....newbie here...I'm picking up my new Comp 27 this morning...I stumbled on this site AFTER I signed the dotted line...the thoughts posted here by others are like my own thoughts about the Roubaix Comps (I test-rode a Scattante R650, then the Comp Pro and Trek 5200 back-to-back)...so I wasn't imagining or having wishful thinking about the Comp's characteristics even though I'm a 're-entry' road rider after being off of roadbikes for several years...my last roadbike was a circa late 80's Allez w/105s...last week's test-ride of the Roubaix Pro impressed me enough to pull the trigger for the Comp 27 (damn old and worn-out knees)...I look forward to gleaning more info/opinion from other Roubaix Comp owners and hope I'll be able to contribute to this community as well....until then, on your left...

...hmmmmm....picked up the Comp 27 this afternoon...I noticed that it has Ultegra crank arms and silver chainrings and a Shimano hubs/wheels as spec'd on the Roubaix Elite 27 (not the FSA carbon crankarms and black chainrings and the Mavic hubs/Ksyrium Equipe as spec'd on the Specialized website and 2004 catalog)...it also has 700cx23 tires and not the 700cx25 as spec'd on the Specialized website and 2004 catalog...

...I was told by the one of the shop personnel that my Comp 27 triple's setup is how all Comp 27 triples come from Specialized....

...was there a running change from Specialized?...or am I an unwitting recepient of a shop parts swap?...I'm guessing that my Comp 27 Mavic wheelset and FSA crankarms were swapped out for an Elite 27 Shimano wheelset and Ultegra crankarm/chainrings...

....curiously, they said they sold two other Roubaixs today....don't know which models...did the other purchasers upgrade parts?....hmmmm...gonna get with the store owner tomorrow....I'm gonna be pissed if there was a sleight of hand...

The Roubaix comp is supposed to come with the FSA Carbon crank. Specialized posted somewhere on their site that the wheels were changed from the Mavic to the Shimano. The 700x23 shouldnt be that big of a deal. The only question is the crank. It should come with the FSA crank. I have't seen any without the FSA crank. You may want to call specialized and verify with them and then speak with the shop.

I got my Roubaix Comp about a month and a half ago - FSA cranks, Mavic Equipe wheelset - mine is a triple too, so don't let them BS you about triples coming that way. I did have 23's for tires though (different from the spec on the website). I'm assuming you got the Shimano 540 wheelset? If they put 7701's or something on there, you shouldn't complain, but if you got the 540's you should push for the Mavics in my opinion. Defintely need to get the FSA cranks. I can't believe your LBS is trying to work you over like that...

Well...I called Specialized and told them what had happened and asked if there were any running production changes of the Comp 27 and the best I got was, "Not that I'm aware of." To me that's not a definite "No" so it still left me with some doubt. So I called another well-known LBS that carried Specialized bikes and asked them what crank and wheelset were on the bike that they had on the display rack and they told me it it was as spec'd in the catalog and website. Then I called one of the owners of the LBS where I bought my two bikes and expressed my concerns. He told me that he'd take care of it and was also sure that my bike parts on my bike were as Specialized delivered to them. At any rate, he told me that he'd take care of it.

I took my bike to him, went out to lunch with some friends, and when I went back to the shop after lunch about 45 minutes later, my bike was setup with the appropriate Mavic wheels and QR and 700Cx25 tires. He said that he ordered the FSA crankset and it will be delivered in two days. Then he told me to go ahead and take the bike and ride it, but I told him to keep the bike and take off the Ultegra crankset...no sense using a new-ish crankset for a few days if it can be sold at an attractive price as a slightly used demo (I probably logged no more than two miles on that crankset) or used to swap for an in-store upgrade for those who desire the Ultegra.

All in all, I'm satisfied for now and I'm confident that they'll make it right...and even though I was told one thing by one of the mechanics from the store and another from Specialized, my faith has not wavered...especially in the owner.

