The name says it all with this bike. No other bike has the Queen of the classics, Paris-Roubaix, won more often in recent years. Sure, the competition has impressively improved in terms of comfort. The orange wheel because of that but as old iron to stamp it would be presumptuous.
At first glance, Specialized is sticking with it Roubaix SL4 Expert faithful again this year. The frame is largely unchanged, only in the area of the brake mounts is it reinforced. And this is exactly where the special feature of the bike lies, one that the pros have to do without when they hunt over the pavement.
equipment and practice
The Specialized frame made of fact carbon Roubaix SL4 Expert has the so-called Zertz inserts on the fork and on the support struts, which absorb and effectively deflect the unevenness of the road surface. The head tube and the bottom bracket area are reinforced to give you a full driving experience. In order to keep the bike even more reactive, the chainstays are only 415 millimeters longer at 54 millimeters with a frame height of 10 than with the tarmac.
Our test bike is equipped with the current Shimano Ultegra Di2 equipped. However, Specialized does not use the group's own crank and instead uses the compact version made of carbon SL-K Light by FSA. This is combined with an 11-32 cassette. This spread allows use in almost any terrain, from flat sections to steep paved ramps. However, these also result in relatively large jumps, which means that the round step feeling is lost a little. We would therefore find a cassette with a narrower spread more comfortable. Apart from that, the electronic version of the works ultegra however impeccable. Very good and to Roubaix suitable, we find the additional shifter attached to the upper link.
The braking power of the hydraulic disc brakes is also impressive. In conjunction with those specially developed for joint use IceTecdiscs, the journey can be throttled precisely - in all weather conditions. It is also nice that they require relatively little manual strength and thus inspire additional confidence.
The other components are supplied by the Califormers themselves. So at the front there is a combination of a Expert Pro Set-Aluminium stem, which allows a total of four angles with an adapter, and one also made of aluminum Consultant- Handlebar installed.
The rather heavy ones in relation to the bike Axis 4.0 disc-Impellers adorn the in-house Roubaix-Tires. With a width of 25 millimeters, they offer additional comfort.
Due to the internally routed cables, the bike looks very tidy. However, the head of the seat post disturbs this picture a bit. The striking shape of Cobl-Gobl-R but has system. Even with high tire pressure, it confidently cushions bumps. From a purely visual point of view, we would still prefer the one made of fact carbon Pave Pro SL better liked the Specialized on its cyclocrosser Crux installed - especially since both have a similarly impressive damping.
Conclusion
That works in practice Roubaix again this year, as one has come to expect from him: reliable and comfortable. It simply arouses driving pleasure. Due to the striking color scheme, it is also an eye-catcher. With the Roubaix, nothing stands in the way of chasing kilometers in impassable racing bike terrain. With the integration of the hydraulic disc brakes, Specialized also proves that its proven comfort concept has not lost any of its functionality even after several years of use. Only the weight of the wheels could still be throttled.
product Highlights
- high ride comfort
- reliable equipment, switching precision
- very easy to dose, hydraulic disc brakes
price and web
- EUR 5.499,00
- www.specialized.com