54cm specialized roubaix

jack000

I have recently purchased 54cm roubaix and now I believe I may have become a victim of being fitted incorrectly. I'm 5'8 and have a 30 inch inseem. I'm not stretched out feels just right on top I was after a more 'upright' posture seeing that I'm just starting and was after a good quality bike so I was offered the roubaix which is known for its more 'upright' comfort. The problem I have is that the seat is around an inch above the stem which looks out compared to others bikes as they have a noticeable gap, I have plenty of stem showing due to the shape of the frame but if i was to put my seat up any higher then it be hard to reach the pedals. I know it's obviously hard to judge without pictures (unable due to working away from home) but does this sound like a 54cm is too big for me?

amaferanga

What do you mean when you say the seat is an inch above the stem? Do you mean the saddle is only an inch higher than the bars? Do you want the bars lower? If so then are then any spacers below the stem and could the stem be flipped over so it's pointing down instead of up? Is the only reason you want the bars lower because that's what other bikes are like.

Unfortunately you selected a bike with an absurdly high front end for a road bike. 54cm probably isn't too big for you, but it's hard to say without pictures.

Brava210

I am 30 inch and now have a Boardman 53cm, which at first felt huge but now seems ok.
I had a 51cm Felt for a couple of weeks but this felt really small.
I don't have a lot of stem showing, I think of it that the more stem showing then the more weight on your hands as your sitting higher than the bars.
You could always try a shorter stem.
What size stem do you have at the moment?

jack000

What I was trying to get across is that my seat is only around and inch above the bars and was wondering is that too low? if I was to go any higher I would be pushing my reach to the pedals which has made me start to question the size of my bike

jack000

my reach is fine feels good on both the hoods and drops no major issues with my back or arms, the frame is 54cm

amaferanga

Saddle height is set relative to the pedals, not the bars so don't go changing your saddle height to get it higher than the bars. Did you notice my questions above? Are there any spacers under the stem? Does the stem point upwards or downwards? Do you want a bigger saddle-bar drop just for looks?

jack000

there's just one spacer below and above the stem, The stem points very slightly upwards, I have about just over 18cm (7inches) of seat post showing with around about an inch clearance of my handle bars so i guess that's because it being a Roubaix with its shape and it having a high end, basically yes, I thought the seat being a good difference in height to the bar was the norm

Brava210

It sounds fine to me, the relaxed geometry of that bike would give you this.
Turn the stem over if you want the bars lower and possible back pain

Gary

jack000

Cool cheers for the help, I guess it's probably me trying to run before I can walk the gent in my LBS did tell me That seeing this is my first road bike to stay away from the pro fit/image and get something more upright and easy to ride and basically get out and get the feel for riding and some knowledge. Obviously with alot more people jumping on 'the band waggon' as I am, everyone wants the pro image which I guess Is good but not without the knowledge! lesson learned! I'll get some pictures up as soon as I'm back home from working away, so you can see why I thought I had an issue with its size

Brava210

look forward to the piccies

unixnerd

I'm 5'6" on a good day and ride a 52 Roubaix, fit is perfect for me. So I'd say a 54 sounds about right for you. I'd ask the shop to give you some fitting advice.

EarlyGo

Hi jack,

It sounds to me like your LBS gave you the correct advice and a bike that from your dimensions should fit you. The Roubaix (& Secteur) are renowned for their very long head tube and subsequent upright position. This will mean that the drop from saddle to stem will be less than a more race orientated bike. You benefit from a more comfortable upright position (which you is probably no bad thing when you start off) but lose out by having a less streamlined riding position which will give more drag. As others have said, when you get used to the riding position then you can try lowering the stem down by the one spacer you have. You'll never get the extreme looking 'pro' saddle to handlebar drop on a Roubaix unless you buy a size too small!

Regards, EarlyGo

wishitwasallflat

jack000 wrote:

my reach is fine feels good on both the hoods and drops no major issues with my back or arms, the frame is 54cm

Then its fine.

