My new bike

[RobF]

After a few months of looking on and off for a big wheel bike to go with the Brommie, the deed is now done.

I am the proud owner of a Rose Xtra Watt Trekking 500.

In Rose-speak, that's a Bosch crank drive trekking bike with the bigger battery and the Alfine 11-speed hub.

I am also no longer the owner of £2,500, but nothing's for nothing, is it?

The bike was DHL airfreighted from Rose in Germany, and first impressions were good.

It arrived unmarked with a comprehensive handbook in a neat folder, like one you get with a car.

Rose also supply all the leaflets for the finishing kit, including the hub, suspension seatpost and so on.

But I think the Suntour fork DVD will remain unwatched.

I've done about 100 miles so far, including one 45-miler to Whitley Bay and back.

That all but did for the battery - and the rider - so I reckon on a range of about 50 miles.

The bike rides really well and is supremely comfortable, thanks to a proper fork and 2" Marathon Supreme tyres which have a fair bit of sidewall to cushion the bumps.

Motor aside, the bike runs almost silently.

I like the ride of the Bosch system, I rarely needed to change from 'tour' - level two of four.

The only negative is the whirr from the motor, which I'm not used to because the Brommie is all but silent.

Although I am still apparently inaudible to pedestrians from behind, so it can't be that noisy.

All in all, it's a top quality bike which is a joy to ride, but so it should be for the price.

ROSE Xtra Watt 500 (Bosch 400Wh) Trekking Men at a low price in the online bike shop www.rosebikes.com

 

[Zebb]

Excellent range on it.! hope it serves you well and you enjoy it. sound like a nice coast ride too, Not a bit jealous.

 

[muckymits]

Great I was concerned about you doing the Great North Pedlec ride on a brommie, bit too harsh on those moors but this one should eat it for breakfast. Dont worry about pedestrians not hearing, mine will do that job perfect from 500 meters.

 

[Willin']

Looking forward to seeing that bike if you are still joining us on our Waskerly ride. Although I could be seduced by its charms and end up spending a fortune (relatively).

 

[martin@onbike]

That looks really nice...as do the other bikes in their range-what a great find!

 

[RobF]

That looks really nice...as do the other bikes in their range-what a great find!

Thanks to everyone for the kind comments.

Rose is a proper bike maker and is well-respected in the ordinary cycling community.

The bikes are very understated, recognisably German.

Almost everything on my bike is black, and the finishes are all anodised or matt, not glossy.

About the only relief is the yellow dustcaps - I bet Hans in the factory thought he was being very daring when he screwed those on.

 

[103Alex1]

Looks like some funky bar ends too ... Hans must have had an exceptionally exciting day Are they Ergon ?

Good looking bike that. Instantly recognizable as a quality bike. Like the vertical dropouts with that hub too - very sensible.

Of all the bikes I've seen in that price bracket (other than mine ) it's probably the first I've seen that's the sort of spec you should be getting for the money. From what I can see the only component that I think lets it down a little is the front fork... not quite up to scratch for £2.5k but other than that a very good buy.

 

[RoadieRoger]

Rob now you have got rid of all your money and must shift those pedestrians out of the way , nip into the nearest 99p Shop and get yourself one of their bulb horns . When pressed they sound like a louder sqeaky toy and cause merriment among bystanders . Their rear view mirrors are ok for 99p as well .

 

[AlMel]

Superb looking bike: discrete, solid, oozes quality. I always think it's quite a risk getting one off internet but my experience of buying accessories from Rose has also been very good.

 

[Scimitar]

Love the dropout plates and the sliding adjusters.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

Love the dropout plates and the sliding adjusters.

Except that they're already fully back and it's a new chain! OP will have to take a link out soon.

 

[RobF]

Thanks for a few more complimentary - and knowledgeable - posts.

Alex, they are Ergon grips - the instruction leaflet is in the pack with the rest.

I like the way they've engineered the dropouts, the wheel will certainly come out OK.

Tensioning the chain should be easy enough, set the plates by trial and error and then lean on the saddle to push the axle all the way into the dropout.

