Specialized Test bikes

[Richard.L]

Look out Adelaide....Test the Best is coming to you for the TDU. We'll be working with JT Cylces to give you the best experiance you can have riding a bike. Come down to Victoria Square from Thursday the 20th to Sunday the 23rd

[Baldy]

I highly recommend checking this out of you get the chance. Its a great project that lets povo wannabes like me ride a bike worth more than my 3 bikes and all gear combined

I took a stunning red/white Tarmac for a 40min spin and man did that thing fly! Sprinting and climbing out of the saddle it was much more responsive than my roadie. It was alot of fun and gave me a horrendous case of upgradeitis! Not actually for the Tarmac but the Roubaix, it would suit my riding more. Im workin on it but its going to take a while.

The next day I went back and took an Epic for a run around bike park that was not being used for racing. It was amazing, a full suspension mtb that weighs the same as my roadie! and about 5kg lighter than my hardtail They have this "brain" system with the shocks so they ride like a hardtail until you hit a decent bump. It works a treat and its adjustable.

This was at the Glenorchy MTB park near Hobart. If its the same crew from the US you should find them friendly and easy going.

I forgot to put up a post about it but thanks to Specialized and to Gabe and co. It might be 12months from now but I'll be getting a Roubaix, so the project obviously works!

Cheers
Daniel.

[MichaelB]

Might see if I cen get my pedals off the other bike and take something for a spin up Belair Rd or Mt Lofty ....

[Baldy]

Hey Mick

Depending on how busy they are you should figure for about 30mins So pick your route based on that. There is a small climb up to the mtb park so I just wanted to get it onto the flat so I could stick the boot into it. I can get about 50kph on my bike and it felt a good deal quicker than that[no computers on the test bikes]

I was lucky and got a bit longer, partly because I dont think there was as much interest in the roadies up there. Being a mtb park at the top of a gravel road/track. And most people were over watching the downhill practice and seeding runs so I got to play with the Epic for a while

If you are riding your road bike there they can just swap your pedals over, they have the tools and do also have a box of pedals but I think they were all platforms[flats].

Have fun!

[dirty_harry]

hi just saying u should all get down there.
i went today took a tarmac out went up unley rd and a little of belair rd and crap what a bike it just goes and so unbelivably light. you have about 30 -45 minutes but i was a little late but they had no problem with that. bunch of really nice guys that are running it and when i got back they were like do u want a roubaix now and im like sure. they had free drinks and lollies and nanas so i had a snack. i took the roubaix out for a bit a very different bike and i much prefered the tarmac but still a nice bike. however they seat post came loose and there was a weird noise from the front end so i took it back early and there like sorry bout that do u want another one. so of coarse i said yes i mean there offered u 10000 dollar bikes to just ride no strings attached. so i took the tarmac out again and it confirmed how amazing it is. now i want one but i just spent my money on an overseas trip
anyway go do it. its sick
harry

[freddofrog]

Trek are also lending out demo bikes.
They gave me a top of the line Madone 6.9 ssl, and let me keep it overnight, so I was able to do a quick jaunt up Norton Summit that afternoon, then a decent 60km ride through the hills the next morning.
I ride a flat bar road bike with basic componentry (tiagra/sora, base model shimano wheels). Going from my bike to the Trek Madone was just ludicrous! I'm relatively unfit at the moment, but I beat my best Norton Summit climb time by a good 30 seconds, and did my second best Old Freeway climb. I think the only reason I wasn't as quick up the old freeway is that I'm use to my triple crankset, so a few times up the old freeway I was in my lowest gear on the Madone, but really wanting one or two lower gears. A compact crankset would probably fix that.
The thing just takes off on the flat and on descents. Just amazing.
Unfortunately I don't have time to take out a specialized bike.
If you've got the time, definately check out either of them, its not often that you can ride a bike worth more than you'll ever be able to afford!
Its made me want to buy a proper road bike. Maybe not a $12k bike, but something half decent.