In those bleary eyed early hours of the morning you want a bike with tyres that can still grip over rain or vomit soaked city streets, and something responsive and exciting enough to coax you into full consciousness. This is where the Rose Xeon CDX Cross makes its mark.
The newly designed carbon frame and full carbon fork keep the bike impressively light coming in at 7.75 kg without pedals. The geometry is aggressive with a tight wheelbase, 1025 mm on the 57 cm frame, but a steep seat tube of 73.5° makes you feel spread out over the bike. With multiple options on the website it is possible to customise almost every component to suit your dimensions and preferred riding style.
Our Rose Xeon CDX Cross-4400 was equipped with an 1×11 SRAM Force groupset, SRAM Force hydraulic discs and 160mm rotors. The wheelset is Rose’s own lightweight DX-1650 with a shallow 32mm profile and some fast rolling Schwalbe G-One EVO 38c tyres.
When you get the Xeon up to speed it takes on the characteristics of a charging bull. It’s ideal for bounding over the multitude of road surfaces a city has to offer. Be it cobbles, cracked pavements, dirt, potholes, boardwalks or just tarmac, you never need to slow down. The rapid acceleration, responsive disc brakes and super rigid front end allow you to duck and dive through traffic so commuting is a breeze.
Abandoning the roads in favour of rougher terrain, the Rose demands for just one thing: go fast and have fun. The stiff and highly responsive carbon frame starts to challenge and easily you find yourself to push the limits.
A real advantage of the long riding position and compact frame is the sensation of a low centre of gravity. This really gives you the confidence to attack tight downhill switchbacks with surprising ease, and in the climbs the acceleration is instant and effortless.
The design of the flat top tube for shouldering comfort is a nice touch and especially useful when you are forced to throw in the towel from off roading punishment and you need to find some asphalt relief. Instantly the bike reverts back into roadie mode and even with a low 45psi it rolls beautifully and maintains speed very well. Before long though, in a sado-masochistic way you find yourself eagerly hunting down more off road track as a disturbed part of your soul wants to return for more punishment.
When it comes to going off road then, the Rose Xeon CDX Cross excels in almost any condition helped by sufficient clearance for up to 52c tyres. The thrashing, raw nature of the bike motivates you to ride harder and makes you scream classic Comic style exclamations of “kapow” and “blam” as your body is rattled to pieces over rougher terrain. But unless you can find yourself pristine gravel and compacted mud tracks to tear along, it’s most enjoyable at slightly lower speeds eating up the miles with the sound of “Real Estate” playing in your ears.
Drivetrain SRAM Force 1, 11spd
Rims/Hubs ROSE DX-1650 Disc
Brakes SRAM Force HRD
Tires Schwalbe G-One EVO, 38 C
Weight 7.75 kg
Price € 2,399
With well thought out details such as the forward facing seatpost collar, internal cable routing and disc brakes, it is ready to challenge the worst weather. Add to this the savage performance on and off road, and it is the ideal grab and go bike regardless of what kind of riding takes your fancy even if it’s pumping around an empty skatepark. The after-work-party made by Rose.
The Rose Xeon CDX Cross brings the full performance package with its uncompromising carbon frame. But this comes with a lack of comfort – nothing for the faint hearted.
It’s more of a highly engaging, savage plaything than an all-day-every-day sort of bike, and with it’s sportive position it is definitely more suited to experienced and athletic riders. Sadly, the lacklustre paint scheme doesn’t match up to the nature of the bike, but this shouldn’t deter the fun it brings. This wolf in sheep’s clothing sits dormant waiting for you to unleash it once more. Before long you’ll be grinning like a madman, even if it’s just to commute to the office.
More Info rosebikes.de
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Words: Charles Nicholson Photos: Robin Schmitt
