# Roubaix has Lost it’s Way



## chaincatcher (Jul 17, 2014)

I have been a big fan of the Roubaix bikes. I had previously ridden mountain bikes, but a back injury and pain forced me to switch to road bikes. My first road bike was the original 2004 Roubaix Pro Dura-Ace which was the most comfortable frame of all in terms of isolating road vibration and was ideal for my back condition. That bike sparked a new endurance / comfort category in the bike industry with most companies now offering a version of their own. In 2009, I upgraded to the S-Works Roubaix SL2 Dura-Ace, which is still my current bike and is stiffer than the original but it still does a great job at taming road vibration. I bike around 3,000 miles and 300,000 vertical feet of climbing a year in hilly roads with good portions in not the greatest condition. Unfortunately, with non-existent government budgets to repave deteriorating roads, this has become the norm in most parts of the country and only getting worse especially on less frequently used vehicular roads favored by bicyclists.

It seems that Specialized has taken each generation of Roubaix and has made it stiffer to the point that the current SL4 Roubaix has basically become a stiff Tarmac with relaxed geometry and a cobbler gobbler seat post added almost as an afterthought to keep it in the endurance / comfort category. This might be great for tailoring the design of the Roubaix to help people like Fabian Cancellara help win Paris Roubaix, but this single-minded goal of creating a stiffer racing endurance bike has led to Specialize alienating a large portion of the original target market for this bike with me being one of them.

I hope that Specialize realizes that there is still a large market for non-racing cyclists who are looking for a reasonably comfortable bike to use for recreation and fitness. My dream would be for the SL5 to be more compliant like the SL2/SL3 and innovate in other ways than just making the frame stiffer and harsher than the previous generation. They could look at things like making the bike more aero, lighter, offering more tailored sizing options, integrating a Garmin sensor into the frame like the Trek bikes, providing an integral chain catcher (of course), offer more color options, optimizing disc brake setups, etc.

I have really enjoyed riding my Roubaix bikes, but if Specialize continues on the same road of stiffer is better with their next SL5 bikes, then I will have to look at other firms that offer a more comfortable ride. I would have upgraded to an SL4 by now if it not for the stiffness.


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## Oxtox (Aug 16, 2006)

chaincatcher said:


> I have really enjoyed riding my Roubaix bikes, but if Specialize continues on the same road of stiffer is better with their next SL5 bikes, then I will have to look at other firms that offer a more comfortable ride.


yep, if you don't like what Toyota is offering, you can always check out what Mazda, Honda, Kia, Hyundai, or GM has in the showroom.


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## 1Butcher (Mar 15, 2011)

Or keep the original one/Find one on eBay.

There are people who like the Model T but Ford won't bring that back either.


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## wrshultz (Feb 10, 2005)

You might check out a Diverge Carbon model, if a local shop has one. The higher volume tires will take some of the edge off the rough roads. It's not a Roubaix, and the big question is - How much weight penalty for the disc brakes, heavier wheels/tires?

I'm looking forward to riding a Carbon Diverge and getting some real weight numbers.


chaincatcher said:


> I have been a big fan of the Roubaix bikes. I had previously ridden mountain bikes, but a back injury and pain forced me to switch to road bikes. My first road bike was the original 2004 Roubaix Pro Dura-Ace which was the cost comfortable frame of all in terms of isolating road vibration and was ideal for my back condition. That bike sparked a new endurance / comfort category in the bike industry with most companies now offering a version of their own. In 2009, I upgraded to the S-Works Roubaix SL2 Dura-Ace, which is still my currant bike and is stiffer than the original but it still does a great job at taming road vibration. I bike around 3,000 miles and 300,000 vertical feet of climbing a year in hilly roads with good portions in not the greatest condition. Unfortunately, with non-existent government budgets to repave deteriorating roads, this has become the norm in most parts of the country and only getting worse especially on less frequently used vehicular roads favored by bicyclists.
> 
> It seems that Specialized has taken each generation of Roubaix and has made it stiffer to the point that the current SL4 Roubaix has basically become a stiff Tarmac with relaxed geometry and a cobbler gobbler seat post added almost as an afterthought to keep it in the endurance / comfort category. This might be great for tailoring the design of the Roubaix to help people like Fabian Cancellara help win Paris Roubaix, but this single-minded goal of creating a stiffer racing endurance bike has led to Specialize alienating a large portion of the original target market for this bike with me being one of them.
> 
> ...


