The ROSE REVEAL SIX DISC RED eTap AXS all-road bike in review

The ROSE REVEAL SIX DISC RED eTap AXS promises to be the ultimate marathon racer thanks to optimal power transfer, lots of comfort and maximum integration. We put it to the test to find out whether it’s got what it takes to deliver as an all-road bike with its top-end SRAM groupset and proprietary carbon components.

For an overview of the test fleet head to the group test: The best all-road bike 2022 – 7 models on test

The ROSE REVEAL SIX DISC Red eTap AXS is marketed as a marathon racer, aiming to combine efficient pedalling with a pleasant level of comfort. One thing’s for sure: the brand new ROSE Endurance One-Piece Cockpit brings the bike a big step closer to delivering on this promise, featuring a 90 mm stem length and a handlebar width of 400 mm. With its fully integrated design, it offers improved aerodynamics while its carbon layup adds significantly more compliance and thus comfort up front.

ROSE also chose to rely on in-house components for the wheels. The ROSE RC-Forty/Fifty Disc wheelset relies on an asymmetric design just like those on the Cervélo Caledonia-5 ULTEGRA Di2, featuring a 37 mm rim depth up front and 47 mm rim depth at the rear. With an internal rim width of 19 mm, the fitted 700 x 32C Continental Grand Prix 5000 S TR tires inflate to a true width of just 31 mm, resulting in more of a balloon shape that offers less support through the corners than a U shape would. Other than that, this latest version of the high-volume Continental tires is a good choice for an all-road bike, offering a good level of vibration damping, minimal rolling resistance, and lots of puncture resistance. As the name suggests, ROSE have reached for SRAM’s top-shelf components when speccing the REVEAL SIX DISC RED eTap AXS, making no compromises in terms of shifting precision and speed, though the new DURA-ACE Di2 groupset on the Trek Domane SLR 9 is just slightly faster and more precise.

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Finally, more comfort up front – thanks to the new one-piece carbon cockpit, the ROSE REVEAL SIX DISC RED eTap AXS is ready to tackle bumpy roads.

With the 46/33 t crankset and 11–33 t cassette, ROSE have opted for a similar approach to the gearing as on the BMC Roadmachine X ONE with its 1x drivetrain, sacrificing some of its top speed on the flats and descents for added reserves on the climbs, offering a 1:1 ratio in the easiest gear. That way, less fit riders should also be able to conquer almost every climb. Unlike the BMC, however, ROSE do so while relying on a 2x drivetrain in favour of smaller gear jumps, though it means that some gears overlap. In size 57, our test bike tips the scales at 7.45 kg, which puts it near the average of the test field, and it’s priced at € 8,099.

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°
Chainstays	410 mm	410 mm	412 mm	412 mm	415 mm	417 mm	420 mm
BB Drop	75 mm	75 mm	75 mm	75 mm	72 mm	72 mm	72 mm
Wheelbase	976 mm	984 mm	991 mm	995 mm	1,008 mm	1,027 mm	1,049 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

Riding the ROSE REVEAL SIX DISC RED eTap AXS

The ROSE REVEAL SIX DISC RED eTap AXS is similar to the BMC Roadmachine X ONE in terms of acceleration. The rear end is stiff enough to convert all of your pedalling input into propulsion, though it still doesn’t feel as light-footed as the other bikes on test due to the rotating mass of the high-volume tubeless tires. That said, once you’re up to speed, the bike holds its pace efficiently, which is underlined by its good aerodynamics and excellent vibration damping. In terms of efficiency, the ROSE sits at about the front of the mid pack of the test field. The vibration damping is on par with the Sarto Seta Disc, coming in close behind the Specialized Aethos Expert and the class-leading BMC Roadmachine X ONE. Other than that, the comfort is nicely balanced between the front and rear, and the REVEAL SIX DISC is capable of absorbing bigger impacts too. However, we must mention that the comfort at the rear is heavily dependent on the setback and how far you’ve got the seat post extended. The less setback and the less the seat post is extended, the less compliance you’ll have.

The handling of the ROSE REVEAL SIX DISC Red eTap AXS is good-natured, allowing beginners to get along with the bike. It strikes a good balance between composure and agility, initiating turns with ease yet without feeling nervous. The bike falls behind regarding precision due to the wheel and tire combination. Paired with the narrow internal rim width, the wide tires inflate to more of a balloon shape, which means that they’ve got less support than they would on rims with a wider internal width where they’d inflate to a U shape, making them less stable and precise through the corners. Initiating a turn is easy, but it takes a little more input to get the bike leaning over any further. When cornering aggressively, you’ll also want to shift your weight forward in order to generate enough grip on the front wheel. If you’re aware of these aspects when cornering, the Continental tires offer a lot of grip while cornering and braking. As such, you can make good use of the stopping power offered by the SRAM RED eTap AXS HRD brakes, which are paired with 160 mm rotors front and rear.

Tuning tip: wider rims to give the high-volume tires more support and thus more precision through the corners

So, the ROSE REVEAL SIX DISC RED eTap AXS delivers exactly as promised, excelling as a fast bike for long rides that include poorly maintained roads. Compared to the best bikes on test, however, it can’t keep up in terms of speed and handling, though it manages to stick with a very strong mid field.

Our conclusion on the ROSE REVEAL SIX DISC RED eTap AXS

The ROSE REVEAL SIX DISC RED eTap AXS is the right choice for all those who want a good natured bike featuring top-end components at a fair price. That said, it isn’t just a good all-road choice for beginners. It’s also aimed at those who enjoy long rides or fast commutes without racing against the clock or putting out their back when they ride. If you want maximum speed and precision, you’ll find faster and more agile bikes in the test field.

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You can find out more about at rosebikes.de

The testfield

For an overview of the test fleet head to the group test: The best all-road bike 2022 – 7 models on test

All bikes on review: BMC Roadmachine X ONE (Click for review) | Cervelo Caledonia-5 Ultegra Di2 (Click for review) | Parapera Atmos MASTERPIECE (Click for review) | ROSE REVEAL SIX DISC Red eTap AXS | Sarto Seta Disc (Click for review) | Specialized Aethos Expert (Click for review) | Trek Domane SLR 9 (Click for review)

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Words: Photos: Benjamin Topf