Tarmac/Roubaix vs Madone

MikeyScott19

Hi all, just getting back into the roadbikes scene after 3 years out of the loop, looking at starting afresh with a new bike to start a healthy variety of racing on again... seem to be having a nightmare choosing between a Specialized Tarmac Elite SL3/Roubaix Elite SL3 or a Trek Madone 4.7-5.5.

Any thoughts & experience on any of these bikes would be much appreciated from 2010-2012 models although I know some of the 2012 stock hasn't quite hit the market yet.

First thing I'd be looking to do after I had a look at all the models would be to change the wheelset regardless of which make/model I choose.

Got a demo ride on a trek madone 5.5 with upgraded wheels for 2days this coming weekend & plan to do the same with the specialized to see what I think but it's not going to be a perfect fitting bike untill I purchase & get properly fitted as they are only demo rides so your opinion & experiences could be a big help also.

porker33

The geometries of the bikes are all over the place...maybe that is the idea?

In terms of race geo going toward comfort, assuming the madone is the usual H2 spec.

tarmac most aggressive...then madone,,,then comfy Roubaix.

They should all ride differently.

The Roubaix for me is the least favourable as I find the comfort makes it unrespoonsive and a little dull.....only you can ride them to work out which suits your needs.

snakedoc

I bought a tarmac comp (SL2) this year after compariing it to the roubaix which just felt a bit more disconnected from the road - both were as fast as each other, it's just that the tarmac felt faster. Also I preferred the tarmac geo/positioning as I felt a bit too upright on the roubaix...

Really like my tarmac - couldn't justify the jump to an SL3!

proto

You ought to consider the quality of the after sales service and warranty offered by Trek and Specializes.

I'm not sure about Trek but Specialized can't be faulted.