stunzeed

I am a first time roadie looking to buy my 1st road bike and do it right. I am debating between a specialized tarmac expert or roubaix. I am not sure how far I will be riding since this is new to me. It will be on flat ground though thats for sure. I am looking for a comfortable ride though that is the main concern. Which would be best?

donoman

Go to your local bike store and ride them around the block. Supposedly the Roubaix will be more comfortable. I bought a Tarmac. I find it plenty comfortable. As your first road bike I would not spend so much money on something I didn't know about. I would get an aluminum bike (or used bike) first. Then if you get into it and hang around other bicyclists you will know what to get later.

dekindy

Get a Roubaix. It will be extremely comfortable for all types of riding and more than fast enough unless you want to race. Type "Specialized Roubaix Reviews" into the Google search engine and you will get more information than you could ever possibly need.

thelazywon

roubaix

StanSeven

Visit lots of bike stores and try lots of bikes. First question is why are you liniting your choices to Specialized? Next question is what is your riding style, aspirations, race ambitions, etc? The Tarmac is race geometry while the Roubaix is much more relaxed and more suitable to an older rider.

af2nr

WHAT?! This statement couldn't be farther from the truth, especially the second half of it! You would be quite surprised at how close the geometry is between the two bikes. The Roubaix does "allow" you to be in a more relaxed position but it also allows you to be aggressive. The Roubaix is also a VERY raceable bike as well, it may not handle as quick as some "crit" bikes but it can more than hold it's own. I went back and forth between these two bikes before realizing for myself that the Roubaix was the more practical choice for me, and a little better spec'd at the price point. YMMV...

curiouskid55

My Roubaix works great for an older racer.

bianchi_rider

[/I][/B] Neither, get a Bianchi, you cant go wrong

modsquad

Lemond Zurich

clausen

From my limited experience of the 2 I found the the Tarmac to be twitchy and gave a harsh ride compared to the Roubaix. The Roubaix would suit your needs better.

rbart4506

Get Roubaix! I've got the Expert...Bike is awesome and I wouldn't think twice about doing it again...

Greg180

I have both and I got the Roubaix first. It is the perfect first bike and is a pleasure to ride. If you feel the need for speed then you can get a Tarmac later.

hwyhead

Wow, those are nice bikes for a first bike.

permanentjaun

I'm in the same situation as the OP. The LBS I've really formed a relationship deals only with Specialized, which is fine by me, and therefore my options are down to the Tarmac, Allez, and Roubaix. I'm wondering if there can be that great a difference between them all though. How is the Roubaix not as much a racer as the Tarmac?

People are always starting threads asking, "how much better is a $7K bike over a $1K bike?" "Which bike should I get?" In this threads instance we're comparing two bikes built by the same company using many of the same components. So unless you're a serious road racer, which I doubt the OP is since this would be their first road bike, does it really matter which you get? The frames, although different, are very similar. In general road riding is the performance going to be much different? I do not include comfort as a measure of performance. Long story short, for general road riding is the Tarmac frame really going to be faster/corner better than the roubaix. Is this really something like saying, ''sure you own a Ferrari, but you don't know how to drive it." That means most people that do general riding aren't going to get the full benefit of the little performance engineering cues in the bike.

I have to also ask as a 23 year old noob, will the little difference in frame size really make the bike that much more uncomfortable that you shouldn't buy the Tarmac for when you finally develop yourself enough to take full advantage of the "performance" frame design?

tie

The Tarmac is a fair bit stiffer, and the difference is very noticeable going up hills. But the Roubaix is definitely smoother on the road. Even though they are two bikes built by the same company using the same components, I find them them to have very different feels.

MDcatV

go to your lbs that deals specialized (if that's the frame mfr that you like), tell them what you are going to use the bike for (type of riding, where, on the MUP or road or both, group riding plans, typical distance, goals, how often/week you plan to ride, what your budget is), get fit, and let them recommend the best bike for you. LBS has the expertise way beyond the innernets, that's their biggest value, take advantage of it. that's how you "do it right".

fwiw, in my opinion, test rides are useless, fit and getting the correct bike to match your intended use are the most important considerations.