# 2010 Spe Roubaix Expert Compact question...



## DavidSmith (Aug 6, 2002)

Hello,

Would greatly appreciate any recent impressions and opinions of the 2010 Spe Roubaix Expert Compact in terms of;

Wheels : Roval Fusee EL : are they that heavy?, rigid? dynamique?

Frame : dynamique? vivacious?

Overall stock weight : I can't believe a full carbon 2010 Spe would weigh 18 pounds!

Any owners or people experienced with this bike - would greatly appreciate their comments before I go through with purchase...

Thanks in adcance!
David


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## DonDenver (May 30, 2007)

Some research at this site along with your own seat of the pants test ride experience would be welcomed in your question. It’s certainly more beneficial for you to provide more of your own baseline.

AT 1695 the EL’s are by no means lightweight but fine for the miles surrounding the initial bike investment until you scope your upgrade. Change to the 2010 Toupe at purchase replacing the Avatar saddle which you’ll put on Craigs for sale. Change the rubber at first flat. Carbon your cages. Pack light. Spin more, weight train and drop any spare tire. Upgrade your shoes.

The ride is long, smooth, damp. Stand up and step on the BB and it’ll respond and accelerate I bet as fast as anything you are otherwise considering.

The 2010 Roubaix’s Expert 6700 group is a plus IMO.

Infinite positioning with the long head tube, stem and seat…a patient fit process is king and once dialed in you’ll find yourself in another state before lunch.

Do you like white or blue? I picked white.


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## DavidSmith (Aug 6, 2002)

Hi Don,
Thanks for the answer. I'm actually trading in my 2006 Pinarello Dogma for this bike. The Dogma with Campa Record and Eurus weighs 8.2 kgs and was a great bike but at 45 years old, it's time to give the back a rest and seek some comfort. I think the Spe Roubaix will provide that, but I'm disapointed to see that the weight is higher in absolute terms, excluding the notion of perceived weight where the Roubaix may prove satisfactory. Anyway, the remaining details at purchase include directly upgrading the wheelset to either Ksyrium SL or the new Dura Ace tubulars in order to gain 250-300 grams. Here in Europe, white is the only choice for this model...
Kind regards,
David


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## Dr_John (Oct 11, 2005)

> I can't believe a full carbon 2010 Spe would weigh 18 pounds!


Me neither, considering my stock '06 Roubaix Expert was 17.6 lbs when new, and is now at 16.0 lbs with pedals and cages after a swap to a Ritchey fork to improve front end rigidity. At this point in time, the only thing original is the frame, headset, and rear derailleur, but with the new fork it's not a bad ride.

Where did the 18 lbs weight come from?


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## DavidSmith (Aug 6, 2002)

*Spe Roubaix weights...*

Dr.John,

Thanks for the response, in the form of a question!

1. Swiss site, in French, lists Spe Roubaix compact in T56 at 8.1 kgs, very heavy!

http://www.marginal-sport.ch/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&catid=93&id=152&Itemid=75

2. Post by DougRocky123 who reports weight at 17.8 lbs WITH Dura-Ace tubeless...

http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=185302

So, it looks like we're talking about a modern full carbon frame with a weight category of 3-5 years ago...

Maybe it "feels" light ...?
David

PS : BTW, what wheelset are you using to keep your weight down? Thanks.


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## DonDenver (May 30, 2007)

DavidSmith said:


> Hi Don,
> Thanks for the answer. I'm actually trading in my 2006 Pinarello Dogma for this bike. The Dogma with Campa Record and Eurus weighs 8.2 kgs and was a great bike but at 45 years old, it's time to give the back a rest and seek some comfort. I think the Spe Roubaix will provide that, but I'm disapointed to see that the weight is higher in absolute terms, excluding the notion of perceived weight where the Roubaix may prove satisfactory. Anyway, the remaining details at purchase include directly upgrading the wheelset to either Ksyrium SL or the new Dura Ace tubulars in order to gain 250-300 grams. Here in Europe, white is the only choice for this model...
> Kind regards,
> David


Good on you for the new bike. I also realize that my riding into another “state” was perhaps geographically wasted expression  

Weight; could your budget be pushed to the Roubaix Pro? 

