Road Bike Of The Year Winner - Specialized Roubaix Comp

[@stephencollins8739]

These endurance road bikes from the likes of Cannondale, Specialized, Trek, BMC etc are an absolute boon for road cycling. In the past there was only two types of main road bike: racers or tourers. Now, through the benefits of technology and R&D with the pros in races such as the Paris Roubaix, manufacturers have given us a sort of hybrid road bike that has greater comfort with speed, performance and handling for different types of road surface from rough to smooth. Brilliant bicycle invention l think. Only the die hard traditionalists may have trouble accepting the innovation.

[@benjaminprevost2404]

If Sagan and Boonen have no problem riding it, why are you amateurs bitching about slamming the stem. It's a Roubaix; made for endurance. I've got and S-Works Venge, and of course the stem is slammed, but the Roubaix is engineered for a totally different job, and it's fantastic at it. I'm and mechanic at a bike shop, and I've ridden the new Roubaix Expert, and it's exactly as they say in the video. Buttery smooth ride + intense precision and control. And, I'll agree, the headshock isn't the prettiest thing, but the frame is pretty gorgeous, and if it does the job better and faster than every other like-minded bike, I could care less. You can't hear complaints about how ugly it is when everyone else is miles behind.

[@eoghan4378]

Benjamin Prevost boonen and sagan have custom geometry with lower headtubes on it.

[@benjaminprevost2404]

AA BB Not anymore. Carbon frames (with the exception of the Colnago C40) are made in molds, so pros ride off-the-shelf frames.

[@eoghan4378]

Benjamin Prevost well then riddle me this; how they are riding rim brake bikes when Specialized only sell disc brake roubaixs.

[@benjaminprevost2404]

AA BB There are no doubt custom touches or additions, like last year's TDF where From rode a custom super light Pinerello F8 on the mountain stages, but as for the frame geometry, they are standard as I said. Boonen's rim brake Roubaix is a matter of drilling the frame or adding additional carbon to the seat stays to mount it, not a matter of custom geometry. Good day.

[@benjaminprevost2404]

Where does it say that? The new Roubaix already has a shorter headtube than the previous model, and you can lower the headshock further into the fork as well.

[@Eddyandthecruisers]

Mine is being put together in the shop right now. I tested the bike and fell in love. At the age of 57. Recovering from injuries. Otained from extreme sports as a youngster. Comfort and Endurance is what I am after. The Brakes are being bled right now. She will be ready by Monday. Thanks for your thoughts. She is payed for. So we shall see ? I went for the Black/Blue combo. My Colors.

[@phuntley58]

Having had it a year, now how do you feel about it? I'm 60 and just bought a 2019 model tonight....will be here next week!

[@johntechwriter]

This a bike for people who don’t care what others think. In other words, it’s for grownups. You’ll see a lot of guys in their 30s and 40s and beyond choosing this bike - not because it’s fashionable but because it delivers the combination of shock absorption and performance that makes long high-intensity rides more enjoyable. My Tarmac beats me up pretty good on the bumpy roads of the Oakland hills. If I could snap my fingers and turn it into one of these I’d do it. I trust Specialized when they say this bike's performance penalty is negligible, and I don’t give a damn if the weight weenies think it’s ugly.

[@dwaynedilley1259]

Totally agree with you. I'm 51 now and I just put my gently used 2018 Tarmac up for sale after buying my Specialized Diverge. That Future shock is addictive and I must have a Roubaix instead of my Tarmac. It might be 1-2 mph slower but it will be a whole lot more comfortable over a 80 mile weekend ride.

[@rcg9573]

Nah, it’s a bike for people who don’t care if they pay thousands of $ for a cheaply made sub $500 cost Chinese cookie cutter CF frameset with shitty tolerances and below average fabrication quality, and no quality control at all. Fixed it for you. 😆

[@SCOOPSLEGEND]

Road bike for old men of the year award!! I waited months for this one!!!

[@matthewmerz]

As a longtime Tarmac rider, I was pretty skeptical of this new Roubaix. I had a colleague who just purchased this exact same model, and decided to give it a try. I just bought this tonight. This thing performs exceptionally. I've never felt as confident descending fast, where I'd normally slow down, but with the Roubaix I kept pushing. Absolutely recommended.

[@JJH-jc1fg]

Matthew Merz would it make a good first bike?

[@geoffhancox1787]

Well done for promoting innovation, despite the traditional interests of roadies. Great final four bikes!

