# Roubaix Expert...



## rbart4506 (Aug 4, 2004)

So I got a nice new 07 Roubaix Expert for my 40th from my wife and she liked it so much she picked one up for herself. I'll post some pics once the bikes are fully set up, you know bottle cages, computers and such. My question right now deals specifically with the wheelsets. The bikes come with the new Ultegra wheels and we're debating on whether keeping them on the bikes or putting on our 2 year old Mavic Ksyrium Elite wheels. We've been riding the Elites on our 04 Roubaix's and love them. I had the freehubs service this off season so I know they have tons of life left in them. Also, we're thinking that next year we'll be treating ourselves to some nice new blingy wheels. My thought is remove the Ultegra's and sell them since they are new and use the old wheels for one season. The old wheels would then become back-up wheels next year. I'm just concerned that riding the Ultegra's will be a step down compared to the Mavic's and that the Ultegra's are worth more new then used.

BTW any ideas of a good wheelset for the Roubaix...Should I just stick with Mavic and get the SL's or look at other possibities. One side of me says go for the Mavic's for the bling, but the other side knows I can probably find a lighter cheaper wheelset that will be just as good. Both my wife and I are in the 140lbs range...So neither of us is a heavy weight...

Thanks for listening...just like to see other people's opinions..

Rich


----------



## boon (Dec 14, 2005)

i run Campy Zonda on my Roubaix 06. sweet wheelset and super smooth hub. and they look awesome, especially the G3 spoke pattern.

boon


----------



## rbart4506 (Aug 4, 2004)

Wouldn't the Campy wheel spit the shimano cassette off the freehub


----------



## OneGear (Aug 19, 2005)

rich, your best bet is to ride them once or twice before you decide which to keep. maybe you will find the ultegras better in some sense? riding it once or twice would not depreciate the value that much since anyone who's buying them would not be looking to pay retail for stock wheels, even if new. 

i've got to recommend the SLs, they are very sweet but quite expensive, it is not unusual to find them used for a reasonable price on canadian classifieds. I picked up a good set there fore much less than retail.


----------



## boon (Dec 14, 2005)

rbart4506 said:


> Wouldn't the Campy wheel spit the shimano cassette off the freehub


anything is possible with superglue. and an oxyacetylene torch.

boon


----------



## rbart4506 (Aug 4, 2004)

Call us crazy, but my wife and I decided to go with some Mavic Elites. We talked to the shop where we bought the bikes and they were willing to do a swap on the Ultegras. We have been riding the last two years and the Elites and really like those wheels. We've put on 13000km's on them, on some pretty rough roads, and they are still true as the day we got them. The wheels also spin so freely compared to the Ultegra's. We thought about it and figured that chances were we'd end up with the Elites next year anyway that we might as well make the move now...Especially if the LBS was willing to do a swap. Funny thing is when we went in to talk swap the LBS started saying the Ultegra's are a better riding wheel because they have more flex...I thought stiff wheels were good?? At any rate we like the way the Elites ride, so we decide to go with them instead.


----------



## Dr_John (Oct 11, 2005)

IMO, the Ultegras are a perfect match for the type of riding most people with Roubaixs are bound to do. My '06 Roubaix Expert came with WH-600s (essentially the Ultegra wheel), and after 5000 miles, still true, free-spinning, and a great wheel for casual rides. A great match. I also have Cane Creek Volos Sterling team-issues. I originally intended to use them on my Roubaix, but they're brutal on that bike, so they're relegated to duty on my Allez.


----------



## bsaunder (Oct 27, 2004)

fwiw - I've got ~2k miles on the ultegra wheel set with no issues - since this includes early season riding I have had to ride on some rough roads and areas that are badly damaged from the weather; the wheels are still very true. I weight in ~225lbs, so I'm no light weight and I also like to sprint, so far no regrets with staying on the ultegra wheels.
I actually know of two people that used the wheelset on a cyclocross bike, so I'd say they are fairly duarble.


----------



## mlondon (Apr 13, 2007)

Hi,

I was about to start a new thread, but found this one so here goes. I'm a 44 year old who used to race over 20 years ago, and just getting back into serious road riding.

Planning on buying an 07 Roubaix Expert Compact Rival.

I know that the wheels are crucial for a good, fast ride. The Expert Compact Rival has Mavic Ksyrium Elites, which I have read a number of negative remarks about. My LBS said that I could swap them out and get a reasonable amount of money in trade. So which wheelset do you all recommend? Are the Ksyrium Elites that bad?

