# So how does the new FSA SL-K Light crank compare to the Ultegra?



## Tranzition (Jul 31, 2012)

I noticed the 2014 Roubaix Expert has the "FSA SL-K Light, carbon, BB30" crankset instead of the Ultegra crank, and am not sure what to think. How do the two compare?

Is this a "cost-cutting" measure, or is the FSA SL-K actually a _step up_ from the Ultegra?


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## Typetwelve (Jul 1, 2012)

Tranzition said:


> I noticed the 2014 Roubaix Expert has the "FSA SL-K Light, carbon, BB30" crankset instead of the Ultegra crank, and am not sure what to think. How do the two compare?
> 
> Is this a "cost-cutting" measure, or is the FSA SL-K actually a _step up_ from the Ultegra?


I think the crank is fine (although I too feel it was a cost saving measure and the fact that Shimano doesn't yet make a BB30 crank)...the FSA chainring kinda sucks though. I replaced my stock FSA with a Praxis set and it made a big difference in how smooth it shifted and rode.


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## roadworthy (Nov 11, 2011)

Previous Roubaix expert was English threaded BB. Specialized is evolving more and more of their bikes to BB30. A BB30 crank is directionally correct. FSA gets a lot of criticism and I believe unfoundedly. Its a good crank OP and aesthetically it looks more like a crank should instead of a flying saucer like Ultegra.


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## dkilburn (Aug 1, 2009)

My old 2007Specialized Roubaix Expert , the FSA rings did wear quicker for me. Just not sure about new products.
They did look good to me. I sure did like the FSA on my 2007 Expert.
I think your correct about the trend for BB30 & Specialized.
Going shopping for a new bike for the spring.


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## roadworthy (Nov 11, 2011)

dkilburn said:


> My old 2007Specialized Roubaix Expert , the FSA rings did wear quicker for me. Just not sure about new products.
> They did look good to me. I sure did like the FSA on my 2007 Expert.
> I think your correct about the trend for BB30 & Specialized.
> Going shopping for a new bike for the spring.


Not just specialized...entire bike industry is moving toward BB30. Many will lament this, but what is really in order is a paradigm shift more than any heart ache. BB/PF 30 can be made to work very effectively for less money that outboard integrated bearing solutions. I will not purchase another external bearing crank because it isn't the future. The BB30 crank itself is wonderfully simple.


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## darwinosx (Oct 12, 2010)

I'm thinking of buying this bike but will probably put a 6800 Ultegra crank on it. There is some sort of adapter to do this right? Good idea or no?


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## roadworthy (Nov 11, 2011)

darwinosx said:


> I'm thinking of buying this bike but will probably put a 6800 Ultegra crank on it. There is so e sort of adapter to do this right? Good idea or no?


New Expert Roubaix with 11s Ultegra is an outstanding bike...so get it...but don't change the crank. You think Specialized would spec a poor crank for their almost $4K bike? No. The crank will be fine. It will also be lighter than a converted Ultegra crank to BB30. And, the crank will look better. Nothing wrong with Ultegra cranks other than I believe them to be perhaps the ugliest crank on the market. Design is solid...but don't go backwards compatible with BB30 and mount a crank designed for external English threaded BB.
What you should do is focus on what gearing you want and change any chainrings you need to dial in just the right gearing.. I for example run 50-38. Be sure to review the bike if you get it.


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## darwinosx (Oct 12, 2010)

Ok thanks for the very helpful reply. I do see Specialized putting cheaper compononents on some models which is my concern about the crank. I did test ride the bike and liked it. I will probably change the wheels as I am a big guy, 6, 3" and 250 and don't think they will hold me. I couldn't find any weight limit information on them though. Any thoughts on the wheels? 
Need a 46 bar, put some Speedplays and a wider saddle on and should be good to go. One knee is not great after two surgeries, (I'm 54), and the gearing on the bike is a bonus with that 32 cog and long cage der. I really need to spin up hills at a high cadence to avoid knee problems.
I will write a review.


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## roadworthy (Nov 11, 2011)

darwinosx said:


> Ok thanks for the very helpful reply. I do see Specialized putting cheaper compononents on some models which is my concern about the crank. I did test ride the bike and liked it. I will probably change the wheels as I am a big guy, 6, 3" and 250 and don't think they will hold me. I couldn't find any weight limit information on them though. Any thoughts on the wheels?
> Need a 46 bar, put some Speedplays and a wider saddle on and should be good to go. One knee is not great after two surgeries, (I'm 54), and the gearing on the bike is a bonus with that 32 cog and long cage der. I really need to spin up hills at a high cadence to avoid knee problems.
> I will write a review.


If the bike comes with Fulcrum 4's...your weight maybe tolerable. Generally 250 is a line in the sand for a more robust wheelset but Fulcrum wheels made by Campy are basically bombproof and my favorite training wheels...what I ride. A delicate suggestion. You are a big guy. Tom Bonnen is 6'3" and 175 ish and can push 2000 watts. He is super powerful. I am 6'1" and 180 lbs. Use your bike riding as an opportunity to get skinny-er. Seriously. You can drop the weight by reducing portion size and setting aside time to ride a lot. Find faster guys to ride with...guys that will push you.

