Matthew’s Favourite EVER Bike? | Specialized Roubaix Long-Term Review 

What do you think about the Specialized Roubaix? Is Matthew bonkers? Or do you think his feelings are justified? Let us know in the comments!

I also have a 2020 Specialized Roubaix, but the PRO with ETAP and this is by far my favourite back. 3000KM in already this year and I have loved riding every crappy bumpy road (as well as the smooth ones) in my lockdown neighbourhood. I think you did a good job of summing up just how versatile this bike really is.

I have this exact model! I have had a lot of bikes in the past and due to an accident i was diagnosed with a neck injury. This bike has helped me a lot with my neck pain, because it is very very very confortable! If you are looking for a confortable road Bike, this is the one. It is expensive, and i had the luky to find one in retail price, but is perfect! I think this review is excellent! The is no bike in the market that have this specs, and the future shock is a blessing. Specialized did an amazing job. It is a Bike for life.

High praise indeed from Matthew, and he really knows what he's doing.

The older you become, the more suspension is needed, I used to ride all day without it at 40, at 65 however I would rather poke myself in the eye than ride a bike without it.

The older I am getting the more comfort when riding is paramount, definitely think this is going to be my next bike. Excellent in depth review.

Thanks for your review, Matthew, a stunning bike, no doubt. And I have no problem with anyone opting for all the bells and whistles they can afford. It's their bike and it's their thing.

Great review. Love the presentation / filming & wit. Buying a Pro tomorrow, last one in the UK I think, world gone mad, don’t want to wait 18months. You have really helped me decide. Life is too short !!!

I bought a Roubaix 2018 recently and was blown away by how comfortable the future shock was. It helped me relieve a lot of the pain I experience from long rides in the shoulders on rough terrains. Its a whole new experience riding this bike I dont think I can ride my other bikes again after being spoiled by the Roubaix smooth ride.

I just got back into cycling, The last time I was into it we had down tube shifters. This bike has made all the passion I had for the sport come back at least double. Matthew covers all unique aspects of this bike well. He's got me looking for a handlebar bag and planning one of those one way rides so I can enjoy more features of this amazing machine. So far I am mainly out chasing after much younger super fit Jockeys.

Matthew has so much knowledge and experience, I trust his word if he really says he likes a bike

Thanks for the great review. I ordered the Sport version and will get in mid June. Thanks again.

Excellent review and commentary, thank you!

I have that exact bike and love it! I changed the saddle to a women's WTB Deva and put latex tubes in the stock tires, which I'm keeping for now.

I've had Roubaix SL2, SL3, SL4 and now the 2020 SL7 Comp and it's by far the best. I live in the Scottish Highlands so cycling here is on a mix of bad tarmac, forestry roads, rough mountain roads and old railways and the Roubix copes with everything I throw it down. With the standard tyres with latex inners pumped to 80/85 it's fast and comfortable. I've also fitted a Charge Spoon saddle and the bike is comfortable for my usual 50-60 mile mixed surface rides. And I'm 66 so I need all the comfort I can get!

Greetings, Thank you very much for this informative and most excellent review. Just about to purchase this bike at the local Specialized shop this weekend.

I love mine. Mine is a blue sport frame, with bontraeger aelous 3 pro wheels, schalbe pro one tires, and a force axs drivetrain. Amazing bike

Excellent review and I agree about the mudguard mounts - I have a 2016 Roubaix Comp - great bike and very comfy to ride. However, go back to my old bike in the winter, as I can fit mudguards to keep me fairly clean...

I just got a 2020 Roubaix Pro with the SRAM Force AXS ETAP to replace my 2012 Roubaix Pro with UDI2 (Upgraded to 11 spd). I love that older bike, but I am really stoked to ride the new model. This review confirms everything I hope to have with the newer tech. I already have the SRAM drivetrain on a gravel bike, and now I won’t have to readjust my brain when I switch from winter to summer bikes for the shifting differences. I am very excited! Thanks for the review!

Matthew's reviews are always such a joy to watch. Love the bike too, but the missing mudguard mounts is a showstopper for me. A dedicated race bike can do without, that's perfectly fine, but I really don't understand why you'd leave them out on an endurance bike.

Great review, I have the Diverge model and love IT. Thanks for the great content.

