Specialized Ruby Elite

More often than not, I've found women's bikes to be much more comfortable straight from the shop, with far less tweaking than required by unisex or men's bikes. I'm clearly Ms Average as far as women's bike builders are concerned - and I found that to be true for the Specialized Ruby Elite too.

The Ruby range (the female equivalent of the men's Roubaix range) is designed to be Specialized's sportive machine, rather than the much more aggressively speed orientated Amira and Venge variants. It's a bike that the company claim is tuned for long distance comfort and performance, but is still intended to have a turn of speed when required and to give enthusiast road riders an enjoyable and satisfying ride. Within the Ruby range the Elite (mostly Shimano 105) is pretty middle of the road, sandwiched between the SRAM Apex equipped Ruby at £1600 and the Ultegra sporting Ruby Comp at £2500.

From the off I was probably positively predisposed towards the Specialized Ruby Elite, given that I've yet to ride a Specialized I didn't find comfortable and accommodating. And trust me, I've ridden a few.

Specialized have been incredibly successful in their female specific bike range for a very good reason. That reason is that they cater to Ms Average (of various heights) aiming to provide her with a reliably good ride and a completely female tuned machine rather than a unisex bike dressed in pink. As previously mentioned, I would appear to BE that Ms Average.

The Ruby Elite frame comes in five different sizes and is made from Specialized FACT 8r carbon with Zertz inserts. All frame sizes are completely different geometry to the men's Roubaix equivalent, so it's not a case of sticking women's 'extras' onto a fundamentally unisex frame. The forks are full carbon monocoque, with Zertz inserts and the majority of the drivetrain and controls are Shimano 105. The bars are women's shallow drop alloy bars, with smart red Roubaix Wrap bar tape and it comes with a Specialized 143mm women's Lithia Comp Gel saddle.

It's a great looking bike, with none of the girly tendencies of some female specific machines. The carbon weave is nicely matched up with red and black slashes, and bright red bar tape, giving a distinctive and appealing look. It was a pleasant surprise the first time I took it out, being genuinely comfortable with minimal tweaking and an all round enjoyable ride.

The feel of the Ruby Elite was absolutely spot on for its purpose, giving a good balance of all-day long ride comfort and just the right amount of sporting oomph. The carbon frame and forks helped diminish road buzz nicely, especially with the help of the Zertz inserts, and gave a compliant but responsive ride, while the riding position was relaxed rather than aggressive, still allowing for a good turn of speed when required.

Out on the road, the Ruby Elite just eats up the miles, without you even realising, allowing for a continually good pace that just keeps on going, which is not done any harm by the fact that it only weighs 7.5kg for the 51cm bike I tested.

Handling is excellent, with no problems cornering, up or downhill or on the flat, and it manages to stay stable even at lowish speeds so isn't too stressful in traffic or at junctions. It climbs nimbly but steadily, without some of the full-on power of the likes of the Cannondale Super-Six Feminine, but still perfectly adequately.

It comes into its own descending, however, with good smooth handling and a stable and solid feeling grip on the road, lending a boost to even the least confident descender. Sprinting, it's again not as responsive as the Cannondale, but can still command a decent bit of poke, considering this is a sportive machine rather than the Cannondale's racier model, which is all about the speed. I've even managed to pull a decent time trial time out of the bag on the Ruby, so she's certainly no slouch!

With five different frame sizes, and Specialized's website giving a detailed height-linked sizing guide, it's easy to find the correct size required, and there certainly weren't any problems at all with the fit of the bike, even down to the fact that a niggling elbow pain which has historically kicked in after about 30 miles on every bike I've ridden for the last 7 years was conspicuous by its absence.

The 105 set-up gives a smooth and reliable ride, in keeping with the no dramas character of the bike, without paying too much of a price premium. The bottom bracket, although not outsized, still allowed for good power transfer and a solid feeling response, while the Fulcrum 6 Racing wheels were a good match for the rest of the set-up, quiet and smooth running. The Lithia saddle was a bonus, giving genuine ride comfort, which is far from expected with a saddle that comes as part of the package.

So, would I be leaving streaks of fire on the tarmac to mark my passing on the Ruby Elite? Probably not, but I would still be riding, at a respectable pace, long after I'd expect to be, and smiling.

£2000 isn't cheap for a bike, but with the Ruby Elite, you are getting a lot of bike for your money components wise, as well as miles and miles of happy riding.

Verdict

Comfort, style and even a fair bit of speed. An excellent all-round women's sportive bike.