Your knees and every aspect of your life will improve and you will become a much stronger rider. I am 59 btw and rode 50 miles today on my Roubaix...'12 SL3 Pro I built frameset up with Campy...see below. Weight transforms riding including saddle comfort and ability to ride aero and faster. Also riding is largely about technique...position on the bike and posture and being in the right gear. A small position difference on the bike can spell a big difference in performance. Yes...learn to spin...always to be friendly to your knees. 

I will say this. If there is a fountain of youth, it is cycling. I rarely get dropped throughout the riding season by anybody...young or old. I am a pretty ordinary guy who has paid his dues in both miles and attention to riding technique. You will love your Roubaix.
At 6'3" you probably know you will want to be on a 61. I have a 6'4" Cat 2 racer friend who is on a 64 Roubaix btw and I can comfortably ride a 61 as well. I am on a 58 which is just a bit racier for my height.
Btw, I ride Speedplays as well...the most knee friendly pedals available. Sensitive to set up but once dialed, it doesn't get any better. I need a wide saddle as well...ride a 155mm Toupe.

Have fun.


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## darwinosx (Oct 12, 2010)

Yes I'm working on weight. I have some injuries from when I was in the Marines some time ago that were pretty severe and kept me in the hospital for a year. I've been on several medications for a long time that cause weight gain and make it pretty impossible to lose weight. But I got off them 6 or 8 months ago and my weight has been dropping steadily. 
I'm a long time cyclist like you starting in the late 70's so I am familiar with spinning but I'm spinning at a much higher rate like when I did Triathlons a millions years ago rather than the typical cyclist spin rate. 
I really can't put much pressure on my left knee which has had two surgeries so even standing on the pedals is not doable for other than brief periods. Kind of hard to ride with guys around here as I can stay with just about anyone on the flats but going up hills I gear way down and spin up so I get dropped. Strava doesn't help..all these guys in their 50's and up get very competitive as soon as they turn that thing on. I live in Southern Cali (Dana Point) and most of the guys I know have been riding since the late 70's like me so are pretty monster cyclists for their age.
I was in Phoenix all last week for work and did get to test ride the bike but not a single shop in Phoenix had one in my size. i ride a 58 btw because I have a longer torso and shorter legs than most people my height. I have pretty much no stand over on a 58. On the drive back I checked with UC Cyclery in La Jolla and lo and behold they had a 58cm in a box! They started building it for me and had just finished it when I pulled up.
I replaced the carbon seat post with aluminum, will be putting 46cm bars on it and trading the Spesh tires for Conti's. I'm headed back down there this morning to get a fit done.
Couldn't agree more on Speedplays. I've ridden just about everything from the first Look Pedals in 1984 but from the 90's on mostly Time pedals. i had been suspecting for some time that the self centering spring on Times was hurting my knee so finally tried Speedplays. They are a revelation and I use Zero's with the float wide open. Love them. I thought they required too much maintenance and were too small for my 48 wide feet but they have been fantastic. I do use extenders on them but I'm seeing people say it's not a good idea to use extenders on carbon cranks so they are coming off for now. 
The shop thinks I will be fine on the Fulcrum 4's. I'll ride them for awhile and see.
Also they swapped the stock Romin saddle for a 168mm. So here's a picture...after they do the fit I'm headed to Camp Pendleton for a 45 mile ride. 





roadworthy said:


> If the bike comes with Fulcrum 4's...your weight maybe tolerable. Generally 250 is a line in the sand for a more robust wheelset but Fulcrum wheels made by Campy are basically bombproof and my favorite training wheels...what I ride. A delicate suggestion. You are a big guy. Tom Bonnen is 6'3" and 175 ish and can push 2000 watts. He is super powerful. I am 6'1" and 180 lbs. Use your bike riding as an opportunity to get skinny-er. Seriously. You can drop the weight by reducing portion size and setting aside time to ride a lot. Find faster guys to ride with...guys that will push you.
> 
> Your knees and every aspect of your life will improve and you will become a much stronger rider. I am 59 btw and rode 50 miles today on my Roubaix...'12 SL3 Pro I built frameset up with Campy...see below. Weight transforms riding including saddle comfort and ability to ride aero and faster. Also riding is largely about technique...position on the bike and posture and being in the right gear. A small position difference on the bike can spell a big difference in performance. Yes...learn to spin...always to be friendly to your knees.
> 
> ...


