# Tom Boonan's Bike for Paris-Roubaix tomorrow



## skygodmatt (May 24, 2005)

Wow. 

I noticed Boonan is going with an all *Aluminum* *Specialized *for tomorrow's Roubaix race. It's custom with a 13mm longer top tube and he is using 32 spoke ambrosio tubular box rims. Apparently Specialized didn't have a carbon frame to suit his back issues so they quickly built him an aluminum ride. 

Interesting.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/apr07/roubaix07/tech/?id=/tech/2007/features/boonen_specialized_roubaix

Matt P.


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## rocco (Apr 30, 2005)

skygodmatt said:


> Wow.
> 
> I noticed Boonan is going with an all *Aluminum* *Specialized *for tomorrow's Roubaix race. It's custom with a 13mm longer top tube and he is using 32 spoke ambrosio tubular box rims. Apparently Specialized didn't have a carbon frame to suit his back issues so they quickly built him an aluminum ride.
> 
> ...


Those are the same type of wheels (Campy Record hubs, Sapim spokes 3X - tied and soldered and Ambrosio Nemesis rims) he's used for PR for at least the past three years. He has been riding a custom aluminum frame with a 13mm longer top tube and other geometry tweaks (longer head tube for example) for several weeks/races now.


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## skygodmatt (May 24, 2005)

*I had an E5 frame...liked it.*

I raced on that frame all last year. It was actually fairly comfortable and I did well.
However, I would think a Specialized Roubaix would be more plush. I do agree with his choice of wheels. I have always thought a light box rim rides great. No Aero advantage but I guess he doesn't need it apparently.

Matt P.


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## hacker (Apr 2, 2007)

These aren't tied and soldered


http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2...res/boonen_specialized_roubaix/gbBoonenBike10


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## Pablo (Jul 7, 2004)

Aluminum gets a bad rap. Nice to see pros on it.


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## atpjunkie (Mar 23, 2002)

*amazing at how many*

regular 32 3x wheels one sees at P-R. Kinda kills the whole "just as durable and confortable" BS you hear from other wheel mfrs


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## Fignon's Barber (Mar 2, 2004)

atpjunkie said:


> regular 32 3x wheels one sees at P-R. Kinda kills the whole "just as durable and confortable" BS you hear from other wheel mfrs



agreed, and not just extreme situations like P-R. They ride standard wheels for most of the spring races. Interesting that Ballan won de ronde using a simple set of campagnolo protons (tubulars).


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## rocco (Apr 30, 2005)

hacker said:


> These aren't tied and soldered
> 
> 
> http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2...res/boonen_specialized_roubaix/gbBoonenBike10



Yep... looks like they stopped doing it. I'm pretty sure their wheels from a few years ago (with older style Record hubs) were.


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## RickyRitalin (Dec 16, 2005)

Nice to see something other than Carbon Fiber selected for the steed. I don't know if anyone caught the VS coverage, but they interviewed the Specialized rep who was talking about the Roubaix (C/F) frames for the QuickStep riders and closed the interview with "if you want to buy the bike that Boonen will ride, it'll set you back $7000". Interesting. Wonder if the Aluminum was Scandium.


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## jhamlin38 (Oct 29, 2005)

that bike on vs was surely not aluminum, but CF. it looked pretty sweet. However, if i were to dump 7grand it wouldn't be on a specialized. I'm sure most people would also go elsewhere.
That race is nuts. way too dangerous and doesn't seem worth it to enter.


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## mtbbmet (Apr 2, 2005)

jhamlin38 said:


> That race is nuts. way too dangerous and doesn't seem worth it to enter.



What? 
What exactly do you mean by that?


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## atpjunkie (Mar 23, 2002)

*he clearly doesn't get it*



mtbbmet said:


> What?
> What exactly do you mean by that?


it would be interesting to see. maybe someone can start a post/poll. (fantasy) If you could magically win 3 bike races what would they be? We should then toss in how many years you've been following/involved in cycling and riding age

here I'll go first
1) World CX Championships
2) Ronde
3) Roubaix
age 44. followed cycling since the 70s


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## rssljhnsn (Jul 5, 2003)

*Good idea*

1) Rubaix
2) Ronde
3) Dauphine Libre 
Age 40
Followed cycling since mid 80's
Still love lugged steel


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## RickyRitalin (Dec 16, 2005)

jhamlin38 said:


> that bike on vs was surely not aluminum, but CF. it looked pretty sweet. However, if i were to dump 7grand it wouldn't be on a specialized. I'm sure most people would also go elsewhere.
> That race is nuts. way too dangerous and doesn't seem worth it to enter.


