Up for your consideration, a fantastic 2011 Specialized S-Works Roubaix SL3 in the beautiful team HTC colorway. This is the ultimate version of the most popular bike in the Specialized lineup. This is pure weapons grade awesomeness! A bike so light you might want to invest in sandbags to keep it from floating away! What began a decade ago as an idea on paper materialized into a jack of all trades bicycle that the rest of the industry is still trying to match. Never before had anyone thought to make a bike with a more upright and comfortable riding position and once this bike was introduced to the public, it turned the cycling world on it's head. Suddenly every manufacturer had to come out with their own upright race style bike. But none have proven as good and successful as the original because Specialized didn't sit on their hands with their original creation. What started out as a 19lb idea back in 2004 slowly evolved into what you see here. A 14.3lb slice of engineering brilliance.
The continued development of the idea of the Roubaix led Specialized to make some not so subtle changes to the Roubaix for 2011 which came about due to in the field testing and feedback from Specialized top professional riders in the grand tours. These design changes lead to a lighter, more efficient bike frame which, in the end, also just happened to bag this bike a win in it's inaugural attempt at the hardest one-day road race in the professional ranks. Paris-Roubaix. The bike, once named after this race due to it's ability to soak up the nastiest surfaces thrown at it, came full circle and won it in 2010 with Fabian Cancellara on board. A thrilling thing for Specialized I am sure if not for the fact that they also won the race the previous two years. In the end, Specialized proved to be fast on the cobblestone surface at Paris-Roubaix, you need to be comfortable. With comfort comes speed. So don't be fooled by this bikes comfortable tendencies. It is still a thrilling road rocket with the ability to climb and descend with the best road bikes in the world.
The all carbon, Specialized FACT monocoque fork is on the cutting edge of current bicycle design. The bearings at the top of the fork are the industry standard 1 1/8" but the bearing size increases to 1 3/8" at the lower end of the headtube. This spreads forces over a greater area and increases front end accuracy. But this larger, lower bearing race isn't located where most would be. It is placed higher up the headtube inline with the down tube to minimize front end deflection. This means this bike has some of the most accurate steering you will ever experience with minimal deviation from it's intended path.
The drivetrain consists of a mix of carefully chosen components, each with a specific reason behind their inclusion on this bike. SRAM road components lead the way due to their excellent performance versus weight ratio. SRAM Red shifters feature SRAM's excellent Double Tab shifting which, when matched up with the front and rear SRAM Red derailleurs, offer some of the slickest shifting in the business. But their real calling card is weight.... as in lack of it. This is some of the lightest components available and really help shed unnecessary weight. Crankset is SRAM Red which at just 760 grams are really light and yet offer excellent power transfer due to this bike super stiff bottom bracket. Cassette is SRAM's incredible 1090 model, which is both expensive and light thanks to it being machined out of a single block of steel. Brake calipers are SRAM Red and really create stopping power. The stem and seatpost are Specialized Carbon S-Works units while the bars are likewise Specialized S-Works carbon bars. Saddle is Specialized super light Toupe Ti 143. (Pedals are not included as I figure anyone looking at a bike of this type already has a favorite pedal system.)
All the technical details add up to create an amazing performer but it's this bike's visual impact that really stands out. To describe this bike as eye catching is like saying water is wet. It's matte black finish is contrasted by the rich yellow/green graphics. Combine this with the superlight SRAM Red component specification and you have a bike you have to own to truly appreciate it. It is an amazing machine that will make some lucky cyclist VERY happy.
THe bike is in great condition, but it is a used bike and is more than 10 years old. I have done my best to call out any issues I have been able to identify here... There is a slight abrasion on the right rear seat-stay. See final image for more detail. Also, the white paint on the top-tube has some very slight yellowing. I tried to capture this in the detail photo(2) as best as I could. It is minor, but want to make sure and mention it. The bike is sold as is. Please feel free to ask any questions related to the condition of the bike.
WHEELSET
This bike is spec'd with a fantastic set of Reynolds DV46 full carbon clinchers. Built for aerodynamics, stiffness and efficiency, the DV-46C provides a deep-v rim that improves flat-out speed and combines it with lateral stiffness and strength for tenacious handling in any situation. Many carbon clinchers are designed with a carbon hoop bonded to an aluminum braking surface. Not these. The DV46C features a continuous piece of unidirectional carbon fiber material with a carbon braking surface, so braking response is steadfast and sure. These bad boys weight just 1480 grams and make this bike better in every way. A full carbon wheel like this really absorbs the road's harmonic vibrations that aluminum wheels tend to amplify. Again, a comfortable bike is a faster bike. Wheels are in excellent condition with no visual or mechanical imperfections. Original wheel decals were removed, as I prefer the "stealth" look over the "look-at-me" look.
. Please allow up to 15 business days for the bike to be packed and an additional 4 days for FedEX insured delivery. It is rare we actually need this much time to get a bike out but from time to time we need a little extra time to get a bike properly packed. Each bike takes more then 2 hours to pack and we will not ship a bike unless it is packed perfectly. Every so often I will get an email with regards to our shipping policies... To clarify these policies and time periods I can tell you the following.... We use FedEX and FedEX ONLY! They are the best at handling bicycles and they do an excellent job to make sure these very expensive machines make it to their destinations in one piece. All bikes require a signature upon delivery. Bikes are not packed until payment is received so keep in mind that if payment takes a week to receive that means a week delay in the packing of your bike. Email communications should be sent through eBay's messaging system itself. Paying with PayPal will expedite shipping. Pedals are not included with bikes unless otherwise noted as I figure anyone looking at this level of equipment already has a favorite pedals system.