roadcurious

I am relatively new to cycling about 1-2 years in. I have a older Specialized Allez Sport and I want to upgrade to something a little easier on my back and on the bumps. I think I’ve narrowed it down to the Roubaix but trying to decide between Sport, Comp Di2 and Expert.

Normally I would just get the Sport but will I immediately regret not having the di2? What about the Future Shock 2 with the fluid fork?

Opinions?

waters60

Do your homework on the Future Shock.

roadcurious

Are you you referring to the service every 500 hours?

MSchott

As with anything in this hobby, it’s all about your budget. If you can afford the DI2, it’s a no brainer. Mine is a 2017 Sport SL4 with 105 and the shifting is great. It’s not DI2 but the cost was far less.

roadcurious

Yeah it’s just about where the diminishing returns are. I can probably swing the cost of either option but is it worth $2k. Sounds like yes for di2 but no for future shock 2.0

MSchott

I’ve read plenty of good comments about Future Shock. Some issues from the factory with 2019 models but most have been fixed by the dealers.

roadcurious

Looking at the 2020s there are 2 versions. 1.5 which is Spring alone and “fixed” from 2019 and 2.0 which is fluid suspension and has lockout. Trying to decide if I buy the comp will I regret it l8r

Bryan C. 

Lots of mixed results when using the future shock. I have a 18 Roubaix and a 19 Diverge with the 1st gen future shock. I have had no issues.

The system works very well but the extra comfort comes with a few caveats. No lifetime warranty on the future shock as per the email exchange I had with Specialized rider care. The required service interval and methods aren't very clear even to the shop mechanics I have talked to. All this seems to lead you to believe replacement is the only way to actually meet the required service interval. And how long are those parts going to be available? Comfort now or longevity of the frame?

I really wish I had Di2 on my Roubaix. If I knew where I would be at with the lifetime out of pocket expense of this thing I would have opted to just get the higher end bike with the Di2 right out of the gate. It's a luxury thing, nothing more.

Back to the bike question. If you are OK with mechanical shifting it's hard to beat the sport model with the 7000 series 105. This bike will need a lighter wheelset for sure.

The Di2 comp model is what I would buy. Throw on your carbon wheelset of choice and go ride. Seems like a solid bike.

The expert has the future shock 2.0 vs. the 1.5 on the comp, (whatever that means?) and a $1400 bump to $6k but includes the Roval C38 carbon wheelset. Might be worth it if you like the whole ready to go ride aspect.

roadcurious

I was thinking of getting the dtswiss wheelset then upgrading later if I wanted carbon wheels.

Interesting point about the replacement of the parts, I wonder if the 1.5 without the lockout knob would be better.

sounds like di2 is way to go for no regrets 😂

Badger6

The Future Shock 2.0 is almost incomparable to the original or 1.5 (which is an update that purports to fix the issues some had with the original). I rode an FS2 equipped Roubaix about a week ago at my local shop (a Spesh Concept Store), it is remarkably smooth, and the lock out works. The FS1.5 does have only a spring between the bars and the forks, it soaks up bumps, it's nifty...but the FS2 is truly, IMHO, a smooth ride, and to me felt completely connected to the road. It absorbs the bumps, the fluid damping system removes the "bounce" from the up-down action of the cartridge that suspends the stem/bars. I rode it on roads I was familiar with, and the bumps (yes, not all German roads are smooth Autobahns) were either gone or significantly smoother.

Di2...once set up, is always set up. It will never go out of adjustment, it shifts as perfectly on the 10,000th gear change as it did on the first, and it will shift under load without a bunch of hesitation.

chong67

I am looking to get this bike also with Di2.

Is the Future Shock thing worth the $200 upgrade?

drcollie

I have a new 2020 Roubaix Pro with the SRAM E-tap and while it was a bit outside my comfort level in price....the bike itself is just phenomenal. I rode the model down with the aluminum wheels and the difference to the carbon rims on the pro is tremendous. There is nothing about this bike I don't like. Future shock (2.0) works flawlessly and once you've had electronic shifting, you'll never go back. I have Di2 on another bike, and they both work great. The SRAM system is wireless, so less cabling than the Di2 and recharging the batteries is no big deal. Whichever one you decide on I think you'll be really happy with it.

eflayer

I'm the one that had issues with noise from the FS. I fixed it finally and now I love the entire riding experience. I thought I'd never want to go beyond 10 speed, caliper brakes, and mechanical Ultegra. I have thumb issues but even if I did not Di2 is just like going from downtube levers to STI = a great evolution. Di2 means super accurate and quick shift every time with no noise and no trimming and no missed shifts.

As for the FS you might want to ask yourself what kind of riding you do and will you ever actually want to adjust the shock? Our roads are about half good and half really crappy so I can't imagine ever wanting to make my bike less compliant and medium spring in my 2019 never seems to do anything other than soak up a lot of imperfections. Otherwise no downside ever to it being there. Ever! I wonder how many people ever adjust the seat tube adjuster on there Trek Domane SLR7 bikes?

And not sure how the 2020 Roubaix seatpost tech actually works. I know it looks better than CG-R but does it work better?

On 2019 Roubaix I think the only differences between Comp and Expert was around $1500 and for that you get a set of carbon wheels and a Swat Box. Will you appreciate the difference between carbon and aluminum rims? Can you alway buy a decent set of carbon aftermarket wheels for $1500? I think so.

And lastly some paint combos on 2020 Roubaix are really ugly.

eflayer

think i made a disparaging comment about the new paint schemes. i take it back. saw a maroon 2020 close up yesterday and the paint was gorgeous. and amazing metal flake with some sort of fade to blackish on the top tube. i think practically no way to do it justice in two dimensions. i ride it for sure.