Visually, the new Venge is only remotely reminiscent of its predecessor. The bike is a completely new development that began in 2012. According to creative engineer Chris d'Alusio, the aim was to create the perfect competition bike - without compromising on riding characteristics and as fast as possible. The management gave the engineers a largely free hand. And so the bike was not designed as a frame kit but as a complete bike from scratch, including the wheels, brakes and stem/handlebar unit. 14 engineers were allowed to let off steam on the bike - "and there shouldn't have been any fewer" - assures Chris D'Alusio.
Two components of the Venge stand out visually: the cranked racing handlebars, which have never been seen before, and the integrated brakes. The upward crank allows the stem to be kept flat and therefore aerodynamically favourable. The sweep in the handlebars compensates for the flat stem for riders who normally use an upward-facing stem. A flat version of the handlebars without an offset will also be available. Handlebars and stem are matched system components with internal cable routing.
The V-brakes are also fully integrated into the frame and should cause zero aerodynamic resistance, again with the help of completely internal cables.
Driving impression
The new Venge is not as hard as the old one, but it is by no means a comfort racer either. The freedom of rotation of the fork and handlebars is striking - thanks to the cables being centred in the steerer tube. The riding impression is very direct and fast. The bike is very stable on the piste at any speed and can be controlled with pinpoint accuracy. The geometry is balanced. The brakes grip with a lot of bite and offer a good pressure point despite the internally routed cables. However, the front brake developed a shrill whistling noise when decelerating hard over the course of the 350 kilometre test ride.
Specialized claims that the bike sets new aerodynamic benchmarks and shaves two minutes off conventional competition bikes over 40 kilometres. We have already been able to test its speed in a time trial. More details in TOUR 8/2015.