[@LazyGrayF0x]

Test rode it two weekends ago during Specialized demo even there in DFW. Bike rides extremely well. Chameleon color was really nice, other graphics could be worked on to improve the looks. Bike really takes a lot of road buzz out - especially chip seal. Bottom bracket is very stiff, but with seat post moving inside seat tube and front suspension it was fantastic. I don't have the money for one right now, but when I do, I will get one. You have to ride it to understand it.

[@erictaylor5641]

I didn't like this bike either until I rode it, and it was awesome! It felt fast and had so much traction on decent. Great choice Bike Radar!

[@jdcolnago3]

but doesnt traction come from the type of tyres your riding on?

[@Mububban23]

It also comes from the frame not being so stiff that it bounces the tyres around. They also love the Trek Domane for the same reason as the Roubaix - the compliant front end means the tyre doesn't skip around on bumpy descents, so you get some control, confidence and thus, speed.

[@AllanPhillips]

From the comments it's very clear that for a lot of people, road biking is just one big fashion statement - looks are far more important for them than function or performance.

[@TheTurboGfx]

Exactly what I thougt. Also all this talk about efficiency loss, slamming the stem and so on. The people that are so concernd by looks are defintily the ones which will not be affected by power loss around 0,00...% but rather would hugely profit from gain in comfort.

[@jfvanschalkwyk]

Your are biassed .... Listen carefully... Warren Rositter says... the proof is in the riding... ! On top what is wrong if the bike looks good?

[@AllanPhillips]

Jackie you're misunderstanding us. We're agreeing with Warren. It's others that are saying the future​shock looks horrible so the bike can't be any good.

[@TheTurboGfx]

Allan Phillips Yes you are right. People should be more open to innovation. That's the only way bikes get better with time. A company like specialized sure knows what they're doing before they put something on the market.

[@jfvanschalkwyk]

Great.. thanks for the correction...

[@joelklingenberg3271]

Bold choice! I like it. This is the kind of stuff that makes the cycling industry better for the everyday riders.

[@alwaysup22]

I think one thing not totally mentioned in this video was how incredible and light the roubaix frame is. I believe it is one of the lightest frames big S has made to keep the overall bike weight down and after having ridden a couple of these (compared to my high end canadian road bike), I can say it is incredibly stiff, yet truly truly comfortable. in fact, descending on one with 32mm road tires is something i still haven't experienced to this day in terms of speed and overall comfort. a worthy choice for bike of the year IMO.

[@tbrowniscool]

You say that but my 2018 Spec Roubaix elite (105, dt swiss wheels, fact 10r carbon) is over 9kg from factory.

[@RK01]

When you see it up close in the shop it's not ugly, put some deep section carbon rims on and it will look awesome. Embrace technology.

[@smalerider1727]

That's it I'm going back to downtube shifters!

[@levicjackson]

Smale Rider SRAM announced they are making wrap downtube shifters. Your on the cutting edge.

[@SL7920]

Took a test ride of one today along with a Giant Defy and Cube Attain, I was more than a little skeptical about the Future Shock concept, having now ridden it i'm a convert, as much as the Defy and Attain were great riding bikes, the Specialized Roubaix Comp just had that little extra in comfort. If your an out and out racer, this wont be the bike for you, but if your a sportive long day ride kind of person that has limited hip flex then try one of these out if you can find one. Just a note, if you think the Future Shock is like Mountain Bike suspension then think again, it's not and it's not meant to be, this more suspends you on the bike, it's an odd sensation at first, but quickly passes , it really works to isolate road buzz and takes the sting out of road bumps, I was actively seeking the biggest bumps and dings in tarmac I could to test it. Of course you will find potholes that it just wont soak up 20mm of travel can only do so much.

[@arieduindam]

I have the Roubaix Elite since this winter and just rode the Vlaanderen Cyclo this weekend. Great bike on these long and rough rides, but also feels just like a proper road bike. I have the mechanical disc brakes, just brake and forget. The comments about the looks are a matter of taste of course, but I got a lot of compliments with my red frame.

[@kylestevenson5600]

I've got it with the 105's and it is lightening, an absolutely brilliant bike, I highly recommend it.

