In cycling terms, the name of the new "Venge" could be translated as "ready to strike back" - from a technical point of view, it would fit. With the new carbon racer, Specialized is sending a model into the arena in which competitors such as Felt, Cervélo or Canyon have already made a name for themselves with their aerodynamic road racing bikes (see the test of seven current Aero racers in TOUR 2/11->). The Americans from Morgan Hill in California confidently formulate their advertising message for the new top model: despite the large aero profiles, the Venge frame does not compromise on weight or riding stability. Literally: "Never before has there been an aerodynamic racing bike that achieves such outstanding stiffness and weight values ..." The Americans have already demonstrated their expertise in aero frames with the Transition and Shiv time trial bikes. In order to penetrate the last secrets of the science of air flow, Specialized spared no expense or effort and spent many hours in the wind tunnel during the development of this bike.
Profile moulded in the wind tunnel
Shortly after the presentation of the racer in England and Italy, we were able to test the first production bike. Borrowings from the Transition and Shiv time trial bikes are clearly recognisable. If you look at the bike from the front, you will notice the tapered, slim head tube, with the top and down tube lying in its slipstream. Looking from above, the narrow, aerofoil-like down tube disappears under the wide top tube. The fork blades, seat tube and chainstays appear to have been moulded in the airflow. Viewed from the side, the frame looks like a collection of wings; brake and gear cables run inside. The aerodynamic efforts should result in an advantage of 22 watts at 40 km/h - measured on a cycling track compared to a Tarmac SL3. That's what Specialized promises - we'll check it out in the wind tunnel at the next opportunity. The aero wheels from Roval further emphasise the focus on the best possible aerodynamics; shifting and braking is done with SRAM Red in the new black version, but the Venge will also be available with Shimano's Di2 electronic drivetrain and as an unpainted (and therefore around 100 grams lighter) frameset called Project Black. All other components such as tyres, saddle, stem and handlebars come from Specialized's top S-Works component line; complete bike weight: 6.8 kilos. Very clever: the symmetrically profiled seat post with off-centre seat clamp; by turning the seat post, the seat clamp moves forward and the seat angle becomes steeper.
From the lab to the street
The lab test reveals a differentiated picture: the Venge impresses with good values for riding stability and power transmission. The fact that the frame is not a comfort miracle was to be expected with the tubular profiles; however, compared to the aero bikes from our February test, it comes in last place by some distance. The frameset weighs 1,645 grams, which would put it in fifth place and push its competitors Kuota, Kestrel and Stevens into sixth to eighth place. This means that the Venge is competitive among aero bikes; however, it is not yet the big hit that one might have expected given the advertising message. The lightest aero frameset from TOUR 2/11 (Merida Reacto SLR Aero->painted) weighs just under 150 grams less. On the road, the Venge impresses with directional stability in every situation, steering unerringly through every fast bend. The geometry is clearly race-orientated, but the stem and seat post offer a relatively large amount of leeway to adjust to the speedster, which passes on bumps and bumps unfiltered. We had slight difficulties adjusting the gearing. During testing, we were unable to find a setting in which all ten gears could be shifted at the rear without the chain rattling. This may be due to the fact that the angled Gore cables with additional liner create high resistance, which affects the shifting characteristics. The famously good SRAM Red brakes did not achieve the usual braking performance due to the new green brake pads. They require considerably more manual force, which is tiring for the hands on long descents and can extend the braking distance.
Conclusion: The new Venge is positioned between the aero road racers from Felt, Cervélo, Kuota, Merida and Co. The look is aggressive, the chassis stiff and unyielding - it is not exceptionally light. We will find out how it performs in terms of aerodynamics in the next comparison test in the wind tunnel. We can look forward to Specialized's next promise. In order to improve the STW value, they have teamed up with Formula 1 racing team McLaren, who have developed a special carbon structure for this purpose. An optimised Venge McLaren is to be launched on the market in autumn. For 5,000 euros - with its own colour scheme, McLaren stickers and 100 grams less weight than the unpainted Project Black.
Price complete wheel 6,999 Euro
Weight 6.8 kilos
Price frame set 2,999 Euro
Reference/Info www.specialized.com
Frame sizes** 49, 52, 54, 56, 58, 61 cm
Seat/steering angle 73/73,5°
Seat/top tube/head tube 530/565/160 mm plus 15 mm headset cap
Wheelbase/caster 985/50 mm
Stack/Reach/STR*** 564/397 mm /1.42
Equipment
Fork S-Works F.A.C.T. Carbon
Steering bearing Specialised, top 1-1/8, bottom 1-3/8 inch
Gearshift/brakes SRAM Red
Bottom bracket Specialised F.A.C.T. Carbon (52/36 t., BB30)
Wheels/tyres Roval Rapide SL 45/Specialized S-Works Turbo 23C
Handlebar/stem Specialised S-Works SL Carbon/S-Works
Saddle/post Specialized Romin Expert BG/Specialized S-Works F
Measured values & individual scores*
Weight of complete wheel 6.8 kilos (without pedals)
Frame/fork/steering bearing weight 1.147/387/75 g
Standardised weight frame set**** 1.645 g: 2 , 7
Steering head stiffness 92 Nm/°: 1 , 7
Lateral stiffness fork 43 N/mm: 2 , 7
Bottom bracket stiffness 53 N/mm: 2 , 3
Comfort frame 481 N/mm: 4 , 7
Comfort fork 123 N/mm: 5 , 0
* The grade includes further individual grades which we have not printed for reasons of space.
** Tested frame size in bold.
*** Stack/reach: projected vertical/horizontal measurement from the centre of the bottom bracket to the top of the headset; STR (Stack to Reach): Values between 1.45 and 1.55 indicate a sporty riding position, values below are race-like, above are comfortable.
**** Adjusted weight for frame size 57 cm and fork steerer length 225 mm.
.
