Road Cycling - Specialized Roubaix Comp 27 or 18???

I'm about to purchase a Specialized Roubaix Comp road bike. I wanted the 27 to ease the hills on my 44 year old carcass, but my local dealers only have 18's left. They tell me not to worry, that they will change the back sprockets from a 23 to a 25 to compensate, and I'll be fine with the 18. I don't want to regret not having the extra gears when the going gets tough, and I can't get going.

They also say that the 18 will be a faster cleaner shift and give me less trouble in the long run.

Is this a big issue, or will I be fine with the 18?

Someone throw some advice my way please!

I own a triple, but i have never find any use of that chainring....but i live in the the plain midwest...

i am pretty sure you are fine, unless you have some steep hills....

I own a triple, but i have never find any use of that chainring....but i live in the the plain midwest...

i am pretty sure you are fine, unless you have some steep hills....

You're the best judge of what range of gears you need.. If you need a triple.. find the setup you need at another dealer..don't compromise in areas you'll regret later on...

I never had a triple on a road bike and never wished I did. Where do you live? Are there killer hills to climb? I lived in Seattle, at the top of a hill where all the streets went straight up and down and even then didn't really care. I live in NYC now and never see any hills like that, in fact I hardly ever use the largest in the rear. I think my gears are a 52/42, 13,15,17,20,23,26??? I don't remember anymore, but only a twelve speed with downtube shifters.

I never had a triple on a road bike and never wished I did. Where do you live? Are there killer hills to climb? I lived in Seattle, at the top of a hill where all the streets went straight up and down and even then didn't really care. I live in NYC now and never see any hills like that, in fact I hardly ever use the largest in the rear. I think my gears are a 52/42, 13,15,17,20,23,26??? I don't remember anymore, but only a twelve speed with downtube shifters.

I live in Montreal Canada. Montreal stands for Mount Royal. It aint the alps, but it can get steep. The feedback I'm getting from guys in my area is don't be a sissy and go with 18 and work. One of them said "it's supposed to hurt."

the double vs. triple thing is very personal. i know that for me while i'd always chose to have a triple (i have had some joint issues and my knees are prized for not having given me any issues yet) i'll admit there's a point at which i'd crack if the deal was good enough.

if this is just a regular deal in terms of getting an '04 at a competitive price then i think you should go with the chainring you wanted and not compromise.

i like the combination of a triple and a corncob cassette because it allows for granny gears for hills but fine-tuned shifting with fewer jumps between number of teeth when i'm spinning. but like i said, that's totally just me - it's such a matter of preference really.

i recall some other thread containing posts where folks objected to the claim that you can't get a triple to shift really crisply, so i wouldn't put a terrible amount of stock in that. ultegra dbls and trips will both shift great if properly tuned i'm sure.

i have a run of the mill RSX triple on my bike and it's never been anything like 'trouble'.

This may be a dumb question, but why can't they just swap out the double for a triple? Can't that be done?

This may be a dumb question, but why can't they just swap out the double for a triple? Can't that be done?


Not a dumb question. With Campy stuff, you can switch BB, Crank, and both derailleurs...I don't know about shimano STI. It's usually about 400 plus labor for a quality switch.

In my not so humble opinion, they should convert that bike to a triple and charge you whatever the MSRP is for the Roubaix 27.

My wife just purchased a '04 Specialized Roubaix Comp 27 and I must admit, it is a VERY SWEET ride! The bike has a great part list and the ride is SMOOOTH! I was impressed and I ride a Litespeed Vortex.

:)

Ed

Just look at the difference in the low gears and the gear options. The gear ratio for the triple with the 23 cassette is 30:23 or 1.3:1 while the gear ratio for the double is 39:25 or 1.56:1. That is not a trivial difference. If you don't want to wait, get a 27 or 28 cog instead of the 25, so the ratio is 1.44: 1 or 1.39:1 to get it a little bit closer. If there aren't many hills though, I agree that a triple isn't needed.

Personally, I have a triple and need it anytime the hills get steep or at the end of long rides when my legs are shot and there is anything more than a short uphill. I find I rarely use the granny gear, but when I DO use it I'm thankful its there.

If you want a triple though, don't settle for the 18.

I think too many get triples and dont really need them but use them when they dont need to be. I would go with what the other riders say that ride in your area,they should know better then us. Hell ride one of there bikes and see or change out the rear and ask the dealer if its not working,can you bring it back and get it in writing.

I'm about to purchase a Specialized Roubaix Comp road bike. I wanted the 27 to ease the hills on my 44 year old carcass, but my local dealers only have 18's left. They tell me not to worry, that they will change the back sprockets from a 23 to a 25 to compensate, and I'll be fine with the 18. I don't want to regret not having the extra gears when the going gets tough, and I can't get going.

They also say that the 18 will be a faster cleaner shift and give me less trouble in the long run.

Is this a big issue, or will I be fine with the 18?

Someone throw some advice my way please!

Do a double and have them change the cogset to a 12-27. 53x39 or 52x39 up front. With this gearing you should be able to climb anything. I run a 49x39 (Almost a compact crank set) front and 12-26 in the rear. I live in the SF bay area and my 44 yo carcas can spin up hills.