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## roadworthy (Nov 11, 2011)

darwinosx said:


> Yes I'm working on weight. I have some injuries from when I was in the Marines some time ago that were pretty severe and kept me in the hospital for a year. I've been on several medications for a long time that cause weight gain and make it pretty impossible to lose weight. But I got off them 6 or 8 months ago and my weight has been dropping steadily.
> I'm a long time cyclist like you starting in the late 70's so I am familiar with spinning but I'm spinning at a much higher rate like when I did Triathlons a millions years ago rather than the typical cyclist spin rate.
> I really can't put much pressure on my left knee which has had two surgeries so even standing on the pedals is not doable for other than brief periods. Kind of hard to ride with guys around here as I can stay with just about anyone on the flats but going up hills I gear way down and spin up so I get dropped. Strava doesn't help..all these guys in their 50's and up get very competitive as soon as they turn that thing on. I live in Southern Cali (Dana Point) and most of the guys I know have been riding since the late 70's like me so are pretty monster cyclists for their age.
> I was in Phoenix all last week for work and did get to test ride the bike but not a single shop in Phoenix had one in my size. i ride a 58 btw because I have a longer torso and shorter legs than most people my height. I have pretty much no stand over on a 58. On the drive back I checked with UC Cyclery in La Jolla and lo and behold they had a 58cm in a box! They started building it for me and had just finished it when I pulled up.
> ...


Congrats on the bike Darwin...a beauty. As to Speedplay extensions...if you are talking about the extra long spindles...I wouldn't do extenders but not because of any crank degradation...but long spindles sold by Speedplay...they will not tax a crank arms any more than conventional length spindles I ride. Look into Speedplay OEM longer spindles for your wide feet. You don't have much of an option if your foot is real wide. A nuance about Q factor and knee health.... With a knee that has had two surgeries, you want to be hyper vigilant about set up. Pretty imperative your knees track perfectly or you will expose any weakness in a given knee and possible due more harm than good that cycling brings. Good news if you go to longer Speedplay spindles is...big guys like you normally are wider hipped and can tolerate a larger Q factor and still have your knees track straight. Conversely a long spindle for an average hipped rider could spell medial knee pain because the foot is tracking outside the knee circle. Also a longer spindle tends to splay the foot out and feet naturally want to rotate inward throughout the pedal stroke as you will witness by watching top riders. If you are sitting at your computer, lift your feet off the ground and let them naturally hang the distance apart they would be on the pedals. That is the position of your foot should be on the bike...independent of how you walk.

Best of luck with your cycling and weight management. Drugs as you say are both a benefit and a scourge to the bodies natural balance.
PS: I never met a Marine I didn't like.


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## darwinosx (Oct 12, 2010)

Yeah I ordered new Zero's with the longest axles. Will have them Wednesday along with 46cm flat top bars. Speedplay is right by here and the shop sells a lot of their pedals and custom spindles. I run the Zero's wide open with maximum float and my knees love it. MUCH less strain over Time pedals and Look style pedals aren't even close.
I am hyper vigilant about setup believe me...I change saddles and get a fit done. The shop did a good short fit but I'm going to a place in Solana Beach that does a fit that usually takes an hour or two with laser tracking of knees etc.
I was using 25mm extensions and the longest Speedplay spindles aren't that long. But I understand the FSA crank has a wider Q factor too.
I know about the hanging feet thing and it works for me. My right foot has always rotated in a little and is like that on the bike too.
I'm averaging 2 to 4 lb weight drop per week..those drugs really slowed my metabolism. 
I'm still not thrilled about the FSA crank. I'm getting poor shifting from the big ring to small ring. It either doesn't shift at all or takes a couple tries. I'm assuming thats a front der issue and will have the shop look at it. I think a 50/38 would make more sense for me too. I'm shifting between rings a lot and use the big ring on flats quite a bit. I did some pretty steep hills at Pendleton on my first ride and didn't get close to using the 32 but I like knowing it is there. 
2014 Ultegra is really great. Very smooth shifting, half the throw, smoother and better modulated braking. The bike does what I bought it for which is to get a taller head tube and no issues with hands falling asleep. It's a very smooth ride, the steering is not as point and shoot as my Giant, but its fine.
I was in the USMC from 1977 to 1990, Was 17 when I went in and 30 when I got out. Badly wounded in Beirut. Then I went to the University of Illinois and did a Computer Science degree and have been in IT for some time now. Always wanted to move back to southern Cali, moved back about a year ago, and loving it here.

This is the route of my first ride not the new bike. 
The Mappy Thing - Camp Pendleton Bike Ride
I know it well having done it in the late 70's and mid-80's the two times I was stationed at Camp Pendleton. The first time I was riding here was on an orange Motebecane with Nuevo Record, sewups, toe clips and straps, wool shorts. 

Some pictures of my first ride.





roadworthy said:


> Congrats on the bike Darwin...a beauty. As to Speedplay extensions...if you are talking about the extra long spindles...I wouldn't do extenders but not because of any crank degradation...but long spindles sold by Speedplay...they will not tax a crank arms any more than conventional length spindles I ride. Look into Speedplay OEM longer spindles for your wide feet. You don't have much of an option if your foot is real wide. A nuance about Q factor and knee health.... With a knee that has had two surgeries, you want to be hyper vigilant about set up. Pretty imperative your knees track perfectly or you will expose any weakness in a given knee and possible due more harm than good that cycling brings. Good news if you go to longer Speedplay spindles is...big guys like you normally are wider hipped and can tolerate a larger Q factor and still have your knees track straight. Conversely a long spindle for an average hipped rider could spell medial knee pain because the foot is tracking outside the knee circle. Also a longer spindle tends to splay the foot out and feet naturally want to rotate inward throughout the pedal stroke as you will witness by watching top riders. If you are sitting at your computer, lift your feet off the ground and let them naturally hang the distance apart they would be on the pedals. That is the position of your foot should be on the bike...independent of how you walk.
> 
> Best of luck with your cycling and weight management. Drugs as you say are both a benefit and a scourge to the bodies natural balance.
> PS: I never met a Marine I didn't like.


