Specialized Launches New Aero Roubaix

Michelle Arthurs-Brennan hits the rough roads of Northern Europe on a true cobble-slayer

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Four days before the Paris-Roubaix race Specialized unveiled the new version of the iconic bike that has won its namesake race six times.

The reimagined Roubaix has taken major cues from the thoroughbred race bikes in Specialized’s stable, but it hasn’t lost a drop of the comfort which makes it an endurance machine designed to tackle the toughest so-called ‘roads’ a cyclist could encounter.

The cobble-slayer boasts a next generation Future Shock suspension system which is easier to adjust than ever before, plus a chassis which is more aerodynamic than the current Tarmac and lighter than the existing Venge. And the old CG-R seatpost has gone, replaced by a new, sleeker-looking D-profiled Pave which is claimed to provide even more flex.

If you opt for standard geometry, it’s still more upright than a race bike, but there’s now a ‘Team’ geo available to buy, which directly mirrors the Tarmac.