I bought this exact bike a week ago (blue/grey) and my first ride was an 80km route with some smooth tarmac but also some less than smooth trails. I absolutely love it. Feels light, responsive, fast and confortable. A jack of all trades. Didn’t love the colour schemes specialized put out for the experto but whatever, I’m riding on it not looking at it.

I have an older 2010 Roubaix, which predates disc brakes and electronic shifting and a shock, but I absolutely love it. It's so smooth and non fatiguing, yet makes me feel I'm much faster than I am. It's just a joy to ride. This newer version seems like a big upgrade to that. Enjoy!

I have a 2019 Roubaix, and I absolutely love it. I thought the suspension, and electric shift unnecessary, until I rode it. I was sold as soon as I took it for a ride.

waiting for my new roubaix comp, that should arrive @ late september. very excited about it. thank you very much for a detailed review (it is surprisingly lack of reviews on 2020/2021 roubaix on youtube) - after watching it, i'm calm & know, that have made a right decision to bought it. p.s. sorry for my poor english ^_^

You do a great job in describing the Roubaix: it makes me want to get one. I rather have the mudguard mounts, but with this bike I would be completely happy.

32 mm TL contis are featured on both my bikes. Never been faster in the city, the comfort is unequaled, braking is safer, way more grip in the rain.

Great review :) love the Roubaix awesome bikes

Watching this while waiting for my 2021 Roubaix Comp to arrive, first road bike, first proper bike, can't wait :D

“You don’t have to be fiddling with a knob when your riding” that needs to be on a T-shirt

I got the Roubaix SL4 Comp 2016 model - absolutely love it!

Great review, I found that very interesting. I'm waiting for the 2021 bike with hidden mudguard mounts 🙏

I have the 2020 comp di2 in yellow. I absolutely love it! I run 25mm conti 5000’s and it flies along nicely and still comfy. Good review.

I have many bikes. This bike is the “GO TOO” with confidence in handling, speed and comfort . I like it very much

I totally agree. Best ever Bike I have ever had. So comfortable and fast. I love it!!!

I sold my Merida Scultura 200 and I reserved a Roubaix sport. And i found this! Thank you!!

I have this bike and love it. It handles like a race bike but doesn’t beat you up on long rides. I do use the lockout on the future shock when I’m climbing or sprinting but other than that just leave it fully open. The future shock just works and you don’t really notice it until you lock it out. It’s not the lightest bike in its category but the aerodynamics are good and it just feels fast, I love it!

Just got my hands on my dream bike the S-works Roubaix in a 2022 model. Picking it up tomorrow and will report on how I like the suspension. Looking forward to the ride.

I just bought a 2022 Comp with the SRAM Rival group and even after only 160 miles ridden, I know this bike is gonna be with me for a long time. I never imagined ever spending quite so much on a bike($5000+tax) but it was money well spent, or it will be once my easy financing term is done. It's just so comfortable, so fast, so smooth and I never imagined the difference that a carbon fiber frame would make over aluminium(yes, I'm an American who says aluminium, hehe) until my first ride. I wanna convert to tubeless in the future, but even if that doesn't go well, the comfort just negates the need for tubeless riding. It's only my second ever proper bike, but as good as the Roubaix is, I can't see myself ever buying another. Cheers!

Me, 2019 Roubaix Pro with Sram Force. Couldn’t be happier. Comfortable and fast. I ride this bike strictly on the road. I think I’ll try new tires and a little gravel. The shock, well I have it and it works. I set it about a year ago and haven’t adjusted it once.

I have the 2017 Roubaix Comp, with the 1st generation Future Shock. I have little to compare it to as my last road bike was a secondhand Sun Solo in 1982, but I absolutely love it.

I just completed a 120-mile ride in mixed weather and on-road conditions without any problems and 10 other century rides on this bike and other than tires and regular maintenance, this bike has held up perfectly. Note: I'm a 225 lb endurance rider that rides on Continental Grand Prix 500 700x 28c tires in Florida. The suspension has been invaluable riding on mixed road conditions and has been very comfortable. This is an exception ride and forever my go-2 bike and have recommended it to other riders! (Mathew, xcellent review).

Totally agree, I have one too! With an red ax’s and cl50’s, pure beauty! Just have a proper mechanic take care of your cables and put like it should have been done with thermo wrapping and cut at the right length, it can be clean enough ;)

Just got my Specialized Roubaix TODAYY!