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## s-one (Nov 11, 2011)

Sir thank you for your service and sacrifice. 


For what it's worth check out this FSA vs Ultegra video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpwGEwd9ne4


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## roadworthy (Nov 11, 2011)

darwinosx said:


> Yeah I ordered new Zero's with the longest axles. Will have them Wednesday along with 46cm flat top bars. Speedplay is right by here and the shop sells a lot of their pedals and custom spindles. I run the Zero's wide open with maximum float and my knees love it. MUCH less strain over Time pedals and Look style pedals aren't even close.
> I am hyper vigilant about setup believe me...I change saddles and get a fit done. The shop did a good short fit but I'm going to a place in Solana Beach that does a fit that usually takes an hour or two with laser tracking of knees etc.
> I was using 25mm extensions and the longest Speedplay spindles aren't that long. But I understand the FSA crank has a wider Q factor too.
> I know about the hanging feet thing and it works for me. My right foot has always rotated in a little and is like that on the bike too.
> ...


Great stuff. Sounds like you are on a good path and you bought the right bike.
Best of luck with your cycling.
Kind Regards.
PS: a 16 tooth gulf between small and big ring in front doesn't do front shifting any favors for sure. Further, lack of redundant gear inches promotes more shifting in front. IF you don't need the climbing gear inches with your nice big cassette in back, paste on a 36 or 38t inner ring. Pretty much any 110 BCD unramped/unpinned flat ring should mount....FSA makes inner rings of different sizes in fact. Your shifting woes are likely a combination of derailleur alignment and cable tension requiring 2 lever pushes. New Ultegra should shift in front like butter with proper set up. IMO it is completely unrelated to any diss on your FSA crank.


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## darwinosx (Oct 12, 2010)

Thanks for the video. It looks like in that case the braze on was wrong. I guess we will see when I get back to the shop and have them adjust the front derailleur.


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## darwinosx (Oct 12, 2010)

Yes I was also thinking the big jump between 38 and 50 doesn't help but it's much smoother on my all Ultegra Giant. But I am thinking it is front derailleur adjustment at this point.
I do shift a lot between rings though which tells me the 34 is too low.



roadworthy said:


> Great stuff. Sounds like you are on a good path and you bought the right bike.
> Best of luck with your cycling.
> Kind Regards.
> PS: a 16 tooth gulf between small and big ring in front doesn't do front shifting any favors for sure. Further, lack of redundant gear inches promotes more shifting in front. IF you don't need the climbing gear inches with your nice big cassette in back, paste on a 36 or 38t inner ring. Pretty much any 110 BCD unramped/unpinned flat ring should mount....FSA makes inner rings of different sizes in fact. Your shifting woes are likely a combination of derailleur alignment and cable tension requiring 2 lever pushes. New Ultegra should shift in front like butter with proper set up. IMO it is completely unrelated to any diss on your FSA crank.


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## darwinosx (Oct 12, 2010)

I just ordered an Ultegra 6800 crank to replace the FSA crank. The dealer could not get it to shift very well, particularly from the big ring to little ring. It just seems to hang on and grind before dropping down. This should not happen especially with the 2014 front der which should just pop it right over. They said the FSA has many fewer "drop points" than the Ultegra crank and that the Ultegra crank would always work better. I found one online for $257 and ordered it. The dealer will use a Specialized adapter and do the work so it is covered under warranty.


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## Dunbar (Aug 8, 2010)

FYI, another option is to replace the chainrings on the FSA crankset with Praxis chainrings. That should improve shift performance somewhat. I think they sell for around $100 a set. Shimano and Campy are supposed to be the "gold standard" when it comes to front shift performance.

BTW, I've had issues with chain drops on FSA cranks but not slow performance on downshifts. Most of my problems were with upshifting. The chain just doesn't jump up on the big chainring a 105 or Ultegra crank IME. I developed all kinds of weird rituals to work around the FSA Gossamer crank shift performance on my last bike.


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## darwinosx (Oct 12, 2010)

I see a lot of people use those but for $157 more I can just get an Ultegra crank and be done with it. I had two chain drops onto the bottom bracket and then very slow down shifting. I can't remember the last time I dropped a chain into the bottom bracket. Part of that was probably poor adjustment on the part of the dealer. So it's beer now but still seems to need the crank to go around more before it drops to the lower ring and it grinds a little while dong it. Screw that.


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## Dunbar (Aug 8, 2010)

One of the first things I installed on my Roubaix was a chain catcher. I'd hate for an simple chain drop to result in unrepairable frame damage. It also prevents the chain from dropping when downshifting up front.


