# What the heck is a "Zertz"??!!??



## RkFast (Dec 11, 2004)

So Specialized says:

_ZERTZ - Over the course of a ride, vibrations can take their toll on a rider, sapping comfort, energy, and focus. The goal of Zertz technology is to minimize vibrations transmitted to the rider, accomplished through elastomeric inserts in the fork, handlebar, seatstays, and seatpost. The result is a smoother, more comfortable ride. _ 

Pretty cool innovation, really. Just a small elastomer imbedded in the carbon to act as a damper.

So.......is it a gimmick? OR something truly innovative (ie. works as intended)?


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## fblum (Oct 2, 2004)

*Rhymes with "Inserts"*

I think the theory is that the hole in the carbon fiber allows it to bend a little and the Zertz insert dampens the vibration. Who the hell knows if it works! There was a post about some guy popping his out and then noticing a stiffer ride but that's so subjective. Clearly it is a better seatpost than standard aluminum but I doubt you'd be able to differentiate between two different CF seatposts. Just ride.


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## acid_rider (Nov 23, 2004)

*RIDE Cycling Review said it did work*



fblum said:


> I think the theory is that the hole in the carbon fiber allows it to bend a little and the Zertz insert dampens the vibration. Who the hell knows if it works! There was a post about some guy popping his out and then noticing a stiffer ride but that's so subjective. Clearly it is a better seatpost than standard aluminum but I doubt you'd be able to differentiate between two different CF seatposts. Just ride.


IMO

There was a 2004 Roubaix Comp (Ultegra 9) road test in Australian RIDE Cycling Review (quarterly magazine) and they did say the Zertz did work well because the tester tried it on another bicycle and also reported improvement. The review for the whole 2004 Roubaix Comp was quite positive. The cyclingnews.com also reviewed Roubaix Pro 2004 (on pave in France, Aug 2004) and gave it 4.5 stars out of 5 and noticed it was very comfortable road bicycle. Whether this is all "in your head" I do not know but I test rode 2004 Roubaix Comp last week and it was a very comfortable package so I went ahead and ordered 2005 model (still to be delivered). I also test rode 2005 Bianchi 928 carbon and it was not as comfortable for me as 2004 Roubaix Comp was. Both were nice bikes but for me Roubaix Comp was much nicer (I am over 40 though, so allowances need to be made!)

It would be interesting to ride 2005 Tarmac Comp/Pro with Zertz and see if it is also more comfortable than other non-Zertz carbon road bikes but I leave this task for someone else to try 8^)


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## hairscrambled (Nov 18, 2004)

I've been riding a Roubaix for several months and can tell you it has better damping than the Kestrel it replaced.


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## Lone Ranger (Nov 19, 2004)

*zertz werkz !*

I bought a Sequoia mainly for its smooth ride. I tried many bikes from Cannondale ( a tuning fork with more road vibration than anyone should have to suffer) to Giant OCR, (nice ride, but didn't inspire) a Trek 1000, (more inspiring, nice road feel, but still harsh). Finally I found the Specialized dealer and was immediately impressed by the Roubaix and the Sequoia. Both were much smoother than the others. The Roubaix was a bit faster, the Sequoia was smoother. Sequoia has bigger zertz, weighs a pound or so more but is smoother. I attribute this to the zertz as the fork of the Sequoia is bigger also which should make it a bit stiffer than the Roubaix. Both bikes are very nice, and in the end I chose Sequoia as I am not a racer, but a fitness/distance rider. I asked myself which bike I would rather be on after 3 hours...and went for comfort. No disappointment.


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## DSMaryland (Jan 2, 2005)

I have an 04 Roubaix Comp. I can't say how much of the damping is due to the Zertz elastomer vs. the carbon fiber or the frame geometry, but I do know that nothing I have ridden has ever felt as smooth as this, yet able to squirt uphill, descend confidently, and sprint reasonably. As for the science of elastomer dampers, it's pretty mature because such things have been used for years in automotive airplane engine mounts. Because I'm a very happy Roubaix rider, I'm willing to accept that Zertz are a gimmick if someone is willing to show me how they are so.


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## shokhead1 (Jan 21, 2003)

acid_rider said:


> IMO
> 
> There was a 2004 Roubaix Comp (Ultegra 9) road test in Australian RIDE Cycling Review (quarterly magazine) and they did say the Zertz did work well because the tester tried it on another bicycle and also reported improvement. The review for the whole 2004 Roubaix Comp was quite positive. The cyclingnews.com also reviewed Roubaix Pro 2004 (on pave in France, Aug 2004) and gave it 4.5 stars out of 5 and noticed it was very comfortable road bicycle. Whether this is all "in your head" I do not know but I test rode 2004 Roubaix Comp last week and it was a very comfortable package so I went ahead and ordered 2005 model (still to be delivered). I also test rode 2005 Bianchi 928 carbon and it was not as comfortable for me as 2004 Roubaix Comp was. Both were nice bikes but for me Roubaix Comp was much nicer (I am over 40 though, so allowances need to be made!)
> 
> It would be interesting to ride 2005 Tarmac Comp/Pro with Zertz and see if it is also more comfortable than other non-Zertz carbon road bikes but I leave this task for someone else to try 8^)


05 Tarmac has a bit different one in the fork.


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## strapass (Jan 10, 2005)

Zertz? A popular breath mint in the 90's used often by the beautiful people...


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## Waxbytes (Sep 22, 2004)

strapass said:


> Zertz? A popular breath mint in the 90's used often by the beautiful people...


Your thinking of Certs, the breath mint.


PS, I ride a 2004 Sequoia Comp


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## dzdconfusd (Feb 15, 2005)

I have to say I noticed a night and day difference when I switched to the zertz seatpost on my 02 allez elite. I noticed a much bigger difference when I took my Tarmac Pro out for it's first long distance road ride over the weekend.

The principle is something simple that we do in engineering all the time. The elastomer has a damping effect on high frequency vibration, ie road noise. It's not that different from and engine mount in that respect.


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## shokhead (Dec 17, 2002)

How do you like yoor Pro?


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## dzdconfusd (Feb 15, 2005)

I love it. I can't believe how different it feels. I feel the difference so dramatically in the higher level components and the stiffer bottom bracket. The ride quality is also exceptional. I feel in love 2 months ago when I test rode one in TX , and ordered one as soon as I got back to CT.


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