As far as I know, this is the first road bike that is being pitched as first and foremost as the ultimate in comfort. Even the bike's name comes from a cobbled course in France. I've never seen a bike this light advertised as supremely comfortable as well. I hope the hype is true, what do you think?

I looked at the Roubaix carbon in person for a few minutes before I knew anything about it, and noticed what looked like gel inserts in the fork and seatstays. My first impression was that this is kind of weird for a bike frame; it's more like a cushioned running shoe.

I've always liked the Specialized name in bikes for no other reason that I thought it looked good on a frame. The idea of a fast, light, road bike that is non-fatiguing over long rides is appealing. I'm pretty excited. I'm very tempted to test ride and pick this one up, specifically the comp 27 version.

I think the price is about $2200. What does the bike forum think about the Specialized carbon Roubaix series? I did a search but the I guess the bike is too new for any substantial info yet from forum members. Again, the concept of a bike that is fast, light and extremely comfortable and cushioning is a great one. Is it possible?

I bought a Roubaix pro frame and built it up with a DA and Ultegra mix, you can see it on the Specialized section off this site. To put it simply, I love it. Not to go in to too much detail but I have a brain condition that makes my hands shake when they are uder load. So on my old Cannondale on a fast decent I would start up a speed wobble. Dont get me wrong it was not the Cdales fault it was me. Now that ive got the Roubaix that problem has almost completely gone. It is very comfortable and stiff. That gel stuff works, just dont look at it to long, I cant work out how it works. This bike has got me riding again, I was ready to quit road and go MTB full time. As for weight the thing is lighter than my old CAAD5 Cdale. Test ride one on a long ride if you can.

I haven't ridden it myself, but for what it's worth, a test in a German magazine couldn't sense any additional comfort coming from "Zerts" over regular frames. They essentially labeled the technology as marketing hype. Overall the frame was considered quite good however with an excellent price to value ratio.

This bike has a shorter top tube and taller head tube than the carbon bikes from Giant or Trek. If you want a more relaxed geometry in a high priced bike, then you should look at this bike.

:) Just bought this bike. It's the aluminum and carbon fiber model, the least expensive in the Roubaix line. It has all 105 components, a very smooth ride and a very comfortable riding position and yet still feels quick. I like it because it didn't break my wallet. I paid $1,169 it has a great frame for upgrades down the road. I like the aluminum frame because it can take some abuse and is still very light. I weighed the bike on a basic scale at 20lb's with pedals. I'm very happy with it and it should last me a long time. The 105 is bomb proof!

I rode this bike last week after riding a number of other bikes - including Trek, Giant, Calfee and Look carbon frame models - and there was no question in my mind that it's in another league when it comes to comfort. This is the first bike I've ridden that I actually thought about doing a double century on. I haven't ridden it in the hills yet, but if it handles at all like the Specialized racing bikes, it should be a winner. Here's a link from one of the best sources i've found for reviews...

http://www.cyclingnews.com/tech.php?id=tech/2004/reviews/specialized_roubaix_pro

I bought a Roubaix Comp back in April of this year and it has been a fantastic bike. Very smooth; literally eliminates the bumps and vibration I felt on other bikes I test road. Extremely comfortable to ride. All in all, I don't think you can go wrong with this bike.

Interesting reply on the gel inserts. I been riding with other folks who are riding different make bikes (other then Specialized) and some of them are swapping out there seat posts for new ones with the gel inserts in them (Zerts). They have told me it has made a big difference in their rides. Maybe its just a placebo affect? Don't know.

What's neat is this new material called steel. Try it! It'll give you a good ride, regardless of manufactuer; steel is like Mac 'n Cheese, have to be a tard to f*ck it up.

I haven't ridden it myself, but for what it's worth, a test in a German magazine couldn't sense any additional comfort coming from "Zerts" over regular frames. They essentially labeled the technology as marketing hype. Overall the frame was considered quite good however with an excellent price to value ratio.

The Roubaix is the first bike that is not only designed for comfort, but also has cool visibly-identifiable parts with a cool name (Zerts). Over a 30-minute test ride I couldn't tell the difference between an 03 Specialized sans Zerts and an 04 Specialized with Zerts in the forks, but the critical difference comes when you're reaching the end of a century and your muscles have been subjected to some small difference in pounding for a long period of time.

I have the Roubaix as well. I dont really feel like the Zerts do a whole lot to change the feel of the ride, but I still love it.

I rode this bike last week after riding a number of other bikes - including Trek, Giant, Calfee and Look carbon frame models - and there was no question in my mind that it's in another league when it comes to comfort. This is the first bike I've ridden that I actually thought about doing a double century on. I haven't ridden it in the hills yet, but if it handles at all like the Specialized racing bikes, it should be a winner. Here's a link from one of the best sources i've found for reviews...

http://www.cyclingnews.com/tech.php?id=tech/2004/reviews/specialized_roubaix_pro

Was the Giant the next best or almost as good as the Spec.

Looks like a good alternative for people who need a shorter top tube (like me). I just can't make myself like sloping top tubes. Nothing at all wrong with them, I'm just old fashioned and conventional. Went with Colnago instead, for it's shorter top tube.

~Al

but, imho, the Spec is in a category of its own. You'll have to ride them both and compare for yourself though... you might have a different experience.

I will add that the first guy I met riding a Spec also had a Giant TCR, and he was using the Spec as his main ride... he raved about it.

I like the ride of the Roubaix quite a bit. It's natural that I should since the riding position and geometry is similar to our Herons (I accused the folks at Specialized of ripping me off but I'm not sure if they thought that I was all that funny).

I am very skeptical about the Zertz inserts, especially in the seatstays since that is an inherently rigid part of the overall structure. Specialized does have some test data showing that a carbon seatpost with Zertz inserts transmits certain frequencies at a lower amplitude (less vibration) than a similar post without the inserts. However, the data did not show whether the difference in amplitude was large enough to be significant or noticeable to the rider. At a meeting at Specialized last year, I mentioned this to several folks and suggested that having additional data would help sell the concept. They said that they would look into getting more info, but I haven't heard anything since.

I believe that most of the comfort of the Roubaix comes from the geometry of the frame and the position of the rider. The use of Bar Phat under the bar tape helps hand comfort on long rides, and I now use this on many of our Herons. The full carbon frame is good-looking. According to Specialized test data, it is quite light and torsionally very rigid. In fact, it's lighter and more rigid than most of its competitors in the marketplace. We'll have to see about durability.

My Comp 27 triple has 25mm tires and a Brooks B.17 Champion Special. The combo of the frameset, seat post, Brooks, barphat, and tires 'dulls' road imperfections. If I'm on the saddle, divots are felt but are 'dulled' even at 120psi rear and 110psi front. I don't experience the 'sharp' vibrations of an aluminum bike or even some of the steels that I've owned. My 58mm bike weighs 20lbs as equiped. I can't ride it enough and I've stated before: this is the bike that's going to keep my 49 year-old semi-athletic self wanting to ride and ride a long, long time... :D