WORDS: MIKE YOZELL PHOTOS: MATT RAINEY
The Carrefour de L’Arbre – the last hard cobblestone section in Paris-Roubaix, and one of the toughest overall – opens with a serpentine, beat-up, crowned section of Belgian block dotted with wash-tub-size ‘potholes’ that, on this day, was slippery with recent rains. On a bicycle, the most difficult bit of the sector is the sharp left-hander at the ‘T’ intersection that has a crater on the inside. If you’re taking the corner at speed and stray over the crown, you risk sliding to the right and catapulting into the adjacent field.
We hit the big stones at about 40km/h. Normally, at this speed, getting through that turn would be a full-body-rattling, eyes-shaking-out-of-your-head daredevil manoeuver you need to experience to truly imagine. Instead, my line was jangly and rattly – this is the Hell of the North, after all – but never uncertain or out of control. The completely rethought 2017 Specialized Roubaix made all the difference.
Back in 2002, Specialized was one of the first companies to create a completely new bike (rather than modifying an existing model for the teams) to tackle the Classics. That first version of the Roubaix had a longer wheelbase, taller head tube, and slightly more relaxed geometry than most race bikes of the time. It also had increased clearance for bigger tyres (up to 28mm). Most distinctively, polymer inserts (called Zertz) were molded into the frame to damp the ride and take the sting out of the cobbles. Best part: The bike was available to the masses.
The Roubaix has been updated since then, but the new model – along with a redesigned women’s Ruby – is the first full overhaul of the platform.
The standout feature of both frames is the Future Shock suspension cartridge. Comprised of a balanced set of springs in a sleeve equipped with roller bearings, which connects the stem to the steerer tube, it suspends the rider from harsh jolts and hits that might otherwise send you off your chosen line, and allows the front tire to maintain better contact with the road surface.
The frame is also a radical departure. The Zertz inserts in the stays and fork legs are all gone. On the men’s version, the head angle now matches that of the Tarmac (Specialized’s carbon race bike), the rider position is lower, and the wheelbase is shorter. The Ruby keeps the rider position and women’s geometry of the earlier version. On both, the frame is lighter and structurally stiffer than the previous model, accepts up to a 32mm-wide tyre, and is disc-brake only.
Both bikes benefit from Specialized’s Rider-First Engineered approach (the Ruby is the first women’s model from Specialized to get this), which scales tube shapes and sizes for frame size and rider weights. According to Specialized, this makes bikes of every size ride and react the same instead of differing in stiffness or handling as the frames get bigger or smaller than the ‘sweet-spot’ norm they were designed for (usually around 54 to 56 cm). In our experience with Rider-First bikes, this claim is accurate.
The signature Zertz inserts aren’t gone from everything – the CG-R seatpost still uses one. In addition, 60mm of the seatpost above the clamp sits in an oversized portion of the seat tube (the clamp is that same distance lower from the normal top-of-the-tube location), giving the post more length to flex while the rider is seated. A rubber dust cap seals this junction, to keep the internals clean.
The last big part of the updated package is the Roval CLX32 wheelset. The carbon rims have a new, shallower profile that Specialized claims is as aerodynamic as the deeper CLX40 and some 60mm-deep rims by other manufacturers, but still offer a forgiving ride. They boast an internal width of 21mm, closer to XC mountain bike wheels than the 17 to 19mm widths more common on road-race wheels. This adds volume to the tires and translates to the ability to run lower pressures for more traction, comfort, and control.
When you first push on the bar, you may notice the subtle bobbing of the stem and think this just isn’t going to work. It seems as if the setup will rob you of energy. But as our testers rode the bike, this worry vanished. Some did note the bar movement, but none ended up feeling it cost them power, and all of us quickly got used to the motion. Specialized claims – with data telemetrically captured during real-world testing with longtime partner McLaren – that the bike actually saves your energy by smoothing the ride and delaying muscle fatigue.
Our testing bore this out, especially on long rides, where the Ruby and Roubaix really excel. Said one tester, about a mixed pavement, dirt, and gravel route she had previously ridden only on Specialized’s carbon race bike the Amira: “I felt a lot more fresh when I rode it on the Ruby -my arms, hands, lower back, and pelvic area were not sore, and I had more energy over the course of the entire ride. And I could ride plenty fast, keeping up with speedy friends, taking long pulls, and setting Strava PRs on a bunch of climbs and segments.”
Said another of the Roubaix: “On some of the worst of our local roads – in thick gravel and loose corners followed by potholes and cracks and ruts – the bike could have gone faster and rougher, but I was the one who held it back.”
Some testers noted that the bike was less stellar at isolating single bumps or taking the sting out of individual sharp edges. The Roubaix and Ruby seem to be best at smoothing terrain that is continually rough and chopped up, rather than saving you from the occasional pothole.
All of us came away with an impression that the bikes handle superbly, especially downhill and around corners. We were discernibly more confident on technical descents and loose or rough terrain because the tires felt glued to the pavement. It took less muscle -and brainpower – to keep the bike on a chosen line.
After riding the Roubaix, I’d agree with Specialized that smoother is faster. Other companies have been approaching this with road bike suspension. But by suspending the front end, where handling is most affected, and dialing in the rest of the bike for a comprehensive system, Specialized has made a huge leap. As one rider put it: “It’s truly transformative, like a new level of what should be expected.”
SPECIALIZED ROUBAIX/RUBY | |
RRP | $5,300 ($6,600 with UDi2) |
WEIGHT (as tested) | 7.98kg (Roubaix), 7.93kg (Ruby) |
MANUFACTURER | specialized.com |
Copyright © 2016 Rodale Inc.