[@davecech4741]

I rode a (rented) previous generation Roubaix SL4 in Maui last week and it was great. I rode the bike about 23 hours during the week (7 day trip), with two loops around West Maui and a trip up the Haleakala volcano mixed into that time. The riding position was very comfortable and it was easy for me to stay in the drops for long stretches of time despite my limited flexibility. Additionally, the bike basically soaked up whatever the road had to offer, even on 700x25c tires. The compact crankset paired with a 11-32 cassette made the close to 5 hour climb up the 10,000 foot Haleakala volcano "manageable". (I say "manageable" because that was one of the most physically challenging things I've ever done, and certainly as hard or harder than trying to run a fast marathon.) I own a 2008 Cervelo R3 as my main road bike right now, but given my experience last week, the Roubaix Comp would definitely be on my short list given I'd be looking for an endurance bike to add to the quiver. Regardless of what people think about the looks of the bike, I think just about anyone would benefit from the combination of comfort and speed of this bike, particularly on long rides. Two thumbs up!

[@pahouseholder]

Great, explanatory review. Thanks, guys! Agreed with many-it ain't pretty-but would love to take one for a spin & feel for myself.

[@DaleSides]

Be careful, I did and now I own one

[@ysl109812]

Thank you BikeRadar. Bought the Roubaix Comp and loving it. The comfort in riding is absolutely noticeable.

[@metubenoggin07]

I had a '14 Roubaix SL Expert and honestly, never truly loved it. In fact, I sold it (at huge $ loss of course) with less than 2,000 miles on it. I then turned around and got a Synapse, which I've loved quite a lot. All that to say, I've been reluctant to go back to 1.) Specialized and 2.) Roubaix. But reviews elsewhere and here on the reimagined version have been pretty hard to ignore. The deal was sealed just yesterday when a LBS advertised a *great* deal on a 2018 Roubaix Pro. I arranged for a test ride, and they told me to be sure to cross the notoriously jarring railroad crossing down the road from the shop. I did as suggested, and with much experience crossing those tracks, I was truly blown away by the way Future Shock nearly eliminated the thump to the bike and body. Though that's the biggest story surrounding this Roubaix, it's not the only one. I also felt as fast and confident as with any bike I've ever rode before, and for me, it was an easy decision to buy. My first real ride came today, and 52 miles later I'm still very sold on it. No buyer's remorse here!

[@Dparrey]

Great to see new things in bike design. I love the metallic paint job on the Roubaix although I must admit the hover bar will take some getting used to.

[@IZ0PXT]

I have a Roubaix Comp and it works very well on our very bad roads , I am very happy with it you dont feel the kilometers..

[@carnsoaks1]

great explanation. I have an aversion to Specialized, thanks to Cosmo (back with his HTRWW again, yey) but there are so many awesome frame out there, I daydream about upgrading and fitting the awesome components I got on my Merida XCross bike and i'd be a happy camper / adventurer.

[@RABWA333]

Guys , Im confused between Roubaix Sport 2019 and Scott Addict 20 disc 2019 , which one should I pickup ? which one has better frame and lighter in riding and more comfortable ? The price diff is 540EUR

[@jamescaulfield7102]

This bike is my daily driver. I love it and completely agree with the RBOTY honors. The only complaint I have is that I get a lot of side-eye about the SWAT box (utility box mounted above the bottom bracket containing a spare and some tools) looking like a motor. The number of times I've had to say "it's not a motor" on rides is inestimable, usually as I'm cranking my heart out up a climb and someone clucks their tongue judgmentally at me.

[@sitchad]

I have the same bike in a size 58. I can tell you, I am a big rider, 275lbs. and this is a fantastic bike. Super smooth, responsive and FAST. Comfortable to ride and zero issues. I get complements all the time how beautiful the bike is so I am really not sure why the comments on looks matter. For me, it's performance. I have a Specialized Rockhopper and love it but for road use the Roubaix Comp is an excellent bike.

[@reshglobal-grow4663]

It looks different but good and go ride one its just FANTASTIC... handles really well on bad surfaces without beating you up and maintains pace and composure just a great bike to ride...

[@zimboy777]

quite a contrast from the 2016 "back to basics" and super Caad12....advancement in tech is obviously dominant these days but clearly a bit confusing/unsettling for enthusiasts....I don't like the look of this bike but I'd be open to trying it...I can imagine it rides well....good challenge from Cycling Plus!

[@UKRR]

a great bike and agree with all the comments - try one over a 100 mile ride.......you'll love it !

[@richardlarocque314]

Before I bought the Specialized Comp 2017 model I had the 2014 model. I compared both on 70+ km rides because I felt that long distances would show the difference and it really did. The engineering on this bike is really something. A bit expensive but if you ride a lot and want comfort and increase your performance the Specialized Comp 2017 model is the bike to ride.

