Specialized champion ride experience with 5.9 kg S-Works Aethos

[TNT1]

do you have specific examples?

 

Surprisingly:

What Has F1 Ever Done for Us?

 

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1816116

[Nick]

Don't fall for the trap. F1 is a pointless comparison.

Top end bicycles are tangible things you can go out and buy. You can even swap and change most of the components between bikes. The useful things and components that first appear on a super bikes will be available down the range at some stage.

While an F1 car is something that only exists and makes sense in F1 land.

[DieselnDust]

Surprisingly:

What Has F1 Ever Done for Us?

 

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1816116

 

 

There is a lotof BS in that article. A lot!

 

FUEL:

There is very little similarity between F1 fuel and fuel you fill up with at the pumps. This is a topic I am very close to. There is very very little similarity. The components are common but the blend ratios, octane, combustion velocity, all bery different. Anti friction additives were first used in road cars long before race cars.

 

Gearboxes:

Semi auto gearbox Porsche developed for the 962 has noting in common with that in the Ferrari 639/640 family and nothing in common with the BorgWarner box currently known as DSG. DSG also existed before the 962's box was crafted.

 

Active suspension, was around long ago. What Williams did was make it useful for F1. Citreon played aorund with it in the 60's and had it on passengers in the 80's. No road car uses active suspension except for the AM Valkrie I believe.

 

KERS: Toyota Pruis predates KERs in F1. In fact active hybrid tech is a road carry over to F1

 

Carbon Chassis:

Save a few hyper cars it's never really caught on. Too expensive and can't be mass produced.

 

I asked for the examples because I wanted to see how successful the F1 marketing machine is/was and It appears it is.

 

its not like bicycles. The bike you buy is the same bike the Pro's ride, There was more separation between the pro bikes of the 80's than there is today's world of plastic fantastics. 

 

F1 is a world away from the market its supposed to provide trickle down tech to. A huge opporttunity missed was the "World engine concept" that the VAG group proposed. This proposal suggested the use of a 4 cyclinder, 2.0L turbo engine base that stemmed from a production engine. It could be homologated for use in rally, WEC, F1 and even F2 with the differences coming from turbo size, KERS, and MGUK  configuration and  battery storage capacity and deployment.

it would also have allowed any manufacturer to build an engine even a tuning house to provide powertrains for any motorsport discipline.

Instead we have 1.6L V6 engines that only Mercedes is willing to invest in heavily and boring races.

 

Aethos is nowhere near an f1 vs road car comparison. What it is a discussion point. And that in itself is clever marketing. Like I said, there's no hate for the bike or brand coming from me (i've softened my position on Spaz mostly because at the lower end of the spectrum they have started to offer really good quality at affordable prices). Its just that I don't buy into the market positioning of the Aethos when there are a lot of exceptional options at the price point. WWith R200k to spend I'd be looking at something that really floats my boat;

Time Alpe d'huez with SRAM Red AXS or Campagnolo Super record EPS.

Colnago C64 with Campagnolo Super Record EPS. (might just squeez in under R200k)

Look 785 Huez RS with SRAM Red AXS

Bianchi Speciallisma with Campagnolo Super Record EPS

SARTO Seta+ with Record 12

 

There's so many more options to choose from unless you're a die hard Specialized owner and now there's an offering for you to have the same bragging rights.

[lechatnoir]

this bike looks fantastic. and if i had the money, I'd buy it. But the same can be said for any other bike. because, bikes, y'know...

 

We know the market for this bike exists, and Spez  are merely taking advantage to do business, as that's what businesses do.

 

who am i to begrudge someone a bit of happiness, even if they do have more money than sense? which is my judgment, and quite possibly wrong. We all have more money than sense at times - it's all relative and probably why Bikehub exists.

 

I say good for them. More happier riders riding bikes should make us all happy.

I say good for them. More happier riders riding bikes should make us all happy.

['Dale]

Cool footage

Quirky insight discussion

 

Enjoy ????

 

[shaper]

Cheaper options https://www.cyclingnews.com/amp/news/specialized-announces-cheaper-aethos-pro-and-expert-models/

[Chris_]

Cheaper options https://www.cyclingnews.com/amp/news/specialized-announces-cheaper-aethos-pro-and-expert-models/

Ha We have the same news feeds. I was just reading this too

[Patchelicious]

R150k for another Ultrgra bike? Nee man! If you can afford R150k just go full cream and get Sworks.

 

But this particular bike reminds me too much of the Tarmac SL4. Maybe this is Spez’s best plan yet. Reuse old molds, and just say its new...

[Mongoose!]

I assume part of the R200k price tag is a provision for all the warranty replacements to follow on such a light frame and wheels...

[Veebee]

I assume part of the R200k price tag is a provision for all the warranty replacements to follow on such a light frame and wheels...

But its Spez, they are bulletproof thats why you pay R200k