mizer2167

I wanted to like the Roubaix and was set to buy it, but I couldn't get past the bobbing up and down with each pedal stroke in the short test ride that I took, particularly under acceleration. I'm a big guy with a lot of upper body and I think it was under sprung in the front suspension for my weight. Some models are more adjustable than others. The one I tested had a medium spring it I was told, so try to check out all the options if you can.

Much preferred the Tarmac (SL6 was the one I rode) of the two, much more direct feeling, but the difference in geometry was noticeable.

PeteHski

The higher end Roubaix models have a damper and lockout to solve the bobbing issue. But I haven't ridden one, it's just on my shortlist for an endurance bike. Reviews suggest the damper and lockout are a big improvement when not riding on cobbles all day!

https://cyclingtips.com/2019/04/spec...t-ride-review/

mizer2167

Yes, agree that the lockout capability / 2.0 version would be better. I was looking at mechanical Ultegra/105 and the version I rode w/105 had the "1.5" version of Future Shock I believe, which still uses springs.

redcon1

I have the previous generation of the Roubaix (2019) and I love the Future Shock. Mine is 1.0 - No Lockout, and I've felt I've never needed it. With my weight of 180lbs, I upgraded to the Heaviest spring included by Spesh, and never looked back. On smooth pavement I don't notice any loss, even while climbing, sprinting out of the saddle, etc. But on rough pavement (most of my area in southern PA) I love the effect of FS to damp the rough patches and still allow great handling. Of course the 28mm tires don't hurt, either. After my ultra-stiff Focus Izalco, the Roubaix was a revelation-- and despite the Roubaix being over a pound heavier, my average speeds are up on all segments except extended climbs. And the comfort difference over extended rides is also huge.

Edit to add: I'm 5' 8.5" and ride a 54cm Roubaix comfortably. (Had a 54cm Izalco, also)

mizer2167

I'm a fair bit heavier at 230 lbs and most of that is in my long torso. I'm 6'5" and end up with a lot of weight on my hands w/most seat setbacks, so it amplifies the effect.

I'm fortunate to have good roads/trails here, but fully acknowledge I might've gotten used to the bounciness or not noticed as much with the stiffest spring installed.

ARPRINCE

I had my SYNAPSE for a couple of years before I got my CAAD (same size). The CAAD was killing my neck unit I got used to it.

SoSmellyAir

I am considering a similar route of going from my Synapse, which I have gotten very used to over 4 years, to a Super Six Evo of the same nominal size.

aliasfox

I'm 5'10" with a 30" pants inseam, and my Roubaix Comp rental back in 2019 was a 54 - felt fine. Obviously, one 40 miler afternoon is different from owning the bike, but it didn't feel overly short in either stack or reach.

My Lynskey is an M/L, with a 557mm top tube and 575/382 stack/reach figures. It occasionally feels a bit 'big' in the sense that I run the stem with 5mm of spacers, and could sometimes go lower.

I have a CAAD8 in 54, which feels really small with an 80mm stem (the only one that I have spare at the moment). I've ordered a 120mm stem to match the reach of the Lynskey (which has a 100mm stem). Stack on the two is similar, with the CAAD8 running 20mm of spacers.

One other thing to look out for is that the hoods on hydraulic brake equipped bikes are huge - both in terms of length as well as the 'horn' area at the very front. If you ride on the hoods a lot, and you're coming from a non-hydraulic bike, you may want to take that into consideration.

All this is to say that you will likely have an easier time adjusting a small bike to feel one size bigger, but you're a bit more stuck if you want to make a slightly larger bike feel slightly smaller.

SoSmellyAir

Thanks for this pointer! I guess this dashes any hope of a Ridley Fenix SLiC for me. Only a 5 mm decrease in stack, which I should readily manage, but a 14 mm increase in reach plus the increased effective reach of the hydraulic brake hoods.

aliasfox

Depends - if you're running a 130mm tiller right now, you could go with a 110mm and come pretty close to the same reach (14mm reach + 5-8mm longer hoods). If you're already on an 80mm stem, then I understand how it wouldn't work so well...

SoSmellyAir

No, I am on a 100 mm, - 8* stem, and going to a 80 mm stem seems inadvisable.

Pizzaiolo Americano 

You may want to go back and ride that bike again. I work at a Spec dealer and all of our future shock 1.5 equipped bikes have been showing up without a spring installed at all. They have always had the medium springs installed from the factory but somewhere in the last six months, they have been shipping with none. Spec never sent us a notification of the change so, it is quite possible that the bike you rode was springless as well…

geepondy

If I end up ordering a bike I might spring for the Synapse Carbon (over my wrecked Synapse 105) but gosh to wait a whole year for the bike! I'm 58, a year means a lot more to me than it used to.

SoSmellyAir

I am sorry your bike got wrecked; I hope you are OK. I am 5'-10" and my size 54 Synapse Carbon (2016, so prior model) fits me very well, plus I have upgraded the wheels and a few other components, so I am quite partial to it. But a whole year is a long time to wait if you do not have another bike. Perhaps you may also consider a Bianchi Infinito. In size 55, an Infinito has almost the same geometry as a current model Synapse Carbon in size 54. Both reach and stack and within 1mm of each other, and the seat tube angle differs only by 0.4 degree. Plus the Infinito similarly relies on the frame for dampening without any displaceable suspension components.

