I have put a good 1000 miles on my Venge now and can advise that as discussed, it is a mixed bag. I really like the bike in certain situations. Fast in group situations and solo, brilliant in sprints, climbs better than I expected and way better than previous aero bikes I have ridden due to the massive and stiff BB area. The bike needs speed to come alive and typically, the faster you ride it, the faster it gets. The only caveat I can level at it is that at slower speeds it can feel a little less alive than other bikes, but that is by design.

I tend to ride my Venge on fast 2-4 hour rides and then grab the Tarmac for 60 mile + roads.

Typically, my data advises that overall I am no faster, but it is a game of aggregate where the Venge holds speed better on certain roads and also makes my riding perception of speed faster imo.

Cheers.

Is there anyone who has done some serious racing/km's on both able to chime in?

Given the Venge has been out for a good while now.

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http://www.nicksquillari.com.au

I owned a Sworks Sl3 and demod a Sworks Venge for about 2 months. This included 2 stage races, about 10 single day races and about 350-400km each week of training/racing.

I preferred the Sl3. I'm 143-145lbs with about a 5w/kg FTP during the testing period.


The Venge was nice, but it felt sluggish in some ways. When going out on a all out flat effort, it was great. But accelerating felt slow. The Sl3 seemed to react a bit faster to my punches. I also felt the Sl3 was a much better descender. I felt more confident taking a hard turn with it than I did with the Venge. I had the geometry identical between bikes, but I could tell a distinct difference between models. I still feel the Tarmac was the best descending bike I've ever owned (but not the best climber).



The choice I think really comes down to which bike fits your personality better. For the riders who prefer staying in the break, the long sprinters, or flyers - the Venge is your best option. For the climbers, fast sprinters, and everyday riders - the Tarmac is the best option. But to be honest, I found the Tarmac a little more uncomfortable than quite a few other bikes I have ridden in the past.

@ghost - care to elaborate on other bikes that trump the SL3 for climbing and comfort?

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Stiff, Light, Aero - Pick Three!!