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New Specialized Roubaix Road Bike Debuts Under Tom Boonen at Paris Roubaix

2013 Specialized Roubaix endurance race road bike prototype ridden by Tom Boonen at paris roubaix classic
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2013 Specialized Roubaix endurance race road bike prototype ridden by Tom Boonen at paris roubaix classic

Trek’s riders won’t be the only ones riding a new endurance race bike this weekend. Simply called “Roubaix”, this new bike is being raced by Tom Boonen tomorrow at Paris-Roubaix. Specialized sent us these pics, but little in the way of details other than to say it’s a future addition to their endurance race bike family. Visually, there are some key differences from the current model.

To start, the Zertz inserts on the seatstays are sleekly integrated into the frame, more so than the current version that’s bolted in from the back. They also appear quite a bit larger, and the position suggests they play a bigger role in vertical compliance as well as vibration damping. Not sure if that’s the case, but could be…

2013 Specialized Roubaix endurance race road bike prototype ridden by Tom Boonen at paris roubaix classic

2013 Specialized Roubaix endurance race road bike prototype ridden by Tom Boonen at paris roubaix classic

Colors options…or durometer choices to tune ride feel?

2013 Specialized Roubaix endurance race road bike prototype ridden by Tom Boonen at paris roubaix classic

The Zertz inserts now wrap most of the way around the stays.

2013 Specialized Roubaix endurance race road bike prototype ridden by Tom Boonen at paris roubaix classic

The fork gets the new Zertz design, too.

2013 Specialized Roubaix endurance race road bike prototype ridden by Tom Boonen at paris roubaix classic

The bike has the New SRAM Red group throughout except the Specialized cranks with SRAM’s TT chainring. How’d you like to push a super stiff 53 big ring along the cobbles?

2013 Specialized Roubaix endurance race road bike prototype ridden by Tom Boonen at paris roubaix classic

The top of the seatstays appear to have a bit more dramatic curve and don’t flow quite as smoothly from the top tube.

2013 Specialized Roubaix endurance race road bike prototype ridden by Tom Boonen at paris roubaix classic

The Specialized Chicane saddle appears to get new graphic treatment. Another interesting item spec’d include skinwalled tubular tires with the word “Specialized” on them (not their logo, just the word).

2013 Specialized Roubaix endurance race road bike prototype ridden by Tom Boonen at paris roubaix classic

World Championship colors.

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Cam
Cam
11 years ago

The tires are highly likely to be FMB’s. Quickstep have a history of running them in the past and they are all the rage for Paris-Roubaix at the moment.

harro
harro
11 years ago

can believe those specialized morons would rebadge FMBs.

Nivlac
Nivlac
11 years ago

Wow, what a cool new paintjob from the art department at Specialized! It will be hard to find a paying customer interested in such a unique and aesthetically polarizing design. Wasn’t second place taken on a cyclocross bike?

Patty Smith
Patty Smith
11 years ago

Me likee, me want, BADLY, can anyone help a poor SSDI disabled rider get one. PPLEEEZEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE with chili pepppers and assurances of passed on good will?.
Be safe and pedal hard.
Patty

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