Specialized are a company who continue to innovate, create and push the sport of cycling forward. Their success on the world stage of professional cycling has a lot to do with their technical prowess, and the new Roubaix range is evidence that this legacy of innovation will continue for years to come. Expanding on what was already a successful bike, the new 'Future Shock' front suspension of the latest Roubaix redefines the genre of endurance road bikes, and pushes the boundaries of what riders can achieve. Riding is believing.
The Roubaix, as the name suggests, was built to conquer the pav� of the famous spring classics. Used by professionals like Tom Boonen to nullify the impact of cobbled roads and ensure comfort over long races, the Roubaix range transfers well to riders looking to stay comfortable on long sportives in the British countryside. With disc brakes and space for wide tyres, there's scope some adventure and gravel riding, too.
Price: From £2,099.99
Discipline: Road
Usage: Sportive and Endurance
- + Disc Brakes
- + Future Shock Headtube
- + Rider-First Engineered Design
Frame and Forks
2017's incantation of the Roubaix frame is the lightest Specialized have ever made, whether this be the FACT 10r carbon fibre of the Elite, Comp and Expert models to the top-level FACT 11r carbon of the S-Works bike. Rider-First Engineered design features throughout, ensuring every bike handles exactly as it should - no matter what the frame size. With help from motorsport experts McLaren, Specialized have worked hard to ensure a degree of vertical compliance that makes for impeccable rolling efficiency on the rough stuff, without sacrificing stiffness or handling.
Other Stand-out Features
Most important to note on the new Roubaix is the new Future Shock headtube design. Essentially, it's an independent piston in the headtube that provides 20mm of travel. This might not sound like much, but it's just enough to maintain speed and comfort on rough terrain. According to Specialized, it outperforms anything on the current market - and it's easy to see why.
Groupset
Other than the wireless SRAM eTAP that features on the S-Works Roubaix, the entire model range uses Shimano 11-speed shifting. This ranges from the ultra reliable 105 groupset on the Elite to the Ultegra Di2 electronic shifting on the Pro UDi2. Shimano's groupset platforms are continuously well-reviewed, with Road.cc even calling the latest Ultegra drivetrain 'really, really, really good.'
Wheels
All models in the range are built with versatility and wide tyres in mind (hence all are specified with 26mm tyres as standard). The S-Works features the pro-level performance Roval CLX 32 Disc wheels, whilst the Comp to Expert models use highly-durable DT R470 wheels. Finally, the Roubaix Elite is built using a set of AXIS Elite Disc wheels.
Finishing Kit
Compliance at the rear-end of the frame is added to by Specialized's CG-R FACT Carbon seatpost, which features on all models. It extends on the 'smoother is faster' philosophy and helps to keep riders fresh over long distances by giving 18mm of vertical compliance alongside Zertz vibration damping.
Specialized Roubaix Range