To some, smoothness is merely concept. But for Specialized’s all-new Ruby and Roubaix, it was the driving force behind every design decision made. The release of all these new 2017 models has been highly anticipated, and remaking already renowned bikes is no easy feat – but Specialized have done it.
Both the Ruby and the Roubaix have undergone some major and minor changes, the most important being the introduction of the Future Shock front end shock absorber system.
The Future Shock features up to 20mm of travel, and it’s positioned above the head tube in order to move in a vertical path. So when the front wheel encounters rough terrain, the bike moves up towards your hands and preserves your forward momentum without slowing you down.
Since the Future Shock is positioned above the head tube, the wheelbase isn’t changing throughout the suspension’s travel, so you get the added benefit of extremely predictable handling.
While sizeable increases that have been made in both comfort and speed are huge accomplishments, they were far from satisfied. The Ruby and Roubaix also happen to be the lightest road frames that Specialized have ever made.
More impressively, though, this was achieved without sacrificing anything to compliance, comfort, or handling, so you get a bike that’s truly built to perform over any kind of road, whether it’s pointing up or down.
Take a closer look on their website.