ROSE BACKROAD AL GRX RX600 1X11 review

With the BACKROAD AL GRX RX600 1X11, ROSE promise an attractive gravel bike at a fair price. We let the olive green gravel bike with aluminium frame and Shimano GRX RX600 groupset compete against the big names of the gravel cosmos to find out what it’s capable of.

A quick overview of this group test: The best gravel bike 2021

ROSE are offering the BACKROAD AL GRX RX600 1X11 for the competitive price of € 1,799 and it seems to be selling like hotcakes if you try to purchase it from German direct to consumer brand. The aluminium frame of the ROSE is difficult to distinguish from its carbon counterpart with its smooth welds and it has all the mounting points that you could ever need: four sets of bottle cage bosses as well as mounting points for mudguards and even a side stand. It’s compatible with a front derailleur too. Despite the entry-level price, the workmanship and finish are top-notch. In addition to fully integrated cable routing, which enters the frame via the headset cover, the seat clamp is also neatly integrated into the frame. With no less than 9 sizes from 46 to 64, the platform covers a huge spectrum of potential buyers. The two smaller sizes, 46 and 49, roll on 650B wheels. Further highlights include maximum clearances for up to 700 x 45C or 650 x 50B tires and a Shimano direct mount derailleur hanger. The triple cage mounts and looks of the carbon fork have been carried over from the fork of the ROSE BACKROAD FORCE ETAP AXS LIMITED, though it’s been specially adapted for the BACKROAD AL. Not only does it feature internal routing for the brake line but also the power cable of a dynamo if fitted.

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Size	46	49	51	53	55	57	59	61	64
Seat tube	420 mm	450 mm	475 mm	490 mm	500 mm	510 mm	530 mm	555 mm	605 mm
Top tube	495 mm	506 mm	519 mm	531 mm	543 mm	560 mm	570 mm	586 mm	606 mm
Head tube	110 mm	118 mm	128 mm	142 mm	158 mm	175 mm	190 mm	205 mm	228 mm
Head angle	69.5°	69.5°	70.0°	70.5°	70.5°	71.0°	71.3°	71.5°	72.0°
Seat angle	75.0°	74.5°	74.3°	74.0°	73.3°	73.5°	73.5°	73.3°	73.0°
Chainstays	430 mm	430 mm	430 mm	430 mm	430 mm	430 mm	430 mm	430 mm	430 mm
BB Drop	72 mm	72 mm	70 mm	70 mm	70 mm	70 mm	65 mm	65 mm	65 mm
Wheelbase	1,002 mm	1,009 mm	1,016 mm	1,022 mm	1,032 mm	1,042 mm	1,052 mm	1,063 mm	1,075 mm
Reach	352 mm	356 mm	364 mm	369 mm	374 mm	383 mm	389 mm	398 mm	408 mm
Stack	535 mm	542 mm	552 mm	567 mm	582 mm	600 mm	610 mm	626 mm	650 mm

One of the most cleverly designed frame platforms in the entry-level segment. The ROSE accommodates a very wide range of applications and a huge range of rider sizes.

Our test bike came equipped with a 1×11 Shimano GRX RX600 crank, Shimano GRX RX812 rear derailleur, Shimano SLX CS-M7000 11–42 t cassette and Shimano GRX RX400 brakes with 160 mm rotors front and rear. You also get a DT Swiss P1850 wheelset with 700 x 40C Schwalbe G-One Bite tires. At this price point, we were pleasantly surprised by the smart groupset configuration and the high-quality cockpit consisting of a Ritchey WCS Butano handlebar and Ritchey WCS Toyon stem. In size 57, the BACKROAD AL weighs 9.74 kg.

The handling of the BACKROAD AL is good-natured and intuitive from the get-go. Its excellent straight-line stability makes it the ideal companion for beginners and anyone who simply wants to enjoy relaxed rides away from busy roads. However, the front is too tall for gravel racers, leading to understeer during aggressive manoeuvers that you have to counteract by actively shifting your weight forward. Nonetheless, everyone else will benefit from the balanced handling with the agility of the front matching the rear.

The tall front end makes for a pleasantly upright riding position, allowing you to stay comfortable enough to easily take on longer rides. Compared to the test field, the comfort offered by the ROSE is limited, though it’s acceptable for an aluminium frame. If you want a more comfortable ride, you can improve things with small upgrades such as a carbon seat post. The common dimension of 27.2 mm gives you a very wide range of alternatives to choose from. For even more comfort and better off-road performance, you could change to a 650B wheelset and tires that fully utilise the generous clearances. The BACKROAD prefers taking it easy when you step on the pedals. The main reasons for this are its weight and relatively high rotating mass of the DT Swiss P1850 wheelset. The ROSE isn’t a sporty, lively bike but a relaxed cruiser for any occasion. It carries its momentum well on the descents and its tall front end instils you with confidence when things get steep. Here, too, competitive riders will want a lower cockpit so that there is more weight on the front wheel to increase the handling precision. The excellent stopping power of the Shimano GRX brakes is easy to modulate and contributes to a feeling of confidence on the bike.

Tuning-tip: 650B wheelset and tires that make full use of the maximum tire clearance for more comfort and better off-road performance

Conclusion

The ROSE BACKROAD AL GRX RX600 1X11 is an ideal gravel bike for beginners and multi-sport athletes who want to take a dip into gravel riding. Even commuters and trekking riders on a budget will find a well-thought-out platform with clever features, which, due to its low price, lends itself well to upgrading components as you go. If you can overlook the limited comfort and tall front end, you will find a great bike that is ready to go out of the box for a very fair price. Our 2021 gravel Best Buy!

Not sure which gravel bike you should buy? This guide will help you for sure: gravel bike buyers guide.
You wonder what tires to put on your gravel machine? We recently tested the best gravel tires against each other in our gravel tire group test.

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More information here: rosebikes.co.uk

The testfield:

Get an overview of this group test: The best gravel-bike 2021 – 13 models on review

All bikes on review: 3T Exploro Race EKAR 1X13 (Click for review) | ARC8 Eero (Click for review) | BMC URS 01 ONE (Click for review) | Cannondale Topstone Carbon Lefty 3 (Click for review) | Canyon Grail CF SLX 8 eTap (Click for review) | Fustle Causeway GRX600 (Click for review) | OPEN WI.DE. (Click for review) | Ridley Kanzo Fast (Click for review) | Ritte Satyr (Click for review) | ROSE BACKROAD FORCE ETAP AXS LIMITED (Click for review) | ROSE BACKROAD AL GRX RX600 1X11 | Specialized S-Works Diverge (Click for review) | Trek Checkpoint (Click for review)

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Words: Photos: Valentin Rühl