Rose Reveal Four Disc Ultegra review

Rose’s reputation for producing technically impressive bikes at hard-to-beat prices means we are always excited when an update of established models, such as the Rose Pro SL, comes along. However, we’re even more stoked by this latest Reveal, a whole new line for this buy-direct company from Germany.

The concept behind the Reveal was to create an endurance bike that’s built for high performance – think Specialized Roubaix or Canyon Endurace, rather than a steady upright-position pseudo audax-cum-touring machine.

That becomes obvious when you look at the stack and reach numbers for our 57cm test bike: a low 589mm in stack and a mid-length 385mm in reach. Although the reach in actuality is accented by the use of a 25mm offset seatpost extending the on-bike feel to a much sportier position.

The remaining geometry also errs on the sporty side with a 73-degree head angle and a steep 74-degree seat angle.

The 46mm fork offset combined with the head angle creates a 57mm trail when running 28mm tyres, which should all add up to a fairly neutral steering response that bodes well for a balanced riding experience.

There are some interesting details going on at the back end of the bike too. The skinny dropped seatstays may be a signature of current bike design, but Rose’s interpretation is clever. The seatpost clamp is integrated into the join with the stays, and the seat tube above this is ‘C’ shaped with a rubberised cover filling the gap.

This results in an extra 60mm of unsupported seatpost along with the exposed post above the seat and top-tube junction (dependent on the height of the rider). This design allows the seatpost much more opportunity to give comfort-giving flex, and it’s a similar approach to Specialized’s oversized seat tube and undersized seatpost, an idea it brought in with the Roubaix.

Rose enhances the back-end comfort further by shaping the seat tube to a flattened profile towards the bottom bracket to bestow a bit more leaf-spring-like give on the back end.

On the road the Reveal is a very pleasant place to spend a few hours. The handling, while feeling fast, is so wonderfully balanced it grants you the confidence to take on the fastest lines through corners and navigate technical descents quickly with a great feeling of total control.

The ride quality is up there with the very best in the endurance genre. The front end’s rigidity, due to its oversized 1.5in diameter head tube, doesn’t translate to harshness thanks to some great component choices and clever carbon design in the fork, which helps eliminate irritating road buzz.

The Ritchey bar has a great ergonomic shape, whether you’re riding on the hoods, tops or in the drops, and Rose has wrapped the bars in high-grade, hard-wearing EVA rubber-backed tape with a textured grip that is ideal for all weathers and has exemplary comfort.

The Reveal is running on premium rubber too, with Continental’s latest class-leading clinchers in the form of the Grand Prix 5000 in a quick yet comfortable 28mm width.

As for seated comfort, the Selle Italia Flite Flow saddle takes one of the best shapes and enhances it with a welcome pressure-relieving channel plus generous padding on its haunches. This is a saddle that you can easily move around on and find comfort, whether you’re up on the rivet (the nose) powering along or stretched out to the saddle’s heel taking a welcome cruise.

The frame design, with its enhanced freedom of movement for the seatpost, does an excellent job of evening out poor road surfaces, and in combination with superb contact points and luxury tyres the rear end balances beautifully with the Reveal’s purposeful front end.

Rose should really be applauded for the package it has put together here. The choice of finishing kit is first-rate, the frame’s a winner and the contact points are very well considered. Add into the mix a complete Shimano Ultegra groupset that has a very endurance-friendly 50/34, 11-30 gearing that gives an ideal spread for most riders and enough range to see you through the most challenging of terrain.

If you prefer, you can use Rose’s online configurator to opt for either a wider 11-34 or closer options (11-28, 11-25, 12-25).

Rose’s own-brand R Thirty wheels have a 31mm deep alloy rim with a 19mm internal (ideal for 28mm tyres). They are tubeless compatible and are built with a simple cartridge-bearing aluminium hub laced up with 28 quality Sapim CX-Ray aero spokes per wheel. The claimed weight for these is a middleweight 1,650g a pair, which makes the Reveal’s all-up weight of 8.21kg for my 57cm test bike all the more impressive.

The wheels did their job admirably – freehub pickup is quick enough that you don’t notice, and the wheels feel taut without being harsh. If you have the budget and you really must have carbon hoops, then Rose’s online configurator has options from DT Swiss and Rose’s own carbon wheel line at various additional price points.

Climbing on the Reveal is a joy – the bike feels lithe and lively and the taut front end resolute even when honking hard on the bar out of the saddle.

It’s a bike that encourages and rewards intense efforts yet doesn’t punish you if you just want to roll along on a Sunday cruise. The only real shame with the Reveal is that Rose didn’t reveal it to us sooner, because the ride quality combined with the value for money on show here would have made the Reveal Four a serious contender in our Bike of the Year awards this year – and we can’t think of higher praise than that.

It’s a shame Rose has pulled out of the UK market since we received this bike to test but, if you can buy the Reveal where you are, it's a superb endurance bike that rides extremely well and, once again, provides excellent value.