Juliana Roubion 2022

To say I am obsessed with my Roubion would be an understatement. She is my fourth mountain bike over the near decade I have been riding, and by far the most capable and the best fitting bike I have had so far. For context, my previous bikes were: 2012 Giant Lust 2; 2018 Specialized Camber Comp Carbon; 2019 Specialized Stumpjumper Carbon Comp Mixtape Edition. All of my former bikes were size smalls. In my opinion, the Roubion does run a little larger, which is mostly noticeable in the standover height. I am 5’1 and the standover is justttt barely low enough for me to feel comfortable.

Why did I choose the Juliana Roubion? While I loved my most recent bike, the Stumpjumper, I felt like I was moving into a more aggressive downhill riding style slightly beyond what I felt comfortable doing on the Stumpy. The Roubion only afforded me an additional 10mm of travel on the front, but the geometry and sturdiness of the bike made all the difference in my confidence level on technical downhill trails. The Roubion feels strong and capable on any downhill park terrain I have thrown at it thus far, while still being light enough to jump around and clear tabletops on. In addition to numerous XC or enduro style trails, I’ve ridden her at Windrock, Jarrod’s Place, and Beech Mountain (all lift or shuttle access downhill bike parks), and she gobbles up whatever I throw at her while keeping me feeling confident in my ability as well as the bike’s abilities. I never feel like I am at risk of going over the bars, no matter how steep the terrain. And THE MULLET SETUP – it is definitely my favorite feature. Being short, a full on 29er bike felt like too much to move around underneath me. This bike gives me the benefit of that fast front 29er wheel that can pummel through anything, while the 27.5 rear wheel tracks excellently and makes switchbacks and berms feel much more natural. Some people think the mullet trend won’t last, but I personally notice a big benefit as a smaller rider who feels uncomfortable on full 29er bikes. I mostly ride techy enduro/downhill trails or flowy purpose-built jump trails, and this year ventured into my first season of downhill racing. I feel like she’s the perfect bike for those settings, though I also pedal her around on some cross country trails from time to time as well. Climbing-wise, while the Roubion does weigh in heavier than the Stumpjumper, their climbing capabilities feel similar. For a 160/150mm travel bike, it climbs surprisingly well. Point her downhill, and she’ll never cease to amaze you with how confidence-inspiring she is.

Overall, I love everything about her from the paint color to the mullet setup. I only have two negative things I can say: (1) the Roubion is a little heavy for my personal taste (around 32lbs for the R carbon build), but I also have not upgraded the wheelset yet, which could save me a noticeable amount of weight. (2) I also don’t love the brakes, but that often boils down to personal preference. I prefer brakes that feel less “spongy” and feel a little more snappy. Again, that is an easy fix I could make, or it could have been avoided had I sprung for a higher end build with Shimano brakes). One thing to note that is neither good nor bad, but to be aware of: I did have to add several volume spacers to the rear shock to get it to feel the way I like. I like my suspension to feel nice and velvety/plush off the top and smooth like butter as I go through the travel, and adding the volume spacers to the shock gave me that feeling even when using the entire range of travel.

Upgrades/changes I made for my own personal preference: I can only ride Specialized Power Comp saddles with Mimic. I am so glad they made this saddle and that I discovered it – I don’t even wear a chamois anymore because the fit is so perfect for my body shape. I also changed the stock Santa Cruz grips to the Vans x Cult grips. These grips have a huge following in the BMX world, and I am a convert. I have never had a blister or any hand fatigue. They have a very slim profile, which I like because I have such small hands. I also recently swapped the stem out for a Factor Components stem, mostly because the color is to die for, and they are such an amazing Southeast-based company that I want to support. I plan on getting a Factor wheelset in the next year or so with matching hubs as well. And of course, I can’t forget my Magped Enduro magnetic pedals, which you can check out in a separate review video I made!

-Britt C. @brittlikesbikes