opinion on secteur vs roubaix

alibabameister
Posts: 100
Hi
I think I would like either a secteur sport triple or a roubaix sport triple for doing a 30 mile commute, would I need notice any difference comfort wise and would the roubaix be able to cope with a seat stem mounted carrier or can you get some kind of panniers that dont need specific mounts .
Should I really consider something else , I just like the idea of the zertz inserts but not sure if they really make a difference?
Cheers
Aao
I think I would like either a secteur sport triple or a roubaix sport triple for doing a 30 mile commute, would I need notice any difference comfort wise and would the roubaix be able to cope with a seat stem mounted carrier or can you get some kind of panniers that dont need specific mounts .
Should I really consider something else , I just like the idea of the zertz inserts but not sure if they really make a difference?
Cheers
Aao
0
Comments
-
Hi
I've had both at the same time last year - a secteur triple as a winter trainer and a Roubaix Comp as a summer best. Both are good with same geometry and a similar feel but the Roubaix is a much, much better bike. Faster and much more comfortable - a true all day sportive bike and one I was hugely sorry to say goodbye to.
If you can stretch to the Roubaix then treat yourself.0 -
whitedials wrote:Hi
I've had both at the same time last year - a secteur triple as a winter trainer and a Roubaix Comp as a summer best. Both are good with same geometry and a similar feel but the Roubaix is a much, much better bike. Faster and much more comfortable - a true all day sportive bike and one I was hugely sorry to say goodbye to.
If you can stretch to the Roubaix then treat yourself.
Why did you change bikes etc ?0 -
Why on earth would you buy a bike for regular commuting that didn't allow you to fit proper mudguards as standard?
I have a Spec Roubaix myself, and while it's a cracking bike, it would make a hugely impractical commuter. If you're spending serious wedge on a commuter I'd point you in the direction of a Condor Fratello, a proper do anything bike.
You'd probably be out of luck if you clamped a seat post mounted rack on Roubaix too. It's carbon, and I'm pretty sure Spec won't take kindly too that.
It really does sound like you've got a mismatch between what your requirements are and the bike you're thinking of buying.0 -
I'm looking at a 60 mile round trip possibly 3 times a week starting off with once a week and seeing how I get on. I've not done Road cycling before and don't know much about it as I've got a mountain bike background, my thinking was to get the most comfortable bike with as little weight as affordable to maintain momentum. Wasnt really to sure what use mudguards are going to have and hoping not to have to take too much in way of weight. Would think of all the other brands like ribble, planet x , focus and pobably others b ut I really don't know what the difference s are and you cant go and try them for size anywhere
Open to suggestions
AL0 -
Specialized Tricross? Elite Disc if you have the money:
http://www.specializedconceptstore.co.u ... /tricross/
Mudguard/rack mounts, fairly upright riding position like the Secteur.0 -
A Tricross is a good shout, as is something like a Surly Cross Check or something like a Kinesis T2.
Look for a bike with a frame that'll take mudguards and a rack to give you some weather protection and luggage carrying options. Also, I would suggest you go for a frame that will take 25 or 28mm tyres (Conti GP 4 seasons are my tyre of choice for this). You'll gain a lot more in comfort than you'll lose in speed.
Weight and rolling resistance aren't going to be that much of an issue if you're commuting, something that's a comfy mile eater is going to be more appropriate.
Having experimented with panniers, courier bags, rucksacks etc I would say that the best commuting luggage option is a large saddle bag like a Carradice Nelson/Nelson Longflap. They are big enough to take a fair bit of stuff and don't upset the balance of the bike like panniers do. In addition, as they sit behind your thighs they don't add any noticeable wind resistance, and you don't get a sore/sweaty back and shoulder from carrying luggage.0 -
Pretty sure you could get one of those Fratellos built up into something not that heavy that will take mudguards and a rack, for less than a Spesh Roubaix. Or another steel option is a Jamis Quest, but in general if you are looking to hang heavy weights off of it then steel or aluminium is the way to go.0
-
The Roubaix is effectively a higher quality Secteur, so interms of the riding experience expect to tick similar boxes, but with bigger ticks. Over and above the ride itself, in someone ways the cheaper Secteur maybe the more suitable commute bike, it can take a rack for example.
Arguably a bike is a bike, you can ride Land's end to John O'Groats on a unicycle if the mood so took you, doesn't mean that's the most appropriate bike though. So, if you view the Roubaix as a higher quality Secteur then I would say that neither are really set up to be all weather commute bikes, both will struggle with protecting both you and itself from our British weather, although you can get mudguards on, all be it not quite as good as bikes that have clearances and fittings that can accomdate full guards, note that even on the latter mudguards are normally a trade off between a pain in the ars* or a wet one.
