# Difference in ride quality between Fact 7r & 9r Roubaix frame



## Baghorn (Apr 9, 2009)

I'm a relatively new convert to cycling and have been riding a Sirrus Sport for the past 9 months. As my stamina, ride distance, and number of hours spent riding every week have continued to increase I'm now ready to make the move to a full blown road bike and am looking at the Roubaix. 

I'm currently debating between the Roubaix Comp (love the Team Carbon Red look) and the Roubaix Expert. I am in my mid-40's, on the far side of 200 pounds and am currently riding 8-10 hours per week. My question is what, if any, difference would I notice between the two frames with their respective Fact 7r versus Fact 9r carbon with regard to stiffness and ride quality?


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## iamgonnacatchyou (Apr 2, 2006)

*you have to ride 'em*

I just upgraded my '05 Roubaix to a '09 Roubaix Pro. All i can say is wow!!! The 9r frame (with the other frame modifications) is amazing. My stock bike with KEO Cabon pedals and two bottle cages weighs 16 3/4 pounds and there is no flex in the frame at all.
Two things I didn't like about my old frame are feeling the back wheel was not tracking with the bike when i was sprinting and the front end felt spongy in down hill cornering or hard cornering. These issues have disappeared with the new frame. I think you will notice a differance in weight and responsiveness between the two bikes you are looking at.


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## darkest_fugue (Mar 14, 2009)

dont forget the 05 roubaix was a completely different fame, i ride an 09 roubaix elite with the fact 7r frame, it looks more or less the same as the expert but the bottom bracket is constructed differently and its probably 2 or 300 grams heavier, i also prefer the black and silver colour

the expert is apparently stiffer but i tested the roubaix and an 09 tarmac back to back and i didnt notice any flex in the roubaix, i just noticed that it was more bump compliant, im only 130 pounds so you may notice more of a difference than i do, i tell you this much though, i have the bike less than a month and have put over 500 miles on it already, i love it


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## RobertBGfitter (Jan 10, 2008)

The major difference you will find is not in 7r vs 9r but in construction factor. The Comp is made in the Triple mono construction vs the Expert being made in the Fact IS construction process. The Expert will give you a plusher ride as opposed to the Comp. One must remember though that wheelsets will give a different ride too.


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## darkest_fugue (Mar 14, 2009)

are you sure it gives a plusher ride? i heard the higher up you go the stiffer and livelier it feels but retains the same plushness, and in the tarmac's case, the fact 6 is super stiff, yet as you go up it remains super stiff yet also has a plusher quality to it, this is the impression i got from the research i did

if my bike were any plusher it would feel like my stumpjumper fsr, i changed out the stock tires to 23c all condition pros and that livened the bike up, by the way i dont think the comp is worth the extra money over the elite, the no name brakes work just fine as does the crank, i'll admit the seatpost is a bit ugly looking but i like the avatar its really comfortable and im not going to change it,

the wheelset is heavy but really strong and stiff and the hubs seem to roll well, that would be my first upgrade but ill jump straight to dura ace (400 grams plus saved straight away) and not the 105s that are on the comp, however if your a stickler for a full 105 groupset and you really like the paint job of the comp, go for it


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## Baghorn (Apr 9, 2009)

OK, I've had the opportunity to put about 50 miles on a 2009 Roubaix Expert the past couple of days and it is pretty much everything I'm looking for in a road bike. It's smooth, fast, stiff, and most importantly really comfortable.

My question is how much would I be giving up from a real world day to day perspective if I went with a Roubaix Comp instead...would I notice any difference in either the frame performance or the groupset performance? I'm moving up from a Sirrus Sport and this will be my first "real" road bike. I've only had the Sirrus for a little over 6 months so this needs to be my last bike "upgrade" for a while. 

I'm concerned about having buyers remorse with the Comp based on too much time staring at the specs and that I'd be itching to upgrade stuff (components at least) after 6 months.....resulting in my wife pulling her hair out and making my life miserable. It's much easier to fight this battle once. However, if I'm unlikely to really notice any difference then I'd just as soon save the $1000.


