Specialized has released the latest version of its Roubaix endurance bike in the form of the Roubaix SL8 which comes in several specification options. The Roubaix SL8 corresponds to the recently released Tarmac SL8, although there is no previous Roubaix SL7 model, and the brand says it wants to link its flagship models under the same name.
The Roubaix has been around for the better part of two decades now, even being the American brand’s first all-carbon fiber road bike and featuring in our best road bike guide for endurance. Peter Sagan famously rode the Roubaix model to victory at Paris-Roubaix benefiting from the Futureshock suspension technology with which the bike became synonymous after its debut in 2016.
Specialists say that in the endurance road category, there is nothing faster than the Roubaix SL8. The brand claims to have eliminated the 4W drag by optimizing the areas of the bike that meet airflow first when in use. Specialists say that riding more than 100 miles at 3 W/kg equates to a saving of 17 seconds. This means a new fork shape with a deeper stem, especially at the bottom of the fork, and a revised downtube design, while the dropped seat is further down to aid aerodynamics.
Aside from the frame design improvements, Specialized says it has reduced the frame’s weight by 50 grams by improving the carbon fiber throw. The Roubaix gets Specialized’s premium 12r carbon fiber which means the 56cm Roubaix SL8 S-Works model weighs 7.3kg. The frame geometry remained the same, except for a 10mm increase in height up front, partly due to the new future shock.
Elsewhere, there’s also an all-new Future Shock 3.0 suspension system which we cover below, the addition of mounting points for bottles, bags and mudguards (something we lamented the lack of in our review of the old model) and increased tire clearance for up to 38c/40mm tyres. Specialized also says that the bike will only be at home with a 28mm frame as it will be a 38mm option.
Future Shock 3.0
The Roubaix SL8 also received an all-new Future Shock platform that offers 20mm of travel and 30mm of stack height adjustment. Future Shock is a front suspension system located below the bike’s handlebar stem, intended to increase comfort and provide more compliance. The new Future Shock 3.0 series is divided into three levels of specifications. These are the Future Shock 3.3, 3.2 and 3.1 models, as well as three spring rates to choose from. There are also five additional preload washers to further adjust the tone to suit the rider’s preferences.
The advanced Future Shock 3.3 unit is hydraulically damped which the brand claims will provide a smoother, more controlled ride. There is also more compression adjustment than previous Future Shock models. S-Works and Pro Roubaix models will feature 3.3 Future Shocks.
The Future Shock 3.2 units are also hydraulically damped for the same smooth ride but the compression is pre-set to the smoothest setting. Expert and Comp models will be equipped with 3.2 Future Shocks.
The Future Shock 3.1 units use an undamped shock and have adjustable preload. The Sport 105, Apex and base model will come with 3.1 units.
The Future Shock 3.3 and 3.2 models are available separately and are backward compatible, which Specialized says allows existing Roubaix owners to upgrade to the new technology if they wish.
Future Shock has a 2-year warranty period. The internal damper requires no maintenance and according to the brand is designed to last the life of the unit. However, dealers can rebuild a Future Shock chassis that has needle bearings if necessary. Specialists say they only recommend this if the rubber shock boot ruptures and will lead to contamination of the unit. We also understand that the outer rubber boot and inner seals have also seen improvement in order to increase the overall seal of the future shock.
Front and back balance
Specialized says that in order to produce an overall balanced ride feel, they developed a Pavé seatpost and dropped the seatpost clamp design for the rear of the bike. Helping create what specialists call Aftershock technology.
The brand says that placing carbon in the seat post ensures the rear deflector moves in a path against the rear axle, reducing impacts or vibrations reaching the rider in the saddle while aiding in power transfer.
Moving down a bit from the saddle, the seatpost clamp itself is about 65mm lower than a regular clamp according to Specialized. Creating a longer “lever” helps provide maximum rear deflection for a smoother ride.
