General Bike Thread (Desiderata, Questions, Pics)

[Fueco]

Dammit! I need to get my rims and Ultegra upgrades now so I'll have something to show.

I need to install the saddle I bought in September so I have something to show...

 

[Piobaire]

I need to install the saddle I bought in September so I have something to show...

I just put the new one on when I got home from the office today. Pics in situ tomorrow.

 

[patrick_b]

I just put the new one on when I got home from the office today. Pics in situ tomorrow.

That thing looks awesome.

 

[sugarbutch]

New bike day. I battled a freak April snowstorm to drive 2+ hours to buy this today. Last Roubaix Expert within 200 miles. The service guy was telling me that they just got word a week ago from Specialized corporate to not sell to out of state buyers. He thought it was a ridiculous directive given the supply and demand for bikes these days.

Hydraulic disc brakes and Ultegra Di2. What an upgrade!

View attachment 1594843 View attachment 1594844 View attachment 1594845 View attachment 1594846

'Tis a beaut!

 

[patrick_b]

Put pedals and cages on. Seat height is close. It’s 41°F and raining. I now know what it feels like to endure torture.

 

[mhip]

Put pedals and cages on. Seat height is close. It’s 41°F and raining. I now know what it feels like to endure torture.

Buy some rollers, and put up some appropriate YouTube videos on the tv...

 

[patrick_b]

Buy some rollers, and put up some appropriate YouTube videos on the tv...

I do have a trainer. I already put it away figuring I'd be on the road for the season. May have to grab it from the basement. I like the way you think.

Appears to be clearing up and it's stopped raining so maybe I'll bundle up and get outside.

Daylight shot.

For reference the Di2 battery lasts 2000KM-5000KM so I'm looking at charging it twice this year at best.

 

[mhip]

I do have a trainer. I already put it away figuring I'd be on the road for the season. May have to grab it from the basement. I like the way you think.

Appears to be clearing up and it's stopped raining so maybe I'll bundle up and get outside.

Daylight shot.

View attachment 1595211

It's a beauty...
I've always been a Specialized fan.
I have a hybrid that I threw a fat spring saddle on that is my sometimes bike trail bomber on the way to my favorite ocean front beer bar...

 

[patrick_b]

I've always been a Specialized fan.

Same. The Roubaix geometry is really comfortable for me so I didn't feel the need to change models. Tech has improved quite a bit in the last 13 years. Shifting is flawless but my old bike was working like a champ too. The difference is that the shifter travel is non-existant. I'm used to cranking on the shift lever to go to the big ring up front and this is a virtually imperceptible click and it's in gear. You can even adjust it on the fly.

The Roubaix also comes equipped with a tiny little shock in the head tube that can be adjusted and/or locked out. I'm curious how it feels as my old bike didn't have this feature.

"The Future Shock 2.0 is the result of our pro riders’ demands for the cobbles of Roubaix. It’s smoother, faster, and gives you more control via a knob atop the stem. This knob adjusts compression from fully-open to stiff, while hydraulically-damped internals control rebound. The Future Shock features up to 20mm of travel, and it's positioned above the head tube in order to move in a vertical path. So when the front wheel encounters rough terrain, the bike moves up towards your hands and preserves your forward momentum without slowing you down. Another important fact is that, because the Future Shock is positioned under the stem, the bike's wheels are held together rigidly by the frame. In other words, because the wheelbase isn't changing throughout the suspension's travel, like with traditional systems, you get the added benefit of extremely predictable handling."

 

[Piobaire]

That's similar to the Domane which has it for both the handle bars and seat tube. Trek calls it "Iso-Speed" suspension I think.

Saddle is near on perfect. Firmer than the OEM Trek but better engineered and supports my sit bones perfectly.

 

[sugarbutch]

I have a suspension stem on my gravel bike, but the Future Shock ability to lock out would be nice

 

[Piobaire]

I was worried about losing power transfer with the seat post one but they claim to have it engineered so that doesn't happen; it seems they are correct.

 

[patrick_b]

So I have two rides on the new bike. I got out yesterday in the crappy, rainy weather for my normal loop, which is about 80% crushed stone/gravel path. It was muddy and wet and my fancy new bike got dirty . Not to worry, I cleaned it up this morning. Today I couldn't bear to get my new toy dirty so I stuck to the road.

Di2 is the real deal. My old bike was running well so it didn't mis-shift or anything but what's most noticeable is the travel length on the lever. A tiny little snick and I'm in a new gear. It's almost imperceptible. It's like the pusher on a mechanical chronograph, short but solid. Even going from the small to big ring in the front, I'm so used to cranking the lever, but all it takes is the smallest effort and it just goes, every time. It's really amazing coming from a 13 year old bike/tech. Brakes are tremendous. I can't believe how great disc brakes are especially in the wet.

Surprisingly it's almost 2 lbs heavier than my old bike (16.9 lbs vs 18.7 lbs on my bathroom scale). I figured it would be a bit heavier but I didn't expect that much. That said, I certainly don't notice it. I'm a good 10-15 lbs overweight anyway. I'm sure it's due to the excitement and honeymoon phase but I cranked out my normal gravel loop about 5 min quicker than normal yesterday, even in the rain. Must be the bike. Money well spent. I don't want to leave it in the shed outside.

 

[Piobaire]

Please no talk concerning watches in this threak. Nothing good could come of that.

 

[patrick_b]

Please no talk concerning watches in this threak. Nothing good could come of that.

Excellent point. No need to turn this safe zone into peak porsche, peak rolex, etc.