At first I thought that plastic thing at the bottom may be some sort of electronic shifting thingy, but it is there on one (Expert) Roubaix frame too. Strange indeed. I may replace my current SL4 with it but only after I demo one, and not just yet. I'll have to wait a while.

"Other little extras include the SWAT kit, an integrated toolbox that is mounted with two bolts between the down and seat tube. It’s big enough to hold the usual essentials but does look a little like an ebike battery."

Meaning they're softening us up to having something that looks like a battery.
The end is nigh.

Ah! That is not very nice aesthetically but brilliant in the sense that it does away with the need for a seat bag.

Max tire clearance is 32mm. New Roubaix is disc brake only. Hmm... maybe Specialized knows something we don't about future UCI rules. Threaded BB will make many rejoice.

The SL4 is still available at the lower end of the range. Looks like only in 8r carbon. They have a di2 model SL4 for $3k.

I wouldn't say haters. The Allez E5 is a great valued bike.

I'll stick with my Giant Defy.

What is the benefit of that seatpost that looks like a fire iron?

I don't get the need for the suspension dohickeys and 32mm tyres.

While I don't really find any of them aesthetically pleasing, I wouldn't hate on it until I rode it. The Diverge surprised me before (I was sure I would prefer the Synapse or GF03). What I'm curious about is where does this place the Diverge? Is the only difference going to be tire clearance?

It has clearance for 32mm tires which doesn't mean you have to use them. Most disc road bikes can fit at least 28mm tires. 32mm tires on a really stiff bike won't ride as smoothly as something like a Domane or this new Roubaix IME. All of the hype is around the front end shock so I wonder how smooth the rear end of this new Roubaix is. I think they went too stiff with the SL4 (I own one.)

Yeah, I bet the new one has a softer rear. Yeah, that doesn't sound good. I think this bugger will sell like hot cakes. I do wish they had retained a higher-end version with rim brakes. The rim-brake versions look like the slightly lower-end versions.

You can bet that the next gen Diverge will be very similar to this bike with more tire clearance and taller stack height.

The reviews say the frame is much stiffer than the SL4 and they're using the CG-R post and front suspension to give the compliance.

I passed by the bike shop after work (Mike's Bikes in Palo Alto), and they had the basic one in 56cm. Too big for me (I ride 52cm), but still gave it a spin.

Very niiiiice! It was of course a short ride, but the back felt similar to my 2015 Roubaix while the front was just laughing at any bump I came across :P

The front felt way smoother than my diverge over bump, even though I have 33mm tires on it! Impressive, I say..

I'm now in love, but I really don't think my wife will approve of a 3rd bike :/ what to do?!?

Geoff

I've always found this guy pretty unbiased. Seemed gimmicky at first but all the reviews are raving, more than they ever did for the Domane SLR. My wallet is trembling.

The domane gets good reviews, but they're not RAVE reviews. Most note that the suspension robs power and can feel a bit mushy.

I test rode the alu version, and the elastomers rear can get noisy. It didn't feel high end at all.

Every time I test ride a trek these days, either road or off road, I am just left underwhelmed.

I want to believe that trek has improved upon their initial full sus designs:

MOMBAT: 1992 Trek 9500 full suspension with Shimano XTR

but sometimes, I'm not convinced they have.

Another review of new Roubaix

First-look review: Specialized Roubaix 2017 | CyclingTips

Divorce attorney ;)

Another very significant -- and positive -- change, I believe: this frame uses standard threaded b/b.

Specialized launches all-new Roubaix with front suspension | road.cc

Pot holes vs Buzz
 

I would assume because 32mm tires would remove minor road buzz but not dampen big rocks/holes.

It seems the future shock comes into its own on really rough roads.

This review is not as favorable. It seems as if the reviewer is nitpicking; conflating his learning curve with "faults." Said reviewer, therefore, severely downplays the benefits of the new system: "hmm, I notice I can go a lot faster with a lot more control through extremely bumpy corners on the roughest roads in the world......

.....BUT....I HAVE TO WEIGHT THE REAR WHEEL! THIS BIKE SUCKS!"...and completely downplays the enormous upsides.

Here's a more balanced (p)review:

Road Bike Action | Ride Review: 2017 Specialized Roubaix Adds ?Future Shock? Suspension (Video)

Notice the test rider doing a ton of sprinting and standing climbing.


Question: why do youtube soundtracks always sound so spectacularly good?

So, don't buy it. No one's holding a gun to your head.

It has clearance for 32 mm tires, you don't need to go that wide? You don't need suspension either. But the ride will be far more comfortable and the rougher the road, the greater the gains in comfort, traction and speed. You can ride more safely, with greater speed and with more efficiency.

Another benefit: rear deflection and front sus can save your wheels over the rough stuff, potentially saving you a lot of money or at least allowing you to ride home instead of calling a cab if your wheel/s take a big hit.

I'm not quite seeing how the rear suspension works?

Seems like a hybrid of the Domane and Defy. No pivots, but still a floating seat post top. Seems like the post should have a ton of lateral flex relative to the frame?

The front isolation seems like a really interesting idea. Compared with a true suspension, the entire frame is still un-sprung, only the riders upper body is isolated. Probably better pedaling efficiency though, since you can't get any pedal bob.

Overall, it seems like your hands get excellent isolation, but your legs are going to get beat-up pretty good over cobbles, since there's no front isolation and who knows what in the rear.

I don't think there are full tech details on the rear "sus." What we do know is that the seat post clamp is below the top tube. That way, the weighted seat post has far more leverage to move. Also, the diameter of the seat tube is far wider than that of the seat post, allowing for movement within the seat tube. This is in addition to the flex at the top of the seat post just under the saddle.

I'm not completely clear on what, if anything, stops the seat post from hitting and dinging the inner walls of the seat tube. There is a rubber gasket covering the top of the seat tube, so maybe that serves as protection for the inner seat tube rather than as simply a weather seal. I don't know though, perhaps someone who has seen the actual design can chime in.

The rear "sus" design is not as sophisticated obviously as the front. It relies on deflection up and down and back at the top of the seat post, and deflection I suppose in every direction within the seat tube at the lower end of the seat post. It sounds less than sophisticated, but perhaps it works rather well in practice?

The front is supposed to be stiction free, and I assume is damped somehow.

Anyway, the reviews I've seen so far are primarily first short ride impressions, rather than full technical papers. There will be more details in later reviews.

I fully expect these suspension designs to become far more refined, and ultimately become industry standard over time. The $2.6K entry price point is pretty spectacular for a relatively refined full sus road bike. What's trek's entry level price point? $6K? $8K for full sus road suspension? $10K?

I test rode the 2017 roubaix. The new shock system does seem to handle potholes , hard bumps, at decent speed while retaining confident handling. There is near zero road feel to your hands... Which is good or bad depending what youre looking for. And It has a weird squishy feel to it when standing and leaning on the bars. The steering articulation with the frame is a very interesting visual.

Id be interested to see how the shock handles/feels quick hard braking on really steep downhill stops, and also climbing.

Its a Cool bike, and good for somebody that rides a lot of poor road conditions or maybe has a physical condition that cant handle any road vibration whatsoever yet wants a racier bike. I have no regrets grabbing the 2016 roubaix expert with fact10 but its peaked my interest. Hoping somebody i know gets one so i can take it for a full ride.