00:00 Hello, I'm in Lisbon, Portugal for the launch of Specialized's new Roubaix.
00:03 It's not a complete overhaul for the Endurance platform, more of an evolution,
00:07 but there's still lots of interesting details and improvements to run through.
00:10 First, let's talk Future Shock. The understemmed suspension is perhaps the
00:14 defining characteristic of the Roubaix platform. Previously, the top-end models came with a lockout
00:19 function and the ability to change spring weights to better suit riders of different weights.
00:24 Now, you can switch through six different levels of suspension by turning the knob to lock out the
00:28 Future Shock, which allows for a bit more of on-the-fly adjustment. You can now also use
00:33 preload spaces to fine-tune the suspension if you happen to land between one of the three spring
00:37 weights. At the rear, the dropped seatpost clamp and the amount of flex which that gives you
00:42 is essentially unchanged from the previous model. Essentially, if it's not broke, don't fix it.
00:46 But what's really nice to see is that if you bought a lower-end model with a lower-end Future Shock,
00:50 it's now possible to upgrade the Future Shock to the higher-end model with the greater
00:55 functionality which that offers. Even better, the new Future Shocks are retrofitable to previous
01:00 Roubaix models as well. Now, let's talk weights. The Future Shock weighs a fairly hefty 400 grams
01:05 and a size 56 frameset, painted, comes in at 828 grams. And so, that's a pretty light frame,
01:12 but still quite a lot of weight coming from the Future Shock itself. Still, you can build the
01:16 Roubaix light if you have pockets deep enough. A SRAM Red-equipped Roubaix with carbon roval wheels
01:21 tips the scales at about 7.3 kilos, which isn't bad. Tire clearance is up now too. You can now
01:27 fit a 40mm tyre into the frameset. There was a time when a bike like that would be called a gravel bike,
01:32 but Specialized doesn't want to confuse things with their gravel line, and so the Roubaix is
01:36 being called a road bike despite its capabilities off-road. And finally, it's sporting a few more
01:41 mounds. There's bosses underneath the down tube and also a set for fenders. The top tube bosses
01:46 are particularly important as it turns out that if you strap a top tube bag around the Future Shock,
01:50 that impacts the weather sealing. And so, bolting the top tube bag in place and not using the strap
01:55 is very much advised. And so, what's it like to ride? Well, so far I've only been out for a 60km
02:00 spin, but in that I've enjoyed the handling, especially with the chunky tyres. It's a nice
02:05 combination for carving around the corners with a lot of confidence. It absolutely pelted it down
02:09 with rain on the ride, and so that extra grip was really very much appreciated. I think that the
02:14 spring weight at the front is a little heavy for me. It felt more just like added compliance and
02:18 flex rather than like actual suspension. It's quite a contrast to the last Future Shock I rode,
02:23 which was really very springy indeed. So I'm very much looking forward to taking it out for another
02:27 ride with a different tune on the shock and maybe taking in some more gravel excursions too.
02:31 I'll let you know how I get on once I've spent some more time on the bike.
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