German direct-sales bike manufacturers have been making a significant impact on the cycling market in recent years, with the likes of Canyon and YT Industries making waves with well designed and well spec'd bikes. Not to be outdone, Rose has given its 165mm Uncle Jimbo enduro/trail bike a complete overhaul for 2015, with an updated frame and an upgrade to 27.5" wheels.
The Uncle Jimbo is available in three stock builds, and starts life at £1,838.56 ($2566 USD, plus additional shipping costs) but our test bike has a few changes and costs £1,892.56. At that price the bike comes equipped with a 160mm RockShox Pike RCT3 fork and Monarch Plus RC3 rear shock, a Shimano Deore XT and RaceFace Respond 2x10 transmission, SRAM Guide RSC brakes, RockShox Reverb dropper post, Schwalbe Hans Dampf tyres and Spank Spike Race 28 wheels and matching 777mm handlebars and 50mm stem. You can change any part of the build too; the Rose website has an easy to use bike configurator that allows you to build the bike just the way you want it, and everything from the suspension to the wheels, tires and handlebars can be upgraded from a plethora of available choices.
Uncle Jimbo 2 Details
• Intended use: Trail/Enduro
• Rear-wheel travel: 165mm
• Wheel size: 27.5"
• Head angle: 66°
• Four-bar suspension layout
• Hydroformed 7005 aluminum frame
• Drivetrain: Shimano and RaceFace
• Brakes: SRAM Guide
• Fork: RockShox Pike RCT3 165mm
• Shock: RockShox Monarch Plus RC3
• Weight: 14.51kg / 32lbs
• MSRP: £1,838.56, $2566 USD
• Contact:
Rose Bikes
Frame and Suspension DesignRose updated its key trail bikes for 2015, and they all share a visually similar frame. Featuring rounded-square hydroformed 7005 tubes with a lower dropped top tube for more standover clearance, it’s a clean and smart looking bike, a big improvement on last year’s slightly 'agricultural' looking design. While it retains the same basic four-bar layout, the rocker linkage assembly has been reconfigured. It's still a four bar with a Horst linkage at the end of the chainstay, but the Rose engineers made changes in an attempt to improve pedalling efficiency and to produce a more progressive action from the rear shock. The rather more fundamental change is the transition to 27.5" wheels, it used to be a 26" bike last year, but Rose has gradually been moving its entire range of trail and all-mountain bikes over to the bigger wheel size.
The Uncle Jimbo's frame is brimming with modern details. There’s the internal cable routing which is extremely well done, top marks to the designers for managing the cable routing, and I had no issues throughout the test. There’s a 12x142mm bolt-thru rear axle, ISCG05 mounts and a nicely designed forward-facing seatpost quick release - a small item but one that shows good attention to detail. Another nice attention to detail is the clear protective tape adorning the underside of the down tube, to protect the paint from rock strikes. One omission on the updated frame is the lack of bottle cage mounts - the low position of the shock doesn’t make space for a bottle - so don’t forgot your hydration pack before hitting the trails.
Specifications
|
Release Date
|
2015 |
|
Price
|
$2566 |
|
Travel |
165mm |
|
Rear Shock |
RockShox Monarch Plus RC3 |
|
Fork |
RockShox Pike RCT3 |
|
Crankarms |
RaceFace Respond 2x10 with bashguard |
|
Bottom Bracket |
RaceFace |
|
Rear Derailleur |
Shimano Deore XT Shadow Plus |
|
Chain |
Shimano XT |
|
Shifter Pods |
Shimano Deore XT |
|
Handlebar |
Spank Spike 777mm |
|
Stem |
Spank Spike 50mm |
|
Grips |
Ergon GE1 |
|
Brakes |
SRAM Guide RSC |
|
Wheelset |
Spank Spike Race 28 |
|
Tires |
Schwalbe Hans Dampf |
|
Seat |
SDG |
|
Seatpost |
Rockshox Reverb |
|