New Specialized Headshok (Roubaix)

[mile2424]

Apparently the frame is lighter than the Tarmac tho. Wonder if you could run just the frameset with a normal seatpost and stem?

Bikeradar is saying the frame is 700g. In a 58.

Really?

My Sworks Tarmac is 950g in a 52. And that's without a big metal spring and disc mounts.

Either Specialized got hold of some pixie dust or someone's being economical with the truth.....

Bikeradar.com always been a joke to me! Random guess after 2 beers?

Source: http://cyclingtips.com/2016/09/first-lo ... ubaix-2017

"Another thing the Tarmac has passed onto the new Roubaix is the mantle as Specialized’s lightest road frame. The new Roubaix S-Works frame comes in at 900g while the non-S-Works Roubaix frame weighs 1,050g (for comparison, the Tarmac frame weighs in at 966g).
This doesn’t mean the new Roubaix builds into a lighter steed though. The addition of the included CG-R Seatpost, which is slightly heavier (260g) than a standard post, and the suspension cartridge (295g) bumps the weight up. The top tier Roubaix S-Works with SRAM eTap tips the scales at a respectable 7.2kg."

So take the spring and cartridge out, get rid of the plunger, slam the stem, and you have a lightweight frame?!

[mpulsiv]

Apparently the frame is lighter than the Tarmac tho. Wonder if you could run just the frameset with a normal seatpost and stem?

Bikeradar is saying the frame is 700g. In a 58.

Really?

My Sworks Tarmac is 950g in a 52. And that's without a big metal spring and disc mounts.

Either Specialized got hold of some pixie dust or someone's being economical with the truth.....

Bikeradar.com always been a joke to me! Random guess after 2 beers?

Source: http://cyclingtips.com/2016/09/first-lo ... ubaix-2017

"Another thing the Tarmac has passed onto the new Roubaix is the mantle as Specialized’s lightest road frame. The new Roubaix S-Works frame comes in at 900g while the non-S-Works Roubaix frame weighs 1,050g (for comparison, the Tarmac frame weighs in at 966g).
This doesn’t mean the new Roubaix builds into a lighter steed though. The addition of the included CG-R Seatpost, which is slightly heavier (260g) than a standard post, and the suspension cartridge (295g) bumps the weight up. The top tier Roubaix S-Works with SRAM eTap tips the scales at a respectable 7.2kg."

So take the spring and cartridge out, get rid of the plunger, slam the stem, and you have a lightweight frame?!

Sure, as long as the cartridge is not fully integrated. Take a look at the geometry before you "SLAM THAT STEM". Even pro's won't do that. 125mm headtube on 54cm frame hence they include 15mm rise handlebars to accommodate such a short headtube https://www.specialized.com/us/en/compo ... ise/118174

[Bogan]

I have one of these stems on an old Marin MTB buried in my shed somewhere.

[CrimsonKarter21]

I rode one in July at Specialized and we just got one in our shop.
The suspension is really refined and I don't feel it's noticeable out of the saddle- whether climbing or sprinting. Specialized did a lot of lab testing with different riders undertaking V02 max tests while riding the new and the old Roubaix. It also has shorter chainstays and steeper HT angle and will fit 32's.

It's a cool bike and I'll sell tons of them- but probably won't sell one without a test ride.

[DartanianX]

Stem can't be slammed, the steerer tube is in two parts and the lower is a custom size.

The space below the rubber sleeve is where compression is obtained from.

So the stem / spring can be changed independent of headset compression.



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[mpulsiv]

Source: http://road.cc/content/tech-news/204086 ... suspension

17mm of downward travel and 3mm of upward travel. The idea is to better isolate the rider from the bumps, cracks and cobbles in the road and provide improved traction. Specialized tells us the result is a 5.% improvement in vertical compliance over the previous Roubaix. As well as providing more comfort, it also promotes the benefits of increase traction, as the front wheel is able to better track the road surface.

The damper is a completely sealed unit, a tube within a tube with three small springs and rows of needle bearings keeping it smooth. It sits directly on top of the steerer tube with a special headset collar to house the bearings and the stem clamps onto the shock. The damper can be tuned with different springs to suit different weight riders. It's an elegantly simple design and not as complicated as it might sound - Specialized whipped it all apart in 30 seconds and showed us how easy it is to install and make changes to the setup.

We obviously asked about reliability and durability, and Specialized assures us it has carried out extensive testing to ensure it ticks those boxes. The system is completely sealed and wrapped with a rubber seal, so it looks as though it should cope with a British winter, and it recommends an 18-month service interval. We can definitely see applications for this technology beyond the Roubaix.


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[MattSoutherden]

Maybe I'm a simpleton, but what part of the bike actually moves in this design?

Is the steerer solid (stem to axle distance being fixed) and passes up and down through the headtube, or does the fork come out of the headtube independently of the stem/steerer?

EDIT: Ah, the forks are solid wrt the frame and the stem moves down into the headtube??

[benzebub]

"pro approved" yet they only release it in a disc version, meaning the pro's will never ride it.. convenient excuse if asked why nobody rode it at P-R, right?

[Broady]

"pro approved" yet they only release it in a disc version, meaning the pro's will never ride it.. convenient excuse if asked why nobody rode it at P-R, right?

Discs are approved again for select races next year. Not sure if PR is on the list though.

[topflightpro]

It seems to me that Specialized is really trying to live up to its name. It keeps come up with new bikes and designs that have such super specialized applications as to be almost useless to the average person, unless you can afford a massive stable of bikes each designed to tackle one specific type of road or path.

[Dez33]

"pro approved" yet they only release it in a disc version, meaning the pro's will never ride it.. convenient excuse if asked why nobody rode it at P-R, right?

Discs are approved again for select races next year. Not sure if PR is on the list though.

I think that's speculation by one of the news outlets at the moment. There's nothing on the UCI site.

[DartanianX]

Ahhh, if you wanted a bike to do everything, buy a Tarmac. Comfortable, light, stiff, arguably one of the best all round bikes on the market.

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[DavidMLee]

Spesh's new bikes.. Vias and roubaix look ugly.
Trek's Madone and Domane look better to me.

[mpulsiv]

Spesh's new bikes.. Vias and roubaix look ugly.
Trek's Madone and Domane look better to me.

This thread is about cartridge suspension and innovation of new Roubaix not about what looks ugly to you.

If you make a purchase decision based on looks of the bike then power to you! If you have nothing intelligent to contribute then don't say anything.


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[Calnago]

I think comparing the Specialized to Trek's equivalent offerings is totally fair game in this thread. And let's face it, aesthetics is always a part of the decision. I happen to share @DavidMLee's view on the aesthetics of the two. I also prefer Trek's offerings as to their approach to suspension. The isospeed technology really works, although I'm not sure they needed to go to that "adjustable" system. While that funky seatpost on the Specialized is just god awful ugly and I don't really care if it does work. And the rubber boot up front... well... versus the internal pivoting design that Trek has taken on their latest Domanes... not sure which is better.... I suspect Specialized's approach has more "travel", versus Trek's approach has more "flex". But whether it's front or rear that we're talking about, Trek has certainly thought about the aesthetics more than Specialized seems to have. At least to my eye.