2017 Specialized Roubaix review
 

Here's the all new 2017 Specialized Roubaix. Not sure If I'm a fan of the all new cartridge suspension though...

http://www.bikeradar.com/road/gear/category/frames/road/product/specialized-roubaix-2017-review-50696/

how does this differ from the Diverge?

edit: except for the front suspension thing

Lighter frame
More aggressive geometry(shares more in common with Tarmac)
Seat post suspension thingy.

Watch the YouTube video midway through the article. It does a better job at explaining it.

I was in the market for a Roubaix but I'm kinda disappointed at the gimmickyness (if that's a word?) of the new Roubaix.

It looks like the SL4 is going to be the last version and the perfection of the zertz technology. Going to get one of those so I don't have to adjust my suspension from soft to medium when the road gets rough.

specialized and trek are the kings of gimmick.

How does the front end springy stem thing work when climbing
 

Because I'm a poor climber, when I climb out of the saddle I grab the bars hard. I wonder how that spring stem will work then. Will it start bobbing up and down? I imagine it may as it can't easily be a one way spring that only accepts movement from the bottom up.

^^ Yes. I wonder how much slop is in those suspension things.

Slop. Nice word.

The results on the video were impressive. Lots of bikes can absorb road buzz fine, but the kind of hits the bike was taking was significant.

I'd love to demo one but I'm scared for my savings account and retirement....

I'm a big fan of Specialized products, but Trek seems to have a far more elegant solution in the Domane SLR, both front and back end.

I'm drooling over the S Works with etap and disc brakes. Alas, I have too many road bikes (3) now. :)

This is your brain ;) This is your brain on N +1 :thumb:

Friends don't let friends N + 1

Huh? I always that it was "Friends don't let Friends ride SRAM"

Disclaimer: Trek fanboi speaking here. Used to work for a Trek/Cannondale/BMC/Colnago dealer and have not been impressed with Specialized as a company for multiple reasons.

So basically Specialized just invented the Cannondale Headshok. Congratulations.

And for the rear, they basically made the seatpost really really long so it could flex more? It might be more elegant and effecient to make the entire seatpost/seatube one piece with maybe a pivot at the junction with the toptube/seat stays. But then you'd have a Domane. And a seatpost without a growth.

Also, I find it funny that they had to have McLaren create a setup to measure frame dynamics mid ride. Yeah, Trek did that on their own before the first gen Domane with piezoelectric sensors. They also used a similar setup when testing prototypes for the Emonda.

I mean, yeah, this is better than the Zertz which weren't really fooling anyone. The zertz are awesome at high frequencies (road buzz), but did not address the big hits that cracked, pot hole filled roads or serious cobbles present. I do think the bike will work better than the previous Roubaix, I just couldn't see myself ever wanting one.

Next year, they will have one with air spring and lock out :)

But I like the old Cannondale Headshok version better since the head tube is not moving with respect to the suspension travel.

A preview of what all the over 55 riders in my club will be riding next year. :)

If they put that shocker spring technology in a seat post rather than the head tube they would corner the market for people with errr rear end problems errrr not just over 55.

Chris D’Aluisio continues: “As we were gathering the data, taking the bike and rider as one system, we started to see that a benefit of compliance was also traction. If you can keep in contact with the ground more of the time then you’ll have more control and be able to go faster. A McLaren F1 car has suspension but it’s about traction, not comfort.”


wow, somebody award that man an honorary PhD.

The new Roubaix’s numbers take around 30mm of stack out, add 10mm to the reach and have shortened the head-tube to 190mm. The wheelbase is over 10mm shorter thanks to shorter chainstays, so the new bike has more in common with the pro-racing Tarmac than anything else in Specialized’s range.

I have a tarmac and just picked up a 2015 Roubaix, because it was too "racey" for me and my old age. Now they are making it more like a tarmac? Glad I got my old Roubaix when I did I would never bother with the new one.

You could let them take the Ritchey for a test ride and save them thousands of dollars ;)

Roubaix: The bike for people with hemorrhoids.

What is that?
Attachment 536842

Container for colostomy bag.

Wow, I think I need to ban myself.

Lovin' all the haters coming out of the woodwork. Specialized makes the best road bikes!

I wonder what the max tire size is. Can you imagine superior comfort AND superior traction?

really glad I got my 2016 Roubaix SL4 a few months ago. Sweet colors, and in before whatever the hell that thing is.

+1