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Street Rod |
Bob
- Get this bike! -
Dan "Will I like this bike?" - Bob "You'll like this bike" - Jeff "It's a cross between a high end race machine and a hybrid. You are, for the most part, horizontal but not to the degree if you were riding, let's say, a Waterford or a Seven but... Additionally ..." - Craig |
In plain English, the Roubaix Pro's a hot rod. Fast, frighteningly responsive (So much so, you'll dump it if you muscle it.) and a blast to ride, the Roubaix is radically different from the usual road machines I test from time to time out of Glen's shop. For starters, the position, as articulated by the esteemed Craig Wittman, is more upright with a lower center of gravity than that of hard edge road bikes. This translates to extreme lateral quickness and a sense of stability I have never experienced on any other road machine. When combined with Dura-Ace wheels and componentry, the sense of solid tightness comes to the fore, especially when riding over the rough roads of CT.
Other things to like about the bike center on the new Dura-Ace components that seem to be even stiffer and more responsive in shifting, especially on the front derailleur where going back and forth from the big ring to the small now has the same decisiveness as per the rear. Complementing the Durace hardware are the Dura-Ace wheels, cool looking hoops with the same stiffness as the Cosmic's I ride but, due to newer tech, are lighter in weight and feel even more stable when leaning into a tight corner going down a steep hill. The Specialized Pro tires that come with the bike provide good grip with acceptable comfort (Continental Grand Prix 3000s would be awesome here) but who's complaining when riding something as hot as this.
Summing it up. While not as smooth as a Seven, the Carbon Roubaix Pro makes up for it in handling that will blow you away because road machines just can't react as quickly as the Roubaix does to direction changes. Take this puppy out wearing anything you want because this baby rocks whether in town or on the road. Out of rating of 1-10, it's a 10 baby! Postscript - "Big Daddy Roth captures the feeling one gets riding this beastie." - Bob M.  Postscript II - "Hey Danny, I'm ready to test this out again today if it's Ok with you." Bob Moran - Amateur Critic |