Certainly weight is important for me and the wife as we really enjoy road work in the Rocky Mountains. And while I can’t speak of any changes with respect to weight of the machines year to year, of course it’s all ‘relative’ to us since we have been on much heavier and older setups than the soon delivered 2010 Roubaix and Ruby [along with some upgrade mods mentioned earlier]. These new rides will certainly seem feather-weight so to speak until our budget recovers for the next planned wheelset upgrade.

Of course my wife now jokes that I should ‘make-up’ for the reduced weight by wearing a lead jacket to keep my heart rate up  

Good luck David. Keep posting!


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## Dr_John (Oct 11, 2005)

> BTW, what wheelset are you using to keep your weight down?


I'm using Shimano WH-7850-SL's (tubeless) on that bike. But there's a lot of lighter weight stuff on it too - Ritchey seatpost and stem, SLR flow carbonio saddle, etc. Not necessarily for weight but for preference. I'm guessing while the weight hasn't really changed much since '06, the new Roubaix ride a lot better. Mine was scary-noodly, but the new fork and wheels really helped that.


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## DavidSmith (Aug 6, 2002)

Thanks for various responses. After research, I'm trying to negociate a pair of DA-7850 CL wheelsets onto the stock bike, and LBS gets to keep the Roval Fusee ELs. Then after tire change and seat, stem and bar swaps, I should be in shape. Bike comes with the latest Keo Carbon pedals.

Next month, we're planning to ride the Ronde van Vlaanderen in Belgium, in other words, the Tour of Flanders, using our GPS traces along the actual route. Real cobblestones for me and the Roubaix then, just like it was meant to be ...

David


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## cyclequip (Oct 20, 2004)

If you're planning on riding the Ronde route, you'll find out all about the "kinderkop"!! These demand the very best in durable wheelsets and tyres where weight is the last criterion for selection. In fact the crazy, cobble-riding Belgiques are dismissive of weight-watching on any bike equipment as they know what those cobbles do to anything but industrial-strength tractors! Oh, and make sure all the fillings in your teeth are tight.


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## pgk (Jun 30, 2008)

Dr_John said:


> Me neither, considering my stock '06 Roubaix Expert was 17.6 lbs when new, and is now at 16.0 lbs with pedals and cages after a swap to a Ritchey fork to improve front end rigidity. At this point in time, the only thing original is the frame, headset, and rear derailleur, but with the new fork it's not a bad ride.
> 
> Where did the 18 lbs weight come from?


Dr. John

Not sure what my 2008 Roubaix Expert was new "or stock" but currently with a 7900 group and Reynolds Assault wheels it comes in at 17.4lbs How the heck did you get yours down to 16lbs?:cryin: 
Thanks Pete


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## DavidSmith (Aug 6, 2002)

*2010 Roubaix Expert update : weight*

Just an update to the weight subject concerning the 2010 Spe Expert Compact :

After upgrading the following components :

Seat : Fizik Aliante Gamma
Wheels : Shimano Wh7850 C24 CL
Stem : Zipp 145
Skewers : KCNC
Bottle holders : BTP carbon

I'm down to 7.650 kilos or 16.86 lbs, which is satisfactory for the moment.

Rest of bike is stock. Can shave off another 200g I think between tires, stem and seat but for the time being, response is light, quick and solid.
David


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## Dr_John (Oct 11, 2005)

> How the heck did you get yours down to 16lbs?


 The fork swap really dropped the weight - about 300 g :eek6: Ritchey WCS carbon seatpost and WCS stem, all Dura-Ace except an Ultegra SL crank, Selle Italia SLR saddle, S-Works SL bar, Speedplay titanium pedals, 7850-SL wheels:


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## DonDenver (May 30, 2007)

DavidSmith said:


> After upgrading the following components :
> 
> Seat : Fizik Aliante Gamma
> Wheels : Shimano Wh7850 C24 CL
> ...


