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RWBTC is a recreational bicycling club devoted to the promotion of friendly cycling in the Redlands, CA area.

We cater to riders of all levels and abilities.

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Roubaix Rival and Secteur Apex
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I recently bought a Specialized Secteur for my daily commute (and reserving my Roubaix for the "fun" rides). The Secteur is basically an Aluminum version of the Roubaix. Geometries are identical, tires are similar (700 x25 vs 23), but the drivetain is SRAM Apex instead of SRAM Rival.

I own both bikes and the primary differences I've observed are:
* SRAM Rival and Apex appear to be mechanically identical. There appears to be no difference in shifting feel and performance when they are properly tuned. The difference in mid-range SRAM groupsets appears to be primarily weight.
* Weight difference of about 4 lbs.
* Secteur has eyelets for a rear rack, but no front racks... good for commuting.
* The Avatar saddle on the Roubaix is much more comfortable than the Secteur's Riva saddle... Riva doesn't have enough give for longer rides and has a slight dip in the center.
* Ride is a bit smoother with Roubaix. It's subtle, but noticeable on short rides. It makes a noticeable difference in how I feel on longer rides. I attribute this primarily to frame material and the addition of rear/seatpost zertz on the Roubaix.

For anyone who's interesting in seeing how a carbon frame changes the ride of a bicycle, I'd recommend test riding the Tarmac/Allez, Roubaix/Secteur, or Ruby/Dolce. Each of those pairs have nearly identical geometries and you can find models with very similar components.

Hope this helps anyone who's looking for a bike.
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