What are Zertz inserts on a Specialized Vita?

[Sardine]

My impression is that the Zertz are there to reduce high frequency vibrations - i.e. stuff you'd perceive as buzzing.

They are not an alternate to suspension components. They won't do anything to smooth out a bumpy road.

I think laura* is right. I don't know if this is helpful but when looking for a road bike earlier in the year, I test rode a Scott, a Fuji, the Specialized Dolce Sport, a Trek and one other, all on the same day. The Specialized was the most confortable and with the least road buzz despite the fact that the Trek I tested had a carbon seatpost and forks while the Specialized only had carbon forks and an aluminium seatpost. As I have only ridden steel bikes for the last 5-6 years, the difference with aluminium seems quite pronounced to me.

The Specialized may have felt more comfortable partly due to the Zertz inserts, which I think are made from a kind of plastic. But pll is right about geometry and tyres. The Specialized was designed to be comfortable over long distances and had 25mm tyres as opposed to the 23mm on the others. Like she said, do test ride both. While the Specialized was more comfortable, it also felt less lively which in my view weighed against it despite having the best looks too.

[pll]

While the Specialized was more comfortable, it also felt less lively which in my view weighed against it despite having the best looks too.

Wow! I had the exact same impression when I was test riding. There was a Specialized test ride event and I test rode two of their bikes, for ~10 min each, a Ruby and a Tarmac something or the other... I was a plush ride, but not responsive. I found it hard to accelerate on them.

[Seajay]

The Specialized was designed to be comfortable over long distances and had 25mm tyres as opposed to the 23mm on the others.

Even better if you could use the same wheelset with both bikes (since the wheels and tires make a difference

Well noted, Sardine, and PLL
The change to the 25mm from a 23mm tire (and appropriate pressure) on any bike will override any other comfort "feature". Not sure why folks are feeling the Zertz bikes as less responsive. No reason they should feel that way. Personal preference I suppose.

[Hi Ho Silver]

...snip

Not sure why folks are feeling the Zertz bikes as less responsive. No reason they should feel that way. Personal preference I suppose.

I'm always surprised by the remark that the Zertz equipped bikes are less responsive. I think maybe people are inappropriately equating "responsiveness" with tactile and/or auditory feedback, because I find that my Ruby accelerates well (er, as well as this old engine can power it along) and responds immediately to steering inputs.

[pll]

I'm always surprised by the remark that the Zertz equipped bikes are less responsive. I think maybe people are inappropriately equating "responsiveness" with tactile and/or auditory feedback, because I find that my Ruby accelerates well (er, as well as this old engine can power it along) and responds immediately to steering inputs.

I would not attribute my perceived lack of responsiveness to the zertz. It could be simply the geometry, perhaps I was put on too big a bike. The contrast for me was a Cervelo RS I rode the day before (which was a bit big for me). That bike was *fun*. It was comfortable and felt fast: whatever power I applied to the pedal, resulted in acceleration. The two Specialized bikes I rode, by contrast, felt like molasses to me. It was a disappointment, especially because I had expected to buy a Specialized (several friends have them and like them).

At the end, I went with a Cannondale, which also rode very nice for my "taste", but in part it was due to the different attitudes of the bike shops. The Cervelo dealer would not order a bike in my size without a commitment to buy from them (and I have been going to that shop for 10 years). The Cannondale dealer went out of his way to allow me to test a bike with the components I wanted.

[Sardine]

To clarify, I really can't say if the Zertz inserts was the major factor. I think that the bike may have been designed with comfort as an important feature if the sales pitch was anything to go by. It happened to sit in about the same price range as the other bikes I tested, which were more geared towards racing. Also, it was the only Specialized bike I tested so my opinion is restricted to that model, which isn't in the same class as your bike HHS. I was looking at that level as I'm new to riding this type of machine.

[Roadtrip]

I think the Ruby is a more comfort oriented geometry, yes... Specialized also has the Amira and Venge is the more race oriented road bikes for women.

Shannon

[hebe]

Thank you so much for all the replies, and for clarifing what Zertz is and what it does. It's so interesting to see all the different experiences.

Test rides are difficult around here, but if I shop on a dry day then it might be possible. Thank you again, I'll update when I've seen the bike.

[luv2climb]

I have the Zertz inserts on the carbon front fork of my aluminum 2011 Dolce Triple. That bike is very comfortable over rough roads, so I guess they work.