[@rob90429]

I rode this bike in boulder CO. Awesome on flats, gravel, and all the rough stuff. Once I headed into the mountains, that's when the future shock showed its dark side. Constantly bobbing up and down when climbing was very annoying. I still prefer the 2017 supersix evo as the best all around bike.

[@mattjones9343]

Worth noting that bikeradar seem to cater for the slower, more comfort focused rider. After the Synapse won their bike of the year I bought one and found it far too flexible to ride fast descents and the odd crit. A suggestion for them would be to highlight what each bike is good at ie. rank them out of 10 for comfort, stiffness, weight, handling, descending, climbing etc. the problem with this review of the winner is I have no real idea if it will suit my riding routes or style of riding.

[@Kezzers]

Matt West you mean they voted for a bike that 95% of riders would ride? Imagine that!

[@hutchyhutchinson]

I'd love a go on it!

[@OffTheSaddle]

Not at all my taste aesthetically but I would still love to ride one.

[@iancoupe71]

I totally agree with your decision i have the new Roubaix and it's fantastic.

[@Rejor111]

It's an interesting bike, pretty polarizing too. After I finish my move to Japan, I'll have to try it out. Also got the Giant Anthem and a couple others in mind to try out. Thing is, the Specialized is probably going to be out of my budget.

[@willjayc1]

Bought a Roubaix Elite a few months back with nothing but good things to say about it.

[@stefanjepp6612]

the Looks is unusual, but not bad. lookswise I would prefer the Tarmac or even my 2012 allet, but the technpöpgie of thes roubaix is great!

[@on2a]

A bold (and expensive) choice for bike of the year. Undoubtedly an innovative design so understand the reasoning. My question - can this bike keep up with something like the BMC Roadmachine? All those future shocks and whatnots look like effective power drains from effort through the frame

[@arieduindam]

I have one of these since winter and actually got faster on my new bike. The frame itself is fully rigid, so the geometry and wheel base don't change while suspending. Furthermore, it is not a damper like on a mountain bike, but more like a spring, so no energy is lost there. I enjoyed it a lot at the Vlaanderen Cyclo last weekend.

[@krispy1231]

If you have a chance, test one, you will be surprised at the efficiency of the front end

[@lonewolfe8897]

krispy1231 Pretty sure it would feel weird while rocking the bike in a sprint

[@alduarte8242]

Well said; "The proof is in the ride" I own a Cervelo RS. (Carlos Sastre won the 2008 Vuelta a España in this same frame) This RS has a stiff BB, beefed up chain stays, 3T; race fork, handlebars and stem. Then mix taller head tube, longer wheel base, spaguetti thin seat stay make for more comfort and translates into higher speeds and longer rides + less aches and pains! To Me a win! win! situacion! This Roubaix may be a bit better than My older endurance/Stage race Cervelo. Need to test ride it as well as Treks endurance offering.

[@christianhum3635]

54cm Tarmac Headtube length 140mm 54cm Roubaix Headtube length 125mm (+20mm for Future Shock = 145mm)5mm difference when unloaded, which will mostly disappear when you're riding it. Bars are personal preference. Just sayin'...It rides awesome... If you can ride faster than me on mine over 100 miles, it's not because of the bike.

[@sachinlc]

I want to get into road bikes and looking for my 1st road bike. Should I look for road-endurance bike with disc brakes over non disc? Are disc brakes considered an advancement or a need for extra stopping power if you're exceeding 40mph ?

[@Countrystock]

Biggest issue with this bike is the boring colour. I'd go for the orange version

[@SimSimon87]

yeah, I prefer the expert over the comp. better STI, better groupset, better brakes, better color :)

[@MattDion]

Is the fork and suspension frame dependent? I'm not in the market for a new bike, but I do have a low head tube and run about 20mm of spacers. If I could replace the spacer height with shock height, that would be interesting...

[@MattDion]

Just watched a technical vid, looks like it is very much possible, as long as the head tube height is the same height as the roubaix or slightly shorter. The only thing is that there's an additional clamp below the spring mechanism, so there's an extra... 8-10mm-ish? of height to consider. That, and the cover for the clamp is aesthetically designed to match the roubaix frame, so it might look a bit out of place. Nothing a bit of 3D printing couldn't fix though. And of course I'm assuming the fork has a standard taper. I couldn't find any spec on it.