I came from Tarmac SL6 to the 2020 Roubaix. The Roubaix is fast as the Tarmac, but much more comfortable. Future Shock 2.0 is a game changer. On my Sirrus X i have the Future Shock 1.5 with the internal spring, which also works fine, but 2.0 is another step forward. The Di2 works so smooth and i never heard from anyone going back to mechanical systems after electronic shifting experience.

I bought this exact bike last year. Same colour, same size, I even have the same pedals. Watching this video made me so happy! It's a fantastic bike. Riding it is so comfortable, it's like riding on a cloud.

I wouldn’t want front suspension for myself on a road bike but I’m sure there is a big market for those who like a road bike with this versatility.

Love this video. Love my 2020 Roubaix!

Have been riding this for a month now! Love the bike!! I am however trying to see if I should get another pair of wheel rims and tyres for gravel or mix terrain riding. Any recommendations? Am I thinking right?

Thanks for a great review, it really cleared up my confusion about the differences of the Roubaix and the Tarmac SL6, apart from standard rim and tyre size. between Next season, going from a HT to a dedicated road bike & a dedicated trail bike I'm considering this bike. A couple of reasons: Comfort is important because time for prehab has greatly diminished after having a family. I also have some issues with my back and I figure this might help me during longer sessions , even on tarmac that isn't all that smooth. Even with front suspension on my current bike I can get tired in forearms and hands when riding real harsh trails. Any thoughts? I'm not getting three bikes(no gravel bike next season), "only" a trail bike and a road bike. Will I be able to keep up on group rides when others are riding Tarmac SL6 and the like, I imagine the difference in speed will be offset by being less fatigued on the Roubaix(?)

I just picked up an Allez… ❤️❤️it… but see myself upgrading to this down the road🤗🤗

Great review. Just wish I could find one for sale. May not be an equivalent for 2021?

I think the reason full internal cable routing would be difficult is because of the Future Shock integration. Takes the space for cabling away, but is well worth it!

With an etap group set this could be my next road bike

I got this for $500.00 at a pawn shop fell in love with it. Anyways loved the video I'm so happy I'm learning from this video as well..im not riding it yet to cold waiting for summer bike is beautiful.

I felt guilty buying one over my still functional (19 yr old) road bike. I now ride more times a week it’s so good. My understanding is the dial on the 2.0 shock is only a lockout, does not gradient the pressure. I have the 1.5 and love the new wider tires at 60psi👍

I bought a 2018 Roubaix expert di2 this year. It was brand new from the dealers unsold stock. I was looking at the 2020 domane sl5 and this Roubaix and after riding the Roubaix I was instantly sold on the future shock. I got the bike for 50 percent off of the retail price which made this too hard to pass up.i find myself riding more and more because of this bike and so far since may I have put 4000kms on it.

I tried the shockstop stem. Everytime I went to wrench on the bar I nearly toppled over. I am intrigued by this tho

Great review and video. Agree, but shame about the cables - especially considering how much this bike is

I’ve got a 2008 roubaix elite triple. It weighs in at 8.85kg with pedals, bottle cages, and my head unit mounted. I’m debating about upgrading to a new roubaix like the one shown. Will it feel like a material upgrade?

How is the future shock holding up for owners? Any maintenance issues or reliability issues so far?

