Old guy S-works question
 

70yo here getting ready to head out on a ride as the temperature here in SW FL heads to 40F. Will hop on beater bike first, ride a bit, come home to watch the SpaceX launch that is visible from my yard as it rises and then head out again maybe on my 2018 Roubaix Expert. Sunday's ride was 105.48 miles on the Roubaix and if I had the $$$$ would have gotten an S.

You ain't getting any younger so get the Roubaix if $$$$ are no problem.

I don’t think the S-Works will be significantly stiffer, but it will be a bit lighter and fitted with a higher level of components.

IIRC the S-works frames are offset sizing, so a Medium is a 53cm vs. a 54cm in the Regular Roubaix like my 2019 Expert. I don't think the S-works are fitted with the Hover bar, either. at least not when I was in the market. So the smaller frame and lower effective stack height negated the purpose of the Roubaix for me, which was a more comfortable position than my Focus Izalco and still plenty fast. I did go from 16.8lb Izalco to 18.4lb Roubaix with carbon C38 disc wheels and Di2.. but the comfort tradeoff was more than worth it for me.

You need to ride one and find out. The perfect bike is a very individual thing.

If the money wouldn't be missed I'd buy one. I'd get the S-Works Tarmac or the S-Works Aethos. But that's me, not you.

If you ride rolling terrain and/or long hills, any reduction in bike weight will make you feel younger on them.

Lighter weight wheels and tires are the #1 upgrade to improve ride quality and potentially your accelerations. A high TPI tire should make the sidewalls more compliant and theoretically marginally smoother.

A 'new bike day' is often the best way to improve motivation. I do it very regularly, but in a value oriented way.
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...8b9bfb9ef4.jpg
I don't race, so a 21# bike with tubulars rides mighty nice and fast enough for this oldster.

Stiffness of the frame is only uncomfortable on bad roads but it's doubtful the S-Works frame will be much stiffer than the regular Roubaix. How much weight difference are you talking? Probably not much in the frame itself.
I am against buying used bikes, except vintage stuff and super cheap stuff. It could work out if you know exactly what you want and get some kind of warranty.

I usually recommend against buying a new bike, unless a person races or is a newbie or hates to work on a bike or needs a warranty.
50 year old wearing tubulars.
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...c31cccb1a6.jpg
Over 40 and lookin good
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...df1ad82685.jpg
Yo, Eddy.
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...05c276c5df.jpg
I go Ugo.
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...cd05ac1fb6.jpg
The youngster. Indexed shifting, aero hoods

Are you against used because you fear an unreported crash? Or some other reason?

Crash damage would certainly be a concern. The last bike I bought used I had to change everything to make it work for me, ( gearing, bars, stem, saddle, post,and eventually, wheels.)

Some bikes only come with warranty to the original buyer. A BF friend bought a used Trek a few years ago and when the frame failed near the bottom bracket, Trek refused to cover it. Whatever money he saved by buying used was nothing compared to the cost of a new frame.

Also, some people need the help of a shop to get their new bike set up and working for them.
Vintage bike buyers/collectors like Wildwood are a different story. He knows what he wants, probably always gets a good price, and does his own work. In fact, I think working on and building up vintage bikes is part of the hobby for him. With as many bikes as he owns, it's doubtful any of them get tens of thousands of miles put on them.

I have close to 80,000 miles between my 2 road bikes. Thinking about shopping for a new one. I'd love to own that blue Merckx he posted above, but I'd probably only ride it occasionally.

It looks like with 2021 models from Expert through S-works Dura-Ace, the handle bars are the same though alloy in the expert and carbon in Pro and S-Works.

I also ride 'modern' brifter bikes.
They are just harder to keep tuned.

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...b22e7c95c6.jpg

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...b3e8a6dffd.jpg
Not my favorite bars pictured here, but the best driveside I have handy.
Ti, with triple. Go anywhere roadie w/ 28s.
Can be fast on a good day, too.

It is doubtful you will notice a performance difference between an Sworks frame or the Roubaix frame you currently ride. The wheel upgrade will show up right away, almost immediately, but losing 8oz in frame weight will likely never be felt or realized in time advantages. Frame stiffness is again up for debate. The wheels and tires flex before the frame flexes and is more quickly felt than flex in the frame. It is doubtful frame stiffness will show its face until the bike is put into a high stress environment. Example: High wattage sprints. 200 watts won't do it, 400-700 watts is the territory to be in for frame flex to become meaningful.

One comment on the Hover Bar. If a rider needs the added height of that bar, why not simply change the stem and save quite a ew bucks? Vanity?

A bit of counterpoint to the opinion above. I have always had steel bikes except for aluminum mtn bikes. Moving from my steel racing frame to carbon was eye opening in terms of responsiveness and climbing. Then I bought tubeless more aero rims and was shocked again. Just a little first hand experience.

The advice to test ride bikes of interest is spot on.

I am building up a Roubaix Pro frame with R11 carbon. I asked a Roubaix group on Facebook what the difference was between R11 and R10 frame, they said it was about a pound. A pound may not sound like a lot, but when you're climbing a hill, every ounce counts. A higher grade carbon is stiffer and yet more compliant than a lower grade carbon. The biggest difference you will notice with the new Roubaix is the Future Shock that has some flex just below the stem.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...94348a06f1.jpg

I don't know how one can make any performance judgements based on what the OP has said here about the bike or bikes they ride.

Likely, if the OP currently rides a 20 plus pound bike or bikes, they will find virtually any of the 2021 Roubaix's at any tier level an improvement. The difference between the top tier Specialized Roubaix and the S-Works Roubaix is probably only a pound or piece of a pound. As well the S-Works has what's considered the best of the best components offered by Specialized/S-Works.

Yes, I don't know exactly what my 2009 mid-level 9r carbon Roubaix with 105 components weighs, but I have to think that a 2018ish 11r carbon bike with Dura-Ace components has to be significantly lighter. Wheel wise, I am currently pretty light with Dura-Ace c24 wheels (less than 1400g).

The other thing to consider is that the new Roubaix should be able to take fatter tires than your 2009. Always an advantage.

Us older guys with the necessary bucks to spare, should buy the bike we want. What else are you going to spend it on, hookers and blow?

If you have enough , why not have it all?

I’m only 37 and while I do always enjoy test riding my buddies’ modern carbon road race bikes (especially the sub-15lbs climbing bikes), my body is so much happier on a flimsy, springy antique steel race frame on fresh tight semi-light (right now I have a couple sets built with different hubs and DT Aerolites and Archetypes) wheels with 32-35mm tires.


If you can afford multiple bikes, Get whatever carbon rig that boats your goat (personally, I’d be looking hard at the Canyon Ultimate CFR rather than any of the S-Works), but then also get something pre-1986 that’ll at least fit 32mm tires and build it up with fresh gear. See which one you ride more. Sell the one that gets the least miles.

yes

As an older rider recently coming to Roubaix what matters to me is the more comfortable geometry, the future shock for a little less getting banged around, and running 30mm tires at the modern lower pressures for even less banging around. Put all three together and riding is a whole lot more fun for those old joints.

So the reasons I would say to upgrade your 2009 are the future shock and the ability to run larger tires. No need for the fanciest frame or components, but nice wheels and, especially, nice tires are well worth it. I am running the S-Works Turbo Rapidair 30mm tires.