The arrangement also means, I think, you could get the wheel out either by undoing the axle nuts, or the hex bolts on the plates - could be useful if you've only a multi-tool to hand.

As d8 says, the plates are already just about fully back in the slots, I thought the chain was bit taughter than it needs to be, but I've decided not to tinker with it.

The fork is air adjustable and has a remote lock out.

Maybe not the best, but better than the pogo sticks fitted to cheaper bikes.

Same could be said for the adjustable seatpost.

Another feature I like is the Speedlifter - a quick release on the handlebar stem giving 4" of up and down adjustment.

Hopefully the components are good enough to give a few years of service.

I think the longevity of the bits is a concern with cheaper bikes.

 

[Woosh]

Congrats RobF,

Glad you are so pleased. Sounds like aa very nice piece of kit. Lets hope the weather gets better now so you can really enjoy riding.

Hatti

 

[Croxden]

Dam you, I now have another bike on my hit list. I came here to get it reduced not to add another. To me, it seems to equivalent to a Kalkhoff but with disc brakes, the only thing that stops the Kalkhoff from being my No1. So please keep us informed, I only have till May to make up my mind.

 

[mountainsport]

Rob now you have got rid of all your money and must shift those pedestrians out of the way , nip into the nearest 99p Shop and get yourself one of their bulb horns . When pressed they sound like a louder sqeaky toy and cause merriment among bystanders . Their rear view mirrors are ok for 99p as well .

As Jimmy Cliff would say,"I can see clearly now the rain has gone",but not through those cheap 99p rear view mirrors.

Mountainsport.

 

[mountainsport]

Hi RobF,

The bike looks Fantastic,i also love the black look with the cute wheel lock at the back.Just in time for the summer. I'm not a jealous person one bit, not even a little, not even a fraction, not even a .......

I'm very excited for you!

Mountainsport.

 

[50 Hertz]

What a great bike. I really like hub gears on an electric bike. I think that they are the only sensible option on a frequently used high mileage commuter. I'd go as far as to say that bike is the only thing I've seen on here that could tempt me away from my Kalkhoff. It looks a really good practical bike. 11 speed hub gears, disk brakes, full mud guards, Bosch motor, good looks...brilliant, well done.

 

[funkylyn]

You kept that quiet Rob ........and obviously did your homework

It looks like it will do everything it says it can, kind of the type of bike you can trust

It's a really smart looking bike, I can imagine that really tempting my brother if he manages to join us on the Waskerley Way ride.
Speaking of which, I will post again soon about that.

Enjoy those amazing cycle paths up there......well, when you actually get any decent weather

Lynda

 

[Rab C Nesbitt]

What a great bike. I really like hub gears on an electric bike. I think that they are the only sensible option on a frequently used high mileage commuter. I'd go as far as to say that bike is the only thing I've seen on here that could tempt me away from my Kalkhoff. It looks a really good practical bike. 11 speed hub gears, disk brakes, full mud guards, Bosch motor, good looks...brilliant, well done.

50 Hertz sums up my thoughts exactly - all I would add is that it is also beautifully dark and discreet . . . oohh err missus . . . you know what I mean - not too flashy with all that matt black.

Excellent choice of bike , that man !

 

[RobF]

Update, not least because I see a few members are thinking about buying a Rose.

The good news from my point of view is there is not much news.

The bike is still performing as it should and nothing has broken or fallen off.

Battery life is about the same at 50 or so miles, so a few charge cycles have not made much difference one way or the other.

The Magura discs need a firmer pull than I thought they might, but there could still be some bedding in of the pads to be done.

There's a knack to changing gear on the Alfine hub which I'm still perfecting.

For smooth changes on the move it seems best to interrupt pedalling, and I think it takes an extra fraction of a second for the motor to stop.

I tried a Bosch derailleur bike and that was quite clonky, so as there are also lower maintenance benefits with a hub I reckon it's worth the extra money.

Overall, the Rose is a lovely bike, and early indications are it will give years of good service.