Specialized Roubaix Pro versus new Trek Madone



dbianucci

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Aug 22, 2004
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Folks,

I have been riding a Trek 2200 for a couple years now and I am upgrading. I am seriously considering the Roubaix Pro. I am comparing it right now to a Trek Madone 52 series. The story got from the sales guys (who have earned my trust), is that the Trek is going to be more responsive and stiffer, allowing for quicker acceleration. I've seen reviews seem to indicate that the Roubaix is very responsive, to the point where I probably wouldnt be able to tell the difference. The Pro is full carbon frame with a 20 speed Dura Ace drive train and wheelset. I'll be able to get it all in for about US$3400. The Madone is running about US$2600, with Ultegra 10 coming out soon. I dont have ahny heartburn over the price delta. My priorities are comfort over the long ride followed very very closely by responsiveness on the climbs and in the sprints.

I'd love to hear thoughts on the two bikes I mention (or others I should look at). You can reply here, or better at my work email which is [email protected]

Thanks
 
Please reply here. I too am thinking about the very same two bikes, and would like to see what you all have to say. Thanks
 
paulmurphy said:
Please reply here. I too am thinking about the very same two bikes, and would like to see what you all have to say. Thanks
I have looked at both bikes in the last week and would appreciate any insight.

Are they comparable or is it a matter of what feels best ???????
 
I rode the Specialized and the Trek 5200 this year when I was shopping for a new bike. I did find the Trek carbon to be stiffer than the Specialized. I didn't feel confident in the cornering of the Roubaix. Now, the geometry of the Trek didnt feel right to me, but the Specialized did. I decided to get a Specialized Allez Comp and save myself $500-$800. I do short races, so the Alu frame is great for me. There were a few rides tis year (triple bypass) where I was wishing I had the Roubaix for comfort reason.

Bottom line, ride both, consider what you will be using it for, and get what works best for you.
 
Thanks, Orbilius. I am doing an extensive test ride of both bikes this Friday, I'll post my opinions on the two after. I'll be testing both bikes with my pedals, full riding gear, both bikes fit for me, etc, so I should be able to get a pretty good feel for both machines. To those who indicated interest, stay tuned.
 
I've ridden both but not back to back... the Trek, to me, did not stand out like the Roubaix did. It had almost a mystical ability to combine different qualities without the typical compromises. Very comfortable geometry, pretty agile, I felt like it could race, train, do centuries, just do it all very well. Cool bike the Trek, but I'd vote for the Roubaix between the two.
 
Unless I'm just not getting something, there is no Trek Madone 5200 ...... the Madone is the 5.9 and costs close to $4,600 or so US .........

There has always been the 5200 of course ... but it is not the same frame as the Madone.

The 5200 to the Roubaix Pro is Apples to Oranges ......... Dura Ace blows Ultegra away .......
 
Daremo said:
Unless I'm just not getting something, there is no Trek Madone 5200 ...... the Madone is the 5.9 and costs close to $4,600 or so US .........

There has always been the 5200 of course ... but it is not the same frame as the Madone.

The 5200 to the Roubaix Pro is Apples to Oranges ......... Dura Ace blows Ultegra away .......

Good point Daremo.

I just assumed this was referring to the Madone 5.9 and the mentioning of 5200 after Trek Madone was just a mistake / typo ???

If , however the intention was a comparison of the 5200 to the Roubaix Pro then thats a different game and not my direction.
 
dbianucci said:
Thanks, Orbilius. I am doing an extensive test ride of both bikes this Friday, I'll post my opinions on the two after. I'll be testing both bikes with my pedals, full riding gear, both bikes fit for me, etc, so I should be able to get a pretty good feel for both machines. To those who indicated interest, stay tuned.
Lookin' forward to your assessment ..... any updates ??????
 
bella636 said:
Good point Daremo.

I just assumed this was referring to the Madone 5.9 and the mentioning of 5200 after Trek Madone was just a mistake / typo ???

If , however the intention was a comparison of the 5200 to the Roubaix Pro then thats a different game and not my direction.

I believe Trek will no longer be making the 5200 series, instead, they will be introducing the new 2005 Madone 5.2 SL and the Madone 5.2 to replace the 5200.
 
Good post and good question. I have a 50 cm OCLV 5500 trek (with full campy record) * also 4 sale if anyone is interested!* which I've ridden and liked for the last 3 years. I'm in the throes of deciding on a replacement and will probably go between these two as well. The Madone is a lugged OCLV just like my current bike but built with with higher spec carbon tubes, it also shares the same geometry. Unless I go for the SL round tube model "ändromeda" it has a "butt ugly" paintjob and usual lousy trek finish. The parts are pretty good but the price in US$ is a "Lance inflated" 5500 dollars.
It's a good ride from what I understand (3 friends have current "shark fin" Madone models and like them) precise handling and good ability to smooth the road.

The Specialised is a main triangle monocoque with the rear triangle bonded on , and unlike then trek has a neater integrated headset (and yes I do know they are not universally popular) has flat black finish which is a love it or hate it thing I think. I'm just back from 105 km with a friend who has put close to 10,000 km on one , he has no complaints about the ride being noodley, but is a fairly siniewy 150 lbs road racer and not a sprinter. The gruppo is the same and the rest of the spec of the bike is comparable to the Trek , carbon bar stem post etc but the price is USD 4400....... $1100 buys a lot of groceries.