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## darkest_fugue (Mar 14, 2009)

the biggest difference is weight, the comp is full 105, the expert is full ultegra, performance is similar, ultegra is lighter, the expert frame is higher grade carbon with the new construction technique and will be a little lighter, again whether youll feel the difference or not is up to you,

i tested my bike shop bosses 08 fact 11 s works roubaix back to back with the 09 elite i bought and i couldnt feel a difference, only difference was the weight which i didnt notice too much when riding, (bigger difference in weight between the s works and elite than the expert and comp) bottom line what i found was a difference of a few hundred grams on a scale, little to no difference in ride quality to me


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## ukbloke (Sep 1, 2007)

Baghorn said:


> OK, I've had the opportunity to put about 50 miles on a 2009 Roubaix Expert the past couple of days and it is pretty much everything I'm looking for in a road bike. It's smooth, fast, stiff, and most importantly really comfortable.


This is a glowing report. It sounds to me that you have found your ideal bike and are looking for some reassurance before pulling the trigger. Go on, you know you want it. 



Baghorn said:


> However, if I'm unlikely to really notice any difference then I'd just as soon save the $1000.


If you are really concerned, you should go find out for yourself. If you can't get hold of a Comp to ride, the safest thing is to buy the one that you've already tested. But if you can put 50 miles on the Roubaix Comp, then you can truly decide whether the $1000 is better off in your pocket or invested in the more expensive bike. I'd be curious as to what you think.

One thing to note is that the Expert frame and fork are identical to the Roubaix Pro which is substantially more money again. I think the Expert is pretty much at the sweet-spot of the Roubaix line, and it is well enough spec'ed that you shouldn't need upgrades (after the initial fit).

Perhaps you can negotiate the price of the Expert down a bit?


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

I'll tell you upfront I've never ridden either the Roubaix Comp or the Expert, but I have 25 years of road riding experience and will offer my opinions based on that.

IMO, it doesn't matter what anyone tells you about the ride qualities of these or any other bikes because it is purely subjective. I've ridden Giant TCR's that rattled my teeth, but others talked about how smooth they were. I've ridden Roubaix's that were 'plain vanilla' in the handling department, while others talked about how great the handling was. I'm not knocking either of these bikes, rather trying to demonstrate just how true the adage 'one mans candy is another mans medicine' really is.

What is somewhat less subjective is the fact that the current 105 group will perform on a par with Ultegra. What do you pay extra for? Finish, weight and (to some extent) durability. But keep it maintained and the 105 stuff will be close in durability to the upper end groups, and drivetrain components need periodic replacement anyway, so you can always upgrade along the way.

I can't comment on the Ultegra wheelsets because I have no experience with them, but I've read some reports of problems (cracked rims) but they were previous versions. I have a Tarmac Comp, which has the same wheelset as the Roubaix Comp (RS-10's) and they've been fine for the 3K+ miles I've put on them thus far (trued once), but I weigh 137 lbs, if that matters.

Lastly, IME and generally speaking what you get as you climb the CF model 'ladder' is a lighter frameset that offers a higher STW (strength to weight) ratio. This means (in real world terms, as you say) that the Expert _should_ be lighter, stiffer and have a slightly better ride quality than the Comp. Will you notice? Will it matter to you? Considering you're coming from a Sirrus, I'd doubt it, but riding both then deciding is the only way to know for certain.

Oh, one last thing. Regarding your upgraditis remark. No matter what we spend, there's _always _something to aspire to (but don't tell your wife I said that!)


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## Baghorn (Apr 9, 2009)

Good feedback guys...appreciate it. Btw, I also had the chance to ride a 2007 S-Works Tarmac for a couple of days and the difference between the two was quite apparent. The Tarmac was amazingly light...my wife marveled at how she could lift it with just one finger...when riding it the bike just begged for you to push harder and accelerated rapidly. It also had very responsive handling but that responsive handling became "twitchy" when I lost my concentration for a moment and almost ended up in a ditch as a result 

For the type of riding I do I prefer the more "stable" and smooth ride of the Roubaix. My butt was absolutely killing me after 1.5 hours on the Tarmac...I learned the Toupe saddle was not for me. I had them outfit the Roubaix I've been riding with an Avatar saddle and it's been a real pleasure...no problems or soreness at all....which impressed me cause it took about a month just to get completely comfortable with the Sirrus' Sonoma saddle which is even plusher. The riding position of the Roubaix also hasn't caused me any undo issues while on the Tarmac I was absolutely spent and exhausted after about an hour or so.

