# Protos Looks SWEEEEET!!!



## Ride-Fly (Mar 27, 2002)

Anyone have saddle time on one of these? How does it compare to others in the line-up? How about other bikes like the C59, Dogma, or Oltre?

I love De Rosa, especially their classic steels but I also lust after their carbon frames. My one problem with De Rosa is that IMHO, they don't do enough to make a distinction between the Merak, King RS, Idol or Protos. I am assuming the Protos is their top race bike, followed by the King? What category are the Merak and Idol in? Are they more for Gran Fondo type rides?


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## A-Style (Dec 10, 2012)

My LBS told me that the Merak was actually second in line from the top? 

Potentially a bit of marketing BS!


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## merckxman (Jan 23, 2002)

The Protos replaced the King Rs as the top of the line.


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## Trialtir USA (Mar 5, 2012)

*Pecking Order*

I'll list off the frames for everyone in order from top to bottom:

1) Protos
2) King RS
3) Super King
4) Merak Evolution
5) 838
6) 848 (not sold in the US)

We still also produce the following:
1) Ti 3.25 in both road and single speed
2) Steel
a) Corum
b) Nouvo Classico
c) Neo Primato
d) Scattofisso 
3) Team alloy
4) King Formula

You can always visit our site trialtir-usa.com or derosanews.com site


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## primov8 (Dec 16, 2012)

I know the Idol frameset has been discontinued but several shops still have them priced close to msrp. 
I'm still keeping my eyes open for a Idol frameset, 56.5TT, gold/black. Any chances the US based LBS will discount these framesets considering they're no longer manufactured?


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## Trialtir USA (Mar 5, 2012)

That is up to the individual LBS. My advice would be to give them a call and ask. Given that they are no longer produced and most shops would love to make a sale this time of year the odds are very favorable you could score a great deal on the Idol. 

Another option to look at would be the new Super King's arriving to the US early February. MSRP is $3799 and you have the option of running electronic with battery completely hidden inside the down tube. One of the coolest set ups for 2013 from any manufacturer and the cleanest look when running eps. There is also the mechanical version of the Super King arriving same time frame with MSRP of $2499range.


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## Ride-Fly (Mar 27, 2002)

Trialtir USA said:


> That is up to the individual LBS. My advice would be to give them a call and ask. Given that they are no longer produced and most shops would love to make a sale this time of year the odds are very favorable you could score a great deal on the Idol.
> 
> Another option to look at would be the new Super King's arriving to the US early February. MSRP is $3799 and you have the option of running electronic with battery completely hidden inside the down tube. One of the coolest set ups for 2013 from any manufacturer and the cleanest look when running eps. There is also the mechanical version of the Super King arriving same time frame with MSRP of $2499range.


How does the battery get replaced when the time comes if it is in the down tube?

is the super king made in Asia? 

What is the msrp of the protos?

thanks.


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## mriddle (Nov 16, 2005)

From the one photo that I have seen, there appears to be a couple screws that secure a small panel that allows access inside the down tube. Pretty cool.


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## Ride-Fly (Mar 27, 2002)

mriddle said:


> From the one photo that I have seen, there appears to be a couple screws that secure a small panel that allows access inside the down tube. Pretty cool.


Wow, that seems like a small feat of engineering. How do they keep the structural integrity of a down tube without adding too much weight?


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## Trialtir USA (Mar 5, 2012)

*Super King Update*



Ride-Fly said:


> Wow, that seems like a small feat of engineering. How do they keep the structural integrity of a down tube without adding too much weight?


Hello Everyone. Reading these posts and boy did I make a mistake. I quoted MSRP of the mechanical wrong it really is $3499.

Regarding battery mount inside of the down tube. De Rosa and Campagnolo designed this frame from the ground up. Structurally it is as sound as any frame. The uniqueness of this is the slot that you can remove to mount/access the battery. This is the only frame in existance that offers this currently. De Rosa has been developing this model for a couple of years and they are always one of the first manufacturers to lead the way on new technology to improve the bike. Weight wise the frame is showing 1020 grams which is not too bad considering the King RS is 970 grams. To answer others - Yes, it is made in Asia for De Rosa. Nothing wrong with this when you consider the price you can get it for ($3,799 eps version) vs the $8999 msrp of Protos frameset. This means you can have a full eps bike with a nice set of wheels for well south of $10k or do what I'm planning and build an Athena EPS up for under $7k. The new Super King will convince even the most skeptical of De Rosa's intentions in this new decade to deliver the absolute finest and technologically advanced frames to the market. FYI - Super Kings hit the US market in 2 weeks.


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## enac (Aug 24, 2007)

*De Rosa Protos REview in German Magazine.*

I am looking to buy a new bike this year. The Protos is on my short-list, but the SuperKing looks to be better value at half the price. Can anyone translate The Protos review from German to English. It would be much appreciated. I'd like to read the review before I buy.http://www.passione-bici.de/fileadmin/media/downloads/114-119_DeRosa_PC_07_2012.pdf. It would be great if the Trialtir Website had a translation of the article.


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## merckxman (Jan 23, 2002)

Team Nippo-De Rosa (a Continental Team) Protos photo:
ITALIAN CYCLING JOURNAL: De Rosa Protos for Team Nippo-De Rosa


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