De Rosa Protos Road Bike Frameset 2016

Though De Rosa doesn't specify which particular frame it's using as a basepoint, it claims the Protos Road Bike Frameset's stiffness to weight ratio is a full 35% better than traditional competition racing bikes. We admit that we don't have the equipment or technical know how to properly vet this claim, which is part of the reason we eschewed the technology of testing and metrics in favor of the traditional method of determining a given frameset's qualities: we rode it. As you might expect given its down tube, we believe that the Protos may be the stiffest road racing bike that we've ever rolled through our doors, first in class when it comes to power transfer efficiency. Taking a quick glance through the other bikes we carry should give the reader a sense of the enormity of that statement, which is itself almost as impressive a claim as the Protos' oversized down tube is large. Almost. That titanic down tube is most notable when a crankset is mounted the crank arms look like tiny toys next to it and when the pedals are mashed in anger. The Protos reacts like we've always wished the Close Door buttons on elevators would it's responsive to the point of personal injury, jumping from the speed of noodle to full on sprint as soon as the freehub engages. There's no hesitation or wind up it just goes. On long, steady climbs, the huge down tube feels like it's pulling the cranks through the pedaling dead spot for you, keeping the pressure on with what may be the least amount of watts lost to bottom bracket flex that we've ever felt. Even under riders in the 176lb80kg range, the frame is virtually impervious to flex. That aggressive efficiency is mirrored in the Protos' geometry, which is low and predatory perfect for diving through corners on the inside line. The head tube alone measures between 20 and 30mm shorter than on models that we'd typically considered slammed for crits or fast circuit races, definitely bucking the current industry trend toward end...