My first CF Bike: Trek Pilot 5.2
 

Midnight Blue, 63 cm -- swapped out the Ultegra 12x25 hub for a lower gear 12x27 hub (currently, only available in DuraAce); otherwise, it is completely stock. It fit me right out of the box. :D

Fantastic! I rode the 5200 62cm for a year and absolutely loved it. I think you'll find it to be very rider friendly. I also swapped the 12-25 for the 12-27 and really needed the 27 in some of the steeper mountain climbs. Enjoy!

Did you, by chance, also happen to try out the Specialized Roubaix before buying? If so, could you give me your impressions of the similarities/differences between the two? Thanks.

Beautiful bike, I bought a Pilot 2.1 a couple of weeks ago. It is really light, that full carbon frame must feel like you are just riding on air.

I did see the Roubaix at Supergo but most of what I know about it is from pouring over the various frame geometries. The Spec. bike doesn't come in a 63 cm though. Even if it did, the Pilot has more slack in the head tube angle, and the 63 cm Pilot's virtual top tube length is a little shorter than the Robaix's 61 cm and that is what I was looking for, i.e., not being all stretched out over the top tube or having to look for short stems. And because the Robaix is smaller, I would have had a big challenge getting the handlebar as high as I wanted.

The Pilot even has slightly more slack in the seat tube angle and that is also what I wanted to help me get my knees behind the pedal spindle without having to look for a seat with longer rails and having more setback on the seatpost.

I think you have to try them both though. The Robaix seems to have a pretty long wheelbase and that seems interesting. I might like it imore if it had come in a larger size.

Even so, with the Pilot, I can have the seat at the same height as the top of the bars--which is not aggressive but a very normal road biking positon--and, that is what I got right out of the box with the Pilot. I'd probably have to buy a custom-made bike to get the same fit.

I'll be test riding Roubaixs tomorrow, and might even adopt one. I won't be riding other brands, unless they have a Trek in stock, since the shop handles both brands. A woman in my club has a Roubaix, and says she really doesn't feel anything at all from the road. She had an older lugged steel bike before.

Well, I didn't even make it to the Specialized dealer. I test rode a Giant OCR Comp 2, and will be picking it up later today.

Congratulations, and Happy Riding.......My new set up is an '05 Specialized Roubaix
(62 cm.) with a 130 mm. stem, Avatar 155 saddle, Speedplay X/2 pedals, and Specialized road shoes... and I LOVE it !!! I've only had it out for three rides so far (45 miles total) but I think I'm going to be very happy.
Isn't road cycling a great hobby ? Really cool stuff and great exercise...PERFECT !!!

Your bike obviously fits you well: you didn't have to change out the stem to acheive a good riding position. I'm pretty sure the stem that came on the Pilot also is about 13 mm which tells me a lot because all my previous bikes always needed shorter stems...even my 70s-era Trek, which was a traditional CrMo touring geometry in its day.

These new "comfort" geometries are really just clever engineering. That probably is not very good news to custom frame builders.

I'm using Look pedals and SIDI shoes. The saddle is not the one that came with the bike but was an even tradeout -- I wanted one with a groove down the center --and, it is working out very well. A good fitting saddle also tells me something: this is either the greatest saddle I ever accidently have come across or the fit of the bike also has eliminated even a hint of backdoor probems.

;)

I picked up mine in Feb, and have been very happy so far. I did buy a different seat, a Koobie Eu, and am no longer numb. I also have Sidi shoes, Genius 4's, with Look 5.1 pedals. I am considering switching to mtb shoes so I can walk around at rest stops, etc. I didn't try Roubaix, and had originally ordered a Pilot, but I wanted a Project One, and I could only get in a 5.9 Pilot. Good luck, and post more picks.

I have been riding a Trek Pilot 2.1 for about 500 miles now. I am 53 years old, and have moved back into a road bike after a few years on a hybrid (Trek 7500). I have found the Pilot 2.1 to be a very good bike for me, and am now making some small adjustments to really customize the fit for me. I notice that your STI shifters on your very nice looking blue Trek Pilot 5.2 picture appear to be mounted higher on the handlebars than mine. At this time I am experimenting with adjusting my handlebar angle to move the hoods up more into the position yours look to be without you having rotated your handlebars. Can you comment on this? Did your bike come this way, or did you have your STI's mounted higher?

It came from the Trek Superstore that way, as you see it below. I've heard that, as a rule of thumb, the bars should be rotated so that the drops are horizontal with the ground (i.e., if you didn't have a down-sloping tube, they would be in line with the top tube).

One difference in Shimano's new equipment, as you may have noticed, is that they are flattened now at the top of the hoods to allow for another hand rest position (remember it used to be cone shaped there, like they were when the cables were routed through that area). I like it better.

:)