confused between two bikes

charalampos

hi all,

I have decide to get a good bike for commuting and for some long distances during weekends. However I'm really confused between the
1. Specialized ROUBAIX SL4 ELITE DISC
2. Specialiazed CRUX E5 X1

I understanst the one is cyclocross and the other is road however will understand a lot of difference in terms on comfort? The other one is both bikes have the same price tag but however the one is with carbon frame and the other with aluminum and bot bikes have sram rival one and one x1.

Which one do you think is better value for money, in terms on distances reliability?

slowbike

The groupset is what normal sets two bikes apart from the same breed...

but here you're talking about a touring race bike vs a cyclocross bike with the same groupset ... so the difference you've got is one is carbon, the other aluminium (with a carbon fork) and one will take wider tyres than the other. You can look at the geometry online - on the face of it they look pretty similar.

Assuming you've test ridden both and are comfortable then it comes down to what you're going to be using it for - if you're never doing trails or off roading then stick with the roubaix, otherwise go for the crux.

If you do go down the Crux route then you'll probably want to change the tyres straight away for road use - you'd want to change them on the roubaix too, but at least they're slicks to start with.

I would question the 1x11 setup for a road bike - for long distances anyway - You need to look at the sprockets gap - having wide gaps means it's harder to find a comfortable pace/cadence combo for the terrains you're going to ride. Of course, you could just get a narrower range cassette - but you could lose out on bottom end for climbing.

The other things you need to consider with distance riding is:
what kit you're taking with you - and how you're going to carry it
are you going to use mudguards - how do they fit each bike

imatfaal

Good points above. Other minor(ish) things

You might want to check
1. Mudguard Fitting
2. Rack Fitting
3. Whether these models have the funky Specialised Hub/Thru-axis that won't take standard after market wheels

lakesluddite

The Roubaix does not have a single chainring, it has a compact double up front (50/34), I have the 2015 version. It's a decent bike, not mega-light, given the disc brakes, but they are very good stoppers, especially in the wet (and I've had a lot of practice lately). It's sold as an 'endurance' bike, and has plasticky/rubbery inserts (Zertz) in the forks and seatstays to absorb vibrations, and something similar at the top of the seatpost. It is more comfortable than my previous Carbon bike, and with a wider tyre would probably be even more so.

It comes with mudguard mounts on the seatstays and forks, but trying to attach a mudguard to the seatstay bridge is a complete pain - I have managed to put SKS Raceblade longs onto mine but it was a botch job. You would only be able to fit a 25mm tyre if you were to fit 'guards as well.

charalampos

Thanks a lot guys for the replies,

I like the driving experience with the rival 1x less hassle, but i do not know if it is good for multipurpose. The second thing that still i don't understand is how come both bikes are the same price but the one is carbon and the other with aluminum. Plus the carbon has slightly better seat post and wheels. Is this because of the rival x1 ?? I'm leaning towards the crux because i like the 700x33 wheels because i think with thinner wheels you need to be more careful...


Again Thanks

kajjal

There is also the specialized diverge which fits in between the two bikes.

skooter

+ 1 for the Diverge.. cracking bike?

alwayscycle

The Diverge does look a really good bike. If you want road gearing but with the ability to go off road (up to 35cc tyre) this is probably a better option over the Crux and Roubaix.