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## George M (Sep 25, 2008)

Amen, chaincatcher very well said.


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## robt57 (Jul 23, 2011)

Totally. I got a disc SL4 Roubaix thinking it would be replacing my 2005 Roubaix. The 2005 is still here, not sure if I wanna sell it in case I actually want a cushy bike to ride. Because the SL4 ain't it. 

So I wound up with another stiff bike. It is even stiffer than my Scott LTD. I like it fine, especially this time of year with disc and fender gig going on. It transfers power and jumps when you do I can say. So glad I got it, but not what I thought I was getting being my baseline was the 2005.

But it took some diddlin with tires and wheels with low profile rims and Spesh sending me a CG-R to have it exhibit a reasonable sense of compliance. And I am 210 lb, which pushes compliance into most stuff I ride.

My only complaint about the 2005 was pushing big watts it feels spongy and I have made claims I get tire faster pushing hard than my Scott. And I do not believe that is in my mind in case someone starts up that point [again] 


I think there is a huge trend in the last 2-3 years in which the COs are making these plastic bikes stiffer than anyone but a racer type use can ultimately utilize...

As far as an SL5, I said that exact thing soon after getting the SL4.
Because even the base SL4 Roubaix come with the CG-R for 2015, so they know what they did to their target group of riders/market for the Roubiax. I think Spesh will loose a lot of riders to Domanes frankly...

Mine is the 2014 and did not come with a CG-R. I called Spesh up and got support on the phone and asked why my comfort bike felt like a uber race bike. They sent me a GC-R gratis, and it does help...


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

IIRC somewhere around 2011 S-Works Tarmacs were known to be 'unnecessarily' harsh/ stiff. Spec fixed the problem in subsequent years, so I suspect you'll see similar with next years Roubaix's. 

That's one advantage to CF (highly tunable) - _and_ Spec having us as 'product testers'.


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## Dunbar (Aug 8, 2010)

I agree that the Roubaix SL4 is too stiff with a standard carbon seat post. I think it rides fine with the CG-R post installed. As responsive as a Tarmac with just a bit smoother ride. I'm personally having trouble getting my position with the 25mm setback of the CG-R post. So I'm thinking of selling my Roubaix SL4 and getting a Trek Emonda SL but I need to ride one first. I recently got a new Cervelo S2 so I want my second bike to have a smoother ride. The Roubaix is a great all around bike IMO if the CG-R post works for you. I put around 9k miles on my SL4 with the CG-R post and never thought the ride was too harsh. As my fit has evolved I just found the extra setback of the CG-R post was starting to limit my ability to get a more aggressive position.

I had a Roubaix SL2 prior and that bike rode fine without having to resort to a proprietary seat post that limits fit options.


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## robt57 (Jul 23, 2011)

Dunbar said:


> having trouble getting my position with the 25mm setback of the CG-R post. So I'm thinking of selling my Roubaix SL4 and getting a Trek Emonda SL but I need to ride one first.


Some saddle have longer rail and certainly could negate the setback limitation. They say it is a 25mm setback, I think it is 27mm really, but 2mm should not be an insurmountable issue.




> I had a Roubaix SL2 prior and that bike rode fine without having to resort to a proprietary seat post that limits fit options.


I have a 2005 and once test rode a SL2. The bike felt too similar for me to spend for it. I test rode a SL3 a while later and that felt more like a stout race machine to me, but I did not have the coin at the time. Which was unfortunate as I worked at a Spesh LBS and the employee deal was fantastic. I can say the SL3 would have been a better intermediary bike between the 2005 Roubaix and my Scott LTD than the SL4 is. I still have a few good steel bike that fit in there, so will probably sell the 2005 or trade it out 2015 mid season. 

Again, I do not mind the SL4, it just was not what I thought I was buying. You especially can appreciate it when you are mid season and fit and strong. I think if you re start your riding each season after winter, the initial 1000 miles for the season you will notice it more.


My initial plan was to build some 40-50mm carbon wheels for mt SL4. It being a disc bike and not having to deal with carbon brake interface being optimum. But I scratched that idea, in fact the improvement pulling the 28mm rimmed orig wheels in favor of a nice XT wheelset with 20.5mm high rims... Putting stiff carbon rims/wheels would just accentuate the SL4 stiffness. Not for me.
So I got some SL25 Pacenti RIm to build up on some XTR hubs.
I am actually afraid they will be a stiff as the 28mm rims.. no less having got carbon rims even 38mm...