Excellent work David. Appears like a good roadmap for weight savings. Post some of your ride experiences with this new weight/configuration when you have a chance.


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## carrock (Aug 10, 2009)

*roubaix*

I have a 58 roubaix elite compact and it weighs 9kg on accurate scales with pedals....so I can believe the better models in the roubaix range will be not much lighter

Not sure what difference a 7kg bike is to an 8kg though....particularly as the rider usually carries more than a spare kg in 99% of cases...if riders spent as much effort losing the typical 5kg of surplus lard as they did trying to shave a few ounces off their bikes, we'd all be richer, fitter and faster

although I've been sitting on my roubaix for the past half hour trying to assess whether the frame is dynamic or vivacious......


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## DonDenver (May 30, 2007)

carrock said:


> although I've been sitting on my roubaix for the past half hour trying to assess whether the frame is...
> 
> dynamic or vivacious......


:idea: How about... 


“dynacious”


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## Specialized6000 (Aug 22, 2009)

when i go on a ride on a 3-4 hour ride i take 2-3 water bottles, they take 750ml each so that would be 1.5kg or 2.25kgs extra, water is quite a lot huh?


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## darkest_fugue (Mar 14, 2009)

i think the whole weight weenie thing is more of an addiction or a compulsion, my 09 roubaix elite weighs about 8.6 kilos, id like to get it to 8 kilos but really for what? i ride to work with no water bottles on the bike, when i take the bike out on a proper ride i load it up with 2 full water bottles, i notice the difference when i pick the bike up but when riding it, i dont really notice it at all,

i think a lot of people just want to see a low weight number on a scale or they enjoy decorating the bike with light weight bike jewelery, i had grand ideas about upgrading my whole drive train to sram force but the 105 stuff ive got on the bike is working so nicely now, no noise no jumping gears, its all silky smooth,

id like to change the old shimano crank to the new ultegra, and id like to replace the no name brakes with something better, the biggest change was the wheelset, i replaced the stock wheels with ultegra SLs and there was quite a difference in the hubs and how they roll


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## ike (Nov 11, 2007)

Does anyone know if Roval Fusee EL rear hub is supposed to be silent or click when freewheeling?


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## steveandbarb1 (Dec 27, 2009)

Dealing with weight, focus on rotating parts:
1.Tires/tubes
2. Wheels (rims)


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

steveandbarb1 said:


> Dealing with weight, focus on rotating parts:
> 1.Tires/tubes
> 2. Wheels (rims)


Arguable. Even though cyclists talk about lighter wheels 'spinning up' or accelerating faster, fact is _you carry the total weight _whether it's rotating or not. 

Not trying to be snarky , but it's not like you tie a .5 lb. weight to your rim and ride.


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## rosborn (May 10, 2009)

You're complaining about a wheelset that weighs 1695 grams (Roval Fusee EL) and have decided that you're going to "ask" the bike shop to put on a wheelset that weighs about 310 grams less (Shimano WH-7850-C24-CL)? The Rovals cost $550 USD and the Shimanos cost $1,300 USD. For 310 grams? Really?

The funny thing is that I have read so many times that wheel weight, especially something like 310 grams, is meaningless because that is a rolling weight that really doesn't factor in when the bike is moving. I mean, if money is no object to you why don't you step up to the Roubaix Pro SRAM for $1,100 USD more? I'll bet that the combined weight of the frame, components and wheels will shave at least 310 grams off the total weight of the Roubaix Expert. If you're really concerned about weight you should probably just break the bank and get the Roubaix S-Works SL2 DA. I'll bet the weight of that bike is 500 to 600 grams lighter than the Roubaix Expert. Yeah, that's I think you ought to do.

How much did you pay for the Dogma brand new? Just curious if your expectations are skewed. I've seen prices for the frame and fork for the Dogma that range from $3,000 USD to $4,000 USD. Now, if that is the price range that you paid for yiour frame and fork I would have to say that your expectations are greatly skewed. That would mean that you would have paid at least $6,000 USD for a complete Dogma, especially if it is fitted with Campy Record (the highest priced groupo at that time). For you to compare a $3,300 USD complete Roubaix Expert to a $6,000+ USD complete Dogma is ridiculous and unrealistic.


