Feeling

The FSR suspension design is tried and tested. There was never a question asked even with the fast and somewhat linear shock set up that the RockShox Vivid damper gave.

It was noticeable straightaway that the bottom bracket was a touch on the high side though. After looking at the numbers we can see that 355mm measurement is at least 10mm too high.

‘With the endless travel and a super fun ride it sits in a bracket where the bike park lappers are looking for the next huck to send’

The Soul Fire starts to make more sense when you show it some jumps. Get off the racer mindset and into throwing some shapes on a set of big floaty booters. The short feel to the bike then changes to a nimble playful and super fun ride characteristic. This coupled with the long travel means you can trust that it’s going to save you when things get out of hand.

Limitations

Most of the downfalls of the Rose Soul Fire can be solved with some simple component changes or extra effort with setup. The bottom bracket height can be lowered with some offset bushings which will also slacken the head angle giving a far more stable ride.

The lack of a dropper post on a bike now is a small yet seriously frustrating negative. Don’t get me wrong, more often than not this bike will be on the back of an uplift trailer but when the mood does take you to have a pedal out it’s a pain having to get off and lower a seat. It sounds lazy but after three of four times it gets to you. 

Verdict

This may not be on the list for fast and planted bikes that you would see racing but with the endless travel and a super fun ride it sits in a bracket where the bike park lappers are looking for the next huck to send. There may not be a dropper post but with 11 speed Shimano setup it’s even bearable to pedal if needs be. There is a growing market for this type of bike especially with more jump parks and uplift locations opening around the UK.

PRICE: €2899 or £2572.57

rosebikes.com