My point was that Boonen definitely rode a custom aluminum, however the bike Specialized wants the masses to believe was ridden is an S-works Roubaix.


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## Pablo (Jul 7, 2004)

My top three: 
(1) Paris-Roubaix (hydroplaning into the velodrome)
(2) Flanders (solo from halfway up the Murr)
(3) Liege (in a snow storm)
Worlds are a very close fourth because of the potential for a gody bike the following season. 
I'm only 27, but De Vlaemick and Van Looy are my favorite riders. My school's older than it should be.


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## CoLiKe20 (Jan 30, 2006)

atpjunkie said:


> it would be interesting to see. maybe someone can start a post/poll. (fantasy) If you could magically win 3 bike races what would they be? We should then toss in how many years you've been following/involved in cycling and riding age
> 
> here I'll go first
> 1) World CX Championships
> ...


1. TdF
2. Giro
3. Vuelta


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## OnTheRivet (Sep 3, 2004)

1.Tour De France
2. Liege 
3. Worlds......come on, rainbow jersey!

41, been following on and off since I was a kid. 
Favorite riders, any tough bastard that could win on any course, any day, in any weather, that means;

Merckx
Kelly
Hinault


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## Sasquatch (Feb 3, 2004)

1. Paris - Roubaix in sh*tty weather, breakaway win
2. Tour de France with stage wins on Ventoux, Alpe d'Huez, and the final ITT
3. Flanders

28 years old, been watching cycling since the late 90's


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## skygodmatt (May 24, 2005)

*Leif Hoste is on an Aluminum Ridley for Roubaix too*

I noticed Hoste is not riding Carbon for Roubaix either. He's on a Scandium Ridley. 

http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/apr07/roubaix07/tech/?id=/tech/2007/features/hoste_ridley_roubaix


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## skygodmatt (May 24, 2005)

*3 wins would be the grand slam of course*

My 3 wins:

1) Tour de France
2) Tour of Italy
3) Tour of Spain

Those are the big 3. You've gotta win those.

Age: 39
Racing: 2 years almost
Riding : On/OFF for 5 years


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## mtbbmet (Apr 2, 2005)

1) De Ronde
2) De Ronde the following year
3) De Ronde the year after that.

Threepeat! Wolrd's would be good, too. Plus you get to wear that jersey for a year without people making fun of you for doing so.


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## Pablo (Jul 7, 2004)

Good call on the threepeat. I think only Magni has done it. 

However, wearing the rainbow jersey is a double-edged sword, what with its alleged curse. It's an honor, but you'll be forever remionded of your failures if you follow up that win with a bad season. Remember Astarola?


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## mtbbmet (Apr 2, 2005)

Pablo said:


> Remember Astarola?



Who? Never heard of him.

You're right, Only Magni has done the 3peat. A bunch of guys have won 3, but only 1 has won 3 in a row.
And in regards to the curse, it would not apply to me cause after I magically won world's I would go back to racing locals. I'm not winning now, so it won't matter when I don't win with the jersey. It's a fool proof plan!


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## atpjunkie (Mar 23, 2002)

*good on ya Pablo*



Pablo said:


> My top three:
> (1) Paris-Roubaix (hydroplaning into the velodrome)
> (2) Flanders (solo from halfway up the Murr)
> (3) Liege (in a snow storm)
> ...


my guess is most younger riders or riders new to cycling (call it post Lance riders) are all about the GTs where most of us older folks have far more interest in the classics. Your school is definitely older than you and bravo. Most riders don't do Liege as well as Roubaix and the Ronde. As for minor classics I'd rather win F-W than G-W, though the latter is Flandrian. Nice call on your idols, and when you say De Vlaemick I assume you are referring to Roger. His brother OWNED cyclocross.