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## roadworthy (Nov 11, 2011)

Dunbar said:


> One of the first things I installed on my Roubaix was a chain catcher. I'd hate for an simple chain drop to result in unrepairable frame damage. It also prevents the chain from dropping when downshifting up front.


Dunbar, which model chain catcher did you go with? Have a link?

Darwin...to me, what you did is pretty outrageous. I know you toiled with the FSA crank. But what you did was deny that the engineer's at Specialized did their due diligence. 'Thousands' of Roubaix Expert bikes will be sold with the FSA crank you have. If you think that Specialized released that crank without knowing it shifts perfectly, you are mistaken. There is nothing wrong with that crank. Its the incompetence of your bike shop you are paying for:
1. Vertical gap from front derailleur to top of large chainring.
2. Alignment of front derailleur front to back..aka yaw angle
3. Inboard and outboard derailleur stop adjustment
4. Cable tension.

If above are adjusted properly, it WILL shift perfectly. There is nothing wrong with the FSA crank. I have worked on many and they shift fine.
I would say conservatively 70% of all bike shops are incompetent in building a bike to have it perform to the level the engineer's that spec'ed the bike intended.

Good luck with your Ultegra crank. Ultegra cranks are excellent...even with adapters with BB30...for which the crank design was never intended.


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## darwinosx (Oct 12, 2010)

What I did? Outrageous? Ok then...seems like a pretty strong reaction on your part.
Specialized saw fit to use an Ultegra crank last year..what changed..they also often use 3rd party parts on their bikes so I don't have the greatest confidence that they do what is best for the customer over generating more profit. At least they got rid of those Axis wheels.
Dunbar I've never used a chain catcher because I've never needed one..but then I've never had the chain drop to the bottom bracket twice within a few days.
I only did a quick test ride of the FSA crank in the bike shop parking lot and am doing a long ride today do i will see how things go. The main thing I notice is that after downshifting the chain takes a little while to drop down and grinds while doing it. If that tells you something roadworthy I am all ears.
This shop sells a lot of high end bikes and I think they should know how to adjust the new Ultegra front derailleur but they aren't completely out of the woods with me on this one. They say the Ultegra crank will always shift better. 
it will take a week or so for the Ultegra crank to arrive and if the FSA crank still isn't shifting right for me I'm going to give it one last chance, take it to a local guy I trust (at my cost), and see what he can do. He mentioned a few weeks ago that he had just finished training on Ultegra 6800.



roadworthy said:


> Dunbar, which model chain catcher did you go with? Have a link?
> 
> Darwin...to me, what you did is pretty outrageous. I know you toiled with the FSA crank. But what you did was deny that the engineer's at Specialized did their due diligence. 'Thousands' of Roubaix Expert bikes will be sold with the FSA crank you have. If you think that Specialized released that crank without knowing it shifts perfectly, you are mistaken. There is nothing wrong with that crank. Its the incompetence of your bike shop you are paying for:
> 1. Vertical gap from front derailleur to top of large chainring.
> ...


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## roadworthy (Nov 11, 2011)

The term outrageous is appropriate if you look at it in context. There is NOTHING wrong with the FSA crank. You are spending money because of the bike shop's incompetence...that's the outrage. You are being penalized for not being able to do the work yourself. If you owned a BMW which was wasn't shifting right and you couldn't fix it and your dealer couldn't either that doesn't mean the BMW is bad. I am a ME and have worked in product development my whole life. I know what goes into design development. I also know about FSA...a great company and heavily steeped in R&D. They do what they are doing and they make an excellent product, from cranks to seatposts to handlebars. I have ridden and worked on all their stuff.
Good luck with your Ultegra crank.
PS: tuning it over the web isn't going to be effective. Would take a lot of pictures and give and take. If you were inclined this way, you likely would have figured it out.  Tuning a bike properly is nuanced. I would say 80% of the bikes on the road are improperly tuned. I hear them all the time and work on high end bikes my friend's ride who got a botched tune up at the bike shop. I listed the important ingredients in adjusting the front derailleur. Your crank may even be improperly installed with excessive axial play which will aggravate poor front shifting.
If you have a directional Ultegra chain, it may even be installed backwards. Hard to know without putting the bike on the stand and going over it.




darwinosx said:


> What I did? Outrageous? Ok then...seems like a pretty strong reaction on your part.
> Specialized saw fit to use an Ultegra crank last year..what changed..they also often use 3rd party parts on their bikes so I don't have the greatest confidence that they do what is best for the customer over generating more profit. At least they got rid of those Axis wheels.
> Dunbar I've never used a chain catcher because I've never needed one..but then I've never had the chain drop to the bottom bracket twice within a few days.
> I only did a quick test ride of the FSA crank in the bike shop parking lot and am doing a long ride today do i will see how things go. The main thing I notice is that after downshifting the chain takes a little while to drop down and grinds while doing it. If that tells you something roadworthy I am all ears.
> ...


