Specialized Roubaix test ride

[vorsprung]

My thoughts on the Specialized long distance wonder bike

Caution: blog title may contain traces of pun

Not-a-review Subjective report here

 

[Black Dog]

Your review was very light and lacking in detail.

 

[vorsprung]

Your review was very light and lacking in detail.

yep, it wasn't a review

 

[LugHugger]

yep, it wasn't a review

 

[usedtobefast]

i don't think that bag is quite big enough...how long are planning to be gone?

 

[DirtyWorks]

Pet Peeve

Your review was very light and lacking in detail.

I found the review quite good as most bikes are quite the same. The vast majority of humanity in buying using a Roubaix are exactly as sensitive to their bike as this fellow.

I guess lots of people enjoy reading irrelevant metaphors about bikes.
The consequences of fluffy reviews are consumers spending middle-four figures on a bike and then going the same average speed. They feel tricked and lose a great deal of enthusiasm for the sport.

Those zerts inserts are a joke on the 2010's. They might as well make it a sticker. Now that's a review!

 

[tortoisedr]

I've spent over 20 years on a custom (built just for me!) lugged steel frame, many achievements, race wins, countless miles of enjoyment! Hammered many younger guys who were on the latest wonder bike! Realized how much I enjoy the bike and the memories.

Unfortunately that was followed by the realization that what worked for me at 25 years of age doesn't necessarily work at 45. Agonized over the decision, tried to find options to update my old beloved frame and components. Can't make it work. Tried countless modern alternatives, settled on a new S Works Roubaix. Built up with modern components, rides great, could not have imagined how much better it could be!

Just laid down a new personal record time on a nearby loop. Hammered out several hard centuries. Climbed like a goat. Felt better than I have in years.

Best of luck to you, enjoy the new ride! But please lose that behemoth of a saddle bag!

 

[SpaceRonin]

My old Al steed was getting a bit ropey this year. It's been through a few spills too. It needed a full stripdown. Those welds needed inspection too as the paint was blowing off near them. The missus gave me the ok on a new one. I'm getting creaky in the back and shoulders plus living in the Netherlands means a fair few miles on "lego" roads. Don't have time or capability for racing, mainly do sportives as a spur to training. The Roubaix with ultegra kit hit the mark for me. I rode a few carbon frames so was au fait with the differences between my Al frame and carbon. The Roubaix does take out more buzz over the bricks than I came accross anywhere else. Not sure it is down to the Zerts though. Long wheel base, relaxed angles, weird profiling on the seat stays and forks more like. My bike handling skills are not the mae west but this beast is a lot more forgiving of idiots. Turns took me a little getting used to with the geommetry and softer ride. There is a bit of understeer but oddly I find that a bit reassuring once I got used to it, since it is so predictable. My old Aluminium frame felt much more jittery. I think that this bikes virtues would be lost on lighter riders. I am a big unit, even at my best riding weight I am over 79kg.

It's an ugly brute. Daft that they left the brake cable spanning the top tube arc the way they did. Glad to see that feature corrected for the 2011 models. The major gripe I have is the selection of drive trains on offer. Here in Holland they are offering compact or triple? WTH? I don't get it. A country largely flatter than the economy and they offer mountain trimmed drive trains. So giving my inner MAMIL and Fred a hug I went with a triple on the grounds that it would spare me having to pony up for standard chainset to go with the compact. I regret that now. The triple is a noisy ******. There is also some presistent ticking noise I can't clear and I always need to trim the front shifter to eliminate rubbing noise.

Still these are minor quibbles that can be corrected if they bother me too much (except for that bloody ticking noise). The worst thing about this is that I have gone for another American bike. 20 years ago that would have been just too embarrasing.

 

[vorsprung]

i don't think that bag is quite big enough...how long are planning to be gone?

I am getting the bike to ride the 2011 Paris-Brest-Paris 1200km on. Here is my previous bike. This developed a terminal crack, and that's reason I'm getting a Specialized Roubaix. As you can see the saddle bag I put on the Roubaix test bike is "small"


bikebrest by vorsprung99, on Flickr

 

[la.margna]

I ordered one last week. Will be here in January. Can't wait, can't sleep. Will keep you posted how it feels.

