kcinnick

I have been looking at bikes and I think I have it down to the specialized Roll. It's main use will be neighborhood riding and keeping up with the kids. I live in a VERY flat area, even if we went on a trail it would be kid friendly and very flat.

Is there any reason to go with the 3.0 over the 2.0 for this use? I am not sure if the spring suspension seat is worth it. I do like that the rear free hub could take a larger cassette if I wanted to on the 3.0 but I am not sure if I would ever need to upgrade this bike. I do kind of like the Red but I am OK with the gray or black.

I also have a local dealer (that I do not like) that has all their Trek 20% off because Trek dropped them... they are that bad. I really like the new Trek dealer and unfortunately they dropped Specialized to bring in Trek. The Verve is very similar but I think I like the Roll better and they are 25% off direct from Specialized right now.

I guess my biggest question is are the upgrade worth $225? My wife is getting a Roll 2.0 because she wants the teal color, so that made her decision really easy. I bet I would be getting a 3.0 if the teal was available in the 3.0 and not the 2.0

veganbikes

Yes the 3.0 is well worth it. The upgrade in shifting while still very low end is a big step up from 7 speed as it is Advent and works a lot better than most modern 8 speed stuff. Plus way better braking in hydraulic brakes vs. no name mechanicals. The seatpost is not worth anything and I would replace that with a Kinekt or just a standard post.

I wouldn't recommend the Verve it uses much narrower tires and that isn't great.

kcinnick

Well I ordered the 2.0 for her and the 3.0 for me. She really wanted that teal color. I guess I get to try both out now.

veganbikes

Sometimes people are purely motivated by color. I did buy my Phil Wood road frame because of the paint job.

Enjoy the bikes!

munkeyfish 

Did you get your bikes yet? Thoughts ?

kcinnick

They should arrive today

01sk10

Hey kcinnick - did your bikes arrive? How do you like it? My wife is getting the Roll and we have the exact same dilemma that you had. Any thoughts/suggestions not that you've tried both??

Thanks,
sk.

kcinnick

I like the 3 better but I don't really need any of the features of the 3... It does shift a little less noisily, stops a little better, the seat might as well be a solid post. I don't regret either bike.

01sk10

Thanks a lot for the feedback kcinnick ... this is very helpful. Happy riding to you and to your family!

Pattimom74

Hi kcinnick, almost a year later I came across your post while searching for feedback about the 2.0 vs 3.0. I’ve narrowed it down to those two and I have a specific question. Now that you have ridden your bikes for a year I’m curious if you still think the 3.0 is better? My specific question is, does the 3.0 handle hills any better than the 2.0?

veganbikes

Yes the 3.0 is better. In lower initial cost bikes getting the top of that range is important as they usually don't top out very high. The less you spend initially the more you spend long term. The costs gets removed somewhere and with is generally not being sensible to change the frame and fork (though Jamis does it) the shifting and braking suffer more. 7 speed came out in the mid to late 80s and 8 speed came out in the late 80s early 90s it is 2024 and we are in the 12-13 speed era so those lower tier groupsets aren't going to be great unless a modern purpose built set like Advent then you get something a little more decent.

When you start hitting Tourney level (including the M26 and similar from others) components run don't walk to the next bike. Unless you are riding once in a blue moon because that is the only time you can actually ride I wouldn't put any money towards something that scraps the underside of the barrel. Luckily though Specialized has a sale on some stuff and for $50 more you can get a 3.0. They used to have a nicer roll back in the day but it is has slowly declined in component quality now that they have the more desirable Como which is electric and way initially the same geometry and comfortable ride as the Roll and is still upright and comfortable and might be the same geo-wise but I haven't actually compared and much prefer the old one in many ways.

Pattimom74

Thank you veganbikes, really appreciate the feedback.

hokiefyd 

Wise advice!

Aaroncorinne

Right now Specialized has the Roll 3.0 on sale for $549.99. The Roll 2.0 is still priced at $700. I am not sure how long the sale is going to last.

Pattimom74

I ended up buying the Roll 2.0 on impulse because of the available colors. I am now regretting it since the 3.0 price has been reduced pretty drastically. Anybody have any advice on whether I should buy the 3.0 and try to sell the 2.0?

veganbikes

This probably very good looking person below had some great advice...LOLOLOL (it is me, I don't often quote myself but when I do I prefer Dos Equis). Know this you probably won't get a ton of money for the 2.0 but if you are enjoying the geometry and ride of the bike the 3.0 would be the way to go. Some people like say my old boss would usually buy a bike a year and sell it after that year. He tried to get me to do that but I couldn't part with my babies but most of my babies were built from the frame up or highly customized so rebuilding it year to year just didn't make sense.

hokiefyd 

It sounds like you bought the 2.0 because of the available color ways (legit move in my opinion -- you can always change components on a bike, but you'll never be able to change the color...at least not well or without spending a bunch of money). What about the 2.0 don't you like, or isn't working for you? Are you looking at the 3.0 only because its price has come down? Do the color choices on the 3.0 suit you?

If the 2.0 is working for you, I don't think I'd look at changing, especially if you like the color. You can upgrade to hydraulic brakes for fewer than 50 dollars. You can also upgrade to a modern Shimano Cues 10-speed drivetrain for about 100 bucks (Aliexpress prices). For $150, you can have some pretty decent components on your 2.0 and be set for a long time. You'd likely lose more than $150 in a trade...buying a 3.0 and trying to sell your 2.0.

This recent video from Seth at Berm Peak features these parts swaps and might give you some ideas:
Just some food for thought...

sohoprom

Can't help but wonder why...I also have a local dealer (that I do not like)

why didn't you like? indifference? too agressive?

mlau

Hey OP,

I just bought my wife a Roll 3.0 low entry. It's on sale for $550 on the Specialized website

She normally asks for nothing. When we went to the bike store, she tried the Roll 2.0 and remarked "I like that bike."
Then, she stared at the Maroon Roll 3.0 and the price tag of $1200 at the LBS.

My wife usually asks for nothing, so I'm thrilled to find the bike she likes at a cheaper price than the 2.0

Hope that helps.