[@TheJavonplayer]

I wish there were more road bikes with suspension and disk brakes for wider on them, on rough roads it really just more efficient, I sick of people being so obsessed about weight and being real closed minded about mountain bike like components

[@milanpintar]

i have the 2018 sworks with sram red. i don’t want anything else! i’ve added a quarq dzero power meter

[@DaleSides]

I get my SWORKS sram red this week. Can't wait

[@fieldlab4]

Give it on the fly lockout/preload/height adjustment and it's a deal. I would keep it so stiff so it wouldn't bounce around standing on the pedals that it wouldn't have any point. Now, if you believe standing on the pedals is useless anyway maybe this is for you. I mean, one thing i really like about hard tail mountain bikes is that the bars are bolted to the frame, pedals and rear wheel. This thing isolates the bars, your hands, from everything, not just the front wheel. It would take some serious convincing here. Nothing wrong with road suspension forks or head tube forks if you really need it but if cyclocross doesn't need it, who really does?

[@WildOutdoorLiving]

I do not want my fit to be constantly changing while I'm riding down the road. That old soft ride was stem was terrible for the same reason. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for comfort, but A) Simplicity is also king and B) Bigger tires are pretty easy to put on.

[@alonsodelapava4094]

Hi. Love the review? Is it a fast bike? What if I like to mix riding on the mountains and also do very flat fast courses. Would it be a good bike? Tx

[@zwiftfrance]

I bought the Roubaix DI2 model and I'm very happy with it.

[@bryandocker9591]

Same, di2 expert in black, just finished my regular 30 mile run. Lol at the haters that have never even tried it out.

[@SimSimon87]

just got the mechanical expert today. Rode 5km back from the shop and I fucking love it already! Super smooth on that shitty bike ways and your butt feels like sitting on a cloud (a fast one)! :)

[@erwinhorlings6702]

Riding the Roubaix sinds Januari. Best bike I have ever hadden.

[@Kezzers]

I'm looking at getting the roubaix with di2 at the end of the season. Whats your impression 4 months later?

[@ollyole4560]

A bike that splits opinion is a great bike. Personally I think it looks ugly however I can't help but admire the innovation.

[@stefanjepp6612]

The Roubaix looks better in black

[@TheJsntowers]

So the team requested a rigid setup but specialized went to production with the shock? Why have team feedback if you're not going to listen? I'm surprised the failure wasn't where the seat stays join the frame though. Looked at one in my LBS and there's a small relief cut in the seat tube that has "future failure" written all over it

[@davehause8571]

Anyone remember the old Girvin stems?

[@mramazingtroy]

How would the bike rate if it was rim brake like the offering to the pros??

[@alexanderdistefano6563]

It really is amazing how many misconceptions there are surrounding this bike. I think at the heart of it is an overly simplistic idea of what makes bikes with riders on them go fast. It is not just rolling resistance on a perfectly smooth surface but also power losses to vertical movement displacing the momentum of the rider. Every time you hit a bump your movement vector moves marginally away from your intended direction. This is an energy loss. The smaller the amount of mass shifted in this way the better from an energy perspective. Look up some videos on tyre science to get a better understanding of why wider tyres are now favoured as well. It is a combination of the above point and aero gains. I agree that the front end looks too tall, but the designers are limited by needing to maintain 20mm clearance above the frame. If you dislike the tall headstem mount so much that you wouldn't buy the bike, then you will simply never be able to have above frame bar suspension like this. Also in regards to slamming it, I do not see why with a steep angled stem it could not be done.

[@SmevMev]

Alexander Di Stefano It's probably not helpful that "rolling resistance" is one term, used to describe different mechanisms. It would help if riders though more about tyres as suspension - which is after all what a pneumatic tyre is - then it becomes easier to understand why harder isn't always better.

[@slimjimmypage]

But the Future Shock suspends the bars, not the wheel. It might have a slight effect on that hysteresis loss thing we've all latched onto, but that's not the point. Slamming a stem is when you put it as low as possible with the headtube, which is not possible on this bike since the Future Shock is effectively a big ol' stack of spacers.

[@alexanderdistefano6563]

Yes, both points are correct. However I don't think either is decisively relevant. Yes the shock here is above the stem, meaning the bike frame under the rider will still absorb the shock, however what is gained is the ability to have a completely stiff frame from pedal to front axle. This allows the full force in a pedal downstroke to translate as speed as opposed to being lost to heat and kinetic energy off axis in a suspension shock under the headtube. Yes the stem is the equivalent of a 20mm space above the headtube. But even so, it appears to me that the limit on ability to slam a stem is a combination of rider's willingness due to comfort and headstem length/pitch availability. I would have thought you could end up with the same geometry of contact points on the bike as with any other if you used a steeper stem with this frame. Granted it would look extremely odd!

