Yes, Felix is still with us. He is a working stiff now, but doing well!
I have dragged him out on a few rides and he can still levitate uphill despite the lack of kms in the legs.
I will pass on the sentiment to reengage on WWs.
As for how the frame rides, I have not put so many km in it yet to really state confidently. The initial reaction was that it is quite stable at speed, and following one dicey evasive move at 65 kph I can confirm that it can be muscled around and stay upright, so the front end is tight, but certainly not direct drive like the Canyon CF Ultimate I have. I find myself comparing the DeRosa fork (a Mizuno produced full carbon model) to the Canyon and that is a mistake. The DeRosa fork is plenty stiff and certainly not portly - it is a remarkable component to be offered with such an affordable frameset. I suppose if I lost some weight the fork would respond even better.
The Team frame is marketed by DeRosa as an entry level option, which is sad. The workmanship is very refined and the frame has an ability to achieve a nice low stretched out position as needed. I use a really old school saddle (San Marco Squadra Ti) so any buzz that there might be from the frame is soaked up. The ISP makes for a direct feel even with that saddle, so I would assume if you use some slimmer model saddle, you might get more abuse.
In all honesty, I have been gravitating to no-frills frames that provide a good value and perform well for some time. I have come full circle back to metal and alu appeals to me. This DeRosa is a nice step up from the faithful Fort (the alu Storm model) I reach for on most days. That the Team frameset also looks great is a nice add-on (and the price was too good to not grab it.)
I would not hesitate to compete on this frameset in the final analysis. But my riding requirements are not so rigid - if you hand me a bike, I will figure out a way to ride it. I am not so hung up on half percents on the seat tube angle, etc. Get me a frame within range and I will dial in the fit eventually. I tend to fit a bike based on how I want it to handle instead of transferring the exact fit from one bike to another.
I believe the new 2013 Team framesets are designed around a tapered headtube and the ISP was dropped. The new ones are oddly colored, but I am certain a step up in performance.
I will try to pull up the individual weight of the frame and fork at some point.
Thanks for the kind words.
