flanso 

My Specialized CF Roubaix is starting to feel a bit too twitchy for my 72 years. Perhaps it is time for me to sacrifice some handling for additional stability. Do you have any suggestions for a very-relaxed geometry, drop-bar bike? Maybe even a steel one.

OldsCOOL

You could end up with a good selection if you scan specs on the headtube angle. However, you could look for sport touring class bikes and whittle things down a bit. The wheelbase and headtube angles are more relaxed.

Wildwood 

Longer wheelbase, lower bottom bracket.

Retro Grouch 

A headset that's a little bit too tight can do that. The test is if the handlebars will flop side-to-side all by themselves when you tip your bike.

Wildwood 

Move out of NYC.

The riding out here in th hinterlands (and rural/suburbia) ain't so twitchy.

79pmooney

Heavier wheels, esp rims will go a long ways in lowering "twitch". I'll second checking the headset also. You can also reduce quickness of steering by increasing trail with a swap of forks. Counter-intuitively, to increase trail, you need a fork of less offset. ie straighter.

Ben

Who Dey3334

If it was me at 72 I'd be on a Giant Cypress DX personally. Theres no shame in riding an upright Hybrid. They're still fairly fast and they're extremely comfortable. I understand its not even in the same class as a drop bar bike but its something to consider and test rides are free so why not take one for a spin and try it out?

Wildwood 

Don't get heavier wheels, here's what you need.

https://calfeedesign.com/luna-adventure/
It's the 'adventure' geo chart for Calfee Design.

Craig has been quoted as saying the LUNA delivers 80-90% of the performance of his most expensive bikes at a much lower price. Or bamboo if you want the next bike to be unique.

BobbyG

Last year I bought a Charge Bikes Plug, "Performance" Edition, from Performance Bicycles (that's what they called it). I consider it a semi-touring bike. Not as long and heavy as a Surly LHT and the like, but longer than my '83 Nishiki International. It's a steel frame, drop-bar bike. I, too wanted something less "twitchy" than my road bike, or my mountain bike based commuter. Mine was $599, but they are closing out the 2015s and I've seen them advertised for less. But be aware, the 2016 Plugs are aluminum, except for the top of the line Titanium Plug 5. Aside from serious toe overlap with fenders, it is a dream.

tourisme

Get a touring bike. The longer wheelbase and trail make for slower, very stable handling but you can still set the bike up as aggressively as a road bike, if you want. You don't have to get something as heavy as the tank-like Long Haul Trucker, there are lots of traditional touring bikes that are quite sporty to ride. And if you cut the steerer to give yourself some room for manoeuvre, you can raise/lower the bars to suit yourself as you age.

OldsCOOL

I just refreshed a Giant Rapid 3 for a buddy. That means I get a test ride. The bike is one of the lighter and quicker hybrids on the market.

Gerryattrick

I may be wrong on this, I often am, but I always thought that the short wheelbase, aggressive style of bike was designed for racing where quick bursts of acceleration, riding in groups, going for gaps etc. are important. If that sort of riding is not for you these days then a touring or more relaxed geometry bike could well be suitable for you. You could potentially be a couple of minutes slower on a two hour ride, but how often are you riding at your max effort anyway?

Cougrrcj

My primary bike is a longer-wheelbase 26-pound lugged-steel 'mid-70s Fuji S-10S. Very comfortable ride.

My more recently acquired 'sports/fitness geometry' '84 Univega Viva Sport and '86 Miyata 710 are 'twitchier' because of their tighter geometry. Frames with an even tighter 'racing geometry' are even moreso. A full-on 'touring' geometry is very stable. My trusty old Fuji lays closer to that relaxed touring geometry.

I'm not a bike 'weight weenie' because I'm not seeking that elusive 1% improvement in my speed. Why? -- because I'm carrying more excess weight than I could ever cut from my bike. There is absolutely NOTHING wrong with riding a bike that weighs in the mid-20s!!!!

practical

I agree with the comments about getting a bike with a longer wheelbase. I know you stated drops, but you might find some of the newer hybrids just what you're looking for. They're light and fast and the flat bar will you give you greater stability. I'm 61 and ride one and I prefer it over my other two bikes which have drops.

volosong

My Trek Madone was my first new bike in forty something years. First carbon bike too. It was more twitchy than what I was used to riding, but I got accustomed to it after a handfull of rides. The next year or the one after that I got a Kestrel carbon bike. That bike was really twitchy! All I had to do was sit astride the saddle and the thing took off like a jackrabbit. Fast! Explosive! Quick! That bike is major fun . . . that is until I want down the other side of the mountain one day. When I hit 35 or 40 mph or so, the bike started exhibiting the dreaded "front wheel death wobble" The front wheel started oscillating back and forth so violently that I distinctly remembering that maybe if I slide myself sideways against the road cut leading with my shoulder, that I wouldn't get hurt as much as I would sliding on the asphalt at 30 something miles per hour.

