Originally Posted by
RichStu99
I am considering the following:
Specialized Tarmac SL 7 Pro
Specialized Aethos Pro
Specialized Roubaix Pro.
Would appreciate opinions on any of these. I pretty much live on the dirt and am branching out to the road. Looking in the 5K to 8K range. Any comments are welcome.
Thanks
If you are doing a LOT of climbing up 10%+ gradients, then the Aethos is the lightest of the three and probably the best choice for pure climbing.
If your local roads are rough and full of potholes or cobbles then the Roubaix has the most compliant ride. It also has the most upright (endurance) fit with a much taller front end.
The Tarmac is the most aero and therefore fastest on flat roads. Probably the best all-rounder in this list. But if you don't care about aero, then the Aethos may be a better choice. Geometry is the same for both.
One thing that I really don't like about all 3 of these bikes in Pro spec or above is the wheels that are NOT tubeless compatible. That is a show-stopper for me personally. If you want to run with tubes then no problem.