Ugh .... i wrote this entire post before I noticed that the OP had made a purchase.
Well done, Sir. Ride in peace and with pleasure.
Originally Posted by
alfhasian
I think $2,500-$3,000 was my preferred price point initially. Like you say, I'll be riding this for a few years (hopefully) and I don't want to spend the next few years wishing I only spent a few hundred more to get something way better. At the original $4,200 price point I would probably immediately dismiss Di2 but at $3,500 I'm curious. Right now I think my only other considerations are a Roubaix Comp without Di2 which I can get for $3,000 or the Domane SL5 Disc for $2,700. Any other suggestions in that price point?
Having made a few biggish-ticket purchases (not commenting on your income---maybe $3500 is trash change to you, or maybe your annual income... just describing my own situation) I have learned to spend more up front. The tiny increase amortizes out to nothing over the years, and the benefit either gained or missed is enjoyed or painfully desired that whole time.
Saving or spending another 7-10 percent to get the good stuff is rarely wasted, unless "the good stuff" is purely cosmetic or serves a function you don't need (for instance, I wouldn't pay more for a bike with a built-in power meter, but I would for a bike with DI2.)
You understand this point, I see.
As for Roubaix/Tarmac ... never ridden either, but i doubt the Roubaix will ever feel as quick as the Tarmac. The tarmac is built to be very stiff, and very quick. The tube angles, the weight distribution, the frame design, are aimed at power transmission regardless of rider comfort (as far as I know.)
The Roubaix is exactly the opposite. it is designed to absorb some of the bumps, which means it also absorbs a tiny percentage of the rider's power (not that I with my output occasionally approaching triple-digit wattage, would ever know.) It is designed to be a tiny bit more relaxed ... which, for most riders is welcome after the first hour or two on the road. The fast guys are in so much pain from pushing hard, they don't even notice.
Test-ride. No one here can tell you how you will feel. if you cannot test ride .... read everything here (some well-informed but possibly not clearly communicated, some uninformed, some described inaccurately, some described accurately but using terms and viewpoints different from your own so that the experience is not translatable) and flip a coin.
As far as I know, the Giant Defy, Cannondale Synapse, the Domane, and the Roubaix are basically equivalent bikes. I doubt there is much noticeable difference between them for most riders in general riding situations. Can't say for sure. But those are the bikes in the "Endurance Geometry" category offered by the Big Four. I used to ride with a guy (recently, not a decade ago) who had a Felt Endurance model---one of the VR series?--- and he loved it. He had the option of the four I listed above and chose the Felt. Don't know why.
I am a Fuji fan because (somewhat like Giant) they often offer equivalent quality for a few bucks less. Their "Endurance" offering is the Gran Fondo line.
Whatever it is, get the most you can. Like someone said here somewhere, you don't need DI2 until you have it---then you will realize you always needed it.