Carbon versus Alloy & appropriate frame size

[Hawkwood]

The handling of the Scott is much snappier than the Roubaix. The riding position is also a considerably more aggressive while still classifiable as "recreational." To me the Roubaix is just too over-the-top comfortable. Not that I have anything against comfort, but if you want that kind of comfort get an Electra Townie.

This may depend on the size you're looking at. I've got the Specialized Secteur (same geometry as the Roubaix) in size 61 cm, its top-tube length is 60 cm, and head-tube is 24.5cm. Leaving the spacers in place I have a saddle to handlebar drop of 7 cms, if I took the spacers out it would be 10.5, and using a stem with a more acute drop 12 cms. One cycle mag article recently suggested that a saddle to handlebar drop of 10 cms was the maximum you should use, well I can get that on a Secteur by simply removing the spacers. The position I raced on in the 1990s had a drop of 6.5 cms, so now ten years older with a dodgy neck I'm riding a lower position. The top-tube length on the Secteur is very long compared to 1980s and 1990s frames, hence I can get the same stretched position using a 11 cm stem now as I could with a 13 back then.

 

[Notso Swift]

This may depend on the size you're looking at. I've got the Specialized Secteur (same geometry as the Roubaix) in size 61 cm, its top-tube length is 60 cm, and head-tube is 24.5cm. Leaving the spacers in place I have a saddle to handlebar drop of 7 cms, if I took the spacers out it would be 10.5, and using a stem with a more acute drop 12 cms. One cycle mag article recently suggested that a saddle to handlebar drop of 10 cms was the maximum you should use, well I can get that on a Secteur by simply removing the spacers. The position I raced on in the 1990s had a drop of 6.5 cms, so now ten years older with a dodgy neck I'm riding a lower position. The top-tube length on the Secteur is very long compared to 1980s and 1990s frames, hence I can get the same stretched position using a 11 cm stem now as I could with a 13 back then.

??? Bike are much shorter now than they were then, just try an buy something longer than 60 TT, indeed even 60 is rare
In the 80/90 with classic frames 60/61/62 square at 72.5 deg was the norm for us bigger blokes. That is one of the reasons stems have gone longer, to compensate for shorter frames, back then I had a "massive" 13 cm (I am 195cm tall with really long arms and legs) so it took 2 weeks for the shop to get it in, now this seems to be normal for guys who are 6'
The drop is also a lot more now, which I agree with. But it is not much good having a lot of drop if you can’t get you back flat!

Also remember when making suggestions for limits the mag was most likely writing for the popular middle percentiles, but if you are like me (and possibly you are) it may not be right ( I would never sugest you need a 10 cm drop, but some of their other stuff may be out