Nicola Rutzou
Specialized has launched the second iteration of its lightweight road bike with Aethos 2.
The company says its development team has refined the geometry, equipped it with all-new Roval Alpinist components, and made subtle but significant improvements.
“Using insights from over 100,000 Body Geometry fits, we tuned the geometry for comfort, stability, and performance without sacrificing the telepathic handling that makes Aethos legendary,” said the company.
The new bike’s stack is 15mm taller, which eases pressure on hands and shoulders, making it more comfortable. The wheelbase is 7 mm longer, giving it extra stability, and the 0.5° slacker headtube enhances the steering feel.
Following the same trend as others, the Aethos now has room for up to 35mm tyres to add more comfort and grip.
To keep the weight down, Specialized says its engineers worked on the carbon layup and re-engineered every detail, from the seat post clamp (-9 grams), brake mounts (-2 grams), BB-Cups (-6 grams), and the UDH derailleur hanger (-2 grams), to maintain what they say is the world’s lightest disc road frame.
The new model is also complemented by a new Roval Alpinist cockpit with oval tops to reduce hand pressure, flared handlebars to support natural wrist angles, and damping to minimise fatigue. The new Roval Alpinist wheels have composite spokes that Specialized says are lighter and stronger than steel.
Australian pricing
Aethos S-Works $19,900
Aethos Pro $12,000
Aethos Expert $9,200
Aethos S-Works frameset $8,900
Aethos 10R frameset $5,500
More info specialized.com/au/en
Nicola Rutzou – a long-time contributor and, most recently, the editor of Bicycling Australia. Nicola is a keen Sydney-based road cyclist who writes reviews, news, and destination pieces, as well as the weekly e-newsletter for BA online.
