WalksOn2Wheels

This is the incident you're thinking of:

Specialized takes blame for catastrophic component failure that caused Niki Terpstra?s Paris-Roubaix crash - Cycling Weekly

Notably, Terpstra rode a Tarmac this year.

wheelhot

Lol, he definitely rode the Sagan Edition Roubaix this year, the travel is just 20mm, I doubt we'll be able to see the handlebar moving on the screen. And if it's rigid, why the heck he would rotate the dial at the top before entering and leaving the pave each time, just for show?

The only thing I can think of is:
1. He felt his stem feels different after the pave, so he figured the bolts have loosened (possible considering the speed they're hitting the pave)
2. He knew he's going to sprint to the finish, so he wanted reassurance that his stem is able to handle the force he'll apply, hence possibly he chose to slightly overtighten it, just in case.

Though we'll never know unless someone from the inside spill the beans

As for the vibration, last year the pro's bike was fitted with a custom spring that was harder (probably this was the progressive spring that ended up on the Diverge), so probably they did the same for this year as well except the bike has an additional lockout (which we'll likely see in the 2019 Roubaix models, I just hope Spesh will be kind enough and allow it as an aftermarket upgrade for those owners who wants a lockout). As for Terpstra, he wanted a rigid unit so Spesh had to make one for him, only to make a mistake during the assembly process by using the pre-production model, notice how he used a Tarmac for Roubaix this year, he's probably not a fan of the future shock and since the new Tarmac accepts up to 28mm tires, why not.

sirkaos

To report back with the "Slick Honey" I tried inside the FS assembly and on the spring, I found it was a bit smoother. This was suggested by Specialized. The Slick Honey is a light weight grease. Much lighter than the Park general grease that I used.
Also I checked the preload screws that are the 2mm allen key size. They are locked down with 2.5mm allen key size. I have seen a lot of discussion about this design and how difficult it is to adjust.
I am happy to say that I found it very easy to adjust. After I finished servicing the cartridge with the new grease, I put the handlebars back on and followed the instructions carefully, following the torque recommendations. I loosened the 2.5 mm lock allen screws the same amount on both sides. about 1 full turn.
Then I used the 2 mm allen to adjust the preload. When I did it, I inserted the long end of the allen wrench and used a flash light to see when I could see the screw contact the load plate. It is easy to see. I made sure I used a light touch and adjusted both to the same load by feel. It is not difficult. Once down I checked the results by holding down the front brake and rocking gently to make sure no play was observed. No load play. I lifted the front end of the bike up and checked that the front fork rotated easily and did not bind. Short test ride proved all was correct. It is not hard, but just a different assembly than all of us are use to doing. Once you done this, and I would suggest doing this, the head tube bearings, and servicing the FS at least on a annual basis at a minimum.
Good to go!

Campag4life

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q...C130&FORM=VIRE

siclmn

All these posts**********??
What is the problem? Having just bought a Roubaix they told me the cartridge has a lifetime guarantee.
So what is the problem**********???

Slick Madone

Lot's of comments from people that don't ride FS and complain or pass on false claims about it......that's the problem.

TheRealMinty

For those of you that have disassembled your FS to service it (@dezellis, @sirkaos), any tips on reassembly?

I'm having real trouble getting the the shock assembly into the outer housing. the shims just keep catching the roller bearings and the whole thing gets wedged.
Any tips/instructions gratefully received as at the moment i'm stuck! I'm guessing there's a knack to it that i haven't discovered yet.

I've definitely seen water ingress through the boot on my FS (Diverge). Whilst not horribly corroded there was signs of rusting inside mine after just one UK winter (without jet washing!).

Thanks.

dezellis

Sorry for the delay in replying I just received the thread update.

It can be quite a challenge getting the FS back together again.

I stick everything in position, shims/wear strips, roller bearings, etc with copious amounts of grease.

