Originally Posted by
Masque
My LBS accommodated my request to Frankenstein together an orange/yellow Expert UDi2. (Thanks, River City!) We're still sorting out a couple of details, but I'm really happy.
Wheels are ENVE 4.5AR (which took nearly four months to arrive) with WI CLDs and built with Comp Aero spokes. I wanted everything-proof construction, and I'm not light. :/
You're absolutely right about the hoods! Sharp eyes, sir. I've been experimenting — in search of further refinement, to borrow a phrase! — with wrist angle changes. I've got an appointment to try both -12° and -17° stems, and I've been tinkering with what the wrist angle could be if I adjust arm position instead of lean. (As for why someone might ponder this, I must refer you to my surgeon. :/ ) For tonight's longer ride, this angle will change.
I disagree with you on the saddle, however. The Power saddle looks like this when perfectly level:
Mine is 3° nose-down from that.
I agree the position is too upright. I'm looking at stem changes soon, and there's 15mm of rise built into the bars which I could remove. Together that's 35mm of stack height I could reduce, but all of it requires replacing parts.
I do appreciate your frank feedback, and I'd love to continue this discussion.
We will have to disagree about the saddle. I have ridden the Specialized Power and a boat load of saddles.
If the rear of the saddle is tilted down...people sit on the rear and not the nose unless riding the rivet... it is going to be an unstable perch for one's pelvis and the upper body will have to compensate to hold up the torso.
Without being dramatic, your fit is worst case. Short cockpit and downward sloping saddle. You have nothing but pressure on the hands. No man's land. A guy 6'1" is normally placed on a 58 Roubaix...what I ride for example...nominally with 110mm stem but a racier rider will go even longer stem on a 58.. A guy your size on a 56 with 110mm stem is going to have too much weight on your hands because you can't achieve a torso angle that will allow you suspend your weight over the saddle. When a rider rotates their pelvis forward and stick's their @$$ out, this moves rider CG rearward. Sit on a saddle like a 20 deg downward sloping park bench with 20 deg torso angle...your fit....and you have nothing but hand pressure.
A guy your and my size if on a 56 should be at least on a 120 or 130 stem...especially if not running more drop which creates more reach. A common mistake is setting the saddle like you have and running more setback to compensate for your weight falling forward. The wrong approach. A better solution is less setback and a more nose up saddle to move weight back. With saddle more forward a nose pointing up is less obtrusive to your underside.
Fit is a search but I saw your bike and because we are the same height, I wanted to comment.
Awesome bike. Doesn't get any better for overall riding out on the road in my opinion because what Specialized has done to the new Roubaix. My SL3 Roubaix Pro is so good however, I can even wait for the new generation.