My brother has a 2005 Roubaix which I rode once, and really liked the responsiveness. The saddle was rubbish for me, which kept me from riding it further. I feel like suspension on a road bike is a mistake, another item to break, but your experience will make me reconsider. I also dislike the post 1990 frames in that there is no kickstand, and why would I want to leave my nice bike down on the ground or leaning where a wind may make it roll and fall? There should be kickstand mount points as there are brake mount points so as not to use the old squish the chainstays design. I find that you are quite correct in wanting mudguard mounts and space. My name gives away that I am in Minnesota, where the large metropolitan area is considered the top or second best city in the USA for bicycling, rivaled with Portland Oregon. We have large puddles of melted snow now and paths shared with dog walkers where we may have small rivers of dog urine (nice to splash that up on your water bottle). If Specialized did go to mudguard mounts, they could brand them with the letter P on top of a Do Not Enter circle, a "no pee"designation. If they don't do it the quirky QBP people (peeople?) may put it on their bikes along with "Fatties Fit Fine", a phrase that has angered uninformed overweight riders. As for the DI-2 I hate having to rely on batteries. They should have contacts to allow an external pack of AA, AAA, or a 9v battery for emergency use. My road bike has a dynohub because I refuse to be enslaved to batteries. I was also promoting wider (28mm and even 32mm) rubber back in 2009 and I was shouted at strongly on the Bicycling forums. I dislike the cassette, 11-34 is stupid wide and leaves gaps in the shifting. For 11 cogs I would choose Shimano's 12-28 because there is never more than a 10% change between cogs except for a 12% from the 25 to the 28. Super smooth shifting with load changes that will not wear out the cyclist. I have experienced climbs where shifting from 21 to 24 and 24 to 28 sent me from spinning to grinding and destroyed my stamina. These were on fairly steep climbs in the north Maryland and south Pennsylvania valleys. But I'm from Minnesota! I get around. Tighter cassettes also mean less overlap between chainrings. See Mike Sherman's gear calculator. Nice review on the Roubaix. I would consider it, but am considering a custom carbon frame from Calfee when I can afford it. It will have mount point for mudguards and I have a new kickstand design that a custom shop could build.

I’m debating between this exact model and the Giant Defy Advanced Pro 2. Thoughts?

I have a 2019 Roubaix (without the knob) but with the variety of springs, and find I have never felt the need to change springs, and frankly I have mostly forgotten it is there. That is I forget it right up to the moment I hit a serious bump. Of course, being part of the target demo, older weekend rider, I am not a racer. Future Shock is seriously good tech. So far I have kept mine on tarmac but I wonder how it would work with bigger tires on compressed gravel roads.

lol, I probably would have broken the knob too. Future shock seems okay though, don't hate it.

Seems like a great bike! Too bad we all can't test more bikes! I'm convinced that there are many bikes that are in the same league? Canyon grail? The giant pro defy? Or my personal favourite, the GT Grade?? (if you didn't already know this one, definitely check it out, I haven't been on a better gravel bike than this one....

Of course there's a place for bigger tires and suspension in road cycling. Outside of major cities the roads can be pretty rough even if they're paved. And sometimes in the city as well, at least in North America. Even when training seriously, base miles are a lot more fun when not limited to the pristine pavement. Not all of us like road cycling for the sake of suffering to maybe one day do well in a race.

I upgraded my 2020 Roubaix entry level model and its faster than the one in this video. Amazing what a deep dish carbon disc brake wheelset and an aero handlebar on the cockpit will do for a bike. I run 28 cm tires and its just a beast on the road! DON'T SLEEP ON THIS BIKE, ITS DEFINITELY A GREAT BUY IN THE SPECIALIZED FLEET OF BIKES!!! It's the total bike and in many ways it is better than the flagship Specialized road bike ridden in this years 2020 Tour de France.

The base Roubaix is on my list of possible upgrades when the day comes that I figure that my basic allez is holding my back. More accurately, *if* the day comes, cause I didn’t think a relatively cheap road bike could be so good

Hi Mattew, Your plea has been heard, the bike now has space for 40 mm tires and mudguards

What front bag was that on the bike?

Hi there - I am trying to make a decision between Roubaix Sport and Tarmac Sport. Both are same prices and I currently own Allez Sport so will be a nice upgrade either way. I been torn for past few weeks which bike to go with, I read a lot of arguments from both sides, any wisdom from anyone would be greatly appreciated!! I do enjoy my Allez but I always felt I was always too slow, especially on climbs and I am in pretty good shape but I'm 6'4 220 pounds so Im sure that contributed :) I do a lot of 50 mile rides (at least twice a week) but also big into century rides, I don't need to be the fastest, but do want to gain some speed. I don't know how much slower Robouix is, don't care about few second difference but also don't want to be at the end..... Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!!

I rented the original version the year it first came out. The only time I noticed the bars, and seemed a little odd, but I also got used to it after a little while and really didn't notice. That bike is also what inspired me to get disk brakes on my next road bike. It was early spring and I was in Colorado. The roads were wet from snow melt. I got surprised by a stop sign at the bottom of a fast descent. I went into panic mode but the bike just stopped without drama.