[@jpnw3272]

But isn't this similar to what Softride was doing in its stem a while back - with the added damperer? Yes, this might be lighter, but I am not sure how revolutionary it is. Is it just because it comes from Specialized and not a smaller brand? Just wondering.

[@Jake-xn4tr]

I just bought this bike. Would you guys recommend upgrading anything? or just leave it stock for now?

[@thevitalityproject]

If the bike fits, ride it.

[@surfside16]

I bought the Specialized Roubaix Comp 2018 and prefer the 2014 Roubaix SLR Comp that was stolen. The SLR road like a dream. This bike seems sluggish and I am having to shift more even though I rode/ride the same routes as I did with the SLR. I wish I had bought the Trek Domane SL6.

[@zacconnolly743]

@bikeradar, what year model roubiax can I buy that has the future shock? Is it only 2017+ models

[@DaleSides]

yes

[@luismedeiros7139]

I see this bike its gonna be a love hate being most of the haters not liking the look without even riding it.

[@parmijo]

I'm keeping my 1992 Girvin Flexstem.

[@aarjayemm]

Have you guys ever heard of Canyon? Why are they never even mentioned in passing?

[@waynebikesandpokemon8983]

Maybe bikeradar are trying to support local bike shops

[@jonathancarr6698]

Maybe because, as they said in the video, the frame is the most important thing, and Canyons frames aren't up to the same standard. The main reason they sell bikes is because of the spec, and all those parts will need replacing long before the frame does

[@aarjayemm]

If they are supporting local bike shops they should state it clearly.... and with regards to the frame quality, I'd like to know what the statement is based on! ;)

[@waynebikesandpokemon8983]

aarjayemm canyon are a direct buy brand, can't go into a bike shop and buy one.

[@aarjayemm]

Wayne Barber I know that but what's the relation with this video?

[@petefrancisful]

Certainly not for me, but can understand why it would appeal to some.

[@evansc66]

Is Specialized and/or an aftermarket company making the Future Shock available for all road bikes? Seems as though you cut your fork shorter and insert the Future Shock and you're done??

[@bsouza4441]

A roubaix sl4 was about 9.2 kg '- super heavy

[@pahouseholder]

I've got a 2014 SL4-my first road bike. Rides smooth, but, yes, a bit heavy. Can't wait to upgrade in a few years. Maybe this new Roubaix will have a nicer look by then...

[@bsouza4441]

Aaron Householder yeah its a great bike . very confortable but here in Brazil is so expansive an sl4 sora groupset costs about R$14.500 is moren than a common worker salary for 1 year 😢

[@nanezferrer3565]

can i change the tire into gravel bike tires ???

[@RuNescapeAiderP2PF2P]

Depends on the clearance of your bikes frame and fork but in some cases, you should be able to.

[@MrAndrew1953]

Love this bike But I have seen a video from an owner having major dramas with Praxis cranks (creaking) and the unsealed bearings in the 'Future Shock' which are expensive. Don't fiddle with the Future Shock. Owner with Praxis cranks probs lost his bike for 3 weeks. In the end he thinks they welded them but it didn't fix the problem. My thinking now is- I don't need the dramas , just get a BMC Roadmachine?

[@rickkirgan2893]

I just ordered the Roubaix Comp. I respectfully disagree with the common sentiment that the bike is ugly. I find it sexy as hell, but my tastes are admittedly unconventional. (I ordered it in gloss yellow!) My biggest beef is with the price/spec. The weird mix of 105 shifters, brakes and cassette, KMC chain, Praxis Zayante (huh?!?) crank and Ultegra derailleurs is going to mess with my OCD for the foreseeable future. For $3400 USD, Specialized should do better than a mostly 105 spec. By contrast, I could have purchased the similarly specked Giant Defy Advanced 1 AND a Giant Contend SL-2 disc for less than the price of the Roubaix comp. Not that any of the individual parts is bad, but Ultegra parts are bound to work better with other parts from the same groupset because that's how they were designed. Still, I absolutely love the ride of the Roubaix. I also love that my LBS offers 12 months free financing. As Warren points out, all of the kit will eventually have to be replaced anyway, so I went ahead pulled the trigger.

[@brianmakris2349]

Ricardo Kirgan From what I understand, the difference between 105 and Ultegra is just weight. But I get the OCD thing, I hate having things that don’t match. 😳

[@ilikewasabe]

love it!

