Has Specialized achieved something really specialized in the Aethos?

[Dave]

My Cinelli superstar disc frames bought as NOS for about $1030 each weigh about 1000 grams. That means I have more incentive to weigh 133 instead of 134, when I go out on my solo rides into the mountains.

[charliedid]

Monday morning design meeting at Specialized.

Head of road bikes - "Okay what's the working strategy for this new road bike, the Aethos?" "I'd really like to get this one in the pipe"

Lead designer- "I dunno we were thinking make it really light, ghost the graphics and charge a lot for it" (shrug)

Head of road bikes - "Sounds perfect, who wants to go for a quick spin before lunch?"

[Mark McM]

Like Albert Einstein said, its all relative.

When I was a teenager, any road bike under 25 lb. was considered very light (the Schwinn Varsity, very common at that time, weighed about 38 lb). Bicycle weight has been coming down steadily over the years, and weights in the high teens are common, and a 25 lb road bike now might be consider heavy. Currently, a 13 lb disc bike road bike might be considered ultralight, but maybe its just a little ahead of its time? I can imagine people 30 years from now in a bicycle discussion forum (which of course will be interactive holographics instead of that archiac thing called "text") saying something like, "a 13 lb bike? How can you possibly climb a hill on something that heavy!"

[reuben]

Originally Posted by Dave

My Cinelli superstar disc frames bought as NOS for about $1030 each weigh about 1000 grams. That means I have more incentive to weigh 133 instead of 134, when I go out on my solo rides into the mountains.

The pressure must be incredible.

Post of the day.

[Hellgate]

Eh, they just add the weight back with that broom handle of a seat post.

[Kirk007]

Y'all are funny. I just pulled my Aethos frame out of the box. Pro not S-Works model. Frame was around 845 grams +/- (had to steady it a bit on my little. kitchen scale. Seatpost ain't too heavy either (didn't bother to weigh it). Fork was 300 something so give or take 12-1300 for frame and fork without headset. Granted it is, by virtue of a "lower grade" carbon, a few hundred grams heavier than the S-Works model. Nevertheless, I'm guessing that it builds up as the lightest bike I've ever ridden and I'm curious what that feels like. There's a lot of waxing eloquent about the performance, both up and down on the 'net, and I know Lavi likes his alot.

Lifetime warranty with transferable 2 year warranty for second owner. Weight limit of 275 lb. I doubt the S engineers were sitting around thinking hey let's make a stupid light frame that will give us a fulltime job dealing with warranty claims.

I'll build it with axs red/force that I got on sale at Christmas and throw on existing wheelset. My investment with the new force parts and adding in 1000 for existing wheelset is less than $6K - not cheap but obviously not the margin added S-Works bike cost.

And here's the best thing, I both blew on it as hard as I could and it didn't crack, and I called it a body image fixated peace of crap and it it didn't break - so maybe not fragile. So far so good. Proof either way will be in the riding.

[prototoast]

Originally Posted by Kirk007

Y'all are funny. I just pulled my Aethos frame out of the box. Pro not S-Works model. Frame was around 845 grams +/-

And here's the best thing, I both blew on it as hard as I could and it didn't crack, and I called it a body image fixated peace of crap and it it didn't break - so maybe not fragile. So far so good. Proof either way will be in the riding.

Do whatever you want with your frame, but the discussion is about the S-Works version. The Pro version is certainly a light frame, but is about the same as other frames on the market such as the Canyon Ultimate CFR. To the extent that they are good bikes that don't fall apart, the impressive thing about the Aethos is that Specialized took more than 15% off the industry-leading standard for weight.

[tuscanyswe]

I always figured it was the UCI limits that stopped the weights from going down further well that and with aero frames weight seemed not to sell bikes to the same extent. So im guessing many manufacturers could launch a similar product but just hasent cause of little demand. Spec is however real good at marketing and likely realise even if this frame wont make as much money as some of their others (speculating) it will keep the brand at the top of the heap marketing wise. Thats worth a whole lot i bet.