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## darwinosx (Oct 12, 2010)

Well like I said I'll give the FSA crank another chance after riding it today and getting it looked over by someone else. This guy built my last set of wheels for me and I have trust in his ability. I've been around long enough to know that even a shop that sells a lot of Specialized bikes may not have done things right or that all mechanics at that who are not created equal.


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## darwinosx (Oct 12, 2010)

These longer axle Speedplays look a lot better than the standard axle with extenders screwed on to them.


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## s-one (Nov 11, 2011)

Dunbar said:


> One of the first things I installed on my Roubaix was a chain catcher. I'd hate for an simple chain drop to result in unrepairable frame damage. It also prevents the chain from dropping when downshifting up front.


Yea thanks Dunbar for the tip. I didn't even realized these things existed. I just order a 6g with alloy bolt from ebay.


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## darwinosx (Oct 12, 2010)

Kind of bugs me that these things would even be necessary on a road bike..I've never needed one. Not sure if I should get one or not.


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## roadworthy (Nov 11, 2011)

darwinosx said:


> Kind of bugs me that these things would even be necessary on a road bike..I've never needed one. Not sure if I should get one or not.


Its good insurance for the simple fact that as great as carbon is...and it is my favorite bicycle material, carbon has poor abrasion resistance. So if your chain happens to overshift say in an aggressive dual shift scenario, then your carbon will become more marred than other materials. Some bikes for example shift better with the inner stop a bit more opened up. This may induce a very rare chain dropping to the inside. So only good insurance and not essential by any means. I say if you aren't vigilant about your bike tune...good insurance. For example in your case Darwin, they let the bike out of the shop improperly adjusted if you had a chain drop twice in a short time.


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## Dunbar (Aug 8, 2010)

roadworthy said:


> Dunbar, which model chain catcher did you go with? Have a link?


It's a K-Edge, pretty sure this it's this one. You can get them cheaper on ebay though, it's basically just a piece of aluminum with a hole drilled in it. See this thread for pictures of what can happen if you drop a chain and don't stop pedaling immediately. Just FYI, I've heard that with a chain catcher you need to be careful not to back-pedal in the middle of a front downshift or it could suck the chain off and leave you stranded unless you have the right tools to remove it.


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## darwinosx (Oct 12, 2010)

We'll guess what...just got back from a ride, the chain dropped shifting one cog while on the small chain ring. Not even from big to small chain ring but one cog up while on the small chain ring. So I am not happy at all with that shop. i called the manager and said this needs to get fixed now..I want your best guy on it and one who knows the new front der. So I'm headed down there now, and its about 45 minutes to an hour from here. I made a list of what you said to check and am giving it to the mechanic. Normally I would assume they knew what they were doing but this is the third time and I'm pretty pissed. They also need to test shift it while riding so it is under load and not on a shop stand. I guess I will have to ask them to put a chain catcher on there too.


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## roadworthy (Nov 11, 2011)

Dunbar said:


> It's a K-Edge, pretty sure this it's this one. You can get them cheaper on ebay though, it's basically just a piece of aluminum with a hole drilled in it. See this thread for pictures of what can happen if you drop a chain and don't stop pedaling immediately. Just FYI, I've heard that with a chain catcher you need to be careful not to back-pedal in the middle of a front downshift or it could suck the chain off and leave you stranded unless you have the right tools to remove it.


I might pick one up Dunbar, thanks for the tip. As to backpedaling and sucking the chain below the catcher during the shift, all it takes is a 5mm allen which should be in every seat bag anyway. 
Thanks for the informative post.


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## roadworthy (Nov 11, 2011)

Dunbar said:


> It's a K-Edge, pretty sure this it's this one. You can get them cheaper on ebay though, it's basically just a piece of aluminum with a hole drilled in it. See this thread for pictures of what can happen if you drop a chain and don't stop pedaling immediately. Just FYI, I've heard that with a chain catcher you need to be careful not to back-pedal in the middle of a front downshift or it could suck the chain off and leave you stranded unless you have the right tools to remove it.


I might pick one up Dunbar, thanks for the tip. As to backpedaling and sucking the chain below the catcher during the shift, all it takes is a 5mm allen which should be in every seat bag anyway. 
Thanks for the informative post.


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## roadworthy (Nov 11, 2011)

darwinosx said:


> We'll guess what...just got back from a ride, the chain dropped shifting one cog while on the small chain ring. Not even from big to small chain ring but one cog up while on the small chain ring. So I am not happy at all with that shop. i called the manager and said this needs to get fixed now..I want your best guy on it and one who knows the new front der. So I'm headed down there now, and its about 45 minutes to an hour from here. I made a list of what you said to check and am giving it to the mechanic. Normally I would assume they knew what they were doing but this is the third time and I'm pretty pissed. They also need to test shift it while riding so it is under load and not on a shop stand. I guess I will have to ask them to put a chain catcher on there too.


Off the cuff, if bike is 'ghost shifting' in front right off the inner chainring in front, then your inboard stop is way too loose. But overall shift quality is a function of derailleur vertical position, yaw alignment, cable tension and even things like proper crank preload and chain direction if you have a uni-directional chain...presuming 11s Ultegra chain is similar to 10s. Even proper chain length can affect shift integrity. Devil is in the details and best of luck.


