Rose Bikes rolled out a sleek new CPTL carbon urban commuter in Berlin today, taking integration to the next level for a city bike. Available in a few different variants to suit a range of urban cyclists, the new CPTL that debuted in the German capital (get it?) neatly integrates lighting, fenders & more in its dramatically sloping carbon profile.
Rose CPTL integrated carbon urban commuter bike
The new CPTL [kæpitl] features pretty much the standard fare we’ve come to expect from a high-quality city bike: front & rear lighting, full coverage fenders, rear pannier rack, and a low-maintenance gates belt-drive powered internally geared hub. But what makes the German consumer-direct bikemaker’s new CPTL distinct is its oversized carbon frame with a level of integration we most often see on aero road bikes these days.
The design team of Rose’s CPTL sought out to merge all of these core commuter technologies with the design of the bike for a “minimalist, clean look”. That’s not something we see out of most city bikes. Pretty much everything on the bike ends up tucked away neatly, including the stem, lights, and fenders with the integrated pannier rack stays. Even all the brake hoses & shift wires get routed directly into frame through the underside of the stem in a solution that would make many TT bikes jealous.
The concept was to simplify the look for urban cyclists who just wanted a bike with all the features they needed in one complete package.
The full carbon frame is claimed to weigh 1400g, making it not quite a lightweight by road or MTB standards, but much lighter than other durable city bikes that will repeatedly get locked up against random city infrastructure. The frame itself features a tall headtube with a dropped upper headset bearing so the stem lines up with the frame. Then the boxy & dramatically sloping toptube lines extend all the way down to the looped stay rear end.
The CPTL features a 12mm thru-axle up front, but sticks with bolt-on open QR rear dropouts to work with the Alfine hub. The sloping design has the side benefit of plenty of seatpost extension, which gives both extra standover clearance and plenty of adjustability to fit a wide range of city cyclists. The CPTL offers clearance up to 50mm tires, in either 650b or 700c.
The carbon CPTL is available in three stock sizes (S-L) with generous standover heights and an upright riding position to fit a wide range of urban cyclists.
Rose CPTL spec, pricing & availability
The CPTL is available in three styles, all with close to the same 13kg weight. Each shares the same frame, plus Gates CDX carbon belt drive to a Shimano Alfine 11-speed gear hub and Metrea disc brakes. The Retro & Street versions also include a combination Wingee mudguard & rear rack that can carry up to 8kg pannier bags on each side.
The CPTL Retro s the classically stlyed option, updated with modern fenders & Supernova lighting. For 3000€ the Retro gets a Brooks B17 leather saddle & leather grips, WTB Horizon 650b x 47mm tanwall tires to get that high volume, low pressure grip & comfort that opens up mixed surface riding possibilities.
Next up the CPTL Street at 2900€ features a similar build, but moves to modern materials with a Cambium saddle & 650b x 50mm Big Ben tires.
The 2600€ CPTL Speed drops the lights & fenders for a faster, sleeker look, even stepping up to faster rolling 700c wheels & 40mm Marathon tires.
Rose CPTL Taped
Not a production option, but Rose collaborated with the Tape Art project in Berlin to create a few unique looking bikes decorated by urban artists with nothing more than layered strips of electrical tape. The result is pretty cool looking, and while Rose won’t sel Tape Art edition bikes, nothing is stopping you from buying a few colorful rolls of tape and going to town.
“The idea behind our project is to stage a bicycle in a completely new way – as a piece of art. Big cities like Berlin are embracing street art more than ever before, which is why an urban bike like the CPTL is the perfect choice for this. Thus, it is turned into a rolling piece of art for the capital,” explained ROSE Bikes marketing manager Anatol Sostmann.
