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If you are really into bikes, then you are no stranger to Specialized. The California Company always leaves you wondering what the next big thing is. Famous for their forward-thinking and innovative ideas, Specialized is no doubt one of the titans in the bike world. The Specialized Roubaix Expert Ultegra is nothing short of the hype; it is a high-speed and smooth-riding bike with incredible comfort levels.
Taking advantage of the effect of the Future Shock and the positive handling as well as aero effect of the Tarmac, the Specialized Roubaix Expert Ultegra gives you the best of both worlds. It allows you to maintain a high speed even on extremely rough roads and is also pretty fun to ride. Roubaix Expert Ultegra provides you with many features you’d expect from a high-level bike at an affordable price.
Features of Specialized Roubaix Expert Ultegra
One of the most intriguing features of Roubaix Expert Ultegra is the suspension element that’s featured in the head tube, below the stem, called Future Shock. This suspension system offers about 20mm travel between the top tube and the stem. The Future Shock feature improved the comfort of the bike, making it smoother and easy to ride even on rough roads. It introduced a 5 percent improvement in vertical compliance, and the fork can be stiffened to improve the handling of the bike.
Added to this new unconventional design is a riser-bar and a toolbox, cleverly located above the bottom of the bracket. Aesthetically, this was not the best place to house the toolbox; luckily, it can be removed easily, and no one would notice something’s missing. However, if you are going on longer rides and trips, it is advisable to leave the toolbox attached.
The new frame design on Roubaix Expert Ultegra is just as aerodynamic as the Tarmac race bikes; it lowers the seat clamp up to 65mm downwards into the frame to aid movement and comfort. Its geometry allows you to exploit its pace both on flat and rough roads and keeps you in a comfortable crouched position.
The rise bars fitted to this bike give it an unusual appearance; it may take a while to get used to it. The bars provide extra comfort for your hands and joints. The Future Shock System produces the bulk of movement in the front end of the bike; for this reason, the full potential of the rise bars may not be expressed. The spring rate can be adjusted using the three different springs, but the lack of suspension damping may be a problem.
On rough grounds, the Future shock system provides a great amount of comfort, but once you start riding aggressively, with tight and fast turns, the system falls short. In these situations of dynamic riding style, when the pressure on the front end is increased by the rider and the front wheel is controlled by multi-directional forces, it may be difficult to feel the tires’ limits. To improve the stability and comfort of this bike, it features an ergonomic Hover handlebar and a Pavé seat post.
Product Specification
Weight: 8.66kg
Brand: Specialized
Geometry
Seat Tube: 50.5cm
Top tube: 57.9cm
Trail: 5.5cm
Bottom bracket drop: 7.45cm
Bottom bracket height: 28.8cm
Wheelbase: 1,014mm
Fork offset: 4.4cm
Reach: 39.2cm
Wheels: 700cc
Pros
Integrated toolbox (can be removed)
Comfortable crouched riding position
Includes innovative technologies
Handling is maximum at rough or smooth roads
Lightweight frame for climbing and descending
Cons
High front end
Cockpit setup is complicated
Future shock lacks dampening
Conclusion
With the Roubaix Expert Ultegra, Specialized has proven once again that they are a driving force in the industry. These new innovations and modalities show that the Endurance market is heading in a new direction of improved comfort and handling. The newly developed Future Shock system is the highlight of the Specialized Roubaix Expert Ultegra. It provides a great amount of safety and comfort on both smooth and rough tarmac surfaces. The downside is the lack of damping system as it struggles to switch from a proactive to a more aggressive riding style. Besides that, it is really an all-around bike that provides optimum comfort and allows the user enjoy the ride.
Also, read
Specialized S-Works Tarmac Disc Review‘