ROSE PRO SL 105 £997
SHARP RIDING INTERNET ONLY PURCHASE
“THE ROSE’ S BEATING HEART IS A SUPER CHUNK Y ALUMINIUM FRAME, WITH A MASSIVE SQUARED OWN TUBE THAT O VALISES AND FLARE S OUT”
The name Rose lends itself to poor puns and woeful wordplay, and this blooming beautiful red Rose is free of thorny issues and comes up smelling of… etc. The 2019 Pro SL is actually much the same as last year’s, bar a change of logo, a striking new colour scheme, different tyres and the move to 7000 series Shimano 105 in its entirety. Is that a problem? No. Especially as one of the things that’s unchanged – as we go to press – is that it’s yours for a tad less than a grand.
The Rose’s beating heart is a superchunky aluminium frame, with a massive square down tube that ovalises and flares out to over 70mm wide. The result is fantastic power transfer and instant acceleration. There’s an equally chunky and purposeful head tube, housing the all-carbon fork’s 1 1/8-1 1/2in steerer, which delivers precise handling and great control. Its low weight makes it a great climber too, in or out of the saddle.
It’s no soft featherbed of a ride, but Rose has softened the ride somewhat compared with the first models we tested. The downtube and chainstays are substantial, but the semi-compact frame now has dropped and significantly slimmer seatstays than before, which take off the ride’s harshest edge. Meanwhile, the gel-backed bar tape and Ritchey’s bar flattened tops add some comfort through the front.
Although nominally racier than Canyon’s Endurace ‘endurance bike’, their geometries are surprisingly similar, with the Rose’s 1cm shorter head tube being the main difference. Top tube lengths and wheelbases are within millimetres, racy frame angles within half a degree or so. The cable routing is internal, unobtrusive and rattle-free, and though the rear mech cable exits near the bottom bracket, it is sheathed, which keeps the worst of the elements at bay. Shimano 105 works impeccably, with a great range of gearing and rim brakes among the best.
The wheelset is also at the top end of what you’d expect for £1000, pairing Mavic’s durable Aksiums with Vittoria’s graphene-infused Zaffiro Pro tyres. It’s a fine combination, but as with last year, the rim welds weren’t smooth and clicked when braked. This goes away in time but is still disappointing on one of the marketleading wheels. Overall, though, the Rose Pro’s lightweight, smooth-looking frame, quality groupset and wheels serve up a fast, fun-filled feast that’s ready to rock and roll out of the box – winning this category for the second year.