Talk Me Out of a 2019 Specialized Roubaix!

Sep 25, 19 10:25

Post #1 of 19 (3952 views)

I had the opportunity when I was in Boulder last week Emceeing the Training Peaks Endurance Coaching Summit, of riding a 2019 Specialized Roubaix for a bit. I was super impressed. Awesome handling. Huge versatility - while not really promoted as a true "gravel bike", with 32mm tires (it came with 28s), it could handle many gravel roads ( for sure the gravel roads that I most often ride on now with my current road bike). More aero strangely than the Tarmac and lighter than the Venge! What's NOT to like!

Did not really get the chance to fully test the shock damping mech, - forgot to turn it "on" until near the end of the ride, and it seemed to soak up some bigger hits the front end was taking. I could see how it would be annoying at other times.

This does seem to be the Everything bike that I'm kind of looking for! Am I missing something? Talk me out of it if you think I'm crazy!

Thank you to the good folks at Training Peaks, Specialized and Garmin for organizing the morning rides.

Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

Last edited by: Fleck: Sep 25, 19 15:18

Re: Talk Me Out of a 2019 Specialized Roubaix! [Fleck] [ In reply to ]

Sep 25, 19 11:35

Post #2 of 19 (3890 views)

I think it’s a great “all road” option, for a do it all road bike I’d take it over a venge or tarmac

Re: Talk Me Out of a 2019 Specialized Roubaix! [COBRI] [ In reply to ]

Sep 25, 19 11:59

Post #3 of 19 (3858 views)

Agree it is a great all-around. I ride a 2018 Tarmac and recently a 2020 Roubaix with 33cm Trigger Pro 2Bliss tires for the gravel. A couple lbs heavier than the Tarmac but a joy to ride on dirt and paved roads

Re: Talk Me Out of a 2019 Specialized Roubaix! [Hit_Apex] [ In reply to ]

Sep 25, 19 12:34

Post #4 of 19 (3826 views)

Specialized sued a small bikers cafe called roubaix even though roubaix is a city before it was a brand.... Better make it a canyon

Re: Talk Me Out of a 2019 Specialized Roubaix! [Fleck] [ In reply to ]

Sep 25, 19 12:41

Post #5 of 19 (3808 views)

Fuck Specialized.

Re: Talk Me Out of a 2019 Specialized Roubaix! [lacticturkey] [ In reply to ]

Sep 25, 19 12:43

Post #6 of 19 (3804 views)

lacticturkey wrote:

Specialized sued a small bikers cafe called roubaix even though roubaix is a city before it was a brand.... Better make it a canyon

If I remember correctly Specialized issued a cease and desist letter to Roubaix Cafè. Even though are the time, Specialized was licensing the name “Roubaix” from Fuji (with Fuji’s collapse I believe the Specialized now “owns” the name “Roubaix”). While I’m not a fan of the legal teams for Specialized (or Speedplay for that matter) they do make great products.

Re: Talk Me Out of a 2019 Specialized Roubaix! [Fleck] [ In reply to ]

Sep 25, 19 13:45

Post #7 of 19 (3730 views)

Fleck wrote:

I had the opportunity when I was in Boulder last week Emceeing the Training Peaks Endurance Coaching Summit, of riding a 2019 Specialized Roubaix for a bit. I was super impressed. Awesome handling. Huge versatility - while not really promoted as a true "gravel bike", with 32mm tires (it came with 28s), it could handle many gravel roads ( for sure the grave roads that I most often ride on now with my current ride). More aero strangely than the Tarmac and lighter than the Venge! What's NOT to like!

Did not really get the chance to fully test the shock damping mech, - forgot to turn it "on" until near the end of the ride, and it seemed to soak up some bigger hits the front end was taking. I could see how it would be annoying at other times.

This does seem to be the Everything bike that I'm kind of looking for! Am I missing something? Talk me out of it if you think I'm crazy!

Thank you to the good folks at Training Peaks, Specialized and Garmin for organizing the morning rides.

I'd go with the TREK Domane with the isospeed decouplers front and rear, and because it has room for 40c (officially 38) tires. The other bike would be the Cervelo Aspero. That bike looks like a serious do it all bike. If I was buying stock I'd probably need to go with the Cervelo simply because the H2 geo on the Domane is too tall and short for me. The 1.5 geo on the Project One is perfect, but it is an upcharge.

Heath Dotson
HD Coaching:Website |Twitter: 140 Characters or Less|Facebook:Follow us on Facebook

Re: Talk Me Out of a 2019 Specialized Roubaix! [Ohio_Roadie] [ In reply to ]

Sep 25, 19 13:48

Post #8 of 19 (3724 views)

Youre right, cease and desist isnt sueing, but still a canyon

Ohio_Roadie wrote:

lacticturkey wrote:

Specialized sued a small bikers cafe called roubaix even though roubaix is a city before it was a brand.... Better make it a canyon

If I remember correctly Specialized issued a cease and desist letter to Roubaix Cafè. Even though are the time, Specialized was licensing the name “Roubaix” from Fuji (with Fuji’s collapse I believe the Specialized now “owns” the name “Roubaix”). While I’m not a fan of the legal teams for Specialized (or Speedplay for that matter) they do make great products.