The two dealers I'm talking to..both my local bike shop and the big Specialized dealer in town...have both agreed to build out a Roubaix Expert level bike using a Pro frame in the Team Carbon Red with the full Ultegra groupset minus the wheels...they're going to put Easton EA70's on per my request to go along with the more comfortable Avatar saddle all for $3299. I believe Specialized has a big rebate offer coming down the pike running from May 15th-end of May on Roubaix's, Tarmacs, and Transitions. The rebate on the Roubaix Expert should be about $450...so if I factor that bit in I'll probably go ahead and pull the trigger. In the meantime, I've got the purple Roubaix Expert test bike through the end of the week and the weather is perfect here so I'll put as many miles in as I can on it.


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

Baghorn said:


> I believe Specialized has a big rebate offer coming down the pike running from May 15th-end of May on Roubaix's, Tarmacs, and Transitions.


Hmm.. all of a sudden I see a Tarmac Pro frameset in my future. 

Good luck building up that Roubaix! :thumbsup:


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## Oldteen (Sep 7, 2005)

As a pathological wheel/tire pack rat I've switched back & forth between a number of frames (inc. AL & carbon).

You have NOT really compared frames unless you've ridden 'em on same wheels/tires/tire pressures. Most differences that non-pro riders feel is really not frame but these other components. I've changed recent cranks/BB on same bike & honestly could not tell a difference in "stiffness" (shift quality, but not stiffness). 

When I bought my Tarmac I made the choice based upon component level I wanted (Ultegra/DA) rather than the frame construction mumbo-jumbo. Honestly- they're all great frames these days.


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## rcekstrom (Oct 4, 2008)

Baghorn said:


> I believe Specialized has a big rebate offer coming down the pike running from May 15th-end of May on Roubaix's, Tarmacs, and Transitions. The rebate on the Roubaix Expert should be about $450...



Do you have a source for this info, I myself would like a Roubaix pro frame and if there is a discount I might do it sooner.


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## Gevorg (Sep 18, 2006)

*My observations*

Here are my observations. After you spend your initial $1400 on a carbon road bike with 105 components, it will weigh around 19.5-20lbs, any additional amount of money you spend after that will reduce the weight of the bike at a rate about $1 per gram or about $500 per lb. I rode many bike combinations with different wheelsets and tires. So biggest difference you will get initially by changing stock Roubaix tire to something fast like conti GP4000S, next biggest change will be when you can switch your stock wheelset to Mavic Ksyrium Equipe ($300 1950g), or Elite ($500, 1750g) or SL ($800, 1450g), note how their price tracks $1/gram improvement. Least improvement you will get from switching the shifters/brake/derailers. Also note that Shimano does trickle down during design year change, i.e. this year’s Ultegra Sl is pretty much a DA from 2-3 years ago, current 105 10 speed is almost identical to Ultegra from 2 years ago.
I do not think you will be able to tell the difference how Fact7r and Fact9r frames feel.
I have done identical 7 mile time trials on my Lemond and Tarmac with different setups only tires the same, (multiple wheelset Ksyriums, equipe, elites, ES, Neuvation M2 Aero, Bontrager race, race lite, race xlite) and my times were all within 4 seconds of each other. The only difference I could tell is that Ksyrium Es accelerated slightly faster, but again if I did not have a precise stop watch I would not be able to tell. To pros 4 seconds over 7 miles is a lot but for rec riders I do not think that matters

I am also surprised that your bike will be in $3200 range, my local store sells 2008 Roubaix Expert for $2400 here is the link to my local bike store with pricings
http://www.goridebicycles.com/Site/Closeoutlist.htm
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Also regarding pricing Bicycling magazine had simple formula that you should spend about half of your annual mileage on your bike in $, i.e. if you ride 6,000 miles a year you should get $3,000 bike.