Specialized claims the new Roubiax is the smoothest road bike in the endurance road category. According to the brand, the Roubaix SL8 offers a 53% reduction in initial impacts on the handlebars compared to other notable road bikes tested. Specialists say they validated this by using telemetry equipment to monitor impacts on the handlebars and wheels by riding through 22mm bumps at 32km/h several times.
Specifications and construction options
Seven models of the Roubaix SL8 will be available in total, with the S-Works frameset also available for custom builds in a single color way. The Roubaix models are all SL8s but are then split into S-Works, Pro, Expert, Comp, etc. in descending order.
Top-spec S-Works Roubaix SL8 models come with Sram Red AXS groupsets, Roval Terra CLX II wheels, and a Smoke/Pearl Black singletrack. The S-Works and Pro models come with a single color Frameset option while the rest of the models have two or three paint options that are determined by the frame size.
There is a mix of Shimano and Sram hardware across the range with four models equipped for Sram and three for Shimano. All bikes come with dual groupset except the Sport Apex model which features a Sram Apex 1x chainset.
All models except the entry-level Roubaix SL8 also get Specialized Mondo-spec 32mm tyres. The entry-level bike gets specialized road sport rubber.
Other details of the bike include three water bottle holders on the Roubaix SL8 frame. One on the seat tube and down tube in the usual places and an additional pair of fittings on the underside of the down tube.
There’s also a set of heads on the top tube of a bag or box, partly to reduce straps from bags degrading the Future Shock rubber over time which Specialized says is something they’ve noticed on previous bikes.
The SL8 also has fender mounts or mudguards now included. Full length mudguards can be frame mounted and will allow a maximum tire size of 35mm when fitted. This is something fellow tech writer Will Jones described as a “major flaw” in his review of the previous Roubaix.
The Roubaix SL8 will use a 68mm BSA bottom bracket, and the fork mounts come equipped to accommodate 160mm/180mm rotors. Hubs use sizes 142 x 12 and 100 x 12 mm.
| model | price | Weight | Future shock | group | Wheels | color |
| S-Works Rubix SL8 | €14,000 / $14,000 / £12,000 / AU$19,900 | 7.3 kg | Future Shock 3.3 | SRAM RED eTAP AXS | Roval Terra CLX II | Smoke/Black Pearl |
| Rubix SL8 Pro | €9,000 / $8,500 / £8,000 / AU$11,900 | 8.1 kg | Future Shock 3.3 | SRAM eTAP AXS power | Roval Terra CL | Metal pine |
| Rubix SL8 Expert | €6,500 / US$6,500 / £6,000 / AU$9,400 | 8.6 kg | Future Shock 3.2 | SRAM eTAP AXS competitor | Roval Terra J | Carbon/Liquid Silver – Dove Grey/Chameleon Lapis |
| Rubix SL8 Comp | €4,800 / $5,000 / £5,000 / AU$7,000 | 8.9 kg | Future Shock 3.2 | Shimano 105 R7170 DI2 | DT Swiss G540 | Deep Lake / Metallic White – Pearl Ghost Red / Dune White |
| Roubaix SL8 Sport – Apex | €4,000 / $4,000 / £3,250 / AU$5,700 | 8.9 kg | Future Shock 3.1 | Sram Apex Etap AXS | DT Swiss G540 | Carbon / Obsidian Mineral – Spruce Mineral / Forest Green |
| Roubaix SL8 Sport – 105 | €3,800 / $3,500 / £3,000 / AU$5,000 | 8.9 kg | Future Shock 3.1 | Shimano 105 R7120 – mechanical | DT Swiss G540 | Sapphire Mineral / Blue Onyx – Obsidian Mineral / Birch Wood – Birch Wood / White Mountains / Abalone |
| Roubaix SL8 – basic model. | €2,800 / $2,800 / £2,500 / AU$3,900 | 8.9 kg | Future Shock 3.1 | Shimano Tiagra 4720 | Elite disc hub | Morning fog/smoke – rusty red/obsidian |
| Tire set | €5,500 / $5,500 / £4,750 / AU$8,900 | 828 grams | nothing | unavailable | unavailable | Mineral White Sage / Ink / White Sage |
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