Orange. Orange! ORANGE!

Wait... the gold wheels are available for purchase? Didn't see them on Specialized website! Got a link by any chance? They certainly complement the frame's look, based on pictures of Boonen's real bike!

Geoff

Thanks! Anyone else? :lol:

Orange! Try something new ;)

I had a blue Roubaix earlier ... now I have the red SWorks and really like it. Glad I went with a "bolder" choice.

Did you swap your 17 Blue Roubaix for a Red S-Works? :eek:

So it's 2 Orange - 0 Blue, anyone else? Virtual poll ends by this week :lol:

No ... the Roubaix was from a few years ago :lol:

After seeing both in person, I would go for the blue, the orange is awesome but I can see it getting old quickly.

The blue is beautiful. The orange gets attention. I get comments on it regularly. Four today on a 76 mile ride.

The blue is better if you don't want attention, or for cars to see you.

Hi Guys

I am looking at getting a Roubaix. I have been waiting for the 2018's to get announced so I can see if they have added hydraulic brakes to the Elite or maybe they will discount the 2017 COMP
Anyway I have found a couple of web sites that claim to show 2018 models. One in the UK and one in Australia. Unfortunately I can't post URL's as I don't have enough posts but you should be able to find them if you search on the sites. Do you think these are the 2018 bikes? The part number end in 18 which usually is the model year

thebikefactory.co.uk

tbsm.com.au


Regards

The 2018 Expert UDI2 Roubaix is out. I am seriously thinking about getting the green/yellow variant. Looks pretty much the same frame as the 2017. I suspect that they may not have any other new models for 2018.

https://photos.smugmug.com/Other/Mor...276726-1-L.jpg

Hmm, looks like I'll need to get the 2017 Model ASAP, if you look at the frame specs, all the 2017 models comes with 10r and a 11r fork, whereas for 2018, the Elite model gets 10r and just a Fact fork (I'm guessing it'll be heavier than the 11r fork), if you check the S-Works model, it still comes with the 11r fork. (This is from tbsm link)

Thanks [MENTION=464427]tarmacgreg[/MENTION]

So it's now

2 Orange - 1 Blue

So [MENTION=405460]Masque[/MENTION], I'm guessing you have the orange one and based on your description

Blue: Beautiful and not attention seeking
Orange: attention seeking, better on the road visibility?

I wouldn't call it attention-seeking. It does get attention, though.

I swapped frames to get the orange one on a different trim level. I wanted something that was as easy to see as possible. I thought it might get old as well, however it seems to bring joy to lots of people. I've learned to love it.

And really, unless you only ride on dedicated paths, do you _really_ have a reason to get anything other than the most visible color possible?

wow look at the starting prices...that's probably enough to push new riders into whatever *other* brand an LBS carries.
I think that's a mistake.

I just checked on the Australian Specialized web page and the 2017 Elite is listed at $3300 AU. The 2018 Elite on the above link is $3800. :-(

The 2018 Elite does come with better spec then the 2017 Elite (hydros and all), but my issue is the fork is no longer 11r and instead an unspecified Fact carbon which likely means they're using a cheaper (heavier) fork. Better get the 17 Elite and upgrade to hydros later or go for Comp straight away.

Though I'm surprised 2018 Comp is not yet listed, perhaps the new Ultegra isn't ready yet?

A riding buddy and I just did a day in the mountains, he on his new Roubaix. He says that when he's riding he can't feel the suspension at all, except that chipseal doesn't buzz his hands. He says it doesn't damp out the big ones, mostly just the buzz. But I'll bet it takes the edge off of big ones too, it's just that he can't feel it directly. So no, no noticeable motion in it. I'd say, not a gimmick. Real value. With that and the CG seatpost, not so much desire to run fat, non-aero tires on nice rims.

Basically the FS just works the same as conventional front suspension on a mountain bike, I checked that even while riding on a MTB, on a smooth road, the front suspension doesn't bob up and down except in rough conditions or when the rider started to ride aggressively.

The only difference between both, is the FS is located above the head tube whereas regular front suspension MTB is located below the head tube. Hence with the FS setup, you're still essentially riding on a rigid frame, the only compromise is you probably can only have 20mm maximum travel, any more and you might have geometry issues and any less, it'll be too little hence it's better suited for road bikes over mountain bikes.

What I'm curious now is, will we see something like a future shock in the next gen endurance bikes from other manufacturers. I'm pretty sure Spesh has patented their solution so I'm curious to see other manufacturer implementation.

The reviews that talk about suspension bobbing under hard acceleration seem also to mention that their test bikes were set up with the medium spring. The Roubaix actually ships with the firm spring in place (the Ruby ships with the medium) and although the medium does dampen things better, the firm does a great job and doesn't move at all under load for me, even at 1200w output and my considerable weight.

2018 bikes in the system, few shipping- buying the 2017
 

Hey all, thought I would share an update on the 2018s, and my impending purchase of a Roubaix.

I went in to purchase the 2017 Pro UDI2 model, which is no longer available for order/in stock. Their system was showing the 2018 Pro, which now has a mechanical "mostly" Dura-Ace setup at the same price point. Also now in a yellow color or black, not the awesome chameleon blue from last year.

Also had the new Comp in a deep red/burgundy color in the system, none in stock. New S-Works is already shipping. Not sure about all the other models or kit changes.

I wound up getting the 2017 comp in blue (which I love, but was tempted to get the orange), and they are building it up for me with 6870 full DI2 (except I am keeping the Praxis crank) and CLX32 wheels. Should be ready next week, and will post up the pics.

Really looking forward to the bike, only bummer from the Pro is the lack of 11r frame, but the 10r is still plenty stiff. This bike will be a pretty solid upgrade from my 2015 Domane 5.2, very excited.

Considering the spring is located above the headtube, it doesn't affect the bike at all, only the rider feeling.

Nice! Enjoy your ride! I'm still contemplating between the 2017 Roubaix Comp vs 2018 Diverge Comp E5, I know its 2 different bike, but the Diverge is cheaper though upgrading to hydros + CG-R isn't exactly cheap and it'll still be much heavier.

And good call on getting 2017 Comp as I think the 2018 Model will come with Fact Fork and 10r Frame, not 11r Fork and 10r Frame like the 17 model.

I'm really starting to obsess over the Gloss AC Blue Roubaix Comp. I told myself that I was going to wait at least another year before buying another bike but that color is just screaming at me. All the shops within 100 miles of me have the other colors but the blue seems to be in short supply. I was hoping to go take a look at one in person to see how it spoke to me.

Since the spring tension might be an issue, are most LBS offering to make the change for free as part of the fitting process. I'm thinking about 3 weeks later and deciding I'd like a softer/harder spring?

It comes with all three springs and it only takes a couple minutes to swap them.

Thanks, I thought I had seen a video online about how to change them out and for some reason I remembered it being a little more involved. I'll have to search again.

Thanks.

I was also choosing between the Roubaix and Diverge, but since 90% of my riding is on pavement, I chose the Roubaix. There is a pretty strong chance I will have a Diverge in the next few months as well ;), set up with 47's on 650b