Ask yourself these questions and you may find your perfect ride
How important is the color scheme of bike and wheels?
Do I care about bike looks?
Do I get jealous when I see more expensive bike in the store or in the group ride?
Am I willing to pay $500 per lb or should I just loose some weight myself and save the money?


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## Baghorn (Apr 9, 2009)

The list price on a new 2009 Roubaix Expert is $3700. The 2008 Roubaix Expert original list price was $3300. The bike listed on your link for $2400 is a closeout price on limited inventory for a bike that originally listed for $3300. If the rebate deal on Expert level bikes is in the $400 range then I'm hoping the total drive out price around $2800 + tax range. I don't mind paying a few hundred extra for a new 2009 bike with the wheels, saddle, frame color, and tires I've specified that are all different from the standard Expert model.


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## Baghorn (Apr 9, 2009)

rcekstrom said:


> Do you have a source for this info, I myself would like a Roubaix pro frame and if there is a discount I might do it sooner.


The latest issue of Road Bike Action magazine (the July issue) has a big two page ad just inside the cover. It says you can "get over a grand back" on Tarmac, Roubaix, Ruby, and Transition models from May 14th-May 31st. I lifted the dollar amounts for an Expert level model from their recently completed Stumpjumper rebate deal for an equivilent cost model.


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## pgk (Jun 30, 2008)

Sounds like a darned good deal to me, I paid $2550.00 plus tax for my 08 last summer.


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## rcekstrom (Oct 4, 2008)

Gevorg said:


> Here are my observations. After you spend your initial $1400 on a carbon road bike with 105 components, it will weigh around 19.5-20lbs, any additional amount of money you spend after that will reduce the weight of the bike at a rate about $1 per gram or about $500 per lb. I rode many bike combinations with different wheelsets and tires. So biggest difference you will get initially by changing stock Roubaix tire to something fast like conti GP4000S, next biggest change will be when you can switch your stock wheelset to Mavic Ksyrium Equipe ($300 1950g), or Elite ($500, 1750g) or SL ($800, 1450g), note how their price tracks $1/gram improvement. Least improvement you will get from switching the shifters/brake/derailers. Also note that Shimano does trickle down during design year change, i.e. this year’s Ultegra Sl is pretty much a DA from 2-3 years ago, current 105 10 speed is almost identical to Ultegra from 2 years ago.
> I do not think you will be able to tell the difference how Fact7r and Fact9r frames feel.
> I have done identical 7 mile time trials on my Lemond and Tarmac with different setups only tires the same, (multiple wheelset Ksyriums, equipe, elites, ES, Neuvation M2 Aero, Bontrager race, race lite, race xlite) and my times were all within 4 seconds of each other. The only difference I could tell is that Ksyrium Es accelerated slightly faster, but again if I did not have a precise stop watch I would not be able to tell. To pros 4 seconds over 7 miles is a lot but for rec riders I do not think that matters
> 
> ...


Thank you for this post. Seriously.


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## PaulRivers (Sep 11, 2006)

This doesn't really answer your question, but when I tried out the older 6r vs 8r roubaix's I could definitely feel a difference. The 6r was spongy and not stiff enough - and I've never said that about any other bike I rode.

Personally, I suspect the reason they went to 7r is because other people felt the same way, but obviously that's 100% my unsubstantiated opinion.


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## Baghorn (Apr 9, 2009)

*Pulled the trigger*

OK, I went ahead and pulled the trigger on the following build out....

Roubaix Pro frameset in Team Carbon Red
Ultegra SL Groupset with 50-34 and 12-25 cassette
Ultegra SL pedals
Easton EA70 wheels
Armadillo Elite 23mm tires in red/black

Should be able to pick it up in time to wear it out over the long Memorial Day weekend.

Thanks again for all the feedback.


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