KING CORAZON

I've personally owned and presently own some amazing machines. But I am going to come out and say that the bike you see pictured on this page is the best bike I have ever ridden to date. And I know that some of you will think it is some sales ploy or something along those lines because as bike shop owners and employees we are supposed to be very political and make it seem as if every bike is the best bike so long as you are buying that bike. I, however, can tell you with complete honesty and frankness that this bike is the best bike I have ever ridden. And it is as simple as that.

Now I suppose the qualities that you prefer in a bike are different from what I prefer. So, when I say that this is the best bike I have ever ridden it is based on the qualities that I prefer and that makes my riding experience the best. We don't have any machines or wind tunnels here at Pista Palace and my opinion is simply based on the average of 200 miles I do every week that is comprised of training rides, an occasional race, a recovery ride or two, and whatever comes along. One thing is for certain, however!!! The only variable in all my rides is the frame. I use the same bar, the same wheels, tires, etc. My set-up is pretty meticulous. And what I believe separates all of these amazing bikes I own and that we sell are minutiae. Minutiae. That's right, it is the trifling little details that make something the absolute best. I first truly learned about minutiae when I began to ride my custom EPS. I knew that I preferred geometry features such as a 54cm top tube and a 12cm headtube among other things. And the EPS continues to be a great bike.

With the King 3 RS we decided that we wanted to load up on all the custom features available. BB30, 1.5" tapered head tube, oversized down tube and fork, and tube on tube construction. We had to go custom on the paint because that is our style. And I must say that we are genuinely and absolutely in love with what we came up with. That blue heart is a source of pride for us. It truly represents the combined passion of De Rosa and Pista Palace.

Now in looking at my frame in particular you will see that I chose a sloping version of the geometry. I typically preferred traditional geometry but with this frame I decided to try the compact geometry that De Rosa offers, albeit custom. And for me, the one thing I was very nervous about (aside from our financial commitment) was how this bike would descend. In my experience, traditional geometry bikes descend better than compact geometry bikes. So I thought that at best I would have to learn how to descend on this bike before exploiting all of its other benefits. My proving grounds are a local descent where I can reach speeds of over 50mph regularly. I was completely shocked by the King 3 RS when I was descending and it was as if the bike said, "Hey buddy, don't worry, go as fast as you want."

Is it not the lightest frameset, no. Neither are any of the other bikes I've ridden. I will say that the oversized head tube and fork really, truly is awesome. Such amazing stiffness and compliance. Immediate power transfer. Pure compliance. Both graceful and deliberate in how it performs under pressure. But what makes it the best bike I have ever ridden is the minutiae. Whether that minutiae makes it the best bike you have ever ridden will be for you to decide.

Since this is my bike, I built it to my specifications. This means a power meter. And the best one I can think of. The Cannondale BB30 Hollowgram SRM. It isn't Italian, its more German than anything else. Just like the Lightweight wheels. 20 spoke. The FMB tires. These are things that are simply the best in their class. 3T LTD Ergonova bar. TIME RXS pedals for their reliability. For a change I went with Campagnolo Record 11 Speed. I just wanted to try something different. The saddle, too. I love it!! That Selle Italia SLR Flow is the bomb!!! No nokons this time. I went with the classic look of Campagnolo cable housing and shifter hoods. This Italian steed deserves it. A great bike is one that every time you look at it, you just want to ride it, clean it, or tweak out on it. For me, this is that bike. Step aside quiver and contain your envy, I'm gonna be on this one for a while.

-Justin

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