Hmmm.... that's good to here that the LBS took care of you in the long run although it sounds pretty shady. I too work at a Specialized dealer, and also bought the Roubiax comp 18.... I got the FSA cranks and the 540 wheel set... at first I was bummed about not recieving the Mavic's due to a running change that we weren't notified about, but have quickly become attracted to the 540's paired spoke design. Less is more right? Keep an eye on the Pave seat post... I noticed the other day that the zertz insert on mine is loose... it moves in the hole about 1/8 of an inch side to side. I mentioned it to the owner and he just said to keep an eye on it and if it gets worse then we'll send it in. Some times I feel like a shop test monkey. (and that's not due to the fact that I'm a tech/parts wh0re either!! =) )

Less may be more and light is right, but I think in my case more might be better until I have less body weight to haul around :o .

Its a pretty busy LBS and a parts swap may have happened between bikes...they did it for me when I bought my Epic Marathon and equiped the bike to fit me better ergonomically NO CHARGE (within reason price-wise): seat, handle bar, handle bar stem, and grips...and they're doing it again with my Comp 27: the handlebar stem was swapped from a 110 to a 100...so, I see how it could happen.

Perhaps better knowledge of the product's content by the store's staff in light of generous parts swaps might alleviate the concerns...it would stand to reason that some of us consumers might know more about the bike we want than some of the store's staff (who have tons of bikes to contend with in a multi-brand shop) because WE research the bikes of our dreams as much as we can, mull it over for days or weeks, stare at the well-worn catalog multi-times per day, enlarge the website picture countless times, read and re-read all of the posts about it, and lose precious sleep before we actually pull the trigger :D ....now tell that that hasn't happened to you? :D

Anyway, just because 'the consumer' asks lots of questions when they go into the store doesn't mean they don't know jack about the bike...we might even know more...and forums such as this arms us with the knowledge we need ;)...still, I'll stand by this LBS because they've been more than fair to me in spite of what happened :)

I'm that guy also... endless research...

I'm 6'1" 235 and I ride the wheels with no problems... I've had to tension the spokes a little more than I'd like, but perhaps it's due to the lack of spokes and the torsion I create when I jump off the saddle? If you want a staight bomb proof wheel set, go with the Mavic Open Pro rims and the Dura Ace hubs. All of our top guys have the local ex-pro build them... he's for ever building this combo. If you have a wheel-smith at your LBS, pick his brain... everyone has there opinions, but the wheel-smith has seen it all.

just my .02
Tail Wind <<--- Not a wheel smith, but I hang out with the guy!

I got my Roubaix Comp about a month and a half ago - FSA cranks, Mavic Equipe wheelset - mine is a triple too, so don't let them BS you about triples coming that way. I did have 23's for tires though (different from the spec on the website). I'm assuming you got the Shimano 540 wheelset? If they put 7701's or something on there, you shouldn't complain, but if you got the 540's you should push for the Mavics in my opinion. Defintely need to get the FSA cranks. I can't believe your LBS is trying to work you over like that...

It was the 540s...looks 'cheesy' compared to the Equipes...test-rode the Pro with the 7701s...everything about that all DuraAce double Pro felt so much better than the my Comp27 and the Trek 5200, but I can't make use of a double right now (maybe in a couple of years)...the Equipes and the 700Cx25 are on my bike now...waiting for the FSA crankset now...cool owner of the LBS is a man of his word...nice! :D

Finally got it delivered as spec'd on the website (but with 100mm stem)...no time to ride it right now (gotta suit up for work), but the little test ride I took before loading it up revealed a slight chain rub on the front derailleur when its on the mid-chainring and the two big ones on the cassette (where I suspect I'll be on the low to moderate hills or against the afternoon gusts). I was told that its going to be that way until the chain breaks-in....and that that's the way it is with the FSAs. HUH??? I've never had any triple do this before, mountain or road. I want a quiet ride...its one of the reasons I like to ride a bike...the 'quiet'. Anyway, I'm sure they'll make it good one way or the other...we'll see how my ride goes tomorrow. BTW...I think its a cool looking bike...rides nice, too! :cool:

http://www.specialized.com/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=6781