Re: Talk Me Out of a 2019 Specialized Roubaix! [lacticturkey] [ In reply to ]

Sep 25, 19 14:26

Post #9 of 19 (3685 views)

Canyon did the same thing to a salt lake city bike shop chain when they came to the US. Canyon Cycles became Hangar 15. Besides, their bikes are so boring

Re: Talk Me Out of a 2019 Specialized Roubaix! [Ohio_Roadie] [ In reply to ]

Sep 25, 19 15:08

Post #10 of 19 (3653 views)

Ohio_Roadie wrote:

lacticturkey wrote:

Specialized sued a small bikers cafe called roubaix even though roubaix is a city before it was a brand.... Better make it a canyon

If I remember correctly Specialized issued a cease and desist letter to Roubaix Cafè. Even though are the time, Specialized was licensing the name “Roubaix” from Fuji (with Fuji’s collapse I believe the Specialized now “owns” the name “Roubaix”

Yes,Specialized threatened to sue, but ASE, parent company of Fuji and the superior right's holder, intervened and entered into an agreement with the Cafe owner that allowed him to keep the name. When Specialized bought out the trademark in the ASE bankruptcy, they had to assume all existing obligations, including said agreement.

https://www.bicycleretailer.com/...-pushed#.XYvjlFVKiUk

As for the Roubaix, I'd take a real hard look at the new Domane as well. With some 36mm Challenge Strada Bianca tires on those 25c internal width wheels, that thing would likely ride like butter, without any of the FutureShock wonkiness.

"They're made of latex, not nitroglycerin"

Last edited by: gary p: Sep 25, 19 15:46

Re: Talk Me Out of a 2019 Specialized Roubaix! [Fleck] [ In reply to ]

Sep 25, 19 16:27

Post #11 of 19 (3578 views)

I'm looking for a similar type of bike, and the two on my short list are the Roubaix and Trek Domane. For the Roubaix, I believe it's been updated for 2020, so factor that in when shopping.

Also take a look at the Domane, which also has been updated for 2020. It's heavier than the Roubaix but can accommodate much wider tires, up to 38c officially, and it can easily clear a 40 based on seeing it in person. The Domane comes with 32's and rode very nicely on my one test ride. I have yet to ride the Roubaix, which I plan to do soon.

Re: Talk Me Out of a 2019 Specialized Roubaix! [Fleck] [ In reply to ]

Sep 25, 19 16:56

Post #12 of 19 (3542 views)

I'm a huge fan of this genre of bikes as all-road bikes, though I"m not necessarily a Roubaix fan specifically. I had a chance to rent a Roubaix for a day in Kona a while back, and it was a super comfortable bike but the future shock is a little too vague for me. I ended up buying a Cervelo C5. Very similar geometry to the Roubaix. I absolutely love my C5 for soaking up potholes, cracks and crappy pavement on all the backroads around here.

Re: Talk Me Out of a 2019 Specialized Roubaix! [TH3_FRB] [ In reply to ]

Sep 25, 19 17:01

Post #13 of 19 (3538 views)

I'm also in the fuck Specialized club. I bought a new Roubaix in 2016, and in 2018, the lower headset bearing and shit for BB30 bearings went out within 2 weeks of each other. When I took the headset apart, the lower bearing retainer just crumbled and the bearings fell out. The LBS said the company wasn't willing to work with me on any warrantee, and Specialized couldn't even send them the right sized bearing. The LBS took the hit and got me a new Cane Creek bearing. On to the shit for BB30. I bought the tools and went to change my squealing BB. The old race just fell out, and the new race just fell in and spun. The frame tolerance was way too big. Again the company didn't give a shit, and the LBS helped me glue new races in place. Once I got that freaking bike back together, I sold it for $600 (paid $2000 new), and probably won't ever do Specialized again.

Athlinks / Strava

Re: Talk Me Out of a 2019 Specialized Roubaix! [Fleck] [ In reply to ]

Sep 25, 19 17:17

Post #14 of 19 (3514 views)

Fleck wrote:

I had the opportunity when I was in Boulder last week Emceeing the Training Peaks Endurance Coaching Summit, of riding a 2019 Specialized Roubaix for a bit. I was super impressed. Awesome handling. Huge versatility - while not really promoted as a true "gravel bike", with 32mm tires (it came with 28s), it could handle many gravel roads ( for sure the gravel roads that I most often ride on now with my current road bike). More aero strangely than the Tarmac and lighter than the Venge! What's NOT to like!

Did not really get the chance to fully test the shock damping mech, - forgot to turn it "on" until near the end of the ride, and it seemed to soak up some bigger hits the front end was taking. I could see how it would be annoying at other times.

This does seem to be the Everything bike that I'm kind of looking for! Am I missing something? Talk me out of it if you think I'm crazy!

