Unboxing: Rose Pro SL Disc - aluminium disc-equipped endurance road bike

Combining a lightweight aluminium frame with a carbon fork, disc brakes and an endurance focused geometry, the new Pro SL Disc from German direct-sales brand Rose Bikes looks a really smart bike for the £1,463.32 asking price if comfort is high on the agenda.

Aluminium frames have improved massively in recent years, they have gotten lighter and more refined and are a good alternative to carbon fibre, especially at this price point when every pound has to be squeezed. Claimed weight is a respectable 1,290g for the frame and it’s combined with a carbon fork. 

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But the big news is that it’s offered with disc brakes this year. Rose is using the now standard 12mm thru-axles at both wheels with flat mount, and the hydraulic hoses are routed inside the frame for clean lines.

You can choose the Rose SL Pro Disc in a number of builds, we’ve plumped for the Shimano Ultegra model with a compact chainset and 11-32t cassette for scaling the steepest climbs, and the excellent accompanying disc brakes that provide all the reassuring stopping power you need for all-weather braking confidence. 

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Rolling stock comprises Mavic Aksium Elite WTS wheels with 25mm wide Vittoria tyres, and finishing kit is all Ritchey equipment and a Selle Italia SLR saddle. You can, of course, customise the build as much as you want through Rose's easy-to-use online configurator. 

So, a lot of bike for not a lot of money then. But how does it perform? That’s a verdict you’re going to have to wait a few weeks for, once we’ve ridden it enough to see how it fares on our local roads before we publish the full review.

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