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## Guest (Apr 18, 2007)

Prolly, Liege - Bastogne - Liege; Paris - Roubaix and Flanders, but Milan - San Remo figures in there too - for being exotic.

As of last week I am now 47. I started riding club level time trials at 16. Back then you occasionally found a clip on Wide World of Sports about what was going on, but mostly you went to the library to look at old issues of euro newspapers to find out who was winning what.

The real big deal was when Winning! magazine hit the stands - I miss that magazine.

Interesting thing about that bike Hoste rode, that wasn't a Ridley either, nowhere near the same frame as what Ridley sell as a Scandium frame.


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## msc (Jan 22, 2004)

*Specialized Roubaix*

So does any pro even ride this frame (in Paris-Roubaix or anything else)?


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## hacker (Apr 2, 2007)

If I could win any three races I wanted, I'd have to go with:

1) Paris Roubaix

2) Milan San Remo

3) Final Stage of the TDF (preferably on a breakaway on lap 2 of the champs)


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## Pablo (Jul 7, 2004)

atpjunkie said:


> Your school is definitely older than you and bravo.


Thanks for the regards. I did mean Roger, the Gypsy, who inspired me to buy my Gios and inspires me to turn onto the dirt country washbaorded roads. By the way, Hinault would have been up there too if he didn't hate P-R like he did.


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## rocco (Apr 30, 2005)

1) Ronde van Vlaanderen
2) Paris Roubaix
3) Giro di Lombardia
4) Liège-Bastogne-Liège
5) Milan San Remo

I'm greedy... 

Age 39. Cycling since the early 1980's. I did my 1st century on a cold, windy, rainy and gray day when I was 15.


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## CFBlue (Jun 28, 1999)

#1 TdF 
#2&3 World's ITT and the RR in the same year.

You would never, ever, ever be forgotten, may even live forever!


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## Pablo (Jul 7, 2004)

rocco said:


> 1) Ronde van Vlaanderen
> 2) Paris Roubaix
> 3) Giro di Lombardia
> 4) Liège-Bastogne-Liège
> ...


You'd also only be the fourth . . . rare company indeed.


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## Pablo (Jul 7, 2004)

skygodmatt said:


> I noticed Boonan is going with an all *Aluminum* *Specialized *for tomorrow's Roubaix race.


There's an interesting take on Boonen's bike at http://belgiumkneewarmers.blogspot.com/ (April 17, 2007 entry). 
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Cage Match

Pro Racers vs. Bike Construction vs. Sponsorship

It used to be the relationship between a bicycle sponsor for a professional cycling team and the bikes the team rode was limited to decals, paint, and cash. In the 1980s, when 7-Eleven first entered the Euro peloton, they rode frames made by Serotta. Later, team management signed Huffy as a sponsor, but Serotta continued to supply the frames, which was a lot like putting a Ford decal on a Ferrari. 7-Eleven was riding what was easily one of the best bikes available. 

By the late 1990s, it was becoming apparent that with the entry of big American bike manufacturers into the European peloton that the face of sponsorship was shifting for obvious economic reasons. Cannondale, Specialized, and Trek all sponsored Division 1 teams, thanks to their marketing muscle, but there was no way a boutique builder like Serotta or Seven Cycles could hope to compete for a frame sponsor position. 

Given the diverse shapes of current composite frames, there is little opportunity to try to put a Ford decal on a Ferrari. The bikes are pretty readily recognized. What’s more is that in the quest for ever lighter frames, design has shifted away from traditional lugged designs. That shift doesn’t portend well for ideal fit. Most frames are using a variation on monocoque construction that require use of a specific mold for each size. In round numbers, each mold for each size runs roughly $100k. Such high tooling expenses really don’t permit custom frame sizes. They do, however, permit companies to construct the lightest and stiffest frames ever made. 

We’re not going to engage in a pissing contest about whose bike is stiffest or whose is lightest. Suffice it to say that production bikes tend to be the very lightest and stiffest on the market. 