Synapse Carbon 105 | Endurance Bikes | Cannondale

Bianchi Infinito Ultegra 11sp | Bianchi Bicycles

geepondy

Unfortunately I can't pick what I want. I have to choose amongst the LBS meager offerings or order and wait a year. I had considered upgrading the wheels on my Synapse, in light of what happened, glad I didn't. When I looked at wheel upgrades at local LBS, the only ones available that was considered worthy were $750 each. I do still have a bike, my tried and true 20 year old Trek 7500 hubrid.

redcon1

I know this has already been suggested, but I bought my wife a Specialized Ruby - a few model years old, but nearly indistinguishable from new- from The Pro' s Closet. After months of searching shops locally and not so local, I set up a search on TPC that emailed me regularly until I got the exact bike we wanted. It took only a few weeks.

I get their weekly emails and they still and they are adding (sometimes hundreds of bikes!) to their inventory daily. If you want a bike now, I'd suggest you give them a shot.

The Pro's Closet

oris

Same revelation here from a SuperSix to the Roubaix. The Roubaix carries speed well and leaves you noticeably fresher at the end of a long ride. However the extra heft does drag on the climbs, in all fairness, the SuperSix weighs 14 lbs with pedals and cages.

I stuck some S Works Turbo 28's on a pair of Zipp 303's for the the Roubaix and it's like riding a cloud; cracks in the road seemed to disappear.

geepondy

Test rode a 54cm Roubaix Sport and a 56cm Roubaix today. I could get used to either size. Bike shop guy said from looking at me, neither looked out of place so depended on my preference. I decided at my age, sitting up a little higher on the 54cm and seeing more of the road in front of me was not such a bad thing. The regular Roubaix comes with Tiagra shifting and it seemed to me, the 105 of the Roubaix sport shifted smoother. I thought both bikes rode smooth and soaked up bumps well - better than my Synapse 105. Not sure if because of the frame geometry or the carbon frame vs Synapse aluminum. I did not find the headset suspension to be too "boingy" and it comes with a set of different thickness replacement springs.

So I put down a deposit on the Roubaix sport. Will pay it off when the insurance money comes up. Hopefully this time, it will be my "last bike ever".

PeteHski

Did you not mean sitting higher (more upright) on the 56 cm? Your saddle height will be exactly the same on both, even though there is more seatpost showing on the 54 cm. The front end of the 56 cm will be taller.

geepondy

Saddle height was adjusted for leg length on both bikes. My back angle was lower on the 56 cm. Not sure about stem height, I think both were about the same. If I could pick exactly, I think I would pick 55cm.

geepondy

Quick question on frame height rather than start a new thread. My friend let me borrow his 56cm "winter bike". When I straddle the bike directly in front of the seat, while I can put my feet flat on the floor (wearing socks only), the top tube pretty much comes up all the way to my crotch or very close so. When I straddle my old 54cm bike in the same manner, there is a good couple of inches clearance between the top tube and crotch. Which is supposed to be more correct for the proper size?

aliasfox

Either is fine, just whichever you're comfortable with. For sizing, the first baseline is "can you comfortably stand over it," and it sounds like both of these meet that bar (no pun intended). In the old days, most road bikes had flat top tubes, resulting in very high standovers with minimal seatpost showing. In the late 90s, compact geometry came to the fore, as manufacturers (led by Giant) tried to find ways to make their bikes lighter and stiffer. Most bikes these days are neither fully flat-top-tube designs, nor are they that close to true "compact" geometry. Most bikes don't even have top tubes that are very steeply raked these days either - I think that's a function of wind tunnel testing.

Once you know you can stand over the bike, the next three things are saddle height (as dictated by how much you can extend your seatpost), reach (horizontal distance to the handlebars), and stack (vertical height of the bars). The different sizes ought to have different baselines for reach and stack - ie, if you put the same stem with no spacers on two bikes in the same line, the smaller bike ought to be a little lower in stack and a little shorter in reach. All that goes out the window when you start comparing bikes across lines with different geometries - race oriented bikes tend to be long and low, endurance oriented bikes tend to be taller and less long - so for those, knowing what your body can work with is most important.

PeteHski

A quick look at the Roubaix geometry shows that the 56 cm frame is 8 mm longer in reach and 20 mm higher in stack. Wheelbase is also 7 mm longer on the larger frame, which will make it slightly more stable at speed at the expense of slightly slower handling response. If you are between sizes as it appears, then I would choose based primarily on the stack height. The 54 cm frame would allow a more aggressive position with lower bars, while the 56 cm would allow a more upright position. 20 mm difference is quite significant. The reach should be easily adjusted by stem length as required.

There is no right answer here, it's what you feel most comfortable with. Pro racers tend to size down on their frames for a more slammed position and responsive handling, while older/less flexible riders might size up for a more upright position and stable handling, especially if they are looking for an endurance fit. Personally I sit right between a 58 cm and 56 cm frame, but I always size up for a slightly less aggressive position for endurance. But I'm not naturally very flexible and have relatively long legs, so a 58 cm usually fits better.

SoSmellyAir

If in between two sizes, the conventional wisdom is to always pick the smaller one. Plus it is also wise to leave some margin of error between one's family jewels and the top tube in case of emergency dismounts.

MSchott

I am 5’ 10” with a long torso and ride a 56cm 2017 Roubaix Sport SL4. It’s a very comfortable bike and for my now 64 year old body I appreciate that. Mine has the 105 drivetrain which works flawlessly.

Of interest, when new it was quite harsh. The carbon frame is stiff and I was inflating the tires to old school pressures of about 110 psi. Once I backed off to 80-85 psi it changed the game. Overall the geometry is comfortable and stable. It doesn’t turn like my old Bianchi Virata but that’s fine.