Established in 1974, Italian bike makers Rossin made their mark in the Eighties, when Dutchman Hennie Kuiper rode their machines to victory in the Paris-Roubaix (1983) and Milan-San Remo (1985) classics.
Beneath the garish paintjobs, Rossin were pioneers of disc wheels, cycle computers and sloping top tubes, among other technological advances. Their time trial and track bikes were the choice of the Russian and US teams at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Now they're back in the UK, thanks to distributors Grupetto Italia. For 2011 there's a four-bike range, including carbon fibre race, sportive and club ride bikes, plus a steel fixie. Here's a quick look at the new models:
Ghibli
The range-topping Ghibli, named after the model that won Classics and Grand Tour jerseys for Rossin during their 1980s heyday, has an integrated seatmast, tapered head tube and down tube mounts for a Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 battery.
Aimed at the racing market, it's available as a frameset for £1,659 or a complete bike from £2,119. Claimed weight with Campagnolo Super Record, Mavic R-Sys wheels and 3T finishing kit is 6,650g/14.7lb (size large). It's available in red or white, in four sizes (S-XL).
Kubang
Second in the line-up is the Kubang, designed to give a little more comfort for long-distance rides. It shares the Ghibli's integrated seatmast. Frame and fork are £1,319. with full builds available from £1,829. Claimed weight with Shimano Dura-Ace and Mavic Ksyrium Elites is 7,200g/15.9lb. It's available in black or red, in four sizes.
Zenith
The Zenith is aimed at the sportive rider or club racer. It's available as a frameset for £930 or complete bike from £1,475. Claimed weight with SRAM Force and Mavic Ksyrium Equipes is 7,500g/16.5lb. It's available in red or white, in four sizes.
Marathon
Made of double-butted steel tubing, the fixed gear Marathon takes design cues from the mountain bike and cyclo-cross scenes to create a retro-looking city bike, with hand polished own-brand finishing kit. Claimed weight is 10,000g/22lb (size small) It's available in Marine, Fog or Sand, in three sizes (S-L). RRP is £650.
For more information about the Rossin range, visit Grupetto Italia (UK) or www.rossinbikes.it.
