DeRosa has unveiled its new Protos road racing bikes for 2017, which it claims are 20 percent lighter than their predecessors thanks to re-engineered frame tubes.
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The Italian marque has used a combination of four different types of modulus and ultra-high modulus carbon fibre for the frame (modulus referring to stiffness, but not necessarily strength), to create a material called CM63. It says this material is light, stiff and suitable for pro racers and competitive athletes alike.
For comparison, the previous Protos was made from three different types of carbon fibre, with reinforcement on its large downtube (a feature which remains for the 2017 version) and was said to be 35 percent stiffer than "traditional competition racing bikes".
No word yet on the new Protos frame's weight, but the older version weighed around 900g, which would suggest that the new frame weighs an impressive 720g.
“The new Protos is the evolutionary result of years of research, innovation, design and collaboration layered onto the knowledge and instinct absorbed and accumulated over 60+ years of bicycle development,” said Cristiano DeRosa, son of the company’s founder, adding that it remains “true to our family’s vision of producing the perfect bike for each customer.”
So what about the new bikes? Well we’ve been told that Pro Continental team Nippo Fantini will be riding the new bikes in 2017, and will be riding a special edition equipped with Campagnolo’s Super Record EPS V3 groupset, Campagnolo wheels, FSA Attack handlebars and a saddle by Selle Italia.
We only have a price of £3,999 for the frame at the moment (international pricing TBC), and availability is yet be confirmed – watch this space.
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