I'm in the market for a new bike, currently I ride a surly crosscheck, heavy, dt shifters....blah blah blah, I'd like to make a purchase!

I'm about 180lbs, do mostly rec riding and prefer somewhat relaxed geometry, Ive looked on specialized websites, and did a bit of searching and it seems to me, that the Allex and Tarmac are of a more aggressive geometry, and the secteur and roubaix are more relaxed (am i right?)

My budget tops out at specialized's msrp of ~2100, im assuming I might see some markdowns at LBS, Heres what ive pulled off the specialized website


Roubaix Elite SL2 Apex Compact : Sram apex ~$2100
Secteur Comp Compact Shimano 105 ~1800
Tarmac Elite Apex Sram apex ~$2100
Allez Comp Compact M2 Apex Sram apex~$1450

I guess my question for the gurus and such of bf.... since these are mostly in the same pricerange, si there one that beats the rest? is there something in specialized's lineup that i havent included that i should read up on?

Roubaix gets my vote. I ride a Tarmac and am used to the aggressive geometry, but after 60 miles or so my body begins to feel it. I rest road the roubaix and loved it, but I got a better deal on the Tarmac.

Why not a Canadian made Cervelo or one of these?

From that list the Roubaix Elite wth Apex sounds like the best choice. The Tarmac and Allez are more aggressive in Geometry and the aluminum Secteur will be less compliant than the SL2 carbon fiber of the Roubaix.

Roubaix gets my vote, but I'm somewhat biased.

For reference, at least in my area the price tag in the shop will be $200 less than MSRP (plus tax, of course).

And being in a fairly similar position, I'm saving my pennies for a Roubaix.

I bought the roubaix and im VERY HAPPY, the sl2 frame is a supperb choice, and the apex components have responded very well ( never had a mechanical problem with them). The 11-32 is a conversation starter, all raodies ask if this s my doing.

I could say the wheels could be better IMO, yet they have held strong and true.

Buy confidently roubaix sl2. 6 months and over 2k miles of happy riding!

I've put almost a thousand miles on my 2011 Roubaix elite and love it so far. I wheels are ok but at some point I will upgrade. The frame is great and I am a fan of the sram apex group.

Here's another vote for the Roubaix.



I like the geometry so much that I built up a Secteur with Ultegra Triple to spend most of its life on my trainer, and for Horribly Hilly types of rides.

At 180 lbs., you're not particularly heavy so don't worry about that. You are right about the geometries -- the Roubaix and Secteur have more relaxed geometries (i.e., taller head tubes) than the Tarmac and Allez.

I test rode a Roubaix Expert (09 model) and a Cervelo RS (09 model). About 30 miles each. The Roubaix was nice, with crappy wind gusts to 30 mph. It was, "I can ride this." Then I took out the RS. Just even in the parking lot, it felt like, "This bike is made for me." Then took it out on the road, again in the winds. Confirmatory. The Roubaix with a Zertz fork and Bar Phat tape nicely smoothed the road vibes, but at the same time, it was a little too "cushiony". I've done a century on my RS, lots of 50-60 mile rides. week after week of 340, 370 miles. Never felt beat up in the slightest. It's a beauty bike.

I like Specialized, I have two of them. You have to test-ride and see what feels "natural" for you.

Roubaix...but then I'm a little biased also...

I'll be the lone dissenter and vote Tarmac.



I'm heavier than you and it's pretty comfy for me.

I would go with the Roubaix. I have a CAAD9 R6 and I got a great deal on it...but....I should have gotten the Roubaix. I don't see a lot of geometry differences between the two bikes looking at the measurements but I feel it (picking up my Roubaix soon). No matter what we've done with the CAAD, I'm sore after an hour and a half, and my teeth are falling out from the stiff ride. We've shortened the stem and raised it up, and now it's REAAAAL twitchy and just not a pleasure for me. Anyone want to buy a CAAD in GREAT shape with Tiagra components, 54cm???

i spent a day test riding between the roubaix and tarmac... having a badly herniated disc in my lower back (and 4-5 other small ones) I went in completely convinced that the roubaix would hands down be my choice... I didn't even want to ride the tarmac frankly, but decided to just for comparison sake... I enjoyed the tarmac more, it may not have been the most comfy bike out there, but given my riding desires (recreational and fitness, no long 50+ mile rides) the tarmac was just so much more fun... it was a friggin rocket ship, every movement translated into forward motion... I felt like I had to push teh roubaix harder to get the same 'fun quotient' out of it... and I'm a heavier/older guy at 6-1 215lbs and 42yrs old with no modern road bike experience since the mid-late 80's...

ride em, take a 10-20 mile test ride, see which you enjoy most... if you can afford the carbon, get it... you won't regret it... just my .02

In the interests of making sure that every option is voted for at least once... I say go for the Allez.