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## darwinosx (Oct 12, 2010)

OK, so back from the bike shop. The mechanic saw pretty quickly that the cable routing was wrong for 11 speed Ultegra. i suspected that perhaps the mechanic who built the bike was not familiar with 11 speed and my mechanic agreed. So he fixed the cable and it shifted better but still not what I would expect. He looked again and found that the derailleur was noticeably bent. They did not have Ultegra 11 speed so he replaced it with with a Dura-Ace front derailleur at no charge. Shifted even better after that but still not what I expected because on downshift form the big to small chainring sometimes it seemed to take a half or full turn of the crank to drop down onto the small chainring. The mechanic said he had gotten really good shifting with higher quality chainrings so i asked what kind he would recommend. S-Works chainring set retailing for $220. So I said lets put them on and see what happens. Wow..the chain snapped onto the big chain ring and downshifted almost as well. Much, much better. The shop owner sold me the rings for $100 for my troubles and now I have the shifting I expected. Cancelled the Ultegra crank btw.

So here's the new look;


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## Dunbar (Aug 8, 2010)

Sounds like he didn't overcharge you. Glad you got a satisfactory outcome. You should remove that plastic disc (aka the "dork disk") behind the cassette. It isn't really necessary if the low limit is properly adjusted on your rear derailleur.


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## darwinosx (Oct 12, 2010)

Yes I have been aware of that for the last 30 years or more and have heard it called many things in that time. Dork disk is one of the mildest names I have heard. Some shops don't want to do it these days for liability reasons though so I'l get around to it myself. 
Speaking of that one thing I like about the Specialized bike over my Giant is the lawyer lips on the front fork aren't too intrusive. A few spins of the quick release and its off. Even my Moots fork has protruding lips that take make it a hassle to take the front wheel off and on.
$100 for $240 chainrings is pretty good plus a free upgrade to a Dura-Ace front derailleur. Can't complain other than it should have been right out of the shop and not required three tries,...but in the long run it's certainly a good outcome.


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## darwinosx (Oct 12, 2010)

s-one said:


> Yea thanks Dunbar for the tip. I didn't even realized these things existed. I just order a 6g with alloy bolt from ebay.


I grabbed one too...blue to match my bike..


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## roadworthy (Nov 11, 2011)

Good deal Darwin. Squeaky wheel gets the grease. No doubt your size comes in handy in negotiations like this.  You now have upgraded kit on your bike for a very fair price inspite of some exasperation from your bike shop which is quite common because most shops these days are more focused on selling bikes and staying in business than properly tuning bikes which takes time and care. In fact, I have never seen a new bike that comes from a shop that shifts perfectly.

You could probably tell I wasn't a fan of switching to an Ultegra crank. It is partly aesthetic. I prefer the look of the FSA crank on the bike. I like carbon cranks. Plus, your FSA crank is BB30...the real reason btw it was spec'ed for the bike. No adapters. Shimano hasn't smelled the coffee yet with BB30. Campy is only stepping up this year with a new BB30. Likely Shimano will have an offering in 2015...just a guess.

One thing we didn't talk about is front cable routing. Specialized has a spec for this because poor routing causing balky shifting. If you get a chance, take a pic or two of your handlebar showing how the cable is routed into the head tube and post it. I can tell you if it is correct or not.

It takes time to get a new bike sorted on a number of levels and you are working through this and no doubt will love the bike. To me, its the best road bike on the market for an amateur cycling who doesn't race but likes a fast and comfortable bike.






darwinosx said:


> OK, so back from the bike shop. The mechanic saw pretty quickly that the cable routing was wrong for 11 speed Ultegra. i suspected that perhaps the mechanic who built the bike was not familiar with 11 speed and my mechanic agreed. So he fixed the cable and it shifted better but still not what I would expect. He looked again and found that the derailleur was noticeably bent. They did not have Ultegra 11 speed so he replaced it with with a Dura-Ace front derailleur at no charge. Shifted even better after that but still not what I expected because on downshift form the big to small chainring sometimes it seemed to take a half or full turn of the crank to drop down onto the small chainring. The mechanic said he had gotten really good shifting with higher quality chainrings so i asked what kind he would recommend. S-Works chainring set retailing for $220. So I said lets put them on and see what happens. Wow..the chain snapped onto the big chain ring and downshifted almost as well. Much, much better. The shop owner sold me the rings for $100 for my troubles and now I have the shifting I expected. Cancelled the Ultegra crank btw.
> 
> So here's the new look;


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## darwinosx (Oct 12, 2010)