Which is what brings us to Tom Boonen. The Specialized Tarmac can not be made in a custom format. Forgetting pro teams for a moment, consumers today are forced to make a choice. When purchasing a frame, you must either choose perfect fit and idealized geometry from such manufacturers as Serotta, Seven, Hampsten, Parlee, or Calfee or you can pick something that is incredibly light and stiff, such as Specialized, Trek, Cannondale, Kestrel, Scott, Giant, or Time. Of these, Parlee is one of the few bikes that is bridging the gap between custom sizing and light, stiff performance. 

Back to Boonen. We haven’t been given much info about his back trouble. He wasn’t complaining of back trouble last year when he was riding a Time. Somehow, the switch from Time to Specialized aggravated his back—whether or not there was a previous injury to his back we’ll never really know, and it isn't important. He said his back hurt and that’s enough. As for what we’ve been told of the new, “custom” bike, all we’ve heard is that it is 13mm longer. Umm, hello, is this thing on? Thirteen millimeters where, exactly? Is that 13mm in the wheelbase? In the top tube? In the front center? Just in the chainstays? Could it be that Tom Terrific was just too big for Special Ed’s biggest frame? 

We shouldn’t conclude that just because Boonen was moved to an aluminum frame that it is stiffer than his old rig. Frankly, to make a bike stiffer than the Tarmac would require the addition of steel rebar. And not all aluminum frames are unduly stiff. From Alans and Guerciottis to the Cannondale CAAD7, there are plenty of aluminum frames no one would confuse with unduly stiff. In fact, the Alan is the most popular cyclocross bike of all time precisely because it isn’t stiff. 

What can be said of aluminum is that it tends to transmit a great deal more shock and vibration to the rider than frames made from other materials. Part of this is just the nature of the material and the rest is due to the fact that virtually no one—save tandem manufacturer Santana—uses double-butted tubing, which was proven to dampen shock long before the Beatles hit the airwaves. 

The Tarmac comes in a 61cm size that features a 60cm top tube. That’s long. Boonen is 6’ 3”. Without knowing other details it's difficult to guess what his preferred frame size is, but he could easily require a 61 or 62cm-long top tube. It’s true that his new, aluminum bike looks like the Langster fixie, but as the largest size of that bike comes with a 58.8cm top tube, there’s little chance the folks with Special Eyes elected to saddle the Monster from Mol with an even shorter top tube. Given that his bike has an assortment of braze-ons that permit him to stop (other than on-contact) and shift gears and one can safely take the release at its word. The bike is custom. The real question is if his sponsor is examining the possibility of offering a new, larger size in the Tarmac. It would be suicide to commission a $100-grand mold just for Boonen; the question is, how many 6’ 3” customers might there be? 

The age of the aluminum bicycle in professional racing ran roughly concurrent with the Clinton administration. It started and ended about the same time, was no less exuberant, though ultimately felt just as uncomfortable. To put a rider of Boonen’s caliber on a soda can today does seem criminal, but the upshot has one curious effect. 

For years boutique builders have staked their reputations on the importance of ideal bicycle fit. Led by Serotta, custom builders (or as Richard Sachs likes to say, “made to measure”) have almost always claimed fit is more important than materials. Companies such as Seven Cycles include very specific instructions on the fitting process for potential clients. Boom-Boom Boonen’s increased comfort on an aluminum rig suggests that a custom-fitted bicycle is more important than the frame material used. When faced with the option of riding a not-so-optimally sized but terribly advanced carbon fiber bike and a custom -itted but low-tech aluminum ride, former World Champion Tom Boonen seems to be happier on the tailored pop can. 

If Ben Serotta, Rob Vandermark, and Richard Sachs start talking smack about production bikes, cut ‘em some slack.

BKW long time friend and powerhouse cyclist Padraig sent us this piece as a follow-up to the original Boonen piece posted to BKW. 

Photo courtesy: cyclingnews.com


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## atpjunkie (Mar 23, 2002)

*it better be in Brooklyn/Gios Blue*



Pablo said:


> Thanks for the regards. I did mean Roger, the Gypsy, who inspired me to buy my Gios and inspires me to turn onto the dirt country washbaorded roads. By the way, Hinault would have been up there too if he didn't hate P-R like he did.


speaking of Roger have you seen Allez Allez Zimbawbwe?

http://www.freewebs.com/allez_allez_zimbabwe/

check the 70's for brother Eric (roger is there too)

http://sports123.com/ccr/mw.html


then again the greatness of Roger (and Gimondi, etc...) just reminds us what a bad ass Eddy was.


