Rose DX Cross Randonneur 3000 triple 2012

[stevevw]

I have been thinking for some time about a bike for the longer rides that I find myself doing now. My current Audax bike is a Focus Mares on which I have a Brooks B17 and fitted a Son dynamo hub with an Edelux lamp. While perfectly fine in the dry it does worry me in the wet the brakes work okish but the noise and wear rate of the pads is alarming plus the race blade type mudguards are pretty useless when it is very wet. So I then thought that I could probably convert my carbon race bike, which has not been raced in 2 years and had been on the road about 3 times on nice days riding to work and back. to this end I bought a Kinesis carbon disc fork, front Avid BB7 brake, Shimano Deore disc hub and a nice Red anodised Mavic rim but have not as yet fitted them. This is because I would still have to fit race blades and would have to run 23mm tyres oh and change the very expensive carbon chainset from the current 53 - 42 to at least a compact and ideally a triple. I am now thinking of selling the race bike either as a complete bike or breaking for parts and putting the money towards a new bike. After searching the net for disc equipped road bikes nothing really jumped out at me until I stumbled across the Rose DX Cross range and found the Randonneur
http://www.rosebikes.co.uk/article/rose-pro-dx-cross-randonneur-3000-triple/aid:581185
I have mailed Rose to see if they are willing to supply the bike with a Brooks, Son and Edelux plus change the mudguards, which they are willing to do. I am awaiting an updated cost which may be a stumbling block.

What are your opinions on the bike and do you have any suggestions of an alternative?

[smurphboy]

Nice looking bike.

I bought a Boardman CX Team - although you would have to get mudguards and lights on top but it is only £900. It is 2x10 SRAM, not a triple, which might be an issue.

The other one to look at - and I lust after this is the Whyte Saxon Cross - again you'd need lights and mudguards.

[Andrew Br]

That Rose looks like a lot of bike for the money !
I think that discs are good for most types of riding if it's wet or muddy but then I would say that 

As Smurphboy says the Boardman is an alternative and there are several people on Cycle Chat who have them and are very happy. It does, however, look like quite a heavy bike to me and that's before you've put a rack and dyno hub on it.
I imagine that, for audax you'd need to change the tyres on both the Boardman and the Whyte whereas the Marathon Supremes on the Rose are great for road riding (they're probably my favourite tyre).

A friend of mine has just had the LBS build him a Kinesis Tripster ( http://www.kinesisdecade.co.uk/product.php?id=1 ) and, so far he's very happy with it. The frame and fork arrived as a package and then he specced the rest of it. Doing this would mean that you could use some of the bits that you've already bought.
A leftfield option would be the Planet X Dirty Disco but you'd have to be creative with the guard and rack mounts.

What Kinesis fork did you get and, purely acedemically, would you be selling it if you go for a complete new bike ?

[stevevw]

I have looked at both bikes. The Whyte is very nice but no mudguard mounts although the cheaper two do. The Boardman is a contender but comes with BB5's which do not appear to have a good reputation. Perhaps I am still a year too early to find a top spec disc equipped road bike?

The only real downside to the Rose is 1. The awful colour scheme and 2. It is not Carbon or Ti
It does have a full set of Ultegra components though.

[stevevw]

A friend of mine has just had the LBS build him a Kinesis Tripster ( http://www.kinesisdecade.co.uk/product.php?id=1 ) and, so far he's very happy with it. The frame and fork arrived as a package and then he specced the rest of it. Doing this would mean that you could use some of the bits that you've already bought.
A leftfield option would be the Planet X Dirty Disco but you'd have to be creative with the guard and rack mounts.

What Kinesis fork did you get and, purely acedemically, would you be selling it if you go for a complete new bike ?

The fork is a DC37 same as on the Tripster I believe. And yes I could be selling it and the brake if I go for the Rose. I will have another look at the Tripster and do some castings will probably work out more expensive but a worthwhile exercise.

The Planet X Dirty Disco I have also looked at and as you say it is the fitting of mudguards that would be a problem and has put me off a bit.

[smurphboy]

I have looked at both bikes. The Whyte is very nice but no mudguard mounts although the cheaper two do. The Boardman is a contender but comes with BB5's which do not appear to have a good reputation. Perhaps I am still a year too early to find a top spec disc equipped road bike?

The only real downside to the Rose is 1. The awful colour scheme and 2. It is not Carbon or Ti
It does have a full set of Ultegra components though.

I quite like the BB5s. Once you know how to adjust them then you can have out and out power or modulation. BB7s are a bit better though.

[PaulF]

How about a Peregrine

A tourer? Commuter? Monster ‘cross? Dress it up whichever way you like, the Peregrine is our most flexible frameset, with a classic lugged construction.

Peregrine by paulfulford, on Flickr

[stevevw]

Nice bike. What sort of weight is it built up? I see the frame and fork come out around 8lb.

And looks like would come out over budget, F&F £565 Ultegra triple group at nearly £900. Oh and out of stock untill July.

I keep talking myself in to the Rose  I suppose if I get it and realy hate the colour I could get it repainted.

Do any of you have a newish bike with the matt paint that seems to be all the rage at the moment? what are they like to keep clean and can they be protected with a good wax like I have been doing for years on all my bikes?

[Andrew Br]

........Perhaps I am still a year too early to find a top spec disc equipped road bike?

Yes, you may be. I think that there will be several on the market next year.

.............. It is not Carbon or Ti

Ti is one way forward:-


12-03-24 Enigma on Monsal Tunnels route by Chocolatebike1, on Flickr

ETA; I don't mind the colour scheme of the Rose bike and, as you say, full Ultegra with the rest of the kit for that price is a bargain.

[sg37409]

I got this recently.

It looks the same frame/forks as the one your thinking on.
But with flat bars, hydraulic disks, double not triple chainset.

Its very light weight. Very rigid, and tbh I find it a very harsh ride (fast though) compared to my other bikes.  I've never had an alu frame before though.
Short wheelbase, There is quite an overlap to f/forks. The mudguards are ok, but not as much cover as some others.
F.left mudguard stay "boss" (in carbon forks) the thread in the forks isnt good. Threads are stripped for about 3/4 of the blind hole in the fork leg. It came this way.

Rose are good to deal with, the bike was nicely put together, apart from the above.

[PaulF]

Nice bike. What sort of weight is it built up? I see the frame and fork come out around 8lb.

And looks like would come out over budget, F&F £565 Ultegra triple group at nearly £900. Oh and out of stock untill July.

Thanks  think the weight was about 29lbs, I've put an Alfine hub on now so can't be sure