Best of Test 2023: Most comfortable road bike - Specialised Roubaix Sport
Julian Schultz
· 27.12.2023
A few months after our test of the Roubaix Sport, the US manufacturer presented a New model series of the marathon racer. Now in its eighth generation. Thanks to a sophisticated suspension concept, the predecessor, which was still available in remaining quantities on the Specialized website at the end of the year, earned the title of most comfortable road bike in the TOUR test. As in 2022, the trendsetter in the endurance road bike segment achieved the best comfort score (1.3), which is made up of the spring stiffness of the seatpost and fork. Just ahead of the Argon 18 Krypton (1.4) and the Canyon Endurace CFR Di2 (1,5).
The Specialized benefited from its suspension element between the stem and head tube. The Future Shock system could not be adjusted or locked in the spring stiffness like the current top models. However, apart from crisp sprints where you pull on the handlebars, this was not a decisive disadvantage. On the contrary: the damping element absorbed bumps excellently. In addition, the Roubaix was and is not designed for speed chases, but for long days in the saddle.
In addition to the very good suspension, which was also first-class at the rear thanks to the long carbon seatpost, this underpinned the riding position. Due to the upwardly cranked handlebars, this was even more upright than the stack to reach ratio (STR: 1.51) would suggest. However, the comfortable chassis had the disadvantage of a heavy frameset; the headset alone weighed four times as much as conventional versions due to the suspension. This resulted in sluggish steering behaviour, which was also due to the heavy aluminium wheels and slow-rolling tyres.
Specialised Roubaix Sport at a glance
- TOUR grade: 2,1
- Price: 3450 Euro
- Weight: 8.8 kilogrammes
Weights & geometry
- Frame/fork/steering bearing weight: 1067/334/430 grammes
- Frame sizes: 44, 49, 52, 54, 56, 58, 61 (test size bolded)
- Seat/top/head tube: 485/570/144 millimetres
- Stack/Reach/STR: 587/389 millimetres/1.51
- Wheelbase/caster: 995/52 millimetres
Equipment
- Drive/gear shift: Shimano 105 (2x11; 50/34, 11-34 t.)
- Brakes: Shimano 105 (160/160 mm)
- Wheels/tyres (weights): DT Swiss R470/Specialized Turbo Pro 30 mm (f/w: 1471/2040 g)
Measured values & individual scores
- Weight of complete wheel: 8.8 kilogrammes | Grade: 4.0
- Steering head stiffness: 90 Nm/° | Note: 2.0
- Lateral stiffness fork: 51 N/mm | Grade: 1.3
- Bottom bracket stiffness: 61 N/mm | Grade: 1.0
- Seatpost spring stiffness: 93 N/mm | Grade: 1.3
- Spring rate fork: 0 N/mm* | Note: 1.0
* The comfort measurement of the Future Shock fork provides no indication of the actual suspension travel at the handlebars. However, the grade takes into account both the construction and the measured value on the handlebars.
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Julian Schultz
Editor