 

[the student]

i usually cycling with a large hinking backpack when i have to take a lot of stuff with me... that saddle bag just looks weird... can be a pain in the lower back though but im kinda ok with it because you can shift the weight around in the corner... better than dead weight hanging under you saddle

 

[vorsprung]

... that saddle bag just looks weird...

It's just what people are used to. If you look at photographs of leisure cyclists in the 1950s they all seem to have saddlebags like that

 

[usedtobefast]

I am getting the bike to ride the 2011 Paris-Brest-Paris 1200km on. Here is my previous bike. This developed a terminal crack, and that's reason I'm getting a Specialized Roubaix. As you can see the saddle bag I put on the Roubaix test bike is "small"


bikebrest by vorsprung99, on Flickr

there you go then. enjoy.

 

[flicker]

Why buy a taiwanese bike from an american manufacturer/corpar when you can support a local framebuilder in your own country. Sus up the geometry and frame specs of said frame give them to 5 framebuilders and get a bid. Support your local economy.

Not ot criticize I guess the $30.00 tax that Swatz****** gets on your specialized roubaix is helping us out here in cali....

 

[flicker]

thought I would share this specialized complaint here in the forum

http://forums.competitor.com/topic.php?id=3768

 

[vorsprung]

Why buy a taiwanese bike from an american manufacturer/corpar when you can support a local framebuilder in your own country. Sus up the geometry and frame specs of said frame give them to 5 framebuilders and get a bid. Support your local economy.

Yes, I considered that approach. See previous article

"A New bike?"

There are many excellent steel frame builders in the UK

I just fancied trying a Carbon Fibre bike

 

[vorsprung]

thought I would share this specialized complaint here in the forum

http://forums.competitor.com/topic.php?id=3768

I think the OP in this other thread seems to have been unfortunate in various ways but it doesn't really say a great deal about Specialized as such

Of course if you have damage to the frame that is caused by a crash it won't count vs the warantee unless you have some kind of extra crash insurance.

And manufacturing defects always get fixed.

The OP in the thread seems to be claiming that his damage was somewhere inbetween these two extremes so it just depends on various things which you and I cannot possibly know and have no bearing on whatever we might do in the future.

 

[flicker]

I think the OP in this other thread seems to have been unfortunate in various ways but it doesn't really say a great deal about Specialized as such

Of course if you have damage to the frame that is caused by a crash it won't count vs the warantee unless you have some kind of extra crash insurance.

And manufacturing defects always get fixed.

The OP in the thread seems to be claiming that his damage was somewhere inbetween these two extremes so it just depends on various things which you and I cannot possibly know and have no bearing on whatever we might do in the future.

I rode an SL3 with shimano electric shifting. nicest bike I ever rode. I have had issues with other manufacturers about warranties with frames breaking. I am interested in how specialized could say that a crash caused the brea. I think the guy with the break probably went to the bike shop with an attitude. I do not see an issue with the roubaix, I like a bike that handles differently that is all. Our roads here are smooth enough that such a frame is unnecessary. If a Specialized Roubaix was good enough for Tom Boonen by God it is good enough for me.

 

[flicker]

Yes, I considered that approach. See previous article

"A New bike?"

There are many excellent steel frame builders in the UK

I just fancied trying a Carbon Fibre bike

I have ridden steel, aluminum carbon. Now I ride carbon. Calfee builds carbon here and I hear they are top quality. I ride a TREKcarbon because of the price and it seems strong, plus it fits me and I like the geometry. No lighter than the aluminum bike but strong and has the right characteristics for me.
I will ride anything though as long as it is safe and strong!

 

[vorsprung]

More pictures

Now I've actually got the bike I'll be using, pictures here

http://audaxing.wordpress.com/2010/10/04/new-bike-is-black/

It is very black

 

[ustabe]

Why buy a taiwanese bike from an american manufacturer/corpar when you can support a local framebuilder in your own country. Sus up the geometry and frame specs of said frame give them to 5 framebuilders and get a bid. Support your local economy.

For that matter, why didn't you buy a recumbent?

I'm glad the Roubaix floats your boat, but they're just not my cuppa tea, thank you.