Thank you to the good folks at Training Peaks, Specialized and Garmin for organizing the morning rides.

i like the roubaix. just, in my opinion:

1. if you think you need a gravel bike get a gravel bike. once you get into gravel, what you'll find is that clearance is everything. not because you always need it, but because you sometimes need it and when you need it you need it.

2. having ridden with front end, above the top tube, suspension for awhile, it's fine, but it's it's also fine to not have it. on road bikes, on the road, no need. so, if you're going to get a road bike, get a road bike that can handle up to 30mm. with no suspension.

3. if you're leggy, with a short torso, roubaix is great. if you're average or the other way, morphologically, venge/tarmac is a better geometry. you're tall. i *think* you're leggy. but that's how it works with specialized.

4. just f%*kn get a gravel bike and be done with it.

Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

Re: Talk Me Out of a 2019 Specialized Roubaix! [Ex-cyclist] [ In reply to ]

Sep 25, 19 17:33

Post #15 of 19 (3495 views)

Ex-cyclist wrote:

Fleck wrote:

I had the opportunity when I was in Boulder last week Emceeing the Training Peaks Endurance Coaching Summit, of riding a 2019 Specialized Roubaix for a bit. I was super impressed. Awesome handling. Huge versatility - while not really promoted as a true "gravel bike", with 32mm tires (it came with 28s), it could handle many gravel roads ( for sure the grave roads that I most often ride on now with my current ride). More aero strangely than the Tarmac and lighter than the Venge! What's NOT to like!

Did not really get the chance to fully test the shock damping mech, - forgot to turn it "on" until near the end of the ride, and it seemed to soak up some bigger hits the front end was taking. I could see how it would be annoying at other times.

This does seem to be the Everything bike that I'm kind of looking for! Am I missing something? Talk me out of it if you think I'm crazy!

Thank you to the good folks at Training Peaks, Specialized and Garmin for organizing the morning rides.

I'd go with the TREK Domane with the isospeed decouplers front and rear, and because it has room for 40c (officially 38) tires. The other bike would be the Cervelo Aspero. That bike looks like a serious do it all bike. If I was buying stock I'd probably need to go with the Cervelo simply because the H2 geo on the Domane is too tall and short for me. The 1.5 geo on the Project One is perfect, but it is an upcharge.

On the Domane if you study the geo chart it seems you could safely get a more aggressive fit in some instances by simply downsizing. E.g. the 54 actually has a longer wheelbase than the 56 despite shaving almost 3cm off the headtube while only giving up 0.2cm of reach. Many sizes also have 8cm of BB drop so you can effectively shave 1cm off the head tube by going to 175s from 165s (admittedly not ideal).

...but, yeah, wish the H1.5 geo was readily available.

Re: Talk Me Out of a 2019 Specialized Roubaix! [Slowman] [ In reply to ]

Sep 25, 19 17:58

Post #16 of 19 (3470 views)

4. just f%*kn get a gravel bike and be done with it.

Boom!

Thank you, Dan!

BTW - I'm that "other way" - super long torso, and short legs!

Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

Last edited by: Fleck: Sep 25, 19 17:59

Re: Talk Me Out of a 2019 Specialized Roubaix! [Fleck] [ In reply to ]

Sep 25, 19 18:07

Post #17 of 19 (3448 views)

Fleck wrote:

I had the opportunity when I was in Boulder last week Emceeing the Training Peaks Endurance Coaching Summit, of riding a 2019 Specialized Roubaix for a bit. I was super impressed. Awesome handling. Huge versatility - while not really promoted as a true "gravel bike", with 32mm tires (it came with 28s), it could handle many gravel roads ( for sure the gravel roads that I most often ride on now with my current road bike). More aero strangely than the Tarmac and lighter than the Venge! What's NOT to like!

Did not really get the chance to fully test the shock damping mech, - forgot to turn it "on" until near the end of the ride, and it seemed to soak up some bigger hits the front end was taking. I could see how it would be annoying at other times.

This does seem to be the Everything bike that I'm kind of looking for! Am I missing something? Talk me out of it if you think I'm crazy!

Thank you to the good folks at Training Peaks, Specialized and Garmin for organizing the morning rides.

5 of the top 10 finishers at Paris Roubaix this year rode one. I don't own a Roubaix, but I do own a Crux and holy smokes Specialized makes a seriously good product.

Re: Talk Me Out of a 2019 Specialized Roubaix! [Fleck] [ In reply to ]

Sep 25, 19 18:07

Post #18 of 19 (3448 views)

Buy Canadian: Argon Krypton GF

Washed up footy player turned Triathlete.

Re: Talk Me Out of a 2019 Specialized Roubaix! [Fleck] [ In reply to ]

Sep 25, 19 19:03

Post #19 of 19 (3415 views)

Fleck wrote:

4. just f%*kn get a gravel bike and be done with it.

Boom!

Thank you, Dan!

BTW - I'm that "other way" - super long torso, and short legs!

in that case, no to the roubaix.

Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

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