Roubaix vs Pacer

cluster blaster said:

Hi folks,

Call it a mid-life crisis, but I'm considering to get a new toy. I'm looking at some 3K to spend, so I wonder what are your thoughts on Specialized Roubaix, Specialized Allez Elite/Comp and the wild-card: Surly Pacer frame with some nice bits on it.

I want to use it mostly for commuting (approx 250 km/week) plus those weekend centuries. I'm looking for something reliable, reasonably fast & efficient and kind of good looking too. I want a frame that will last five years plus.

What are your thoughts? I like both those Specialized bikes, more Roubaix for its comfort (I'm not that young any more...). I've tried also Giants but really do not fit me well. Any other suggestions? I've heard some horror stories on carbon bikes, so I'm a bit worried if the Roubaix could take on Sydney's roads/potholes.

Any advice is much appreciated.

Surly frames are generally made with 4130 CroMo tubing which is greatly under appreciated (including, by me) because it is very old school AND a heavier, lesser alloy; but, it is undoubtedly a good choice for harsh conditions.

I guess I would equate it with the "current" Reynolds 520 & "recent" Columbus Thron for want of a comparison; but, someone who knows better will clarify how the modulus of elasticity & tensile strength of the tubings compare.

I'm partial to steel, so I would recommend the Surly Pacer ... ALSO, the Surly will allow you to fit 700x28 tires with fenders ...

The Surly CrossCheck will, of course, allow you to fit larger tires ... just remember to size it at least one size smaller than your road bike.

alfeng said:

I'm partial to steel, so I would recommend the Surly Pacer ... ALSO, the Surly will allow you to fit 700x28 tires with fenders ...

The Surly CrossCheck will, of course, allow you to fit larger tires ... just remember to size it at least one size smaller than your road bike.

Yes, one of the good things on the Pacer is the extra space for bigger tyres, although I plan to use 23's as on any standard road bike.

Anyone else has any opinions? Does anyone rides Roubaix out there? I'd be interested to know if it can take a bit of abuse.

One more thing - why would I need size smaller than my usual road bike?

cluster blaster said:

One more thing - why would I need size smaller than my usual road bike?

Sorry for the confusion ...

With the PACER, you would select your normal road bike size ...

With the CROSSCHECK, the frame is (as the name implies) a cyclocross type bike ... so the bottom bracket is about 1/4"-or-more higher than on a typical road bike. You would size it by the top tube ...

A 54cm PACER (C-T ... which is presumably a ~52cm, c-c) has a 55cm top tube.

A 52cm CROSSCHECK (again, C-T ... and, presumably a ~50cm c-c) has a 54.5 cm top tube.

BTW. If you hadn't considered it before, you should measure your current frame's fit -- top tube, stem length, plus the REACH of the bars (which seems to vary widely from brand to brand) -- when selecting your next frame's size ...

Some frames (e.g., LeMond, Trek, etc.) have proportionally longer top tubes than most Italian frames (e.g., Colnago, etc.) ... but, if you're going with "flat bars" then you would probably want a longer top tube OR a longer stem.