[@nathsta1]

How can they give a bike of the year award to a bike you cant ride in the rain. The future will decide the fate of this bike and the reviewers.

[@BikeBodyMind]

I'm sure it is a nice riding bike but I just can't get over the strange look

[@BikeLife154]

Love you guys but really hate this bike. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't rolling resistance on wider tyres dependent on tyre pressure? Once you lower tyre pressure on wider tyres for comfort don't you create more rolling resistance ? And if you run wider tyres at 100 psi for example, they aren't going to be any more comfortable than 23s at 100 psi, surely?

[@arieduindam]

Rolling resistance decreases with wider tyres if the pressure is kept the same; or rolling resistance keeps the same if the pressure is a bit lower compared to narrower tyres. So actually there is more of a choice depending on the terrain. And with the future shock there is no need for lower pressure any more, so you can have 28mm with 120 PSI and still be comfortable :-)

[@SmevMev]

arieduindam It's still never going to make sense to ride ~100psi pressures in 28mm, or wider, tyres - they just roll better over rougher roads and on gravel with low pressures. It does depend somewhat on what and where you're riding, as well as how aggressively you ride and a lot on how heavy you are, but going from a 23mm to a 28mm, you should expect the manufacturer's recommended pressures to be around 20-25% lower, somewhere in the 50-70psi range

[@arieduindam]

SmevMev you probably missed the :-) at these end of my comment...

[@SmevMev]

arieduindam​ I misunderstood it. I might have gone with a " :P " instead, myself

[@eugenelawrence8517]

so no more slamming the stem

[@arieduindam]

There are a lot of tuning options to get the right fit. The bike comes with a 6 degree stem that can be turned around and some spacers that can be removed. Furthermore there is a lower top cap available to lower it further. And of course it is possible not to choose the "hover bar". There is always the 20mm shock, but this is taken into account with the head tube length and the other dimensions. All in all I liked the bike a lot in the default setup, using it for 150+ km rides.

[@eugenelawrence8517]

Not saying it is bad at all. Would love to have it. Just saying that it would not be an aero position type bike

[@HollyBoni]

There are plenty of steep track stems available, so you can still get dat pro look for the instagram pictures.

[@eugenelawrence8517]

My stem is not slammed and have never had a slammed stem. I was just making a statement that comes up so often in pro racing discussions. Especially since the roadbike of the year cannot be an all-round pro roadbike on this occasion. I would still love one for riding harsher terrain, but typically that would be the time for my mountain bike :-)

[@HollyBoni]

Harsher terrain = general road riding for me... :(

[@durrantmiller8810]

You guys all whine like children. How about you ride the bike before you say it sucks. Also, this bike is obviously not meant for nice n' smooth racing it's for comfort during rough races and if you just like a little more comfort. SMH

[@mikeyin19]

A full suspension mountain bike is better if comfort is what you're after....

[@durrantmiller8810]

But then that is SUPER inefficient because of the unnecessary very plush travel, tons of rolling resistance, and way heavier.

[@mikeyin19]

This bike is made for Paris Rubaix. Go look up GCN's recent review of the faster bike on cobble stones (Road bike vs cyclocross vs Mtn bike). You're be surprised for sure.

[@durrantmiller8810]

+mikeyin19 What I meant was it isn't meant for smooth road racing it's meant for rougher racing. I'll correct that. I saw that video. If you didn't notice is was a HARDTAIL not a full susp. A full suspension would most likely be slower than the XC if not the road and cyclocross too. Also, THAT WAS ON COBBLES. On a smooth road the MTB would get whooped and in the video they even mention how the Rubaix is mostly asphalt.

[@venuslnd]

I wonder what mark cavendish would say about this bike since he yanks on the handle bar really hard

[@mechy204]

I personally think that the Domane should have won. Much more innovation with the carbon layup and overall more sexy

[@cup_and_cone]

Does the stack figure on the geometry chart incorporate the extra 2" you can't remove??

[@mikeyin19]

I must say, That is one Fugly Bike

[@Phascont]

Aero bike of the year?

[@1UpKroeker]

I am a bigger fan of the TREK Domane

[@mghuertas]

otra prueba de q la mountain bike influye más en las bicis de ruta ;-) discos y suspensión. Pinarello tiene una dogma con suspensión trasera. Lo próximo va a ser "full suspension road bike" O_o

[@arekkramp4060]

Great bike ,

[@nofearfor13]

it's amusing how Specialized had to come up with this new technology to try to shove more disc brake road bikes down our throat.