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## dagger (Jul 22, 2004)

I think it's interesting how some guys in their effort to prove that their really "old school" or "hardcore cycling fan" pick their favorite race to win which would give them a paltry winnings purse instead of winning the TDF which would earn them millions and eclipse every other race winner of that same year, and put them into a bigger place in history.


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## Pablo (Jul 7, 2004)

Your cynical psycoanalysis aside, I didn't realize we had to be so pragmatic in our fantasy lives. If that were the case, we'd all hope to win the Masters and drive off in a Buick.


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## dagger (Jul 22, 2004)

*My bad*



Pablo said:


> Your cynical psycoanalysis aside, I didn't realize we had to be so pragmatic in our fantasy lives. If that were the case, we'd all hope to win the Masters and drive off in a Buick.


fantasies are good.


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## Pablo (Jul 7, 2004)

You do make a good point, nonetheless. 

In my fantasies I win by a mile (I mean kilometer) with Maria Grazia Cucinotta waiting for me at the line with PB&Js.


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## mtbbmet (Apr 2, 2005)

dagger said:


> I think it's interesting how some guys in their effort to prove that their really "old school" or "hardcore cycling fan" pick their favorite race to win which would give them a paltry winnings purse instead of winning the TDF which would earn them millions and eclipse every other race winner of that same year, and put them into a bigger place in history.


Why don't you ask Periero if he made as much money as Boonen did last year? Me thinks Boonen made a touch more. And the fame of winning De Ronde is much greater in Europe than you may think. Sure if you won the tour you would be more recognizable in the states than if you won Flanders, but I'm pretty sure that the rewards of winning Flanders would be pretty good overseas (where 99% of these guys live). You would never again have to buy a beer or frites in Belgium. EVER!
Mind you, win one stage of the Tour and people in France will recognize you for 30 years. 
So there's that.


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## atpjunkie (Mar 23, 2002)

*it ain't the money*

it's the glory and sorry some of us (I guess whom you call old school) come from when cyclists didn't make much coin anyhow. Some of us just find more affinity with Belgian hardmen than we do GT riders. TTing WGAF. My idea of a TT is a solo break with 20K to go in rain and a headwind.
though I own pictures of Eddy racing the Tour, the pix I love are of him covered in mud


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## Frank Tuesday (Jun 1, 2002)

dagger said:


> I think it's interesting how some guys in their effort to prove that their really "old school" or "hardcore cycling fan" pick their favorite race to win which would give them a paltry winnings purse instead of winning the TDF which would earn them millions and eclipse every other race winner of that same year, and put them into a bigger place in history.


Maybe some of us just like the Classics better. It isn't just about money or fame. Over half of the tour isn't even interesting. A bunch of (relative) nobodies go on a break and one of them takes a stage win because the overall contenders don't care. Yawn. On the days the tour matters, I love watching it. I love the TdF. I just love the month of April, more.

1. Ronde van Vlaanderen 
2. Paris-Roubaix
3. TdF 

Don't care for Milan-San Remo so much. Not enough to separate the truly hard men.


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## stevesbike (Jun 3, 2002)

Personally, I think 'custom' is often as much market hype as 'superlight unobtainium' production frames. First, how many "custom' frames fits can't be matched by a standard size with some component tweaking. Second, how many cyclists really know exactly their optimal frame fit-to the extent that 1cm increments in stem etc can't match it? Since it's not an issue of saddle height/fore/aft (which is a function of fit parameters that can be varied easily across the smallest increments), it comes down to reach. But this is subjective, so how can a custom fitter really address it unless the rider has spent thousand of hours on frames going over fit countless times? Boonen is not your typical consumer-his needs are not those of most (even pro riders).


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## FondriestFan (May 19, 2005)

I'm still laughing at the thought of paying $7,000 for the aluminum Specialized Boonen rode at P-R.

For seven grand, Specialized doesn't even make my top 10 list.


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