Rose Slab Plus Review

Is it possible – an affordable high-end bike with a carbon frame, Bosch CX, and 800 Wh battery? The Rose Slab Plus takes on the challenge, and we’ve tested the outcome.

While many manufacturers flood every market niche with new e-bike models, Rose takes a different strategy: focusing on a few well-thought-out models.

Following the tour-oriented File Plus with a light motor and limited travel is the Slab—a no-compromise enduro rig with a full-power drive.

This clear direction shows that Rose doesn’t build for every taste but for specific use cases. They don’t double up on travel classes with a light and a full-power EMTB; instead, product management considers where each drive makes sense and then develops a very consistent bike for each specific application. After the test of the Rose File, which thoroughly convinced us, we make the following bold statement: This focus and consistency in development seem to benefit the final product.

The price for the entry-level model is, at under 5000 €, quite a statement considering the specs. Only Radon with its Deft targets the audience this aggressively. Even Cube, known for their aggressive pricing, demands 1000 € more for their entry model of the new Cube AMS Hybrid 177. The XT version from Cube is also 1000 € more expensive than our test bike.

Despite the bargain price, the components of our test bike do not fall short. Anyone looking for an obvious flaw in the parts will not find it. Rose doesn’t sneak a bad apple anywhere here, but instead places special importance on the components that most enhance the riding experience.

With 170 mm of travel and 29-inch wheels, the Slab shows that it’s built for rough terrain. The suspension has a tendency to be linear, providing high grip and confidence, even when things get really intense.

The handling remains agile and predictable, despite the very long reach (495 mm in size L), as long as you choose the right frame size. The extremely high reach value might encourage many bikers to “downsize” to a smaller frame size than usual. We also had an M test bike from Rose Slab Plus, even though we normally ride L bikes in the editorial team, and we were very happy with it.

The steep 78° seat angle ensures that you stay centrally positioned over the bottom bracket on steep climbs, keeping the front wheel planted.

The new Bosch CX Gen 5 remains (alongside the DJI Avinox system) the current benchmark in the EMTB motor sector. With 100 Nm of torque and a sensitive control system, it confidently tackles steep climbs. Despite having a lot of travel, the Rose climbs better than many other bikes, thanks largely to its steep seat angle.

In combination with the 800 Wh battery, the Slab manages to achieve over 2,000 meters of elevation in our standardized range test in turbo mode – a genuine range advantage compared to competitors with 600 Wh batteries. Cube or Santa Cruz save a kilo of weight with the smaller battery but sacrifice range.

The integrated battery in the down tube of the Rose saves weight and enhances frame stiffness, but costs a bit of flexibility when charging – a fair trade-off considering the range.

Visually, the Slab isn’t a bike that reveals its price at first glance. Rose is known for having a good eye for design, and they’ve demonstrated it once again with the Slab Plus.

The only criticism: The stem cannot be lowered without cutting the steerer tube – here, design slightly outweighs function.