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## George M (Sep 25, 2008)

Was the SL3 a FACT 8 ? I had a 2007 and I thought it was somewhat sluggish and that was a FACT 6, I believe. It could have been me though, but I feel the 2012 I have now, feels a lot better.


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## robt57 (Jul 23, 2011)

George M said:


> Was the SL3 a FACT 8 ? I had a 2007 and I thought it was somewhat sluggish and that was a FACT 6, I believe. It could have been me though, but I feel the 2012 I have now, feels a lot better.



I think it was 9R for some reason. But it was a while back and my memory leaves a lot to be desired anymore. It was a Roubiax Expert though...


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## rjones726 (Jul 13, 2010)

I have a 2012 Roubaix SL3 expert. It has a FACT 10r frame.


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## The Sneak (Oct 16, 2014)

Hello
I went from a 2003 alu S Works E5 to a Roubaix SL4 Comp...standard seat post (not CG-R). It's a Fact 8R frame. 

Our rural roads are awful but I find this bike a near perfect blend of stiffness and compliance. The only change I made was going to a Toupe RBX saddle (prob not worth it).

A close friend has a 2006 or so Roubaix and the two bikes are night and day. I could certainly understand being turned off by the SL4 if you liked the early iterations of the Roubaix for compliance/smoothness.

In my case, I couldn't decide between the Tarmac and Roubaix SL4 ...in the end I decided a bike more suited to non competitive, long rides was best for me.


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## George M (Sep 25, 2008)

The Sneak said:


> Hello
> I went from a 2003 alu S Works E5 to a Roubaix SL4 Comp...standard seat post (not CG-R). It's a Fact 8R frame.
> 
> Our rural roads are awful but I find this bike a near perfect blend of stiffness and compliance. The only change I made was going to a Toupe RBX saddle (prob not worth it).
> ...


Good choice sneak, that's how feel about my 2012 comp fact 8 as well.


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## Soonerinfrisco (May 30, 2006)

Traded in my trusty 06 Tarmac Pro for an SL4 Roubaix this summer. IMO, as someone said, it's a Tarmac with relaxed geometry, no doubt. But that is what I wanted so I love it. Back in 06 I thought the Roubaix was a very flexy frame. Of course that translated into a nice ride that at my weight, 265, was pretty mushy out of the saddle.

But agree, its now a Tarmac with relaxed geometry. Actually fairly close in weight too.


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## dealraker (Sep 1, 2010)

I have two Roubaix bikes, 2010 Expert and 2007 S-Works, both 54's. If the ride is too stiff go to slightly bigger tires and maybe a little less compression if you don't want to sell your bike. The difference between 23's and 25's is immense. I also have a wheelset with 28's because I like to ride the slightly rougher roads in my area because there is almost no auto use on them. All kinds of ways to soften a ride.

Use 2.3 Renegade Control tires on my mountain bikes now. Just incredible the difference they make for us 60 year old and older crowd. Easily see riding another 10-15 years.....easily. And I have all kinds of arthritis running around.


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## Rashadabd (Sep 17, 2011)

Different strokes for different folks I guesss. I say expect the next generation Roubaix and Venge to follow the design philosphy found in this year's Tarmac. It will have size specific tube sizing, consistent ride quality across sizes, etc. The smaller bikes will be designed to be more compliant, while the larger ones will add some lateral stiffness, etc.... Watch the video for the new Tarmac if you want insight into where things are going....


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## robt57 (Jul 23, 2011)

Rashadabd said:


> I say expect the next generation Roubaix and Venge to follow the design philosphy found in this year's Tarmac.


This year tarmac = 2014? or 15?

And I think possibly the Denk affiliation may have the effect of an entirely different direction.

Denk responsible for any of the "design philosphy found in this year's Tarmac"


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## Rashadabd (Sep 17, 2011)

robt57 said:


> This year tarmac = 2014? or 15?
> 
> And I think possibly the Denk affiliation may have the effect of an entirely different direction.
> 
> Denk responsible for any of the "design philosphy found in this year's Tarmac"


The new 2015. This is clearly the direction Specialized is going with their road line. A Venge will still be a Venge and a Roubaix will be a Roubaix, but they will incorporate this philosophy and some of these features I bet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDZbOQBu1wg


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