They have the Shimano 540 wheelset change noted on the Comp 18 page but not on the Comp 27 page... Even though the date is 4/9 I just noticed that it showed up on the website about a week ago... IMO the 540 wheelset is a deal killer... Check out the reviews:

http://www.roadbikereview.com/Wheelsets/Shimano/PRD_174284_2490crx.aspx

Hey, the dang front derailer clamp is smack in the middle of the water bottle cage, you can't put in a second water bottle cage unless you add some silly spacers. Nice going, Specialized!

I am deciding between the Specialized 04 Roubaix Comp 27 and the Trek 5200, any suggestions. I live in Tahoe and the roads are fairly bumpy but to to bad. I am mainly a mtn biker but am doing more road riding than in the past and my Specialized Allez isn't quite cutting it. Most of my road rides are 1-2 blasts and a few centuries a year.

Any advice would be great. Thanks.

I am deciding between the Specialized 04 Roubaix Comp 27 and the Trek 5200, any suggestions. I live in Tahoe and the roads are fairly bumpy but to to bad. I am mainly a mtn biker but am doing more road riding than in the past and my Specialized Allez isn't quite cutting it. Most of my road rides are 1-2 blasts and a few centuries a year.

Any advice would be great. Thanks.


Test rides. You know better after riding each and seeing which one feels better. When i was looking a new road bike it was between the Roubaix and the 5200. After riding both I fell in love with the roubaix. It had a little more relaxed geometry which I like d. The didnt feel all that different to me. Both bikes had their pluses. My fianl decision came down to looks. The Roubaix rides awesome and I thought it looked cool too.

Test rides. You know better after riding each and seeing which one feels better. When i was looking a new road bike it was between the Roubaix and the 5200. After riding both I fell in love with the roubaix. It had a little more relaxed geometry which I like d. The didnt feel all that different to me. Both bikes had their pluses. My fianl decision came down to looks. The Roubaix rides awesome and I thought it looked cool too.

Its funny you say that, I can get a better deal on the Trek, but I love the looks of the Roubaix.

Hey, I noticed something really odd this weekend while riding my roubaix comp 27 up a really steep hill (The Wall). I was in my 30 front chainring and 21 rear pushing real hard, when the damned chain popped right off the front chainring! I thought it was an odd fluke until it happened again 100 yards later. Odd and rather painful. Any idea what can cause this? The chainring looks fine, and I only have a few 100 miles on the bike. I don't think its possible to flex the carbon fiber frame enough to knock the chain off...

but the little test ride I took before loading it up revealed a slight chain rub on the front derailleur when its on the mid-chainring and the two big ones on the cassette (where I suspect I'll be on the low to moderate hills or against the afternoon gusts). I was told that its going to be that way until the chain breaks-in....and that that's the way it is with the FSAs. HUH??? I've never had any triple do this before, mountain or road. I want a quiet ride...its one of the reasons I like to ride a bike...the 'quiet'. cool:

Ultegra triples have a trimmer for the middle chain ring. If you touch the "downshift" lever gently while in the middle ring, the derailer cage should only move a half step and the chain will not jump down to the small chain ring, but will move enough to stop the chain from rubbing. You may need to re-adjust the tension on the cable to get it to work smoothly.

Hey, the dang front derailer clamp is smack in the middle of the water bottle cage, you can't put in a second water bottle cage unless you add some silly spacers. Nice going, Specialized!

Look around for a different cage, Mine doesn't have a one piece mounting plate. I know Trek makes one and I think Specialized does too. With a compact frame you don't have room above the derailer clamp for the bottle mounts and a full sized bottle.