Xeon

road1199–3200 EUR

Origin

2010. The Xeon filled the value tier in ROSE's road lineup — above the entry Pro SL but below the premium X-Lite. It served two distinct markets: the Xeon RS gave budget-conscious road racers an ultralight alloy race bike with electronic shifting; the Xeon CW gave aero enthusiasts a carbon wind-tunnel frame at mid-market prices.

Specifications

Frame: Aluminium (7005/7051-T6 triple-butted, hydroformed, Taiwan-made) on Xeon RS/GF/DX; high-modulus T30/T40 carbon (~1,150 g frame) on Xeon CW/CWX. Internal cable routing, tapered 1.5" headtube, smooth welds on alloy frames.
Weight: kg
Drivetrain: 2×11 road. Configurable: Shimano 105 / Ultegra mechanical or Di2 (e.g. Ultegra Di2 R8050 on tested RS), SRAM options also offered via ROSE configurator.
Brakes: Rim caliper (Shimano Ultegra) on RS/CW; Shimano RS805 hydraulic disc with 160 mm Ice-Tech rotors on CWX. CWX disc takes up to 28 mm tyres, rim models up to 25 mm.
Wheels: ROSE RS-1400 alloy clinchers on RS (machined alloy brake track); ROSE DX 1650 alloy disc wheelset (1,650 g/pair) on CWX. Configurable wheel upgrades via ROSE configurator.

The verdict

+Strengths

Xeon RS: 7.11kg at 57cm with Ultegra Di2 — genuinely lighter than many carbon bikes
GRAN FONDO: 'Best aluminium road bike in group test.' road.cc: 'Doesn't have a significant flaw' for RS-3000
Xeon CW: wind-tunnel developed carbon at mid-market price — 'double-digit watt saving claimed'
BikeRadar Xeon CW: 'Racked up ego-boosting Strava PRs — sense of slight tailwind speed sustain'
BikeRadar Xeon CWX: 'TT bike levels of pace on flat terrain. Seriously quick, seriously involved ride'
road.cc: 'Aluminium is well and truly back — ready to race, just slap some pedals on'
Configurable via ROSE online configurator — stem length, groupset, wheel options
Xeon RS seatstays: shaped for compliance à la Cervelo R5 — comfort unexpected at price

−Weaknesses

GRAN FONDO: 'Xeon RS braking performance is weakest point — Ultegra rim brakes + Rose RS-1400 alloy track = pulsing, imprecise feel'
GRAN FONDO: 'At high speeds the agile character of the alu-racer lacks smoothness'
Xeon GF: road.cc: 'Reach too limiting for many riders — most will need longer stem' (55.5cm TT on 57cm frame very short)
BikeRadar Xeon RS: 'Could do with extra BB stiffness for powerful out-of-saddle efforts'
Di2 junction box externally mounted under stem — aesthetics compromise vs full integration on modern XLITE
Bulky frame cable plugs noted as below the quality finish of the bike (GRAN FONDO)
Now discontinued — no warranty support or new stock from ROSE

Did you know

01The Xeon RS at 7.11kg with Ultegra Di2 weighed less than many carbon bikes — GRAN FONDO called it 'the lightest [and priciest] bike in our aluminium test'
02The Xeon CW's wind tunnel development produced a claimed 'double-digit watt saving' — unusual to quantify at this price tier
03BikeRadar described the Xeon RS's thin, shaped seatstays as 'reminiscent of the Cervelo R5' — premium design cue on a budget frame
04The Xeon GF had a notably short top tube (55.5cm on 57cm frame) — deliberately targeting riders who struggle to achieve comfortable position on full race bikes
05road.cc called the Xeon RS-3000 'a cracking bike... like the Canyon Ultimate Al which was our bike of the year last year, it really doesn't have a significant flaw'
06The Xeon CWX 3000 disc achieved 'TT bike levels of pace on flat terrain' despite being an alloy+carbon hybrid road bike
07GRAN FONDO noted the Xeon RS's Di2 junction box under the stem as 'practical but not aesthetically pleasing' — a design compromise that the 2022 XLITE fully integrated redesign fixed
08The Xeon's dual-position bottle mount (high for training, low for racing) was a clever practical detail copied from race-only bikes

Who it’s for

Budget road racers wanting alloy race performance (Xeon RS)Value-conscious aero enthusiasts (Xeon CW/CWX)Sportive riders wanting race stiffness with comfortable fit (Xeon GF)All-weather road cyclists on a budget (Xeon DX disc)

Related models

ROSE BikesPro SL

ROSE BikesReveal Series

ROSE BikesX-Lite / XLITE Series

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