Somehow, but the grace of God, I was able to slow down enough to where the wobble went away. About 25 mph or so. But I was sure scared. (Funny thing. After getting to the bottom of the hill and making my left turn to return toward home, I was on a 1%-2% downgrade with the wind behind me and was able to motor 25-30 mph with very little effort. No signs of the death wobble.)

My next bike was a Pinarello. By comparison to the Trek and Kestrel, the Pinarello was so stable and sure-footed that it is almost boring to ride. Totally predictable! I now have four Pinarello bicycles and every one of them is stable and confident, (FP-6, FP Team, KOBH, and FCX). I've come to learn that it is a characteristic of the marque. They just don't make twitchy bikes.

So, yeah! I'm now a Pinarello fanboy. I'm not ashamed to say so. They make good, stable bikes.

I still have the Trek, but it is now my 'mountain bike', built with a triple chainring and a wide cassette in the rear. For steep, long hills, I take the Trek. Still have the Kestrel too. But, I will only ride it when I want to try and snag some Strava KOMs and if there are no descents involved on the ride.

You've gotten some good advice. I just solved the same problem with a Pinarello. There are a lot of other bikes that fill the bill too.

mtnroads

I don't like twitchy either, especialy when I've had too much coffee.. and I live where there's a lot of fast downhills. Touring bikes definitely are more stable. On the other hand they tend to weigh about 30 pounds, and if you aren't actually loading it up, maybe there's a happy compromise. I've been riding a steel frame Jamis Quest Elite in the Philippines and fell back in love with the ride of steel. It is stable and smooth, and 21 pounds, not 30..

So when I came back to the States this summer I sold the Roubaix Expert that I had in storage and bought a Waterford. Oh my, what a difference. The Roubaix was fine but felt a bit too busy, despite the 'endurance" geometry. The Waterford can be sporty, but in a gentlemanly way. Longer wheelbase makes it more stable, carves beautiful turns, and the ride is sublime. It just erases the road buzz, and it weighs 21-22 pounds also. Either one of these bikes would probably work well for you.

Garfield Cat

Is it the advancing age that makes reaction time slower?

vinfix

You list having a Synapse as well. Do you find it more or less twitchy than the Roubaix? I tried them both back-to-back at an expo a few years ago, and I found the Synapse to be unpleasantly twitchy in comparison. The Roubaix's I've tried also have a very upright riding position, the Tarmac is more racy but well-mannered.
As other's posted, longer wheelbase will give you more stable handling. Some people want Cadillacs, not Miatas.

flanso 

Your description of the Waterford sounds of interest. I'll see if I can find one to test ride. Thanks.

Mountain Mitch

I recently bought a Devinci Caribou touring bike. I got it to tour but I am amazed at how stable it is compared to my Roubaix. I hadn't really thought of the Roubaix as twitchy until I rode the Caribou. Still love the Roubaix for certain things but I am really enjoying riding my Caribou.

Jarrett2

flanso, what's your budget? There are lots of options depending on what you want to spend. That Jamis Quest Elite is a great one for the price, but there are others as well.

I also had a Specialized Roubaix (2014 model) and replace it with a steel road bike. Or two

The downside with steel road bikes is that they are hard to find in stores typically. Being in NYC, that might not be an issue for you, but around my area they are rare in the shops.

If you want to find a steel road bike you can test ride, then look for Jamis, Soma, Kona, All-City, Salsa, Surly dealers. If you can find a Fairdale or Ritchey dealer, that would be even better. Waterfords and Gunnars (same company) are typically made to order and hard to find new. Usually when you find one, it is used and has been custom made for someone else.

If you have the budget to go custom steel, it would probably be very nice.

I recently built up a Black Mountain Cycles road frameset (steel frame and fork) and it turned out nicely. Right at 20 lbs minus pedals. That pretty close to what my 105-equipped, full carbon fiber Roubaix weighed. I also have a Gunnar steel bike with an Enve 2.0 carbon fork and it was 18.3 lbs without pedals. Noticeably lighter than my full carbon Roubaix.

I say that to mean that just because you go steel doesn't mean it has to weigh more than your Roubaix does. I also find that my steel bikes ride much smoother than my Roubaix ever did and it was considered one of the smoother riding carbon fiber bikes of its time.

StanSeven

My Waterford is 18.2 lbs. It's built up with 9 speed Dura Ace, Reynolds ouzi pro fork, Mavic Ksyrium wheels, and aluminum bars, stem and seatpost.

Steve B.

Look at the geometry. Longer wheel base for sure.

A touring bike, while offering stability, might be so much heavier then what you are used to you might be turned off by the truck feeling.

First thoughts were Soma Smoothie ES or a Surly Pacer. Transfer the parts over then sell the Specialized frame.

Rivendell if you have the money, Gunnar as well.

catgita

I wish Randonneur bikes were more readily available. They are performance bikes with extremely stable handling and a smooth ride, intended for long distance riding but suitable for just about anything. A contemporary spinoff is the "adventure bike", like the Specialized Diverge. Take a look at this:
Boulder Bicycle