Five or six years ago my wife and I purchased hybrid bikes to use as one of the activities we wanted to do to get back to fit. After a year or so of riding, I became interested in getting a road bike and extending my time in the saddle. After too much research and way too much time reading posts on this forum, I bought a 2017 Specialized Roubaix Comp. After finding the right seat (for me), fine tuning the fit and just putting in the miles, I fell in love with this bike.
I typically ride 3 to 4 times during the work week. Anywhere from 15 to 25 miles depending on how early the sun comes up and what my morning work schedule looks like. I will usually ride a 25 to 40 mile ride on the weekends (30 is more typical) at least once and sometime twice depending on what is planned. My average speed on a ride, according to my Garmin, runs anywhere from 14.5 to 16.7. Overpasses and bridges are the only hills I climb. Basically, I’m not a speed demon or and endurance rider.
A week before last Christmas, I was in REI with my wife to get her some new winter gloves and hiking shoes. They had a 2019 Cannondale Synopse 105 SE (Aluminum) in my size for a price that made me look twice and had to ask an REI employee if I was reading it wrong. Long story short: walked in for gloves and left with a bike. This bike sits at our weekend place, so I don’t have to drag the Roubaix down every trip.
Both bikes are set up nearly identical: Same seat, same pedals, same fit. The main differences are frame material, Future Shock (Roubaix), and tire width (Synopse has 30mm). Once I’m on the bike and riding, I can’t tell the difference. And my Garmin says I’m about the same speed and do the same distances on either bike. I’ve never weighed either of them, but lifting them to move them, I don’t notice a difference in weight either. Though I would assume that the Roubaix would be lighter if I weighed them.
Maybe someone younger and/or more fit than me would notice an extreme difference between the two. I’m sure there are tangibles in a higher end frame that I fail to notice. At least in the audiophile world there are objective and double blind tests the prove and disprove various postulations made by the so called experts; yet there are still audiophiles that swear by their $3K speaker wires.