With the brand new ROSE REVEAL, the direct-to-consumer brand ROSE has ambitions to reposition itself on the market. Does its new long distance design work? We took this road bike out at Mallorca and the streets of Stuttgart for an exclusive first test to find out more.

Here you can see how the ROSE REVEAL compete against the latest competition.

ROSE REVEAL SIX Dura-Ace Di2 | 7.22 kg in size 57 cm | € 6,249 | manufacturer’s website

Time for something new! The German bike brand ROSE have already demonstrated that they can make lust worthy and fast bikes in the form of the ROSE BACKROAD (click for review) and ROSE X-LITE (click for review), which combine high-end specs built on top of a solid chassis. But even though these bikes perform perfectly well, there’s always been a little something missing. ROSE hope to change that with the REVEAL, ushering in a new era of design! Any reputation of being an ascetic and purely functional brand is being shrugged off here in favour of a luxury aesthetic that emulates the exclusivity of Porsche or Lamborghini. Cookie cutter bikes are to be replaced with unique brand recognition. The look of the REVEAL immediately communicates a sense of strength and elegance and it looks raring to go just standing there. If you’re a road biker to always set off at full speed, the REVEAL will have you itching to get on and ride away. Take a closer look at the REVEAL and it’s clear that ROSE recognised that they couldn’t have achieved this with just a fresh coat of paint. Instead, the frame has been changed from the ground up, resulting in the ROSE’s new long distance design. Undoubtedly triggering that ‘buy now’ reflex, first-class performance has been combined with a unique look in an attempt to create the perfect bike in an unbeatable package. The wind of change is blowing!

ROSE REVEAL – what’s new?

The front end of the bike is kept tidy with fully integrated cables. Standard gear or Di2 cables as well as brake hoses are routed directly under the stem before passing through a special spacer into the frame. ROSE says this solution will be updated with a new in-house stem that will hide those last few centimetres of cabling from view. The 490 mm carbon D-profile seatpost was developed specifically for the REVEAL and is available with either 8 or 25 mm offset. Given that you’ll not be able to use a traditional 27.2 mm seatpost, this offers options to be able to fine-tune the fit to your liking. To improve comfort, the rear of the seat tube is drawn lower, increasing the flex of the seatpost which should mean a less tiring ride over longer distances. The boost in comfort is also achieved by dropped seat stays and the fully integrated seatpost clamp. Similarly, the head tube has also been redesigned, now sized around a straight 1.5” steerer tube for a stiffer interface and in turn, more direct power transfer. It’s all change at the rear end too. For better power transfer, the chainstays are constructed asymmetrically and similarly, the seat tube meets the bottom bracket off-centre to help optimise stiffness. All these design decisions are focussed on improving power transfer from rider to bike. Officially the REVEAL has clearances for up to 30 mm tires. However, we could easily imagine that, depending on your tire and rim combo, you could happily fit up to 700 x 32C tires. ROSE have also shown their attention to detail by ensuring Shimano power meter compatibility. The drive side chainstay even has a little recess that makes it easy to mount the power meter magnet. There are no updates to the bottom bracket standard, axles or disc rotors. ROSE stick with a BB86 bottom bracket shell, 12×100 mm and 12×142 mm thru-axles and two 160 mm rotors.

The clamping of the fully integrated seatpost …
… is hidden under this rubber cover …
… and is adjusted here. Clean look and great function!
The dropped seat stays offer a lot of comfort in the back …
… and the spacer under the stem a clean cockpit in the front.

ROSE REVEAL SIX Dura-Ace Di2 components and geometry

We’ve got all the details on the componentry spec and geometry of the ROSE REVEAL, which is exclusively available with a carbon frame. However, we’ve got it from reliable sources that ROSE will be introducing an aluminium counterpart to the REVEAL featuring the same geometry in the next few months – the new and updated ROSE PRO SL!

