Who is it for?
Most gravel bikes are shaped by racing traditions — dropped bars, high top tubes, high gears. Rosetta challenges those assumptions with a design centred on comfort, control and practicality.
This is a bike for people who choose practicality over pretence, comfort over convention, and experiences over equipment. A bike for those who know that the best rides aren’t measured in watts or KOMs, but in stories, views, and the feeling of arriving somewhere new under your own power.
Spec headlines
- Flat bars for natural control and confident braking
- Mid‑step frame for easy mounting, even with luggage
- Tyre versatility — road, gravel, or up to 57c MTB
- Very low gears for real‑world climbing
- Shorter‑than‑conventional cranks for comfort and rider longevity
- Optimised for panniers because packing should be simple
- Durable, serviceable, adventure‑ready
- A bike built to be lived with, not fussed over
Spec options
We have taken time to test a properly compatible range of travel accessories.
Image: Isla testing the Rosetta prototype.
Adventure ready.
Flat-bar confident.
Mid-step easy.
A dependable companion for real-world riding.
Perfect for Cycling UK’s Adventure Series and similar jaunts.
Many bikes are designed for the kind of riding people talk about. This one is for the riding lots of us actually do. It’s for the quiet moments: rolling through sun‑dappled lanes, hearing nothing but tyres on tarmac and birds in the hedgerows. It’s for the bridleways that tempt you to see where they lead, the ancient ways traversing moors, the unexpected detours that become the highlight of the day.
It’s for the rider who doesn’t care about impressing anyone with aero claims or race‑day features. You want a bike that disappears beneath you — one that simply works, mile after mile, letting you focus on the landscape, the weather, the company, the small adventures that make a ride memorable.
A gravel bike with a flat handlebar so you can take in the views, tackle the tricky bits with confidence and brake safely down steep sections. A midstep frame makes getting on and off easier, even with panniers, reducing the hassle on rides with many gates. Super low gears help you tackle the steepest climbs with a week’s luggage. Durable components mean more riding and less faff. A sorted range of compatible adventure-ready essentials to choose from, to suit your style of riding.
This is a bike for people who choose practicality over pretence, comfort over convention, and experiences over equipment. A bike for those who know that the best rides aren’t measured in watts or KOMs, but in stories, views, and the feeling of arriving somewhere new under your own power.
It won’t be for everyone – but if you recognise yourself here, maybe its for you?
The spec choices behind Rosetta
It’s a gravel bike, with a few deliberate differences.
The Headlines
- Flat bars for natural control and confident braking
- Mid‑step frame for easy mounting, even with luggage
- Tyre versatility — road, gravel, or up to 57c MTB
- Very low gears for real‑world climbing
- Shorter‑than‑conventional cranks for comfort and rider longevity
- Optimised for panniers because packing should be simple
- Durable, serviceable, adventure‑ready
- A bike built to be lived with, not fussed over
Specifications
Frame & Fork
Designed by Isla Rowntree. Hand‑built in the UK by Stayer Cycles. A carefully selected blend of Reynolds and T45 steel. Small‑diameter tubes for comfort and compliance, which is enhanced by twin top tubes, which also facilitate the mid-step.
Brakes & Bearings
Hope brakes and bearings — chosen for reliability, outstanding performance, long life and the reassurance that spares will be available almost indefinitely.
Transmission
High‑wear parts — cassette, chain, rear mech — are intentionally inexpensive to replace. A square‑taper bottom bracket lasts years longer than modern standards, spins more freely thanks to larger ball bearings, and is cheap to replace when the time finally comes.
Why only 10 gears?
Because real world riding needs low gears, not a huge number of them. Fewer gears mean simpler setup, lower cost of ownership, and easier servicing — without compromising capability.
Why premium bearings & brakes but a “cheap” transmission?
Because the parts that matter most for safety, feel and longevity
are premium. The parts that wear out fastest are deliberately affordable.
Cranks
Properly proportioned for each frame size — shorter than conventional.
Benefits include:
- More comfort, especially for smaller riders who are poorly catered for with “one size fits all” cranks
- Reduced risk of knee and hip injury for a long cycling life
- Lower bottom bracket for better standover
- Reduced “dead spot” for better traction on slippery climbs
- Improved saddle comfort
- Multiple studies show no loss of power
Control
- Bars are slightly wider and higher than dropped‑bar gravel setups
- Wide enough for control on tricky sections
- High enough to enjoy the view
- Narrow and low enough to tuck into a headwind
- Ergonomic grips with integrated mini bar‑ends offer multiple hand positions and spread pressure.
Saddle
Saddles are personal. We fit a well‑liked, good‑value starting point, or we can source your favourite, or supply the bike without a saddle so you can fit your own.
Spec Options
Rosetta is designed for real‑world adventures, so Isla has personally tested a curated range of fully compatible travel accessories — the same kit she uses on her own bike for multi‑day trips.
Tyres
Choose the setup that suits your riding: road, gravel, or up to 57c MTB tyres for maximum versatility.
Rear Rack & Mudguards
A Tubus rear rack comes fitted with integrated off‑road mudguards. The whole unit removes easily as one piece — ideal for air travel or quick transitions.
Panniers
Ortlieb panniers: simple to pack, effortless to lift off, and tough enough to survive years of use. Take them straight into your digs at the end of the day.
Lighting & Power
A SON dynamo hub paired with Exposure lights provides “always‑ready” illumination and USB charging for your GPS or other devices — perfect for long days and remote routes.