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## DavidSmith (Aug 6, 2002)

rosborn said:


> You're complaining about a wheelset that weighs 1695 grams (Roval Fusee EL) and have decided that you're going to "ask" the bike shop to put on a wheelset that weighs about 310 grams less (Shimano WH-7850-C24-CL)? The Rovals cost $550 USD and the Shimanos cost $1,300 USD. For 310 grams? Really?
> 
> *Wow, such confusion! If you'd pay 1300 USD for a pair of Shimano 7850s, I have some nice real estate for you on the Moon. I have the wheelset in place of the Rovals and paid 200 USD equivalent extra. Yes, my bike shop here in France not only proposed it, but suggested it to balance the Roubaix's inherent characteristics. I'm happy with both the performance and the cost. End of issue.*
> 
> ...


*I greatly appreciate your subjective opinion, but, in this case, you've mistakenly assumed that I am a blundering idiot. In reality, I'm happy to keep the 2007 Pinarello Galileo with the Onda carbon wishbone and fork for travelling and vacations here in Europe and the comfy 2010 Spe Roubaix with the Shimano 7850's for most training and club rides. This bike is quite nice, very comfortable, just over 7.5 kilos now, and as speedy as the Dogma ever was.*

That, my friend, is neither ridiculous nor unrealistic.


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## rosborn (May 10, 2009)

DavidSmith said:


> *I greatly appreciate your subjective opinion, but, in this case, you've mistakenly assumed that I am a blundering idiot. In reality, I'm happy to keep the 2007 Pinarello Galileo with the Onda carbon wishbone and fork for travelling and vacations here in Europe and the comfy 2010 Spe Roubaix with the Shimano 7850's for most training and club rides. This bike is quite nice, very comfortable, just over 7.5 kilos now, and as speedy as the Dogma ever was.*
> 
> That, my friend, is neither ridiculous nor unrealistic.


No, what was ridiculous was your complaining, straight out of the gate, about the spec'd weight and wheelset on a $3,300 bike and comparing those weights and spec's to a bike that was/is much more expensive. That was the ridiculous and unrealistic portion of your post.

I'm glad you're happy with the way your bike is set up. That is very important.


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## Bikerdude2 (May 6, 2010)

Love my 2010 Roubaix Expert! Got it two months ago.


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## rosborn (May 10, 2009)

Bikerdude2 said:


> Love my 2010 Roubaix Expert! Got it two months ago.


It is a very nice bike and, really, the sweet spot in the Roubaix lineup. I wanted one last year but there wasn't one in my size in late June so I ended up with a Roubaix Comp. Couldn't be happier.


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## Silverwulf (May 17, 2010)

I bought a 2010 Roubiax expert SL last November. I wanted white but got the blue. Really happy I did as it looks amazing. Mine is a 64cm. I swapped the saddle for a specialized toupe team saddle and the bars for some carbon itm k-swords. I weighed it at the LBS and it was 18.4lbs

Instead of spending any more $ on parts, I opted for the specialized 3d BGfit. Worth it, worth it, worth it. I did a 50 mi tour de cure ride with a friend in similar shape and the next day i was fine aside from my butt was a little tired. They on the other hand were considerably more fatigued!

If i were to become a weight weenie, I suppose I could drop 2lbs by convertint my group from ultegra 6700 to sram red.... but that that is a lot of $ and effort for the weight of a full h20 bottle!


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## Bikerdude2 (May 6, 2010)

Silverwulf, I bought a 58cm blue one in February and love it!
Swapped the saddle for a team toupe and had the Specialized fitting like you did. Made a world of difference!!


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## Silverwulf (May 17, 2010)

The bg fit guy had a neat tool from LOOK to digitally dial in the cleat placement. The guy that did my fit is Jeffrey Myrlene. He was one of the first 12 certified specialized bg fit guys.

I'm off now to go see the end of stage 2 of the tour of california. They are riding buy my house and end up in my home town of Santa Rosa!!! too bad its raining


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