As a Cross Check owner (set up with slicks) I don't see much of a point in going for the Roubaix / Secteur. They feel "dead" compared to the CC and aren't any more comfortable. I'm not sure they offer a significant performance increase either, though that depends a bit on the CC setup, what speeds you ride, what distances you ride etc.

I recommend the Allez (I picked up the Elite recently btw), with the Tarmac as a distant second. You'll get a different ride feel with these bikes (one comparable to a good steel road bike), and can still set them up almost the same rider position as the Roubaix/Secteur. The Allez and Tarmac are nearly identical bikes -- same components, same geometry, same frame shape, same wheels, nearly the same weight.

I'd say save your money, and grab an Allez w/Apex + good fit. Then Upgrade the wheels to Mavic Ksyriums and consider it a steal ))

I'm 185 and ride a Tarmac Elite. I'm a rec rider and well and like to do long solo rides and century rides. Love the bike.

I've ridden my friend's Roubaix and I wasn't too impressed. Compared to my R3 it has a "dead" road feel. There are other "relaxed geometry" bikes available that get the job done just as well without looking so goofy. I mean do you guys really think the Roubaix looks good? I personally think it looks silly.

Cervelo R series, Cannondale Synapse, Look 566, Colnago ACE, Bianchi Infinito....pretty much every manufacturer these days offers a relaxed geometry performance road bike. You don't need gimmicky Zertz or ridiculous tube shaping to achieve a more upright, comfortable position. In fact, the Tarmac still has a relatively long head tube and should be more than comfortable enough for century rides with the right handlebar/stem position.

I have a riding partner that has a Roubix. It is a great bike for what he paid for it. The Roubix would be my vote.

If you're set on getting a Specialized bike, then the Roubaix is the best choice. I prefer the ride of the Cervelo RS, although you do have to spend a bit more than your budget to get one.

And 180 lbs is not really "heavier". I suppose if you are 5' tall, that would make you overweight, but there are lots of guys out there over 6' tall in the 180-220lb range that ride (I'm one of them).

I would go with the Roubaix or Tarmac. Again test ride for your decision.
Additionally, see if the shop will do a free upgrade on the wheels for you.

Also, see if there are any stragglers from 2010. Maybe a deep discount on those..

The 2011 Roubaix SL2 frame is stiffer than the previous years model. The SL3 even more so. I haven't noticed any deadness in the SL2 and one of reviews just published seems to confirm that. https://www.bikeradar.com/gear/catego...p-sl2-11-42319

If you like to go all day like I do as well as putting up with roads full of frost bumps and crappy pavement then get the Roubaix. If you want a crotch rocket, go for the Tarmac.

If you want to save some money, then go for the Secteur or the Allez but if I were you I'd go for the best frame that you can afford that suits your needs. For the roads we have up here, the Roubaix won it for me hands down. Mind you, it may not stop at one bike.

, When I was talking to the owner of my local LBS where I got the Roubaix when he said "I've got just the bike for you and it's in your size! "

"Uh... I just got the Roubaix"

"Yeah, I know! Oh you'll like this one !" ... And he rolls out an Argon 18 Krypton... "And it's only $2400 !" .. and then proceeds to pull down a Argon 18 Gallium Pro... Campy record ... (this writer starts to drool.) "and the Galiium Pro is only $6500 !"

The gears started turning in my head... hmmm.. N+1... and I would like a crotch rocket like that (the Krypton ) .. but not this year .... sigh..

Another vote for the 2011 Roubaix Elite Apex. I have degenerative discs in my back and this bike is hands-down the most comfortable to ride that I've found, and I love the Apex group, sure don't miss fiddling with a triple crank. And the comment about it looking "goofy", not sure what you mean about that, maybe the color or?? All I've gotten are very positive comments like "beautiful bike", etc. and the see-through carbon paint job is just awesome, IMHO. The LBS made one 'adjustment' to mine, a shorter, taller rise stem, and now the reach is perfect for me. I did test-ride a Tarmac and it was a blast to ride and very fast, but the geometry was just too stiff for my back to handle. I love this bike!!

Hi Everyone, I realize that this reply is a bit late (ha!) but after a long time i was FINALLY able to set aside the cash and purchase a new bike

This is a pic of me (slightly jaundiced) about to embark on the maiden voyage of my new bike a 2014 roubaix ! I realize im not showing the drivetrain side but its one of the few pics i have!
more appropriate pics up tonight/tommorrow!
https://i.imgur.com/asZFMj9.jpg

Why not try some other bikes? I'm 186 (I don't consider myself heavy) and I ride a Trek Madone. I rode Spesh, Giant and Cannondale when I was buying and Trek won out for a better ride, better handling and a better LBS. But that's just me. You might be limiting yourself by only looking at Spesh