In terms of quantities alone, Asian carbon production has long since overtaken the traditional Italian racing bike industry. But there are still many fans of these illustrious names. Those that hold their own on the market offer good arguments for their fans with attractive designs, individualisation and the manufacturing location of Europe. Some companies are also catching up technically, as many a test from the recent past shows.
De Rosa is one of the most traditional brands; the family business from near Milan has been in existence for more than 60 years. Founder Ugo De Rosa still visits the company, but the operational business has long been in the hands of his sons Danilo, Doriano and Cristiano. De Rosa no longer manufactures all of the current 15 models at the company headquarters in Cusano Milanino; the majority come from Asia. The bikes in the so-called Black Label series are produced in Italy. In addition to a new scandium-aluminium frame and the steel and titanium frames, this also includes the Protos carbon frame.
Founded in 1977, the Basso brand is one of the younger companies; founder Alcide Basso still runs the company today. Basso focusses exclusively on carbon, traditional steel models are not an issue. Two of the three road frames on offer are produced in Italy. They are built by Compositex, a service provider based near Vicenza that specialises in the production of carbon parts as a supplier. Body parts for racing cars or the masts of America's Cup yachts are also laminated there.
Strong optics, sharp handling
De Rosa's black label models are sold through selected dealers; one condition is that customers are measured in detail before purchase. The Protos is available in no fewer than eight standard sizes, and a combination of monocoque and tube-to-tube construction means that it can even be customised. The Protos impresses with its spectacular appearance thanks to its voluminous tubes and pronounced surfaces and edges. The Basso also stands out, especially with its lacquer finish. The silver mirror paint comes from Germany and turns the Mercedes-Benz Formula 1 racing cars into Silver Arrows.
The riding impressions match the aggressive appearance of both bikes. You sit stretched out on the De Rosa, it is manoeuvrable; the voluminous tubes offer plenty of resonance space, the muffled rumble encourages powerful bolting. The Basso is also agile to ride, with a lot of weight on the front wheel due to the extreme seating position. A special feature is the elegant headset cap in the same colour as the frame, which raises the handlebars two centimetres higher without detracting from the bike's appearance. However, anyone who thinks they can turn the Diamante into a comfort racer with the "Comfort kit" should be aware of the standards: According to our categorisation, the geometry tends to relax from "extreme" towards "very sporty". If you want to sit more upright, you should opt for the more comfortable Astra model, which offers the same feature.
The athletic character of the Diamante also shines through on the test bench: The frame delivers top marks in almost every discipline. Unfortunately, most other carbon frames also have such a hard fork; the fact that the frame weight does not quite match the world's best is probably partly due to the elaborate paintwork. De Rosa's Protos frame has to pay small tribute to its extravagance in the test lab; it misses out on top marks for riding stability. This won't bother lighter riders, but athletic riders might notice a slight bump in the suspension at high speeds. In contrast, the frame is very stiff at the bottom bracket, and the weight is still okay considering the expansive shape.
The only downer is the price - a reflection of the production in specialised European factories on the one hand and the exquisite features on the other. At €3,200 (Basso) and €4,000 (De Rosa), the prices for the framesets are already impressive, both in absolute terms and relative to comparable competitors. With high-end Italian equipment befitting their status - both bikes have electronic EPS groupsets from Campagnolo - the equivalent value of a small car is not far away. Nevertheless, the more expensive De Rosa frame with Campa's number two, the Chorus groupset, is even cheaper as a complete bike than the Basso with the top Super Record groupset, without this being noticeable when shifting and braking.
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