I was hoping that 2021 Roubaix would come with FS 2.0 on Comp models (as they did with 2021 diverge) but no... they changed paint jobs and slapped S-works logo on the seat tube. Kind of silly that they force you to get Di2 if you want the new FS. Also, the downtube storage box would be nice (again, Diverge got it). Not to mention I cannot test ride a 64cm model because who would expect tall folks also ride bikes and the poll of test bikes in Europe could take that into account. I’m still considering this bike for the next season though.

I have the 2017 roubaix expert, best bike ever, smooth and fast. 🚴‍♂️👍

How does it compare to Diverge?

Electronic shifting is the future 100%. Suspension for a pure road bike? probably not. Suspension for an all-rounder? id have to say yes. And an all rounder is more the bike i would ride.

Now... the Aethos has been introduced. Have smooth and weight advantages displaced the Roubaix?I have a Roubaix SL4 and I am eager to upgrade - but, I am confused whether to stay with the Roubaix or go with the Aethos. I care about climbing and long distance (100 mile, 7 hour) rides - I live in a mountainous region. Other differences are wheel base geometry, cool handlebars, no shock system, and SRAM (which I don't prefer). Maybe you could do a video on this?

Great review. Seems like what the bike lacks is a bit more versatility (bigger clearance, mudguards..). Could there soon be a Diverge-Roubaix hybrid to rule them all ? Like they did with Tarmac/Venge

I have a 2018 version roubaix, even it's the lowest 9r model, I still love this bike, and i use the yellow one, the hardest FS spring. It rides like a dream for long . long rides. Maybe I will upgrade that FS1.0 to 2.0 kit, wish me luck.

“Never borrow money to buy something that’s going to depreciate in value.” Kiplinger’s Personal Finance

Hi there! My dad was watching your video and has been driving me mad trying to see the logo on your grey jacket. Could you please tell me where you got it from? Thankyou!

Do the Expert models with the 2.0 Future Shock come with different springs to try?

Isn’t it time they merged the roubaix and the diverge into one bike? There’s a lot of crossover between the two models.

How would you compare this up to the Trek Domane? Listening to Matthew's complaints about the messy front end and no fender mounts, it sounds like the Domane would be an excellent alternative.

The giant Defy is also quite a good endurance bike with a power meter for a lower price.What do you think about it?

the tyres that you speak are the 700x32? tubeless right? and the pressure 45/50?

Looking at sizing. How tall are you?

It would be pretty cool to see a heavier rider(90+kg) to review the roubaix 1. to talk about the futureshock as its not adjustable(spring rates) for weight which i think is really really poor design & 2. as its an endurance bike & all endurance bikes are best made for beginners & mostly beginners are heavy riders...

Can I ask if you'd consider a 52cm frame as im 172cm and fall between a 52 and 54 frame - any help is appreciated.

I’m looking to get into road bikes to supplement my cardio would this be a good bike to start with or should I look at a different style of bike?

How much slower it is from tarmac on flat surface?

Wants external BSA BB for easy service, but internal cables.. Haha. The Roubaix really is a sweet bike and better balanced than the competitors.

Roubaix vs Aethos. Thoughts?

I’m 5’1 and just bought a 44cm roubaix. You think it’ll fit me just fine? Coz the next size was 50cm and I felt like it might be too high for me.

Suspencion on a road bike is probably a good thing, as long as it is not proprietary. Modular solutions like Redshift stem seem like a better idea from a consumer perspetive. They may look a little weird but not so bad when compared to the Future Shock with that little non-removable chimney. But I wonder how Redshift compares to Future Shock in terms of comfort.

I like it.

I think there's absolutely a place for suspension on road bikes. It used to take the form of a nice supple steel fork and a quill stem. However, with the belief that stiffer is better / faster bikes have lost a lot of the suspension which used to be built in as standard. Disc brakes have moved the braking forces away from the fork crown to the drop outs, which means forks need to be stiffer to withstand this as well. In recognition of this bike manufacturers are having to engineer the compliance, which used to be inherent in bicycles back in. Not having ridden a Roubaix, or any other road bike with re-engineered compliance, I'm not intending this a retro good / modern bad comment, it's just something i think more people should be aware of. I'd be really interested to see someone do a back to back comparison of the Roubaix with a really nice steel framed bike. I think the results would be quite revealing.

May I know your height? Is size 54 perfect for you?

Have you ever bunny hoped with this bike does the future shock fuss about when you do or is it stiff and doesn't move upwards