The battle for endurance bike supremacy continues to heat up. As these bikes are becoming more versatile, they are also reducing overall weight while adding significant improvements that deliver a smoother ride. Trek’s new Domane SLR (in for review), BMC’s Roadmachine (also in for review) and now the 2017 Specialized Roubaix and Ruby all represent the latest in all-road, all-day endurance platforms with each taking on road chatter in distinct ways.
Back to the Future Shock
Suspension stems of the 1990’s were an elastomer-laden nightmare that offered an odd ride with rotating handlebars (not awesome). Instead of a suspension stem, Specialized engineers built an integrated, adjustable shock that sits within the head tube and serves as the mounting point for your cockpit. Aside from the 20mm travel, another benefit is that the carbon layup of the fork is optimized for lateral and fore/aft stiffness. The result is a consistent wheelbase and predictable handling.
Drop Clamp and CG-R
It’s a well-known fact that smaller-diameter seatposts allow for more fore/aft flex, this delivering added comfort in the saddle. Going with a 27.2mm seatpost is a no-brainer, but what’s unique here is the location of the seatpost clamp in the seat tube. With Drop Clamp, the seatpost now has significantly more exposed seatpost, thus giving you a smoother ride. And, the CGR seatpost takes the edge of as well.
Disc only
Yup, disc brakes only. That’s right, you’ll be treated with predictable braking in all conditions with the new Roubaix. That jump means that Word Tour riders will be riding a different Roubaix or going with the Venge/Tarmac on cobbled stages. But, you and I shouldn’t care… disc brakes are worth the trade-off for me as I spend a ton of time in the mountains and tend to ride year-round in all sorts of bad weather.
Learn More: Visit Specialized.com