So although not set up to be a commute bike they can be used if you are prepared to compromise commuting convience to achieve a bike set with fast mile eating. For example you mention 3 times a week, if you are honest with yourself and this translates to 3 times a week weather permitting, that means fair weather bikes are a more relevant choice than they would be if you intend to still use them when it's snowing. It all comes down to the fact that if you are using a bike for a versatile style of riding how much you focus on one area and compromise in another is down to the individual, some will indeed chose a faster yet more delicate set up and use it to commute on and for them that's the correct choice, just as much as it would be if like 'Stupot101' mentioned they chose the more robust Specialized Tricross that would be ideal for commuting yet could still be used for faster day rides; even though the Roubaix has a lighter quicker set up it doesn't mean the Tricross can't be used for that role anymore than the lighter faster more delicate Roubaix can't be used for commuting, in the context of this thread both can perform each others roles all be it with compromises and ultimately only you can work out where those compromises maybe; you do need to be honest with yourself though.
For example, a while ago I had a customer come to see me wanting an Audax bike, I know he wanted an Audax bike because he told me, he then went on to tell me what he wanted to use it for and that he really likes them, all jolly good and tickerdy boo as it matched what he wanted so we merrily worked out a spec' that seemed perfect, perfect that is right up until the moment he said right at the very end "will I be able to keep up with my mate on it", I asked him to elaborate, "when he pulls away up a climb he drops me and I can't quite hold him and then I can't quite close the gap", now he'd be using a Touring bike with a slightly slower set up than the Audax bike he had chosen, but my response was "how important is that moment", he sat there, sat a bit longer and confessed "more than I'm prepared to admit" so I showed him a more focused Sportive bike and explained that the Audax bike he had chosen had a quicker set up than his touring bike so it may still be enough, but at that very moment the Sportive bike would be more resposive to an out of the saddle kick to close that gap; he bought the Sportive bike! That's what I mean by being honest with yourself as it can take time to work out what it is you really need, he initially said that he wanted a bike to go light touring on that was lighter and faster than his load carrying designed tourer and therefore also slightly more suitable for faster day rides, so the Audax bike ticked all the boxes, yet when I learned more I descovered that what he really wanted was to keep up with his mate, yes he still wanted to go touring, but he was keeping his touring bike and could still use it for that role, so for him the compromise was to keep that old bike for that role and not use a shiny new one, but instead get one that helped him to go faster. As a footnote to that example when he bought it back his first service I asked him if he could indeed now keep up; you could see how chuffed with himself he was when he told me he could and then some, so for him he did feel that he had come to the right conclusion; bikes are far more than usable pieces of kit, they can make you feel great in so many ways but it is worth taking the effort to make sure you chose the correct one.
Paul0 -
I have a Secteur Elite and a Tricross Sport so maybe I can offer some input.
I bought the Secteur first via C2W as a fitness bike. Two years down the line, the Secteur is an acceptable road bike. It's ali but pretty comfortable, I did LEJOG on it last year and it was really reliable and I had no problems. I upgraded the wheels and the ride is ok, still a bit bumpy in places but ok. The position is very relaxed, I now find it a little too relaxed to get a shift on but that's probably down to me.
The Tricross is a better commuter in my opinion, guards and a rack, pretty comfortable and generally a really good allrounder. The brakes are cr*p even with swisstop pad then stopping is a calculated decision. Next time I would get discs.
Mine is a 24m round trip. If your doing 30miles each way then something comfortable is a good choice, either the tricross or the secteur are certainly comfortable enough. I've done sportives on both and there really isnt much difference. If the Tricross had better brakes then I'd sell the Secteur without hesitation, both are just too similar.
I'd rather commute on the tricross in winter. Come summer its a different decision and I would probably take the Secteur, however as I've just bought a Supersix I'd probably take that instead0 -
mikenetic wrote:A Tricross is a good shout, as is something like a Surly Cross Check or something like a Kinesis T2.
Look for a bike with a frame that'll take mudguards and a rack to give you some weather protection and luggage carrying options. Also, I would suggest you go for a frame that will take 25 or 28mm tyres (Conti GP 4 seasons are my tyre of choice for this). You'll gain a lot more in comfort than you'll lose in speed.
Weight and rolling resistance aren't going to be that much of an issue if you're commuting, something that's a comfy mile eater is going to be more appropriate.
Having experimented with panniers, courier bags, rucksacks etc I would say that the best commuting luggage option is a large saddle bag like a Carradice Nelson/Nelson Longflap. They are big enough to take a fair bit of stuff and don't upset the balance of the bike like panniers do. In addition, as they sit behind your thighs they don't add any noticeable wind resistance, and you don't get a sore/sweaty back and shoulder from carrying luggage.
+1 on all the above, a saddlebag is really useful. However, you are also a mountainbiker and if you are used to a sweaty back then that may not be a consideration. Similarly if you are used to getting muddy and have good changing facilities at work then mudguards may not be such as a need for you. Especially as someone said, most of your commuting maybe fair weather only.
Personally I hate getting wet, so prefer mudguards.
