10 year old Specialized Roubaix for newbie??

[dave thompson]

Originally Posted by kppolich

Only thing I've heard and seen in general around the Roubaix is that a common failure point is the 'Zertz' on the seat stays.

I’ve had 2 Roubaix that were 9~10 years old. Both great bikes, comfortable, good handling, solid.

If the bike he’s looking at is in good condition and well equipped, there’s no reason at all that it wouldn’t be a good, long-term bike.

[soulspinner]

Originally Posted by C40_guy

I raced a bunch of times on carbon and never won. Only race I ever won was on a steel bike with Nuovo Record parts and friction shifters...

Of course I'm completely non-competitive, so not winning (or not placing, or even being pulled) has never been a surprise!

Its not about the bike

[93KgBike]

There is a nice 59cm 2012 Roubaix in the classifieds. There are lots of great bikes that come through PL.

I'd recommend your friend start with a metal bike, so that he can make all the mistakes he might without worrying about the frame getting damaged.

High-zoot steel.

But that's me.

[woolly]

I think it could be a great place to start, if you can help him source a specimen that fits, is in good condition, and the right price. At this point, one of those will be waaay down the depreciation curve, so if he decides he likes cycling & wants to "upgrade" he could flip it for probably close to what he paid.

I'm not arguing that the mid-level, or even entry-level bikes these days are a good value for what you pay. But if he tries a new one & decides it's not for him, good luck flipping that without a big $$ hit.

As far as the Zertz go, I wouldn't have any concerns about them. One of my riding buddies has tens of thousands of miles on pretty close to this exact model without any worries.

[OldCrank]

If he's a thru-hiker, might he want something for trails?

Either the roadbike plus a just-OK hardtail, or a gravel bike with 2 sets of wheels...?

Old rides can be gotten for a song, but when (for instance) the shifters fail, replacement gets pricey.