# Just found this forum..2 DeRosas of my own



## Gnarly 928 (Nov 19, 2005)

Hello all, I just found the forum here and then the DeRosa page, too. Very cool, a place to share my enthusiasim for the bikes. I currently have a Dual and a King, both Dura-Aced, mostly. This is my second Dual, the first being crash-damaged. I keep the Dual as my climbing and racing ride, with lots of weight saving components installed at the cost of some comfort, but hey... The King is my long distance and training ride, though I sometimes ride it in road racing stages, if there aren't a lot of major elevation changes. 
Last season I bought and tried perhaps 10 different high-end framesets and found I love the DeRosa fit, and certainly it's build quality. It's nice to get compliments on your "ride" when you get with a pack of strangers. I don't see many around, certainly not many racing here in the West..I live in Washington state and do lots of masters races west of the Rockies..
Anyhow, hello from the Columbia River Gorge..freezing fog today, so I am not out on the usual Sat. club ride..
Don Hanson


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## wasfast (Feb 3, 2004)

Gnarly 928 said:


> Anyhow, hello from the Columbia River Gorge..freezing fog today, so I am not out on the usual Sat. club ride..
> Don Hanson


The fog burned off around 8:30 in Vancouver and the 10:00 ride was pretty nice, especially for this time of year. Bummer it was still so cold upstream. Tomorrow looks even better!


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## smokva (Jul 21, 2004)

Hi Don!
Can you please say which bike dou find stiffer...Dual or King?


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## Gnarly 928 (Nov 19, 2005)

*Dual as compared to King*



smokva said:


> Hi Don!
> Can you please say which bike dou find stiffer...Dual or King?


 Hi, sure.

To me, they are quite different feeling bikes. I've built and ridden about 10+ high end bikes in the past season, so I've got lots of recent experience with different bikes. They(the DeRosas) are both my favorites..if that makes any sense, but for different qualities.
I've recently built up and ridden following brands, given them all at least 500-1000 miles of riding, some much more. In no particular order..Trek 5900(2 of these) a 5200 also, Merlin Extralight, Cannondale Caad 7, Time VXr, Orbea Orca, another Dual that I crashed, Colnago Dream b-stay plus, my trusty custom steel frame I've owned for ages, maybe a few others...
The King is the one with an alloy headtube and I guess the bb is alu. also. Just this year I think they changed to all carbon..Not sure that makes much difference. The King seems to have a more relaxed handling personality than the Dual. The King is..steady. The Dual is quick! It also headshakes on fast downhills if you take your hands off the bars. Not the King..it tracks at 50mph without hands (not smart, but..). The King, you can drink on rough descents, reach around for food, whatever. Nothing upsets it. The Dual..not so. Nothing scary, but you feel like you should get whatever you need done, then get back on the bars. The Dual climbs slightly better..I think. Hard to quantify or compare, really, but it just feels quicker to accelerate when you tromp on the crank. Both are very high on the scale as climbing bikes..perhaps the Cannondale was a bit better uphill, but it sucked everywhere else and creaked and groaned worse than I do when I get out of bed after a race weekend.. The Dual is slightly more "buzzy"(than the King) on rough chip/seal or grainy pavment and is a bit less comfortable on really long rides..Again, difficult to compare because I have them set-up differently. Minimalist saddle on the Dual probably contributes to the stifffer impression. I ride the two interchangeing wheels and they both have the same Alien carbon seat post and Zipp carbon bars, FSA carbon cranks, etc. I've not raced the King in a Crit. I have done so with the Dual, and it shines there..It's also great for hillclimb events (1100 gr is what the specs say for frame weight) and I ride it on our hilly club rides (informal races, really). But if someone wants me to do a long training ride, I take the King. If I go out training on a rough road or decide to do a lone century (I have a couple to choose from right out my door) I usually take the King..
Hope that answers your questions,
Don Hanson


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