My chances of getting to test ride both in my size are slim to none so I'd be really interested to hear from anyone who does have the chance to test.
As you may guess I'm leaning towards the Specialised! :confused:
 
okay,I haven't posted here yet,but I think there's been a lot of confusion here,about the new Trek Madone...........There is a new model,based on Lances machine......It's called the Trek Madone 5.2
I have seen it up close,not have riden it,YET!(ok?).It looks like a dream bike to me.........it's not as heavily priced as previously stated.....I saw a price of $2600.00 from a lbs.
No one seems to really know about this new model.The paint job did not seem overly done,almost on the side of tasteful!
I will give you a review,shortly,when.I go for a test ride........
Remember........Trek Madone 5.2..........unless more to follow
 
We have both those bikes in my shop and I like them both. Let's clear something up first.

For those of you a little confused, Trek switched the 5200 to the Madone 5.2 as was mentioned above. As was the case with the Madone 5.9 last year vs. the previous top model bike, the 5.2 is actually going to be heavier than the 5200 was last year, but only about a quarter pound. It rides a lot like the 5200, and the geometry is the same as the 5200. The 10 speed Ultegra won't be out until probably end of October at least though, so the early ones are shipping with the 9-speed.

Now, the Roubaix Pro, is a great bike. Fast, comfy, stiff. Lots of carbon if you like that. Frame, fork, seatpost, stem...lots of carbon. The total package if you're looking for a bike to put a ton of good miles on. My only complaint is the wheels. Light, stiff, sure, that's good, but they are a pain to true. Shimano has the nipple at the hub, so it takes some time to true them up, but if you aren't doing it yourself, that doesn't matter.

I vote Roubaix. True, Trek carbon is the nicest out there, but unless you're a top level pro, who can really tell?
 
It's been a few weeks since I originated this thread and since then I've ridden the Roubaix Pro side by side with the Trek Madone twice. I took them out on 20-30 minute rides each time, hit some hills as well as some long straights.

I ended up purchasing the Roubaix. Here's the comparison:

As stated in previous posts, the geometry on the Roubaix is different than the Madone. Specifically, it's longer wheel base gives it a "lower" feel, not in a negative way. I found the Roubaix to be more stable when descending through the turns and extremely responsive when I stood up on the hills or to sprint. The Trek is responsive as well, but I personally preferred the Roubaix. The Roubaix also seemed to fit me better, which is of course unique to evey rider/bike. Almost everyone I spoke to raved about how comfortable the Roubaix was on long rides, which is what most of my rides are (Triple ByPass, Tour of Colorado)

The deciding factor for me was the Roubaix allowed me to get into a full Dura Ace 10 package for $3400. The Madone I rode was Ultegra 9. I understand that the 2005 model of the Madone will have the new upgraded Ultegra 10, but it's still not Dura Ace. In order to get Dura Ace on the Madone I was going to break the $4000 barrier. Given that the Roubaix felt better to me, it was a pretty easy choice in the end.

My only concern on the Roubaix is the lack of a third chainring. The riding I do in CO may prove a bit challenging. My thinking was that I would have to lose a couple of pounds off my fat *** and just get stronger.
For anyone looking at these bikes I recommend riding them side by side, and riding them multiple times so you get a true comparison on fit and feel.

Now you'll have to excuse me while I go explain to my wife why it makes perfect sense to spend $3400 on a bicycle.

D
 
I actually own a Madone 5.2, with a double chain ring/9 speed rear in 58 cm. It is the nude carbon variaty. I have put almost 300 miles on it so far. It is very responsive and I find it corners very well. The finish on the bike is very nice, you can really see that cool carbon fiber weave pattern, and it is not over done like some trek bikes. I choose it over a couple of other brands do to the better fit and feel of the bike when I rode it. (I am also from Wisconsin originally, and toured the Trek plant and saw the madones being built...very cool tour I would recommend it to anyone who is near Madison). :)
 
"My only concern on the Roubaix is the lack of a third chainring. The riding I do in CO may prove a bit challenging. My thinking was that I would have to lose a couple of pounds off my fat *** and just get stronger."

I just bought a Roubaix Pro and was also concerned about a double in steep hill climbs. I switched out the Dura-ace crankset with a FSA Carbon Pro Elite compact crank 50/34 and switched the Dura-ace 12/25 cassette with a 12/27. The bottom bracket was also switched to an FSA PLATINUM PRO TI ISIS.

You get the benefits of a smooth shifting and light weight double with the lower gearing of a triple for hill climbing.

http://www.fullspeedahead.com/fly.aspx?layout=product&taxid=21&pid=51

http://www.fullspeedahead.com/fly.aspx?layout=product&taxid=29&pid=72
 
"I just bought a Roubaix Pro and was also concerned about a double in steep hill climbs. I switched out the Dura-ace crankset with a FSA Carbon Pro Elite compact crank 50/34 and switched the Dura-ace 12/25 cassette with a 12/27. The bottom bracket was also switched to an FSA PLATINUM PRO TI ISIS."

That's a good solution. If you need a triple chainring on a road bike, it's time to start looking at the motor, not the chassis...

I like the Roubaix because of the BIG head tube. It even has a little extension. Many compact geometry bikes feature a short head tube that throws the riders position out of whack. Sure, they make for for light bikes, but you need the flexibility of a shaolin monk to ride one for long without pain or injury (Giant, Cervelo, I'm looking in your direction.)

My lovely Bianchi Carbon XL has a 200mm head tube. This makes me feel very masculine (and comfy).

F.
 
Being a shaolin monk I have to agree since I find my Madone 5.2 comfy enough. How'd you know I would?
 
dbianucci said:
My only concern on the Roubaix is the lack of a third chainring. The riding I do in CO may prove a bit challenging... D

No worries, get a larger 2nd cassette for the hilly rides.
 
Feideaux said:
If you need a triple chainring on a road bike, it's time to start looking at the motor, not the chassis...F.

That is B.S.
 

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