Dd1968

I'd like to know if anybody has come across a De Rosa like this. Here is what I know of it. The fork and frame is steel, no sticker to identify what kind, the fork has smooth crown with De Rosa and heart pantograph; the front lower lug has heart pantograph and it is elongated; the brake bridge has De rosa pantograph; bottom bracket is Italian thread with heart cut out at the bottom; rear spacing is for 6 or 7 speed, I tried to fit 8 speed wheelset but will not fit; the drop outs are campagnolo; there is no front dérailleur hanger and the cable is internally routed. Here are pics of the frame and fork.

KonAaron Snake 

That has some odd features! I've never seen a De Rosa with some of those engravings and those features (wrap around stays, the fork crown??) combined . Some of it looks more crude than would be expected in a De rosa and I'm wondering if that's not a basement job.

wineslob

wiggle.com | De Rosa Neo Primato Frame and Fork 2014 | Road Frames


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KonAaron Snake 

It's definitely not a modern neo-Primato. The drops are wrong, amongst other things. As far as I am aware, the Primato was developed well after the switch to 130mm spacing. I remember gomango had a Primato labeled De rosa that was earlier, but I was never convinced it was a Primato and his looked quite different as I recall. I think TSX.

Im not sure, and others know far more than me...but I'm leaning not a De Rosa. I've never seen those stays, engravings, brake bridge or fork crown on a De rosa in this combo. This has a lot of weird features...some of which look conflicting.

lostarchitect 

Yeah, really looks odd to me. I also have never seen one like this. I dunno. Do we have a De Rosa expert in the house?

KonAaron Snake 

The most knowledgeable that still post regularly are probably repachage and citoyen. Hopefully one of them will come across the thread.

Dd1968

It's not a neo primato and not the earlier primato. I think the previous owner had the "primato" word painted. I made a research on the primato, this frame is not one. I hope it's from the earlier era though, 60's or 70's back when Ugo De Rosa made custom frames.

KonAaron Snake 

Ugo De Rosa made custom frames through the 90s as I understand it, but some of this looks unlike anything I've seen. As you're aware, there aren't that many earlier De Rosas around, but this doesn't look like the few I've seen. That crown in particular feels wrong and I've never seen that seatstay wrap.

There are guys better versed in the earlier stuff, but I wouldn't get my hopes up. Is the bb shell Italian?

Dd1968

Yes, the BB is italian. Its definitely going to be a conversation piece during group rides as there are not much De Rosa bikes here.

Paul J

With the cable routing under the bottom bracket it would be no older then mid 80 I thing they transitioned in 83 or 84.

Citoyen du Monde

I don't believe it is a De Rosa built by Ugo and family. It might be a Neapolitan De Rosa. The BB is a simpler than anything that I have ever seen on an De Rosa, the De Rosa scripts are not in line with what one normally finds on De Rosa bikes. The heart BB cut-out was stopped long before this frame was built with those chainstay and seatstay bridges. I would not dare resell it claiming it to be built by Ugo and sons.

cb400bill

Move from Appraisals to C&V.

gomango

Yes, my wife's Primato is actually a Giro 'd Italia that came in a batch of special orders for a local racing shop.

This one has been sorted by CDM. It's still an interesting bicycle.

KonAaron Snake 

I'm still leaning basement job rather than "the other" De Rosa. Citoyen certainly is far more knowledgeable than I am, but the Neapolitan de Rosas I've seen used wheels and dots, not hearts, for the engraving and logos. This looks like someone who found a frame and had fun making alterations.

What is the seatpost gauge? That will help indicate quality.

cbresciani

Yeah, that front fork along with the other engravings and the wrap around seat stays is something I've never seen on a De Rosa, especially not a Primato.

Dd1968

Thanks for your input. An Italian steel frame and not a de rosa. I'll strip it out of curiosity's sake, who knows I might discover what the original frames is.

IcySmooth52

Could you give a photo of the bottom bracket shell? I'm looking to see if that fancy cutout was just a way to let dust and grit into the bearings! (Wouldn't matter now with a square-taper bottom bracket cartridge.)

Steve Whitlatch 

I can`t believe someone would spend all of that time carving De Rosa all over a frame? That must have been a lot of work. How did the guy do it and make it look so good? How valuable would that frame be if it was real? Is it really worth all that time?

easyupbug 

This is very interesting, while not looking like a De Rosa even to a casual observer it is amazing work for a basement and so strange that someone could have been much closer to a faux De Rosa look with little if any additional work.

Citoyen du Monde

have you ever seen a Maasi? It really isn't difficult to do if you really want.