Specialized aren't satisfied with second fastest. Hell, why do you think they have their own wind tunnel and the motto that "aero is everything?", they live and breathe aero because they know that aerodynamic optimization is the most important thing they can do to make you faster. And this philosophy has never been truer than with this Venge. Being eight seconds faster than the ViAS, it's not only the most aerodynamic bike on the road but it's also lost a whopping 460 grams. It's the perfect race bike for just about any terrain. Aero is everything.
As with all of their pro-level bikes the Venge Pro eTap delivers similar performance to its older S-Works sibling, but at a more palatable price. Sram's new Force eTap AXS 12-speed groupset handles shift and braking duties, while the Roval cl 50 carbon fiber wheels slice through the wind. Top that off with an S-Works handlebar and seatpost as well as the fan-favorite power saddle and you're ready to tackle anything from a local road race to your first gran fondo.
The quest for the perfect tube shapes didn’t start in the Win Tunnel, but instead, a new piece of technology—the FreeFoil Shape Library. Their engineers wrote an optimization algorithm and utilized a supercomputer to help create new airfoil shapes with different weights, surface areas, and structural targets. Armed with this library of shapes, they could then plug them into the different parts of the bike and test a variety of configurations to determine the fastest setup in the Win Tunnel. The result? Compared to the Venge ViAS, the new Venge is eight seconds faster over 40km at zero degrees of yaw. It's also faster out on the road in all wind conditions—not just in the tunnel.
Striking the perfect combination of weight and aerodynamics plays a crucial role in a bike’s overall performance. So, not only did they make the Venge more aero than the ViAS, but they also took 460 grams out of the module weight. This means they've saved 240g in the frame, 25g in the fork, 107g in the cockpit, 25g in the seatpost, and 63g in small parts. So, no matter the course, the Venge will prove to be the fastest option when you need to go either up or down.
They implemented much of the Rider-First Engineered™ discoveries from the new Tarmac's development, like different layup schedules and materials, and this culminated in a Venge that’s not only lighter, but one that also has a higher stiffness-to-weight ratio and 40% more compliance than the ViAS—no matter the frame size. And while you can't always see these changes, all it takes is one ride to feel the quick accelerations and the bump-eating compliance.
SRAM's new Force eTAP AXS brings a whole new level of shifting to the road. It's 12-speed setup is not only crisp and extremely quiet, but with the help of a 10-tooth cog, it has a gear range unlike any other road group.