Another bike to consider is the Genesis Equilibrium which is similar to the condor fratello and potentially cheaper, if you want to have mudguards that is.
Also note that there is a Sectaur Disc, which maybe handy if you do consider commuting in wet weather. The roubaix at least in the lower price ranges still runs calipers.0 -
I do a 25 mile commute on this http://www.specializedconceptstore.co.u ... %20Compact0
-
FWIW - I do my 41 miles round trip commute on my Secteur - it takes a pannier rack so I use that and it acts effectively to keep my bum dry but doesn't protect the way a mudgaurd would and I have never bothered with a front. AFAIK ROubaixs won't take a pannier rack so while I want one its as my n+1 not for a commuter.0
-
I think what may suit is a Trek Madone 3.5.
Rack and guard mounts, comfy ride, decent kit and a proper road bike not really a compromise in terms of weight, brakes or road geometry.
I wouldn't want to ride 60 miles, 3 times a week on a tricross. Life's too short.
I commute up to 200 miles a week on a Tarmac. Nobody died.
A steel tourer could also be good though.
The seatpost panniers are fine but they are more sturdy on a 31.6 post than the 27.2 of a roubaix and you'd need to swap out the carbon post for alloy.0 -
I chose a racelight Tk (now superseded by the Tk2 and Tk3) as my do it all bike. Designed as a winter trainer, so it's light and has quite lively geometry, but will also take 25mm tyres and proper mudguards, and it has eyelets for a rear rack if I so choose. 5 years on and I'm still very happy with my choice. Would probably get a Tk3 if this one gets nicked / run over0
-
wishitwasallflat wrote:FWIW - I do my 41 miles round trip commute on my Secteur - it takes a pannier rack so I use that and it acts effectively to keep my bum dry but doesn't protect the way a mudgaurd would and I have never bothered with a front. AFAIK ROubaixs won't take a pannier rack so while I want one its as my n+1 not for a commuter.
You can get those Race Blade long mudguards on a Secteur if you would like more protection and that would also make it a more generic weather resitant commute bike of course.
Paul0 -
Cheers Paul - too true!Paul_Smith SRCC wrote:let's be honest most of us are always one bike away from that perfect garage0
-
Hi,
Thankyou for all your responses . Now thinking I'd like a Van Nicholas or a ti framed bike instead but not sure what to go for quite like the idea of the Van nicholas amazon and I think planet x sell a ti bike with a frame built by van nicholas?
My concern now is budgeting.
Cheers
AL0 -
alibabameister wrote:Hi,
Thankyou for all your responses . Now thinking I'd like a Van Nicholas or a ti framed bike instead but not sure what to go for quite like the idea of the Van nicholas amazon and I think planet x sell a ti bike with a frame built by van nicholas?
My concern now is budgeting.
Cheers
AL
The Audax bike market seems to be popular here in the UK but somewhat off the radar for many manufactuers, intially that included Van Nicholas as they are a Dutch owned company of course. Back when they were still called Airborne* the nearest they had was the 'Carpe Dieme' that became the 'Van Nicholas Amazon', back then I was running the CTC shop franchise and I had a custom built frame made for a customer that was based on their Sportive bike called an 'Airborne Valkyrie', with slightly larger clearances to allow for guards and slightly larger tyres, rear rack mounts and slightly shallower head tube angle for light luggage carrying stability; effectively this is all an Audax bike is and I mentioned to the owner and designer 'Jan Willem Sintnicolaas' that here in the UK this is and would be a popular bike and he should introduce it into their range, he was initially reluctant so I just carried on ordering them as custom builds anyway, with a 'nag nag nag' with each order to introduce them into their range properly. Like any manfucterer they care about numbers, I assume when the orders began to add up it was quite straight forward for them to produce it and it became the 'Airborne Valkyrie Audax', now 'Van Nicholas Yukon'. As a footnote when he popped into see me a while ago I asked how popular for him was the Yukon and he simply said "here in the UK it sells far far more than in any other country", which is why I dare say the Audax bike specific market is still off the radar for many manufacturers.
Paul
* To try and cut a long story short Airborne were in effect two companies, one in Europe and one in the USA and they had different owners, when the USA owners sold the company the new owners stopped the name being used by European owners; hence the name change to 'Van Nicholas'.0 -
I upgraded to a Roubaix after my Secteur was stolen (the Roubaix lives in the house now, not the garage). I commute a 30-40 mile round trip 4 times a week and absolutely love the Roubaix. It's a massively better bike. I don't use mudguards or a rack though.0
-
shmooster wrote:I upgraded to a Roubaix after my Secteur was stolen (the Roubaix lives in the house now, not the garage). I commute a 30-40 mile round trip 4 times a week and absolutely love the Roubaix. It's a massively better bike. I don't use mudguards or a rack though.
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh ! This is what I thought and didn't want to hear - still missus says I can spend £2k on a new bike when I weigh 16 stone so only 2.5 to go0