I found that the shims/wear strips became slightly concave with use. Both sides of the shims are usable so I found it easier to turn them over so that they were convex. They are more likely to catch correctly in the bottom of the housing and they flatten out as you re-insert the inner cartridge. I stick the shims in about 50% of their length then insert the inner cartridge, you have to take care that the plastic housing for the roller bearings remains in full contact with the inner cartridge wear area, if it moves too far roller bearings will fall into the bottom spring area and you will have to start again.

Hope this helps.

Regards
Dez Ellis

dezellis

I hope that they front up on that promise.

I have had recent problems trying to get warranty replacements after nine months. However, I stuck at it (kept complaining higher and higher until I reached the top) and have now received all the replacement parts and happy again.

After I reached the top several things happened I very quickly got the spare parts I needed and I had a Skype video conversation with the chief designer of both the Roubaix and Future Shock projects. The service interval is 500 hours or 18 months whichever comes first.

Regards
Dez Ellis

Racing Dan

So what do they actually mean when they say "service interval". What does a service entail? Is it just replacing the cartridge with a new one by a certified mechanic? Is it even possible to buy the parts. What is the cost of such service? I mean it may not matter to those buying top of the line bikes, but FS is now on far more pedestrian models too, like the Diverge E5 Comp 2018.

colombo357

Mountain out of a mole hill.

"What if replacement parts aren't available in 20 years?"

Do you people listen to yourselves?

Racing Dan

Just to add. I chatted with Eveans Cycles in the UK. The rep recommended "having it looked at at least twice a year, to ensure all is in check. once during summer, once in winter." and I was told DIY mechanic would void the warranty. He claimed to be able to supply the cartridge but to get in touch with their "special orders team" for a price quote.

Seems to me much of the confusion is not from the customers, but from Specialized and the dealers themselves. They are all over the place.

Abe_Froman

That’s within the normal lifespan of a bike. It is unreasonable to expect people to be ok with having a useless poece of junk because 20 years went by.

Bryan C. 

What's the lifespan of a carbon fiber frame? What about mountain bike suspensions? People are still buying those and their suspensions need regular service. Seems like all the modern improvements in frame design come with a shorter overall lifespan. Not to mention the ever changing standards.

TheRealMinty

Thanks for the advice Dez, i'll give it a go later this week. The tolerance is super small on my FS so no chance of any rattling like some have experienced. I'm concerned about the corrosion though but not surprised. Other Specialized bikes i've had in the past haven't survived well in the UK, they're build for the dry conditions in California.
I may chance my arm with Specialized and see if i can get some replacement parts. I'm surprised that they're saying it's not supposed to be user serviceable, it's no different really to any MTB forks that i've serviced in the past, just not as well built!!

tedder987

Just to keep this thread going...

I have a 2017 Roubaix Comp that is almost 16 months old with 6,657.2 miles on it (according to Strava). Can't get exact hours for the previous years (i.e. can't as in too lazy) but extrapolating from this year I have ~473 hours on the bike. This morning I dropped it off at the LBS for a tune-up (free for bikes you bought there) and asked if there was anything to be done with the FS as I had remembered something about it needing "yearly" service. The head mechanic said he hadn't heard anything about that but he usually opens cleans and re-greases them anyways, but he'd check with Spz to be certain.

I'll be out of town M-F this week (hence the drop off) but will report back next weekend with what he said.

p.s. I have been lucky with the FS, no rattles or problems. The rear wheel though was replaced under warranty at 1500 miles and the replacement went to crap at 1000 miles, got rebuilt and then went bad again after another 1600. I am 6'3 and ~205 lbs and the DT Suisse wheels just have not been good to me. Bought a Mavic Ksyrium Allroad disc on sale to replace it and that has been rock solid plus lighter than stock after ~4000 miles

bertie_boy

Hi
I am currently looking at the possibility of buying a Diverge so am reading this thread with interest. I have a couple of questions.
What reacts the turning torque within the Futureshock? is it keyed? i.e. if you were to clamp the lower half in a vice what prevents the top half that bolts to the steerer tube rotating?
Also, I am thinking of using the bike for bike packing, and would want to fit a handlebar bag. Anyone see any issues with spring rates when fitting a luggage bag to the bars.

