Nat Bromhead
Just in time for the Tour de France – and no doubt ready for some thrilling Peter Sagan sprints – Specialized have released the latest incarnation of their top-tier race bike, the S-Works Venge.
Phenomenally aero, the company say custom optimization software was used to generate literally thousands of tube shapes to analyse aerodynamics, surface area, and stiffness.
The arduous process resulted in a collection of shapes that Specialized describe as the ‘FreeFoil Shape Library’, these being the building blocks of the new S-Works Venge.
“We could build a bike that looks the same as the Venge from 10 feet away, but every millimetre matters,” states the product release.
“The aero shapes of the Venge have been both perfectly and precisely designed to optimise for aerodynamics, weight, and handling. It’s a beautiful balance, and this optimisation creates a ride that feels perfectly tuned—the slightest change would throw the whole design out of balance.”
Specs
|
BOTTOM BRACKET |
OSBB, CeramicSpeed bearings |
|
CHAIN |
Shimano Dura-Ace, 11-speed |
|
CRANKSET |
S-Works Power Cranks, dual-sided power measurement, +/- 1.5% accuracy |
|
SHIFT LEVERS |
Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 Disc R9170 |
|
FRONT DERAILLEUR |
Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 R9150, braze-on |
|
CASSETTE |
Shimano Dura-Ace 9100, 11-speed, 11-28t |
|
CHAINRINGS |
52/36T |
|
REAR DERAILLEUR |
Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 R9150, 11-speed |
|
FORK |
S-Works FACT 11r carbon, 100x12mm thru-axle, flat-mount disc |
|
SADDLE |
S-Works Power, 143mm, carbon rails, carbon base, synthetic leather |
|
SEAT BINDER |
Venge integrated two-piece wedge |
|
TAPE |
S-Wrap Roubaix bar tape |
|
SEATPOST |
2019 S-Works Venge aero seatpost, FACT carbon, Di2-compatible |
|
HANDLEBARS |
S-Works Aerofly II, 80mm reach x 130mm drop |
|
STEM |
2019 Venge integrated stem, 6-degree |
|
REAR WHEEL |
Roval CLX 64 Disc, carbon, tubeless-ready, Win Tunnel Engineered, 64mm depth, DT Swiss 240 internals, CeramicSpeed bearings, 24h |
|
INNER TUBES |
Presta, 80mm valve |
|
FRONT TIRE |
Turbo Cotton, 320 TPI, 700x26mm |
|
REAR TIRE |
Turbo Cotton, 320 TPI, 700x26mm |
|
FRONT WHEEL |
Roval CLX 64 Disc rim, Roval AFD1, Center Lock™, CeramicSpeed bearings, 21h |
|
FRONT BRAKE |
Shimano Dura-Ace R9170, hydraulic disc |
|
REAR BRAKE |
Shimano Dura-Ace R9170, hydraulic disc |
The S-Works Venge is available now with a list price of $14,500.
