Issue #017, Review - December 13, 2015

ROSE UNCLE JIMBO 3 2015 Review

The ROSE UNCLE JIMBO 3 is a sexy bike. Some of our testers were not sure whether to ride it, or just stand and look at it, we couldn’t wait to find out whether the looks matched the ride.

This article is part of our Enduro Bike Group Test 2015.

The distinctive colours stand out from the crowd and had us all impressed. Quite a new player on the global market, the German brand have a unique approach to sales with an online configurator that allows you to customise the bike to your heart’s content before purchase.

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The Rose certainly sticks out from the crowd.

The UNCLE JIMBO is ROSE’s enduro specialist, packing 165mm of aggressive four-bar Horst link travel. The 7005 alloy frame features clean, hydroformed tubing with very tidy internal cable routing. Looking closer at the specification, we couldn’t have been more pleased at this price point. The FOX TALAS 36 fork, FLOAT X CTD suspension, and SRAM X01 drivetrain are all top-drawer products. The lightweight Mavic Crossmax Enduro WTS wheels add to the low 13.55kg weight and look nice, but the super-narrow 19mm rear rim makes them feel dated. The paired Mavic Charge and Roam tyres may be good for race day, but are not great for all-round riding. The front Charge is great, but the rear Roam is not up to the task on rough rocky trails, breaking away unpredictably and puncturing frequently. A tougher and more aggressive rear tyre would have helped us unlock the UNCLE JIMBO’s potential on more challenging trails.

The geometry of the bike falls nicely between the raked-out descenders and the more efficient climbers. With a 66° head angle, compact 440mm reach, and a steep 75° seat angle, it provides an efficient pedal position. It’s a big bike, with 160mm of travel on the front and 165mm on the rear, so we expected great things on the descents.

The Rose was a solid performer on both the ups and the downs. — The ROSE was a solid performer on both the ups and the downs.

On the climbs the ROSE UNCLE JIMBO performed well; the steep seat angle keeps rider weight central, helping to maintain traction on the front wheel. It’s definitely a ‘sit and spin’ bike though, as out-of-the-saddle efforts felt inefficient as the plush suspension bobbed away. The slightly higher bottom bracket (-4 mm drop) on the Jimbo made it a lively, engaging bike. It proved easy to pop and manual through sections, and easy to weight and unweight over rough ground.

When gravity took over the ROSE is a real weapon. The 785mm RaceFace Atlas bars and matching Atlas stem inspire confidence to go full gas. Where the ROSE comes alive is on technical forest trails where it pops, carves, and shreds with total confidence. We found it most liked by those with an aggressive, dynamic style, as it is a bike that rewards input. You need to keep on top of it, but the more you abuse it, the better it gets. The UNCLE JIMBO is agile and playful, and the FOX 36 and FLOAT X rear shock make for a very well-balanced feel from front to back. We would personally not choose the TALAS version of the 36 fork as the stroke is not as refined as the Float, and the bike climbs perfectly well without dropping the front end. After long descents, the SRAM Guides felt uneven in their action and had to be bled.

Details

Clean lines: The Rose Uncle Jimbo features very neat internal cable routing, keeping the lines clean and tidy. All testers were impressed with the neat design and colour scheme of the Jimbo. — **Clean lines:** The ROSE UNCLE JIMBO 3 2015 features very neat internal cable routing, keeping the lines clean and tidy. All testers were impressed with the neat design and colour scheme of the ROSE.

Excellent ergonomics: With pivots running on bearings, the SRAM Guide brakes have a fantastic lever feel. The reach adjustment made them first choice for riders with smaller hands. — **Excellent ergonomics:** With pivots running on bearings, the SRAM Guide brakes have a fantastic lever feel. The reach adjustment made them first choice for riders with smaller hands.

Refined suspension: The Uncle Jimbo has a four-bar suspension system with a Horst linkage at the end of the chainstay. The suspension is both playful and engaging, providing a lot of feedback from the trail and encouraging airtime. — **Refined suspension:** The ROSE UNCLE JIMBO 3 2015 has a four-bar suspension system with a Horst linkage at the end of the chainstay. The suspension is both playful and engaging, providing a lot of feedback from the trail and encouraging airtime.

No grip: Although perfect for race day, the supplied Mavic Roam tyres left plenty to be desired when it came to all-round performance. On tough, rocky trails, the lightweight Roams punctured easily and lacked grip in loose corners. — **No grip:** Although perfect for race day, the supplied Mavic Roam tyres left plenty to be desired when it came to all-round performance. On tough, rocky trails, the lightweight Roams punctured easily and lacked grip in loose corners.

Specification: ROSE UNCLE JIMBO 3 2015

Fork: FOX 36 TALAS FIT RC2 165mm
Rear Shock: Fox FLOAT X CTD 160mm
Drivetrain: SRAM X01
Cranks: E13 TRSR 32Z
Brakes: SRAM Guide RSC 200 / 180mm
Seatpost: RockShox Reverb Stealth
Stem: RaceFace Atlas 50mm
Handlebar: RaceFace Atlas 0,5″ Rise
Tyres: Mavic Charge 2,4 / Mavic Roam 2,2
Wheelsize: 27.5″
Wheels: Mavic Crossmax Enduro WTS
Price: € 4,102

Strengths

Excellent fun on dynamic trails.
Good choice for riders of all levels.

Weaknesses

Tough-to-reach rebound control dial.
Short reach for a Large.

Conclusion

Overall, we found the UNCLE JIMBO an easy bike to jump on and ride fast. The Rose did everything well, and is an astonishing value. With a great build kit and excellent price, we were certainly impressed. With some better tyres, the Uncle Jimbo would be an awesome do-it-all bike – and did we mention that it was really beautiful?

For more information on the ROSE UNCLE JIMBO visit rosebikes.com.