The new Rose Shave

Text PMErwin HaidenErwin Haiden All articles by Erwin HaidenAI translation·Photos Rose·05.02.26 · 12:00GAs a sourceLink

Rose brings with the Shave a completely new road-bike platform that is no longer meant to fit neatly into separate drawers like "Aero" or "Lightweight". Instead, the brand, similar to its successful Backroad model, relies on a common DNA from entry-level to top model: aerodynamics, low weight, agility and direct power transfer are — depending on the setup — emphasized to varying degrees, without the bike completely changing its character (and name).

At the center, as a shared basis, is what Rose calls the AergoConcept: Aero-Performance meets a geometry with an Endurance touch. Bottom line: sporty enough for pace, but comfortable enough that even long days in the saddle don't immediately feel like punishment.

 Wow, that's sick 

loosely based on Ibiza

Across the platform, Rose relies on a fully integrated, redesigned cockpit with 13° flare and a textured top — intended to give more control when things get unsettled in fast corners. All Shave models are shifted exclusively electronically (Shimano or SRAM). There is also a carbon seatpost with 14 mm setback designed to dampen vibrations, plus generous tire clearance: on the Shave up to 36 mm, on the UCI-compliant Fast-Forward variants up to 35 mm, which will especially please those who like to run slightly more comfortable tires and still don’t want to give up a true road-racing platform.

 The Shave and its development mark a new milestone for us. Not only because, after years, we have fundamentally rethought our portfolio, but because, for the first time, we fully leveraged all our capabilities to take a road bike to a new level. For our engineering team it was a major challenge to achieve the ambitious goals. All the greater were our relief and pride when we saw that the Shave not only exceeded our expectations in theory, but also under real-world conditions. 

Jürgen Telahr, Lead Engineer, Race Team (Rose)

Rose In-House CFD as the heart of development

The basis of modern road‑bike development today is sophisticated CFD simulations (Computational Fluid Dynamics), which, put simply, simulate how objects behave in flows (air, water, ...). In road cycling it is now known that the angle of attack of the air usually ranges between 0 and 20 degrees (riding and wind speed and their direction). Based on these insights, most road‑bike, wheel and component manufacturers optimize their parts, because there are hardly any parts on a racing bike that are not exposed to the airstream.

Rose brought this CFD development in‑house for the Shave to optimize the entire development process. The big advantage is obvious: far more opportunities to review various approaches and thus a massive acceleration of the whole development. How deeply these optimizations go into detail can be seen in part from the graphics below. Anyone interested in the details can dive deeper into the whitepaper here.

Rose Shave Whitepaper

Datasheet and model range Rose Shave

In the end the result is what counts, and that is put to the test in two further stages of development. On test rigs and in the wind tunnel measurements are taken to see whether the values calculated in the CFD simulations are also reflected in the real model. The final confirmation ultimately comes from the riders themselves — in the specific case of Team Unibet Rose Rockets, who had already tried the Shave under their calibrated bottoms in advance.

The Shave (excluding FF and FFX) marks the entry into the new family — clearly aimed at a wide range of uses: training rides, fast outings, but also long distances. Price-wise the Shave starts at €3,600 (105 Di2) and, depending on the build, goes up to €5,200 (Force AXS), available in the colors supersonic grey, sage and slate. Even the entry-level model comes with electronic groupsets as standard.

Shave Ultegra Di2

Groupset	Shimano Ultegra Di2
Gears	2x12
Crankset	Shimano FC-R8100
Chainrings	50/34T
Crank arms	XS, S 165 mm // M 170 mm // M/L 172.5 mm // L, XL 175 mm
Power meter	4iiii Precision 3+ single-sided
Cassette/Range	Shimano CS-R8101 / 11-34T
Brake rotors / diameter	Shimano RT-CL700 / 160 mm / 160 mm
Wheels	Newmen Advanced A .50
Rim material	Carbon
Tires	Continental Grand Prix
Width	32 mm
Cockpit	ROSE Shave Cockpit
Saddle	Selle Italia Novus Boost
Seatpost / offset	ROSE Shave seatpost / 14 mm
Weight	7.8 kg +/- 5%, supersonic grey, size M, without pedals
Price	EUR 5,000

Alle Angaben

At the cockpit, Rose opts for full integration and ergonomic fine-tuning: a 13° flare and a textured top are intended to provide more grip and precision, while the carbon layup is meant to combine stiffness and vibration damping. Additionally, Rose lists compatible accessories such as aero-optimized bottle cages and cockpit mounts for bike computers and action cams. For the Shave cockpit there is also a Deda Elementi TT 314 attachment that enables aero extensions — interesting for anyone who wants to run time-trial setups on their road bike.

Rose describes the Shave as a blend of aero demands and endurance ergonomics.
What that means is: a position that stays low enough for speed, but not so uncompromising that the chiropractor has to realign every vertebra after every two-hour ride.

Especially for ambitious riders who spend a lot of time out on the road, that certainly sounds like a pragmatic direction.

Shave FF (Fast Forward)

With the Shave FF and Shave FFX, Rose is clearly steering that family toward racing use. The Shave FF is priced at €5,600 (Ultegra Di2) and €5,900 (Force AXS) and, with an "Aerodynamic First" approach, is intended to prioritize speed and efficiency. As an aero claim, Rose cites a savings of 10 watts at 45 km/h in the wind tunnel compared with the predecessor.

Visually, Rose emphasizes the flowing frame silhouette and combines it with a distinctive fork that is said to allow UCI-compliant tire clearance up to 35 mm.

Shave FF Ultegra Di2

Shave FFX – Technology

Technically, much of the FFX is about material choice and wheel setup: M40X carbon as the lightweight base, plus the RC55CS with carbon spokes for stiffness at low weight. Overall, this is intended above all to support the direct translation of power during uphill attacks and in the sprint — where "light" and "aero" actually have to pay off in practice.

Rose positions the FFX clearly as the race variant within the platform. Anyone who chooses it will be looking for a more uncompromising riding experience than with the base Shave. Ideally, the Shave platform still offers enough adjustment range to cover the spectrum from marathon racer to occasional time-trialist. Ultimately, especially in the amateur realm where most of us ride, it’s important that the bikes are comfortable enough to hold an aero position stably over longer race distances.

Context and outlook

With the Shave, Rose consistently pulls the platform idea from the gravel sector into its road bike range: one core character, three clearly separate performance levels. In my opinion, this hits the zeitgeist well, at a time when the current model confusion from many manufacturers can easily leave you lost. Unlike models tailored to a single, specific use, the Shave platform tries to cover as wide a spectrum as possible. And if the Backroad is something like the do‑it‑all bike for adventurers, the new Rose Shave could be the matching all‑purpose blade in the lineup — for those who prefer a little less 'wool' and more aerodynamics.

 A do-it-all blade for the ultimate all-rounder 

Aero instead of wool - Bikeboard assessment

Whether the AergoConcept really pulls off the balancing act between an aero position and long-distance suitability in practice, we'll find out for you shortly in the review. The most exciting question at the end, for you as for us, remains which of the three models is the clear favorite among the all-round blades.

Links

Rose Shave Whitepaper

Datasheet and model range for Rose Shave

Rose Bikes homepage

Links

• Rose Homepage