I'm not going to be racing. Just want to enjoy riding a fine machine for anything from a quick loop or five around central park or a century or two out in the countryside. May take the bike out to California for riding up and down Mt. Tamalpais and other hilly pursuits. Or possibly put on some saddle-bags for a camping tour with my GF.

Any other thoughts on the Roubaix line-up are also appreciated.

Thanks...


----------



## rbart4506 (Aug 4, 2004)

My wife and I have been riding the Elites on our 04 Roubaix's (aluminum/carbon frame) for 2 full seasons and have had zero problems with the wheels. We have put over 13000km's on the wheels and they are still perfectly true. The only thing we did was get the freehubs serviced at the end of last year. We live in Hamilton, Ontario and anyone who knows the area will attest to how terrible the roads are around here. Yes, you can get better wheels for what the Elites cost, aftermarket, but I wouldn't swap them out if it was me. Actually we did the opposite when we bought our 07 Roubaix Experts. In Canada we don't have the SRAM option and the compact double is all shimano Ultegra, including the wheels, but with an FSA crank. We swapped out the Ultegra's for the Elites because we felt more confident with those wheels over the stock wheels.


----------



## Stratmosphere (Feb 28, 2007)

I just bought the Expert Compact with Rival. I think you get a very current technology frame for a good value.In terms of negative comments on wheels...

I import some aftermarket car products. When you are the clear leader in terms of volume, you will get more positive and negative feedback than any other. I bet the quantity of complaints is low percentage-wise.

Haven't used the bike much yet, but I've had three immediate issues. When tightening the seatpost clamp to spec with my Syntace torque wrench the collar snapped/cracked. Nice. Also had a chain suck incident. Nice. And...the chain flew off the big ring. I imagine at least one of the issues were bike shop laziness.

Note. Even though the headtube spec is tall, Specialized, for some evil reason, cuts the steerers too short. So it sounds like you will be upright, but it's not necessarily so. I'll get the parts to tilt the adjustable stem upwards more and change to a 10mm shorter stem.

Also, why in the heck are 172.5 cranks on a 54mm bike? Seems borderline to me. -Pete


----------



## mlondon (Apr 13, 2007)

Hi all,

Thanks for your comments. Maybe I'll be just fine with the Ksyrium Elites


re: >>When tightening the seatpost clamp to spec with my Syntace torque wrench the collar snapped/cracked. 

Just looked at Syntace's website. They say:

"Each Torque Tool comes with a calibration certificate, and is guaranteed to be +/- 4% accuracy."

Could 4% over be enough to snap the collar?


----------



## allison (Apr 19, 2006)

I got the Expert Rival Compact last month. Have almost 300 miles on it. The only problem I've had was chain stretch (no issue now) and I think the BB is creaking. I'm taking it over to the LBS tonight because I am not bonding well with the Toupe Gel saddle (though I love how it matches the frame). So, I'll probably see if they can get rid of the creaking. Not a huge deal, as my Spec mountain bike creaked for awhile also. Doesn't anymore. 

I haven't had any issues with the wheels, but obviously they're pretty new. Also no chain suck or issues with the chain staying on. 

It's a comfy ride!


----------



## Stratmosphere (Feb 28, 2007)

Went to the LBS regarding the seat post collar. They took a new one off a floor bike. Then we had them torque a bolt to 6Nm and I followed with my wrench. Same. So...I think someone there overtorqued the collar, stressed the metal, and basically ruined it before I got it. When I tighten it, it was deforming with about 4-5Nm. Never able to get to 6Nm without snapping. The Syntace comes with a certificate of this actual wrench and it looked good. So...not the wrench, the part was defective. 

I've been using the Toupe Team on a new Orca and I've been comfortable. The gel on the Roubaix doesn't feel right, but I still need a shorter stem and more rise on the stem. The LBS (big Spec dealer) doesn't stock the 90mm. Crazy.

-P


----------



## mick wolfe (Feb 15, 2004)

mlondon said:


> Hi all,
> 
> Thanks for your comments. Maybe I'll be just fine with the Ksyrium Elites
> 
> ...


I had the Elites on my '04 Roubaix Comp for about a month and switched to Velomax Circuits. The bladed spokes on the Elites created ( at least for me ) handling oddities in crosswinds. The Circuits (round spokes) have no problems whatsoever in this area. That said, if I were to buy a new Roubaix Expert today, I'd give the Elites another shot.


----------



## rbart4506 (Aug 4, 2004)

I'd agree with the problems on crosswinds with the bladed spokes. That is a negative with most bladed spoke wheels, but hey you can slice some food if you are in a pinch...


----------

