Specialized Roubaix

74 Main Street Middlebury Vermont (802) 388-6666

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Fit: Which Specialized Geometry Works for You?

Specialized has six road bike geometries that cover riders of both sexes and all three body flexibilities. Specialized helped pioneer the use of the longer head tube, recognizing that even at the elite level, not all riders have the flexibility to touch the floor with their palms. Specialized fit is enhanced by the use of Specialized saddles, which have a well-earned reputation for both comfort and functionality.

	Specialized Roubaix (carbon) and Specialized Secteur (alloy) -- medium and low body flexibility. Read about the history of the Roubaix, and see how the introduction of the Roubaix in 2004 revolutionized the way we look at road bikes. Patented Specialized Zertz viscoelastic dampers give both the Roubaix (front and rear inserts) and the Secteur (front inserts only) unmatched damping of road vibration. The Roubaix is far more than a "comfort road bike" -- it actually lives up to its name, with three victories in the brutal Paris-Roubaix, the king of the spring classics on the Pro Tour. Watch this video of Fabian Cancellera attacking in the 2010 Paris-Roubaix on his Roubaix SL3.
	Specialized Ruby -- the women's Roubaix -- carbon for medium and low flexibility women
	Specialized Dolce -- the women's Secteur -- aluminum for medium and low flexibility women
	Specialized Allez -- high and medium body flexibility. It wasn't so long ago that aluminum dominated the pro circuit, and the Allez Comp is the direct descendent of the Allez Pro, the first Specialized to make waves in the pro peloton in Europe. New for 2012 -- the addition of a BB30 bottom bracket to the Allez gives you the Allez EVO, an aluminum frame that can go head-to-head with carbon in competition.
	Specialized Tarmac -- high and medium body flexibility. Even though the Tarmac is the go-to Specialized model for road racing, the use of a longer head tube keeps it from being relegated to the rider who can touch the floor with their palms. Check out this video of Fabian Cancellera attacking in the 2010 Tour of Flanders on his Specialized Tarmac SL3. Compare the head tube of Cancellara's Tarmac with the head tube of Tom Boonen's Eddy Merckx EMX-5. Note Cancellara's relaxed position as he rides away from Boonen -- in the saddle the whole way -- up Flanders' penultimate climb.
	Specialized Amira -- the women's Tarmac -- carbon for high and medium flexibility women

Specialized FACT Carbon

"Modulus" when applied to composite frames = ability of a material (in this case, carbon filaments) to deform under load. The more resistant to deformation (stiffer) a carbon filament is, the higher its modulus (msi, which = millions of pounds per square inch). According to Easton, the four most commonly used moduli are:

	Standard (32-34msi) -- aerospace grade carbon fiber for increasing impact resistance.
	Intermediate (42-44msi) -- used to increase strength and keep weight down.
	High (50-62msi) -- much stiffer than aerospace grade carbon fiber, but more brittle
	Ultra high (100-130msi)

Specialized FACT Carbon has the following levels:

11r carbon -- a proprietary mix of high modulus for stiffness and lightness, medium modulus for strength, and ultra-high modulus in a few key areas to make these the stiffest Specialized frames ever.

	S-Works* Tarmac SL3
	S-Works* Roubaix SL3

10r carbon -- a similar mix of high modulus and medium modulus, but with a different lay-up and no ultra-high modulus. Not quite as stiff as 11r, but if you're not a Pro Tour rider, you may not notice the difference. Race-level performance at a hard-to-beat price for high modulus:

	Tarmac SL4 Pro
	Tarmac SL3 Expert
	S-Works* Amira
	S-Works* Ruby

9r carbon -- Specialized's most advanced lay-up of medium modulus carbon:

	Amira Pro
	Amira Comp
	Ruby Pro
	Ruby Expert

8r carbon -- Specialized's workhorse standard modulus (aerospace grade) carbon:

	Tarmac Comp
	Tarmac Elite
	Roubaix Comp
	Roubaix Elite
	Ruby Comp
	Ruby Elite

Specialized Aluminum

The Comp and Elite versions of the Secteur, Allez, and Dolce are built with E5 alloy, Specialized's lightest aluminum tubing set. Other versions of these three models are manufactured with Specialized A1 Premium aluminum.

At $700, the Allez EVO frameset is a great starting point if you want to build a bike from scratch. It's also a great stand-in if you wreck your carbon frame and can't afford the manufacturer's crash replacement price. Want a really hot-looking and hot-performing combo? Combine your Allez frame with an S-Works or SRAM Red BB30 crankset, at a fraction of the price of carbon.

* NOTE: S-Works products, like shoes and helmets, are available through The Bike Center.

S-Works bikes and frames, however, are only available through premier Specialized dealers that do a high volume of business with Specialized. We're a small shop, so we don't qualify, but with no hard feelings, we point you to the nearest S-Works dealer in our area, Ski Rack.