If there’s been one consistent theme with 2018 bikes, it’s that they’re more expensive than their 2017 counterparts.
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The 2016 European referendum result hit the pound hard and as almost everything bicycle related is imported to the UK, prices have inevitably increased, or specs have been downgraded at a given price point.
It’s been noticeable when compiling our buyer’s guides (such as the best road bikes under £2,500) that many 2018 models have seen price increases that put them outside our nominal budgets.
It’s gratifying, therefore, to come across a bike that’s got cheaper this year, despite receiving a substantial spec upgrade.
Meet the Rose Xeon CWX, previously known as the CWX 3000.
My colleague Warren reviewed this bike last year when it cost £2,395. That exact bike is still listed on the Rose website at £1,907.04 (plus £27.20 for delivery), but more importantly, the current bike is available now for just £1,768.29 plus delivery.
Rose bikes ship from Germany, but that doesn’t matter since we’re talking about prices in pounds, which are at the mercy of exchange rates. The current bike is not only quite a bit cheaper, it also gets an upgrade from Shimano’s outgoing Ultegra 6800 (plus non-series hydraulics) to a full R8000 groupset.
Although the images show a rather dull black paintjob, you can still opt for the lairy green version if you so desire.
Have you spotted any bikes bucking the Brexit trend?