dezellis

The inner and outer sections of the future shock have three flats where the roller bearings run. These three flats are more than adequate to prevent rotation of the inner section.

dezellis

The bikes are usually supplied with three springs. I have the softest spring fitted I can't see the luggage bag affecting the suspension too much, but it will obviously have some effect.

bertie_boy

Hi
Want i am trying to understand is the method for stopping rotation as this is the area thats going to wear. You obviously don't want any slop in this joint and i am interested to know how Specialized has gone about designing out this area so that you don't feel slop in that joint.

Campag4life

Study the pictures of the inside and draw your own conclusions. This thread has no chance of resolution. A subset of the FS are going to rattle as has been noted. Some and perhaps most won't. Its a lottery. The tolerance stack will vary from the factory, probably even weight of the rider matters in terms of load on the shock, and some shocks will become corroded with use. As Dan said, there isn't a single voice coming out of Specialized either because likely they don't know precisely how to manage the PR of rattling shocks either.

Me personally...a guy who has designed product like this...I simply wouldn't buy a Roubaix or Diverge with FS. I don't want the hassle. If you want ride compliancy, buy a dropbar bike that will fit 32c tires comfortably. If you need more compliancy, buy a racing hardtail mountain bike with rigid front end or $800 front shock which can take the pounding.

The story of FS is playing out in front of us. It is what it is. If you own one and it rattles, you can change the shock and hope it won't rattle.
Pick your new bike purchases carefully is the lesson here.

shafter

I was shopping Spec bikes the other day and noticed lots of them had FS. With this thread in mind I was actually less likely to buy a FS model.

Campag4life

What other conclusion can a sensible bike buyer make. Nobody wants to spend 3 grand and have a finicky bike. Many endurance road bike riders ride them a bit rough and tumble in different terrain and want something that can take a pounding. I have said before, that Specialized missed the mark with this design. It happens every day in any product line from automobiles to cell phones.

That said, there are others here that love their FS and have had 0 issues. It comes down to the build tolerance of their bike and likely how they ride it. As mentioned, the environment in the UK is a far cry from Southern Cal. A 250 lb rider with 3 inches of drop is going to load the shock a lot more than a 130 lb guy with saddle the same as bar height. Some ride in the rain a couple of times a week. Some never ride in the rain...I rarely do for example...maybe once every 4 months I am caught in it.

Conditions vary, bikes from the factory vary and riders vary. A nuance of good design is, a good design is robust enough to encompass all this variability. Look at the difficult environment for a wheel bearing on an automobile. In spite of their metallurgy, high tolerances and build quality, they still sometimes make noise and fail and require replacement. FS falls in line here. Perhaps greater integrity will be built into future future shocks 'if' Spesh sticks with the design. They have abandoned designs before like the carbon OSBB which was a disaster of a bottom bracket they sold 'only on their highest end S-works bikes'.

Riveting

I own the "final" Spesh Roubaix with the Zertz inserts, so I'm quite enjoying this thread and glad I didn't wait a year to buy.

Witterings

At one stage a Specialized was the only bike on my list as I've been so please with my Hardrock MTB over the years but now it's the only one that's not a contender.

Granted you may get one and it could be fine but I decided it was too big a risk to take especially as when I do get a gravel bike hopefully it'll be a long term keeper and don't want to find in 10 years they were inherent with problems and parts have been discontinued or are hard to get hold of and whilst the FS may offer some benefits it's not a complete game changer but maybe a nice to have when it works well.

The other thing that surprised me with them is how they made such a big thing of we listened to what people wanted and now have much wider tyre clearance BUT it's only up to 38mm on the Ali framed ones and 43mm for the full carbon which are a big price jump to £2000 and the competition have lots with clearance up to 50mm or 2.1 if you wanted to go the 650B route for circa £1250.