De Rosa said "we decided that after 50 years (in the bike business), it was normal that we would celebrate this by creating something special. Just like Campagnolo did for their 50th anniversary... we're not as big as Campagnolo but we thought it was a good idea to celebrate too." We asked Ugo De Rosa when the first De Rosa rolled out of his workshop doors and he said, "I'm not sure of the exact date, but it was April or May of 1953. That was a long time ago!"

Like most small Italian artisan firms, Ugo's three sons and his wife all work with him in the business at Cicli De Rosa, located in an industrial zone just north of Milano. Cristiano De Rosa is the commercial director and Cristiano explained, "our project to create the Cinquanta wasn't just to put a decal on an existing bike; the Cinquanta was important for us to show what we can do as a top level bicycle builder. There is a lot of technology in the Cinquanta, thanks to the experience we have acquired while developing the King. So with the Cinquanta, this bike is completely created in carbon fibre, including the integrated head lug, which offers the opportunity to create a custom made carbon fibre bike in more sizes, with different frame angles to be personalized to rider. Cinquanta isn't like a monocoque carbon bike that is made in one size and then the rider has to adapt to. No, Cinquanta has a lot of new technology in the frame and we have brought this approach to the components. Besides the frame, we have also created De Rosa components, such as monocoque carbon handlebars, a carbon fibre crankset and seatpost. They are new, De Rosa products of the highest level of technology, made expressly for our Cinquanta bike".

Cristiano explained further that like Rome, the Cinquanta bicycle was not built in a day. "This was not a simple project," said De Rosa. "We had some hard choices and expensive investments in tooling to make; our first priority was to make the correct technical choice and then an aesthetic choice. The Cinquanta took us over a year to develop and we are very proud of the final result."

This is it, the De Rosa Cinquanta ! ! The 50 Year Anniversary Collectors Edition of De Rosa Road Bikes. I purchased this bike in Milan, Italy and the De Rosa brothers personally presented the bike to me. I have ridden it a few times on days when the weather was perfect. I also rode it a couple times on the Italian Mountain Roads near Milan. The bike comes with an new set of tires and an extra set of wheels. The bike is in perfect condition. The bike retailed for $12,000. about 5 years ago when it was sold by De Rosa as a celebration of 50 years of exclusive bike building.. The exchange rate for the Euro makes the current value of the bike over USD$ 16,000.00

The bike is fast and comfortable, a collectors item. My finance has asked me to sell it. Please check out my Online Ebay Store: NOW AVAILABLE ! Phill Wood custom Limited Edition Mountain Bike and Lance Armstrong  Team Time Trial Oil Painting.