Roubaix Comp

I came from my Argon -18 aero bike and have a triathlon background. Prior I've been with giant, trek, Merida but this is my first road bike by specialized. Torn between the Tarmac and the RBx, I opted for the latter. The differences are noticeable on a time sheet but other than that I've opted for the most confortable ride with a small sacrifice of speed and weight compared to its even leaner brethren.

There is only one KOM I set in the past that I have not been able to beat on this machine. The rest of the leaderboards have me edging top tens if I want to push this thing.

I'm yet to hit the 200miler day but seriously considering doing a NC500 or lejog with this thing. Not a single comfort complaint at all. The speed is there of you need it. It flies uphill , not as quick as stiffer frames downhill if you are a lighter rider like me but gosh, it really doesn't drop off the Trek emondas in the group's I'm in. Effortless.

The finish and final finished components are excellent . Skeptical of my first Praxis M30 zayante hollow forged cranks and rings, as they have a drive side BB 2mm bigger than non drive side. Paired with the Ultegra 8000 shifter and 105 cassette the thing is silent and crisp precision. More so than the ultegra crank my riding partner has. Only been caught in the rain a few times and services well. 3000miles on the bike in a year this week, and very minimal bearing wear.

I find myself eyeing an s works tarmac and pointlessly the venge. Then I awaken, the Roubaix is within touching distance of the gains these bikes bring. I still want a Tarmac for the nice days ahead, but my go to, my do it all. Is this Roubaix.

2 yrs of ownership and not a day goes by that I don't want to be out on it. Superbly built, very race-able, amazing comfort.....what's not to like. Now fitted with Spesh's own Roubaix tubeless 30mm tyres and flying over just about any surface. Best purchase in decades. The magazine reviewers were spot on giving it a bike of the year award.

Initially I had a few issues, self inflicted. I thought there was a bad rattle from the forks so contacted the Bristol store where i ordered it from. They were superb, very attentive, very helpful, very thorough. I couldn’t have asked for more. Well done. The issue itself was of my own making, new bottle cages allowed my drinks bottle to resonate and vibrate. Once my old ones fitted the issue cleared up. I describe the above because even though I bought the bike on line the support was still there.

The bike itself is beautifully finished. Well put together and sleek. The gears are excellent,nice neat changes. The brakes fantastic and I would warn of the need for care after having rim brakes. The ride is most definitely comfortable, the impact reducing handle bars are great and the flex in the seat post just right but not affecting performance.

The tires seem fine in the dry but I have had a twitch from the back in damp conditions so will switch to my favourite GP4000 tires soon.

The only thing I’m not happy with is the seat, it’s hard. However I always have seat trouble and actually use a very ugly Brooks which I love. To hell with it, comfort reigns over style for me and with my bum on it no one can see.

Thanks to all at the Harrogate store, I was recommended to go by a cycling friend to try out the Roubaix and was very pleased with the attention to detail and the service the team at Harrogate gave me.

As for the machine itself..... am doing times for Strava segments never seen before, The comfort is better than expected but the speed of the machine is an unexpected surprise.

Disc brakes, just get them and don't worry. The handling is so precise too on downhill sections