorant on is the subtlties of the brands and components and that where we come in. We're a niche group that knows these subtlties and can work them to our advantage.

Most high end shops dont want a 'an old rusty bike' on their show room floor because it will detract from their image of being a high end store. They dont want to be known as 'that shop down the road that sells used bikes'.

I've found most emplyees dont grab these older bikes, some do here and there but they have bills to pay...collecting bikes (maybe they're re-flipping) doesnt pay the bills.

gomango

Limited finances is an understatement.

None of the top mechanics I know make that much, nor do the owners I know.

They stick in there because they love bicycles, especially racing bicycles.

They love promoting amateur racing for a wide variety of reasons including shop image and marketing.

Many of the mechanics love my older bicycles, but they also know I am a tough sell on a new CF racing hot rod.

They like these older De Rosas as much as I do, but they also know what butters their bread.

They need to make turns on inventory and provide excellent service.

So, yes, they often have c&v bikes, but they are just as likely to have a hot rodded Mukluk or Pugsley.

KonAaron Snake 

I think there are obviously market differences...I know my market is more like Gomango's. Our "normal" shops don't do trade ins and wouldn't buy this (though I agree with GMG that an employee would make a side deal with the intention to flip on eBay). They would tell the person it's worth xxx, sell it on CL...or take it to Via or Firehouse (our vintage shops). Firehouse and Via would get over $1,000.

gomango

Touchdown.

I learned about selling on CL way before I heard of Bikeforums.

From a shop employee.

It was like shooting fish in a barrel five to six years ago.

miamijim

The OP was asking what he should offer.....not what its worth.

Would anyone here offer $1000 for that? Hell NO.

MetinUz

Beautiful. I still can't help noticing that both yours and the one shown earlier have some white paint on the frame. I am not a De Rosa expert, but like ogling one as much as anyone, and have never seen one with a different color fork.

gomango

Thanks, she loves her DeRosa.

Let's put it this way though. I wouldn't order a De Rosa with a paint scheme like my wife's.

Most wouldn't.

But that's what the shop ordered all those years ago and I was lucky enough to find it in such a splendid condition.

Again, she is still a very talented rider that can push me to the brink on rides.

She deserves a nice road bicycle.

She's happy, so I'm happy.

KonAaron Snake 

If I wanted one and didn't have a bike I liked..and it fit well...I might; I've spent market value on bikes I've liked and wanted. Most folks AREN'T us...they don't have our patience, resources or knowledge, so what we would offer is different than what we'd ask...or what we think it's worth for most folks.

I paid $650 for a Lemond Zurich in rough shape because it fit my wife and she liked it. I'd never have spent that on myself for that bike, but I did for her.