brianleston

Considering a Roubaix SL3 but wonder if it is perhaps too long in the tooth. Will its damping still be effective. Or should I spend more and buy more recent. Any thoughts would be welcome.

TiHabanero

I worked in a Specialized shop for a very long time and have seen the fads come and go. The Zertz fittings are a gimmick. If you remove the fittings from the frame you will be unable to percieve any difference in the ride quality. We did this at our shop at the suggestion of the sales rep. Notice that over time the Zertz fittings became smaller and fewer and eventually not used at all. No need to worry about the condition of them as they serve no real purpose.

brianleston

Thanks for info. Have you any thoughts on the sl3 against more recent carbon frames?

veganbikes

I would test ride some bikes and figure out which works best for you. Especially with carbon I wouldn't want to buy used so much unless I know the person selling it and trust them implicitly. I don't think you are going to get anything that great from that old frame. As TiHabanero said the Zertz are kinda silly and fairly useless.

TiHabanero

A comparative test ride will answer your question. When the SL3 was first introduced I was at Specialized for training. I rode it back to back with a Tarmac, what I call a comparative test ride. That SL3 was like driving a big rig. It handled poorly and downhill curves at high speed delivered less than expected results. The Tarmac was just the opposite. It rode like a precision bicycle should. Only a comparative test ride will answer your question. Note that enough people liked the SL3 to make it a sales success. It just was not my cup of tea.