Groupset Shimano DURA-ACE Di2, 2 x 11, 52/36T
Cassette Shimano DURA-ACE 11-30T
Brakes Shimano DURA-ACE Di2 160 / 160 mm
Wheelset ROSE RC-FIFTY-Disc
Tires Schwalbe Pro One TT TLE, 700 x 28C (custom option)
Seatpost ROSE D-Shape Carbon, 25 mm offset
Handlebars Ritchey WCS Streem, 420 mm
Stem Ritchey WCS C260, 120 mm
Weight 7.22 kg, size 57
Price € 6,249
Sizes 50, 53, 55, 57, 59, 61, 64: size 57 tested
Available now

The REVEAL is available in two versions. First, there’s the value-oriented FOUR series, which comes with disc brakes (1020 g frame weight, size 57) as well as rim brakes (940 g), and second, there’s the performance-oriented SIX DISC series (920 g frame weight, size 57). The FOUR 105 (€ 2,099) marks ROSE’s entry into the REVEAL range, which is also available with rim brakes and Shimano’s Ultegra or Ultegra Di2 groupset. The FOUR DISC is available in a total of 4 builds, starting with the DISC 105 (€ 2,499), to the DISC Ultegra, DISC Ultegra Di2 and the DISC Force eTap AXS (€ 3,749). The flagship REVEAL SIX DISC is available in 5 different builds. The most affordable models here start with Shimano’s mechanical Ultegra drivetrain (€ 3,999) and the Ultegra Di2 for € 4,799 – our Best Buy! Along with the SRAM Force eTap AXS configuration and the Shimano DURA-ACE Di2 model as reviewed, the range tops out with the RED eTap AXS groupset for € 6,499.

Size 50 53 55 57 59 61 64
Seat tube 450 mm 475 mm 495 mm 515 mm 537 mm 566 mm 600 mm
Top tube 512 mm 530 mm 542 mm 554 mm 568 mm 590 mm 615 mm
Head tube 120 mm 142 mm 154 mm 170 mm 190 mm 208 mm 230 mm
Head angle 71.5° 72.0° 72.5° 73.0° 73.0° 73.0° 73.0°
Seat angle 75.0° 74.5° 74.3° 74.0° 73.5° 73.0° 72.5°
Chainstay* 410/407 mm 410/407 mm 412/407 mm 412/407 mm 415/410 mm 417/412 mm 420/415 mm
BB Drop 75 mm 75 mm 75 mm 75 mm 72 mm 72 mm 72 mm
Wheelbase* 976/973 mm 984/982 mm 991/987 mm 995/991 mm 1008/1004 mm 1027/1018 mm 1049/1040 mm
Reach 368 mm 375 mm 381 mm 385 mm 389 mm 400 mm 412 mm
Stack 536 mm 558 mm 572 mm 589 mm 605 mm 622 mm 643 mm

*Geometry of the disc/rim brake version

We noticed: the head tube is comparatively long and the generous stack that results is pleasantly high. Our size 57 test bike had a relaxed stack-to-reach ratio of 1.53. That’s combined with a relatively aggressive 75 mm (72 mm from size 59 and up) bottom bracket drop. Unfortunately the ROSE REVEAL is only available from size 50, but goes all the way up to size 64 for taller riders.

ROSE REVEAL first ride review

Looking the part and great design language, which the REVEAL has masterfully achieved, are just one part of the equation. At the end of the day, it’s all about what the bike can deliver while riding. Is the bike fun to ride? How comfortably does it sit on the road? Do long rides feel more like pleasure or torture? Our first impressions have confirmed that ROSE have created something special! Thanks to the stiff bottom bracket, the REVEAL accelerates willingly, no doubt helped along by the lightweight ROSE RC-FIFTY-Carbon wheelset. Power transfer is direct and no energy gets wasted while pedalling. The bike also shines in the mountains, happily flying forwards even up steep ramps. On quick descents and through corners, the REVEAL shows its playful side. It reacts quickly and directly to steering inputs but that agility remains easy to control. However, while the bike never gets out of hand and never feels temperamental, on fast descents only a practiced hand will be able to coax out the bike’s full potential. ROSE have clearly done their homework and the asymmetric rear end scores top marks. It offers a lot of comfort and the bike even manages to dampen bigger impacts. However, at times we would have liked a little more comfort up front.

Conclusion

ROSE have done a great job and created a comfortable road bike for long days in the saddle. With its light-footed acceleration and playful handling the bike is a lot of fun, particularly in hilly terrain. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that it looks incredibly good too. So how does the ROSE REVEAL perform compared to the competition? You’ll find a full review in our next issue!

Tops

  • light-footed acceleration
  • high level of comfort
  • great look

Flops

  • proprietary seatpost

For more information about the ROSE REVEAL head to: www.rosebikes.com

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Words: Photos: Valentin Rühl, Benjamin Topf