[@laszlozoltan5021]

specialized: the disposable bic of cycling

[@KB-uv7wj]

You do know you are being fooled in spending money by rhetorical language! These bikes have the smartphone concept behind marketing. Every year, a small addition boosts sales.

[@kwacker45]

as our UK roads become worse and worse these will come into their own

[@moee123]

Actually!... you can move the stem down a bit. Check this dudes vid, not bad looking after taking out a few spacers. kzbin.info/www/bejne/p4OrnWehqL-iiNk

[@brendarichardson7271]

Great

[@trevort7717]

Can't think of a modern high end bike that looks as ugly as this thing. Modern high end road bikes all perform at such an extraordinary level it really comes down to looks for a lot of people. As shallow as that sounds, who would you rather date, A supermodel that is a 10 in the looks department but is a 9.5 in bed or a not so attractive 3 that performs 9.8 in bed? With the lights off, I would take the 3 but with the lights on, I'll take the supermodel thank you.

[@FacundoGonzalezFigueroa]

Whit subtitles in spanish PLEASEEEEEE

[@luckyyou774]

Roubaix is best.

[@reginaldscot165]

But the year is not over, your telling me you have ridden and tested every bike for this year already and your totally sure this is the best? Best if your getting on a bit can't handle a real road bike? Tell me would a young up and coming racer feel the same? I can't wait for Cycling Weekly to do their bike of the year because they have a better review system by giving category's. Like best aero bike or best comfort bike... I must admit it is an achievement to make a carbon bike "comfortable" I find most of them to be rubbish on that side of things... maybe that's why the industry wants us to move to fatter tyres and shocks? Like let's all ride butt ugly MTBs! I just buy steel or Titanium bikes that have better frame quality and are naturally more comfortable.... and just as light and much stronger. My last carbon bike lasted 6 months before cracking... my metal bikes have lasted 10 years +.

[@bikeradar]

The calendar year isn't over, but the bike year is; anything announced this time of year or later will be a 2018 model. Have a look at our playlist to see how we've split the test into categories exactly as you've described (minus the Aero cat, because there weren't enough new bikes this year to justify it). Cycling Weekly published their 2017 bike of the year back in December, by the way.

[@chentleman]

dont like it. understand the comfort situation vs the "looks". i got a caad12 (the 2016 winner) and it is a superb machine. put 28c tires in a caad and it feels like a pro carbon bad boy. wouldt change for 3 of those roubaixes. this roubaix looks like they found something in the suspension that doesn't take a lot in a road bike feel. i just think that its a good starting tech in a horrendous looking way.

[@SimSimon87]

if "road bike feel" means horrible rim brakes and no riding comfort, then I'd agree with you. not much road bike feel there :) instead of the fork and frame doing the compliance, you've got replaceable parts as that shock thing and the seat post. Plus you get disc brakes and through axles! I really liked that idea and picked one up at the store today. the ride on rough surfaces like crappy bike ways is super smooth, why would you not want that I wonder. But 32mm instead of 26mm tyres on and get even more comfort and grip...

[@hitqbye]

My 2017 Roubaix with 50mm carbon rims: photos.google.com/share/AF1QipO8ZuVRj5Ov0w9iJsJBD9Y05xiQEsls8ZHW41sYrBLeXTrRPIB4-LCmiZukPZwezg?key=eUhFWjlSNGl1cDdOU0xkSWEyOEt6V0hvSmVSbVJn Just completed a 180km hill ride to Cameron Highlands. No butt pain & shoulder pain!

[@alexmorse2157]

i've ridden it. meh.

[@seanek9]

Given what happened to Niki Terpstra are you going to rescind this award? Its a bit of a fucking joke that your bike of the year can't complete the race its named after without catastrophic failure.

[@bikeradar]

The part that failed so catastrophically was machined specifically to nullify the suspension because he wanted a fully rigid front end.. If Terpstra was running a regular, off-the-peg Future Shock then we'd be very concerned, but he was verifiably not.

[@seanek9]

Thanks for the update. Although I'm now even more worried about the engineering abilities of Specialized since they apparently can't spec the factor of safety for a billet shaft.

[@MrJonas2255]

Hideous!

[@camperhonsa8633]

Wouldn't buy it. I couldn't ride a bike I don't like the look of.

[@sebstott3573]

Nice profile pic, mate! ;)

[@camperhonsa8633]

Seb Stott Thanks!