Don't worry about how it looks as others have said Roubaix and Secteurs are built to be comfortable not for max speeds so the saddle to bars drop is never going to look like a Tarmac or other proper full on race bike. If you find you are permanently in the drops and frustrated that you can't get low enough on your Roubaix then its time for n+1
Meanwhile enjoy

foiled

As others have said, frame size sound be fine. I've got the same frame sized roubaix, and only an inch taller than you, and my bike fits fine

Paul E

I have to have a long drop on my bike as that's how I am built (5 10, 33 inseam long arms and legs short body) and it's more comfy for me than the sectuer (56cm) I had, I ended up removing the spacers from under the stem but could never get it to be quite right, I also had a load of seat post showing, but thats the sloping top tube for you.

jack000

Cheers for the advice everyone, as you could imagine I was slightly worried having bought it then started to doubt the frame size but as you all have been saying the roubaix's geometry is made for the more upright posture I have been scanning the web and everyone has the same to say about it and seen a fair few pictures with the seat to handle bar drop either level or just above the bars, I will get a picture up as soon as I can. What's the roubaix like for distance? I haven't had a great deal of experience with bikes as Ive been running for the past 6 years but what i find is that it feels very smooth to ride I haven't had any real chance of getting any good distance on it just yet

unixnerd

I love my Roubaix, my nephew noticed that I just rode over manhole covers and didn't try to avoid them any more. It really soaks up the bumps without compromising pedalling efficiency. The saddle is by far the comfiest I've ever owned too. Had it up and down the A9 Drumochter cycle path a few times and it coped with that really well (no way I'd take my Cannondale CAAD5 there).

Love the Roubaix tyres it comes with, put some on my other road bike too. They're only 280g and don't need tyre levers to get on and off. Another thing I like are the oversized large diameter handlebars. I find them far more comfortable to hold.

Only thing I did was change the wheels for a lighter set I already had. They're well made DT-Swiss but awfully heavy for a three grand bike. Only thing I'm not nuts about is the colour scheme which I think is a bit bland, they used to do a nice red and black / raw carbon one a few years ago. And the internal cable routing on my SL3 compromises the gear shift quality slightly.

Best bike I've ever had.

fudbeer

Totally agree with unixnerd its the best bike I have ever had too in 30 years of road biking!

Wish my first bike was a roubaix.

I had many years of uncomfortable cycling before I found the roubaix.

Unless you are really gonna be doing time trials and racing the advantage you get from bikes that are built soley for speed at the expense of comfort is just not worth it imo.

I had a Trek madone before and although it was faster it was nowhere near as enjoyable to ride and you miss enjoying the countryside because of your position,what did not help was I had a frame that was on the large side too.Also I can ride the roubaix a lot further without discomfort I have done many 100 plus rides on it

I am 5'11 and my frame size is 54 and while I accept tht it is a little on the small side and would probably get the next size up if I bought again with a slightly longer stem I find it fits me fine.

I have had the bike for about 5 years and done many thousands of miles and other than the usual maintanance/replacing worn out parts it is as good now as when it was new.

An awesome bike for people who love to ride!

secretsam

Frame size sounds about right, I'm 5'9" with similarly stumpy legs (if anything slightly shorter) and I ride a 54cm, although not a Roubaix, perhaps I should try one as I've got a dodgy lower back and the other week I hit a bump whilst caning it downhill and set the bl00dy back pain off (again)

jonomc4

I have a Roubaix (cheap frame one) for my winter bike. I am 5'11 with 32" inside leg. The ideal size for me would be a 56cm but I use a 58cm (with 100mm stem) - mostly because I am used to being stretched out on my DeRosa and the 56cm just felt too upright a change for me. But if I was using it at my only bike and for longer rides I would definitely go for a 56cm - all in all 54cm sounds right to me for you size. Get a fit if you can. What pure measurements can't tell you is where your personal centre of gravity is!

What might help is to get a couple of cheap stems (2nd hand ebay stuff for a tenner or less) and start out short (90mm maybe) and lengthen over time till you find your best size. You may find that you want to get a bit lower on the drops once the winter winds blow!

nickel

Frame size sounds right to me, I ride a 54cm allez and Im 5ft 7" with a 31" inseam, I wouldn't worry about how much saddle to bar drop you have, I've known people who have slammed their stems because it 'looks pro' but aren't actually comfortable on the bike.