I can be pretty insistent. Counting the Speedplays, handlebars, and tax I'm into this bike for $4400. Not the most expensive bike I have bought but enough to expect it to be right.
Funnily enough some kid that works there heard me talking to the mechanic and proceeded to tell me how to pedal and shift a bike in a rather obnoxious way...it's called soft pedaling he says..I told him I'd been riding high end bikes before he was born and I didn't need some kid to tell me how to pedal. He slunk off. Bike shops...
Anyway yeah it was a hassle and the shop is some distance away but I got a free DA front upgrade out of it and $240 rings for $100. It really does shift very well now at the front.
Don't understand why Shimano hasn't gone BB 30. I know a guy who works there and will see if he has any idea why. They are just up the highway in Irvine. Certainly fine with me not to use an Ultegra crank because of the adapter. Otherwise I would probably do it anyway. 
But yeah the bike is really great. The frame is perfect for me and now that I have the right size bars and Speedplays I'm pretty darn happy. 
I think the fit is good but even so I
'm getting a detailed fit done this weekend by my hue in Solana Beach. Can't bee too careful with my age, knee issues, etc.
Here's a picture of the cable routing.






roadworthy said:


> Good deal Darwin. Squeaky wheel gets the grease. No doubt your size comes in handy in negotiations like this.  You now have upgraded kit on your bike for a very fair price inspite of some exasperation from your bike shop which is quite common because most shops these days are more focused on selling bikes and staying in business than properly tuning bikes which takes time and care. In fact, I have never seen a new bike that comes from a shop that shifts perfectly.
> 
> You could probably tell I wasn't a fan of switching to an Ultegra crank. It is partly aesthetic. I prefer the look of the FSA crank on the bike. I like carbon cranks. Plus, your FSA crank is BB30...the real reason btw it was spec'ed for the bike. No adapters. Shimano hasn't smelled the coffee yet with BB30. Campy is only stepping up this year with a new BB30. Likely Shimano will have an offering in 2015...just a guess.
> 
> ...


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## roadworthy (Nov 11, 2011)

Just to let you know, cable routing is correct. The name for that routing is California Cross...whereby bare cables cross internal to the downtube. It is the best routing for lowest friction and also has the cleanest look.

A quick question about your handlebar. What model handlebar did you go with? Is it carbon or alloy...and in particular...up on the 'tops' adjacent to the stem clamp on both sides...is the bar flattened for your palms?...or is the handlebar conventionally shaped aka round from stem clamp to hooks?

Thanks and congrats on getting your bike sorted. Sweet ride.




darwinosx said:


> I can be pretty insistent. Counting the Speedplays, handlebars, and tax I'm into this bike for $4400. Not the most expensive bike I have bought but enough to expect it to be right.
> Funnily enough some kid that works there heard me talking to the mechanic and proceeded to tell me how to pedal and shift a bike in a rather obnoxious way...it's called soft pedaling he says..I told him I'd been riding high end bikes before he was born and I didn't need some kid to tell me how to pedal. He slunk off. Bike shops...
> Anyway yeah it was a hassle and the shop is some distance away but I got a free DA front upgrade out of it and $240 rings for $100. It really does shift very well now at the front.
> Don't understand why Shimano hasn't gone BB 30. I know a guy who works there and will see if he has any idea why. They are just up the highway in Irvine. Certainly fine with me not to use an Ultegra crank because of the adapter. Otherwise I would probably do it anyway.
> ...


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## darwinosx (Oct 12, 2010)

They are Bontrager Race Lite Aero's. Not that easy to find 46cm bars and I like the flat tops. They are alloy, I wouldn't be buying carbon bars. Cost too much and I don't trust them strength wise although I'm probably behind the times on that. I have them on my two other bikes as well.
Bontrager: Race Lite Aero (Model #11292)
Good to know on the cabling. Headed out for a ride now. 



Dunbar said:


> One of the first things I installed on my Roubaix was a chain catcher. I'd hate for an simple chain drop to result in unrepairable frame damage. It also prevents the chain from dropping when downshifting up front.


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## roadworthy (Nov 11, 2011)

darwinosx said:


> They are Bontrager Race Lite Aero's. Not that easy to find 46cm bars and I like the flat tops. They are alloy, I wouldn't be buying carbon bars. Cost too much and I don't trust them strength wise although I'm probably behind the times on that. I have them on my two other bikes as well.
> Bontrager: Race Lite Aero (Model #11292)
> Good to know on the cabling. Headed out for a ride now.


Just got back from a fast 50 mile group ride on my Roubaix as well. Couldn't hope for a better bike. Best bike I have ever owned and I have owned 50 road bikes. 
Thanks for the tip on the Bonty bars. I like the shape of the hooks which not only promotes a flat ramp from the hood of the shifter but a nice symmetric full hook.
I am a fan of carbon fiber handlebars however...and ride the K wing...and enjoy the flat tops as well. Bontrager makes an interesting drop bar called the isozone...available in alloy and carbon with gel inserts which reduces vibration over rough roads. I would like to try that bar.
Have fun with your new bike Darwin...a technical marvel. No matter how old we get, few things rival the thrill of a new bike...just like when we were little kids. I remember my first derailleur bike. I was smitten.


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## darwinosx (Oct 12, 2010)

Absolutely, I have a big grin on my face every time I ride.

Check out this Aussie cyclists review of the Tarmac SL4 and his comments on other brands.

http://velove-cycles.com/?p=17#axzz2iDo7ylFs


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