Specialized S-Works Roubaix - 1,500 Mile Review


Third Fourth time is the charm.  After trying three different Roubaix models over the last 5 years, I finally found the one I really like.

2018 Specialized S-Works Roubaix has become my favorite bike.  It has a perfect balance between speed and comfort. 

It is very easy to live with.  It goes fast when you push it.  It feels very light.  It is to get going.  It rolls nicely when you want to go slow.  It climbs well without punishing you.  It descends really nicely too.

Compare Roubaix with my Pinarello Dogma K8s Disc.  Pinarello is more aerodynamic.  It absolutely flies when pushed.  It descends with unmatched precision.  It feels like a race bike.  However, it fights you when want to go slow.  It is harder to get going in a more comfortable tempo.  It begs you to go fast,  which is good for many days, but if you want alternating paces, Roubaix is clearly the bike of choice!

My 2018 S-Works Roubaix has Shimano Ultegra Di2 8070 groupset with Roval SLX 24 wheels.  It took me a little while to get used to electronic shifting, but I love it now.

I was pretty apprehensive about the future shock at first, thinking it is a complete marketing gimmick, especially after disliking and eventually replacing the Cobble Gobbler seat post on my old Roubaix.  But after 1,500 miles and hundreds of thousands feet of climbing, I can attest that it works, it smoothes out the road significantly and has a very negligible impact when climbing.

What's interesting is that 2018 S-Works Roubaix feels completely different from 2018 Specialized Roubaix Expert with same components and 2017 Specialized Roubaix Comp with similar components.  I had both.  I kind of liked both.  But they felt heavier and less nimble.



2015 Specialized Roubaix SL4 Disc was a thing of a beauty, but definitely heavier, harder to climb with and harder to get going with.

2018 S-Works Roubaix feels very different.  It is an amazing all around bike for me, and XL rider.  I look forward to many years, mile, and feet of adventure with this bike!





Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

3D-Printed Saddles: Fizik Antares Versus Evo vs Fizik Vento Argo Adaptive vs S-Works Romin Mirror vs S-Works Power Mirror

Image
  Road bike saddles are subjective.  Tons of factors impact  comfort -- w eight, height, body proportions, tailbone structure, fitness level, style of riding, bike frame, fit, geometry, wheels, tire size / pressure, etc.   Even small changes in a saddle angle, position, and seatpost height can turn the best riding saddle into the worst and visa versa.    To provide an objective comparison, I tested three 3D-printed saddles on the same bike with the same wheels, tires, and fit.  Here are the parameters: Rider weight: 230 lbs (approx.104 kg) Rider flexibility: average Miles per year: 5,000 Climbing per year: 300,000 ft Bike: Pinarello Dogma F12 Disc Wheels: Zipp 404 Firecrest  Tires: Schwalbe Pro One Evo 28mm tubeless - 65-70 psi Test terrain: Mixed - from very smooth to decent asphalt to severely broken asphalt to gravel to offroad / double track MTB road  All four saddles took a good amount of road vibrations out and made the road smoother - akin to what a good carbon frame does ve
Read more

2018 Santa Cruz Tallboy - Road Cyclist's First Take

Image
2018 Santa Cruz Tallboy C S is a beautiful bike!  I got it in early December and was anxiously awaiting for it to arrive. It arrived in late December.  A local bike shop in Boise put it together for me.  It looked really nice.  I took it for a couple rides on a Greenway and finally made it to a local trail in the beginning of January. I loved the comfort of the bike.  I really enjoyed the scenery and the freedom to go and explore the mountains.  I loved the that I didn't have to share the road with cars. However, after riding road bikes for almost 6 years, this bike felt a little unstable.  I felt like I don't have a lot of control with the handlebars.  It maybe the geometry or just the fact that I am used to road bikes. I also didn't like the singletrack and rock gardens.  Climbing felt kind of weird, especially when I had to share a narrow trail with bunch of people, dogs and cyclists.  I know a lot of people who are obsessed with mountain biking.  M
Read more

Specialized Roubaix Expert Review: First Long Ride (2018)

Image
2018 Specialized Roubaix Expert Review What does define a modern endurance bike for an XXL rider?  For me, the top 3 are: Comfortable, non-jarring ride -- even when you go over chopped up surfaces  Ability to get going fast quickly and without too much of a frame / component flex Fun with hills -- easy to climb and safe to descend  And then there aesthetics.  I like a classy look that stands out from the sea of look-alike shapes and colors. 2018 Specialized Roubaix Expert in Chameleon Purple / Blue delivers on 90% of these requirements. Ride Quality   2018 Specialized Roubaix just glides over road imperfections and small potholes.  It is smoother than any road bike I have ridden and tested.  The difference is even more pronounced when you do back-to-back tests rides on various bikes.  I tested 2016 Bianchi Infinito CV vs 2018 Trek Domane SL6 vs 2018 Specialized Roubaix Expert. The riding impressions may be different for lighter riders, but for an XXL cyclis
Read more