[R3awak3n]

I find it funny that OP is talking like people don't love the SL6 and SL7, spesh been making good bikes for a while.

I am going to bet this aethos is great and so are most nice high end carbon bikes. The ethos is pretty nice looking, has classic lines which is what I think its neat but they shoulda released a rim brake version, that would have been really cool.

[charliedid]

Originally Posted by Kirk007

Y'all are funny. I just pulled my Aethos frame out of the box. Pro not S-Works model. Frame was around 845 grams +/- (had to steady it a bit on my little. kitchen scale. Seatpost ain't too heavy either (didn't bother to weigh it). Fork was 300 something so give or take 12-1300 for frame and fork without headset. Granted it is, by virtue of a "lower grade" carbon, a few hundred grams heavier than the S-Works model. Nevertheless, I'm guessing that it builds up as the lightest bike I've ever ridden and I'm curious what that feels like. There's a lot of waxing eloquent about the performance, both up and down on the 'net, and I know Lavi likes his alot.

Lifetime warranty with transferable 2 year warranty for second owner. Weight limit of 275 lb. I doubt the S engineers were sitting around thinking hey let's make a stupid light frame that will give us a fulltime job dealing with warranty claims.

I'll build it with axs red/force that I got on sale at Christmas and throw on existing wheelset. My investment with the new force parts and adding in 1000 for existing wheelset is less than $6K - not cheap but obviously not the margin added S-Works bike cost.

And here's the best thing, I both blew on it as hard as I could and it didn't crack, and I called it a body image fixated peace of crap and it it didn't break - so maybe not fragile. So far so good. Proof either way will be in the riding.

Have fun

I bet it rides great.

[rnhood]

I bet it rides and performs great also. Specialized is not just bike builders, they engineer their products.

I would love to have one. People buy 911 porches because they want to go back to the basics. The Atheos likewise, gets back to the basics in bicycles.

[Charles M]

Originally Posted by bicycletricycle

I imagine it is a bit flexier than specialize’s racier models. Perhaps it planes?

I would love to ride one

Generally, when production frames are made this light, it's from high compression/relatively stiff fiber...

Meaning no... it wont plane (inasmuch as ANYTHING ever has.

So far, the ultra-super light stuff has sucked to ride.


There is no chance I buy this versus Crumpton / Officine Mattio / Favaloro bikes that will get close in weight but ride fantastically... (in custom geo and finish)

[tomato coupe]

Originally Posted by Kirk007

And here's the best thing, I both blew on it as hard as I could and it didn't crack, and I called it a body image fixated peace of crap and it it didn't break - so maybe not fragile. So far so good. Proof either way will be in the riding.

Lightweight frames often suffer from frame dysmorphia. Tell it that it's fat, and see if it drops a few grams the next day.

[bicycletricycle]

I don’t think increasing the tensile strength of the fibers will be able to make up for such a drastic reduction in mass.

Originally Posted by Charles M

Generally, when production frames are made this light, it's from high compression/relatively stiff fiber...

Meaning no... it wont plane (inasmuch as ANYTHING ever has.

So far, the ultra-super light stuff has sucked to ride.


There is no chance I buy this versus Crumpton / Officine Mattio / Favaloro bikes that will get close in weight but ride fantastically... (in custom geo and finish)

[Kirk007]

Originally Posted by prototoast

Do whatever you want with your frame, but the discussion is about the S-Works version. .... the impressive thing about the Aethos is that Specialized took more than 15% off the industry-leading standard for weight.

Well, the OP asked if S achieved something special with the Aethos. I think most would agree that a 15% weight reduction would be meaningless if the ride sucks. Time will tell as more folks put time on these.

Anyway it’s all fun. If the Pro doesn’t measure up I’ ll pass it along to someone who might enjoy it more.


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