ROSE Bikes celebrates with their new Flatbar-Urban-Gravel Bike HOBO a comeback for the steel frame and gives the classic frame material a place in the ROSE Bike portfolio again. And this in an uber cool way! Because unlike many other new products, the HOBO was not about maximum performance, optimum weight and the latest technology — rather, the fun factor of the bike played a major role here. And that’s where the HOBO really scores, as it seems to be a real fun machine for everyday use!

Sustainable by tradition: the steel frame

Let’s start with the steel frame: Despite all the new materials like aluminum and carbon, the traditional material in bicycle building still holds its own — and even has a strong fan base. It’s true that steel can’t be used for ultra-lightweight constructions or particularly unusual designs. However, the material offers other qualities, including the filigree appearance of the slim tubes, stability and robustness. In addition, steel frames are said to be somewhat more comfortable than those made of aluminum. The sustainability factor of steel is also interesting: damaged frames can be repaired relatively easily compared to other materials, and recycling is also easier. 

Versatile thanks to modular approach

However, the HOBO does not get along without modern components and that is exactly what makes the appeal of this bike. So they combine the traditional frame with a modern gravel fork made of carbon, which gives damping and enough space for the 47 mm wide gravel tires from WTB. Likewise from the gravel sector we know that numerous attachment points to be able to attach various accessories to the bike. These are found on the HOBO not only at the fork, but also at four positions on the frame and on its head tube. Here you can mount the specially developed and color-matched front carrier, which is quite cleverly designed in two parts — so it can be used as a wide loading area or as a quite compact one. Although this 1.9 kg front rack is offered as an optional accessory, but belongs in our opinion absolutely to the bike! 

And while we’re talking accessories: there is also a compatible bag that offers a removable inner pocket with cooling function — so the HOBO also seems pretty perfect for carrying cooled beers on a mild summer night! For more sight and visibility, there is also a set of battery lights and for the rainy days, a matching set of mudguards is available — both as optional extras. So you can adapt the bike quite modular to your individual needs. 

The fact that the boundaries between gravel and urban bike are blurred with the HOBO is also reflected in its handlebar. Instead of a drop bar, a flat bar model is used here, with the slight back sweep for a more comfortable seating position. The overall appearance of the bike is reminiscent of typical vintage mountain bikes, and the Selle Italia Storica leather saddle fits perfectly into that picture.

Three configurations of the HOBO

The HOBO is offered in three equipment variants, which differ technically only by the installed shifting group and the brakes.

• The flagship model is the HOBO Rival eTap AXS XPLR, limited to 500 units, with the eponymous electronic shifting from SRAM and Level TLM brakes. This comes exclusively and uniquely in the speckled white color scheme and costs 2,999 euros.
• In the middle price range is the HOBO GRX810 with Shimano’s Gravel group, which has Tektro brakes installed and is available in the colors pine green and maliblue for 1,799 euros.
• The cheapest entry offers the HOBO Deore with Shimano’s popular Deore shifting group and also the Tektro braking system. Here, too, the colors pine green and maliblue are available, the price is 1,599 euros.

The weight of the three trims is between 11.3 and 11.7 kg in size M, a total of four different frame sizes are available. The HOBO Rack is available in the contrasting colors canary, bubblegum and serious black and costs 149.95 euros; the matching HOBO Rack Bag in black, sand or leopard costs another 99.95 euros. Favorable 39.95 euros are due for the matching mudguards and the lighting set is at 99.95 euros.

All HOBO bikes and the matching accessories can be ordered now directly in the online store of ROSE, there you will also find more information about the new products.