De Rosa SK Pininfarina
High style and a lot of substance
High style and a lot of substance
The poor De Rosa SK Pininfarina. It came to me in early spring, when I did the bulk of my riding for this test, grabbing the bike on sunny, bright days, waiting out some crummy ones and pushing my luck on others that were more “early,” less “spring.” I felt a bit bad for the bike with looks that speak more to summer. But I was happy to be on something that added a bit of spark to my rides. The SK Pininfarina debuted at the 2015 Eurobike. It’s a collaboration between the more than 60-year-old bicycle company based in Milan and the design company – which focuses mostly on cars and architecture – with its headquarters in Turin. The early discussion around the bike often touched on aerodynamics, which was fitting as Pininfarina has its own wind tunnel. When I spoke with Phil Cortes, manager of the cycling division at Logica Sport, the company that brings De Rosa bikes to Canada, he got me thinking about the bike in a different light, however. He said its aero features are tested but any results aren’t readily available. Components and even parts of the frame aren’t as integrated as they are on other aero bikes.
“SK is new version of De Rosa’s 888 Superking, which has always had an aerodynamic tendency to it,” he said. “The SK is a raceable bike that I really push as an endurance bike. It doesn’t have the stiffness that you’d ask for in a race bike. It definitely has the compliance of an endurance bike.”
The SK as endurance bike? OK. Let’s compare it with the King XS, De Rosa’s gran fondo bike (but, formerly a race bike). The stack and reach of the SK in Size 54 (which I tested) and the King XS in Size 53 aren’t too far off: 550 mm and 389 mm for the SK and 545 mm and 393 mm on the King XS. The head tube on the SK is 148 mm, which is 4 mm longer than that of King XS. These dimensions won’t put you as upright as a Trek Domane or Felt VR; you can get into a pretty race-y position on the SK.
As for snap when you lay into the pedals, I’d say it’s very good. It’s definitely more lively than other endurance bikes I’ve ridden. Also, the Pininfarina-branded Vision Metron 55 wheels spin up well and keep you rolling along the road. If the surface is a bumpy one, the compliance in the frame that Cortes mentioned does mitigate the road vibrations. As with the geometry, I wouldn’t say the SK is in full endurance-bike territory with its compliance. Though, I really liked the “endurance light” nature of the SK. It’s zippy, slightly aggressive without being brutal and a pleasure to ride for miles.
Another pure joy on this bike is the Shimano Dura-ace 9100 gruppo. I’ve had a bit of time with the 9150 Di2 model, but it was great to go “old school” with the new mechanical set. The shifting is so light and effortless, and yet precise. Just fantastic. The direct-mount brakes provided all the stopping power I needed.
While my testing is done and my conclusions are in, I still plan to ride this bike in the warmer weather. The poor bike suffered through the spring. It’s only fair that I take it out on longer, sunnier days.