Roubaix Comp

chippyk
chippyk Posts: 529
edited April 2017 in Road buying advice
I've got some money burning a hole in my Rapha bib shorts and fancy replacing my six year old Bianchi Via Nirone with Veloce and Zonda wheels with a Specialized Roubaix Comp, a 2017 one. I have a nice Ridley Noah SL for a best bike and a Triban 5 with guards for when it's wet. The Bianchi fits well, is comfortable and I love her but it's long in the tooth and showing it's age, needs a new chain set and well I just want something new. I want something comfortable for 100 mile rides, don't fancy the mechanical discs on the lesser Roubaix.

My question is, is the 2017 Roubaix worth a near £2700 gamble, are the stock disc brake wheels any good or do they need replacing. What other, better, options are out there for similar or less money?

Comments

  • maddog 2
    maddog 2 Posts: 8,114
    if you are asking for an opinion, then mine is that the '17 Roubaix is a pup. A bike that should be avoided at all costs.
    Facts are meaningless, you can use facts to prove anything that's remotely true! - Homer
  • mrb123
    mrb123 Posts: 4,619
    Bearing in mind the bikes you already have, if I was you I'd be looking for something a bit different. Maybe some nice titanium like the Kinesis GF Ti disc.
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,268
    maddog 2 wrote:
    if you are asking for an opinion, then mine is that the '17 Roubaix is a pup. A bike that should be avoided at all costs.

    The proof of the pudding is that AFAIK no Specialized sponsored PRO team have used the Roubaix for the... ehm... Paris-Roubaix... that suggests it is a bit of a pointless frame in their rooster

    I also don't understand the OP need for another bike to bridge the imaginary gap between the Triban and the Noah... I don't see any gap... buy something else? Save for the rainy days?
    left the forum March 2023
  • chippyk
    chippyk Posts: 529
    ugo.santalucia wrote:

    The proof of the pudding is that AFAIK no Specialized sponsored PRO team have used the Roubaix for the... ehm... Paris-Roubaix... that suggests it is a bit of a pointless frame in their rooster

    Didn't know that, doesn't exactly give a ringing endorsement of the concept does it?
  • skyblue337
    skyblue337 Posts: 135
    ugo.santalucia wrote:

    The proof of the pudding is that AFAIK no Specialized sponsored PRO team have used the Roubaix for the... ehm... Paris-Roubaix... that suggests it is a bit of a pointless frame in their rooster

    I suppose it depends on whether you think having a rim brake, pro geometry version of the frame is "using" the Roubaix you can by at your LBS. Cyclingnews reports that all of Bora were on new Roubaixs, future shock and all, as was Boonen. Apparently Niki Terpstra wasn't using a future shock equipped Roubaix and ironically the custom non suspension fork they made for him broke at the steerer and ended his race.
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,268
    skyblue337 wrote:
    ugo.santalucia wrote:

    The proof of the pudding is that AFAIK no Specialized sponsored PRO team have used the Roubaix for the... ehm... Paris-Roubaix... that suggests it is a bit of a pointless frame in their rooster

    I suppose it depends on whether you think having a rim brake, pro geometry version of the frame is "using" the Roubaix you can by at your LBS. Cyclingnews reports that all of Bora were on new Roubaixs, future shock and all, as was Boonen. Apparently Niki Terpstra wasn't using a future shock equipped Roubaix and ironically the custom non suspension fork they made for him broke at the steerer and ended his race.

    Point is the Roubaix now only comes with discs and no team used the Roubaix as such... what does it mean?
    left the forum March 2023
  • Bobbinogs
    Bobbinogs Posts: 4,841
    MrB123 wrote:
    Bearing in mind the bikes you already have, if I was you I'd be looking for something a bit different. Maybe some nice titanium like the Kinesis GF Ti disc.
    Must admit, I'm a bit baffled by this thread. It seems to boil down to "I have several decent bikes but want to spend a big chunk of cash on something similar because one of the bikes needs a little work on it"!

    OP, why not go leftfield and go Ti, or perhaps a gravel/cx bike? Perhaps use the cash on a fantastic ride across Cuba...or a week in Majorca...the options are aplenty, as are bikes for about 3 grand.
  • chippyk
    chippyk Posts: 529
    Bobbinogs wrote:
    MrB123 wrote:
    Bearing in mind the bikes you already have, if I was you I'd be looking for something a bit different. Maybe some nice titanium like the Kinesis GF Ti disc.
    Must admit, I'm a bit baffled by this thread. It seems to boil down to "I have several decent bikes but want to spend a big chunk of cash on something similar because one of the bikes needs a little work on it"!

    OP, why not go leftfield and go Ti, or perhaps a gravel/cx bike? Perhaps use the cash on a fantastic ride across Cuba...or a week in Majorca...the options are aplenty, as are bikes for about 3 grand.

    When the cognoscenti on here agree with Mrs Chippy, it may be the best thing.
  • Bobbinogs
    Bobbinogs Posts: 4,841
    If you go for the Cuba option then she can always drive the support car :-)
  • Gouldy-89
    Gouldy-89 Posts: 49
    Didn't the 2017 roubaix just get bike radars bike of the year.....?
    http://www.bikeradar.com/road/gear/cate ... iew-51112/
  • kajjal
    kajjal Posts: 3,380
    If buying a bike with discs get good quality hydraulics.
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    Point is the Roubaix now only comes with discs and no team used the Roubaix as such... what does it mean?

    http://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/produ ... ons-323069
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,268
    greasedscotsman wrote:
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    Point is the Roubaix now only comes with discs and no team used the Roubaix as such... what does it mean?

    http://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/produ ... ons-323069

    Well, they are not going to come and tell a magazine "Boonen didn't use it because it sucks"... are they?
    left the forum March 2023
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    Well, they are not going to come and tell a magazine "Boonen didn't use it because it sucks"... are they?

    They didn't want to use discs at Roubaix, used a rim brake version instead. Seems to make sense to me.

    Anyway, what a Quick Step/Bora use at Roubaix isn't really relevant, unless ChippyK is a pro...
  • bmxboy10
    bmxboy10 Posts: 1,958
    Gouldy-89 wrote:
    Didn't the 2017 roubaix just get bike radars bike of the year.....?
    http://www.bikeradar.com/road/gear/cate ... iew-51112/
    No offence but this type of response makes me chuckle. Just because a handful of Mamils say it's a good bike everyone believes them.

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