2020 Aethos Sub UCI weight Specialized.

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Moderator: robbosmans

What defines the rumoured UCI Illegal Specialized

Doesn't Exist
75
24%
More aero than the Venge
39
12%
Lighter than the Tarmac SL6
139
44%
More aero than the Venge AND lighter than the Tarmac SL6
36
11%
Not sure
27
9%
 
Total votes: 316

rolfo
Posts: 113
Joined: Sun Apr 23, 2006 11:15 pm
Location: Netherlands

by rolfo

simbikotic wrote:
Tue May 17, 2022 6:39 am
pmprego wrote:
Mon May 16, 2022 9:17 pm
rolfo wrote:
Mon May 16, 2022 9:04 pm
robeambro wrote:
Mon May 16, 2022 3:22 pm


The LBS statement sounds like a typical uninformed old-school shop owner. :roll:

In theory, yes, steeper head angle and shorter wheelbase would lead to a snappier ride. Anecdotally, I have a friend who went from an XS Ultimate to an SL6 Disc (which in theory shares its geometry with the Aethos) and found it more nervous.

I myself don't find mine nervous at all, but I also run 30mm GP5000S which probably tame the handling a bit when compared to narrower tyres. That said, I don't think the Aethos would be something I'd define nervous at all, but I can't explain why that is the case. It surely descends better than other bikes I've owned.
Thanks! Helpfull, I was indeed affraid it would descent less stable as my Canyon (which isn't such a great descender ;-)
175cm and a size 56?!?! OMG!! With that height, many run a 52. Even spesh recommends 56 for people around 180cm.
Yep. What @pmprego said. I am 176cm. I ride the 54cm and it is perfect for me. I can also ride a 52 comfortably. But 56cm is too big for me, feels sluggish .
Thanks! I was looking for this input. How does it descent compared to other bikes you owned?

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frostorama
Posts: 82
Joined: Mon Jun 10, 2019 8:29 pm

by frostorama

I am also 175cm tall and ride a 54cm Aethos. I have just returned from a week in Mallorca and found my Aethos to be awesome at descending, totally predictable, held lines and gave me confidence.

rolfo
Posts: 113
Joined: Sun Apr 23, 2006 11:15 pm
Location: Netherlands

by rolfo

simbikotic wrote:
Tue May 17, 2022 6:39 am
pmprego wrote:
Mon May 16, 2022 9:17 pm
rolfo wrote:
Mon May 16, 2022 9:04 pm
robeambro wrote:
Mon May 16, 2022 3:22 pm


The LBS statement sounds like a typical uninformed old-school shop owner. :roll:

In theory, yes, steeper head angle and shorter wheelbase would lead to a snappier ride. Anecdotally, I have a friend who went from an XS Ultimate to an SL6 Disc (which in theory shares its geometry with the Aethos) and found it more nervous.

I myself don't find mine nervous at all, but I also run 30mm GP5000S which probably tame the handling a bit when compared to narrower tyres. That said, I don't think the Aethos would be something I'd define nervous at all, but I can't explain why that is the case. It surely descends better than other bikes I've owned.
Thanks! Helpfull, I was indeed affraid it would descent less stable as my Canyon (which isn't such a great descender ;-)
175cm and a size 56?!?! OMG!! With that height, many run a 52. Even spesh recommends 56 for people around 180cm.
Yep. What @pmprego said. I am 176cm. I ride the 54cm and it is perfect for me. I can also ride a 52 comfortably. But 56cm is too big for me, feels sluggish .
Thanks for the input! And how does it descent for you, compared to other roadbikes you've ridden?

robeambro
Posts: 1829
Joined: Sat Jul 07, 2018 6:21 pm

by robeambro

rolfo wrote:
Mon May 16, 2022 9:04 pm
robeambro wrote:
Mon May 16, 2022 3:22 pm
rolfo wrote:
Mon May 16, 2022 2:12 pm
Hi,

Sizing question.
It seems I fall between a 54cm and 56cm size Aethos, as I'm 175cm.
The bikeshop advised a 56 size, as "the Aethos runs short".

I currently have a Canyon Ultimate SLX in size small, which has exactly the same stack and reach as the 54 Aethos.

As the 54cm Aethos has a steeper headangle and a shorter wheelbase, will it run more nervous than my current Canyon?
I'm not look for an even more nervous bike, but would love to check out the aethos ;-)

Any thoughts or experience?
The LBS statement sounds like a typical uninformed old-school shop owner. :roll:

In theory, yes, steeper head angle and shorter wheelbase would lead to a snappier ride. Anecdotally, I have a friend who went from an XS Ultimate to an SL6 Disc (which in theory shares its geometry with the Aethos) and found it more nervous.

I myself don't find mine nervous at all, but I also run 30mm GP5000S which probably tame the handling a bit when compared to narrower tyres. That said, I don't think the Aethos would be something I'd define nervous at all, but I can't explain why that is the case. It surely descends better than other bikes I've owned.
Thanks! Helpfull, I was indeed affraid it would descent less stable as my Canyon (which isn't such a great descender ;-)
Wait, where can you find descents in NL? :mrgreen:

For the sake of objectivity, I want to say that I can't rule out wider tyres as a big reason for how well-mannered the bike is on descents - 'unfortunately' I haven't tried it with narrower rims and tyres. However, I also have a 90mm stem and very narrow bars, which most would not quite consider the best for descending - I seem to do just fine with them.

All of this to say, ultimately most people will give you their personal experience, based on their own setup (not just frame, every component) and previous experience/bikes. And all of us are somewhat prone to confirmation bias whereby 'our latest bike is the best bike', and/or to attribute a lot of positive/negative effects to the frame, just because it's easy (after all, it's usually the most expensive part of our bikes), when in fact these effects come from other parts of the bike (e.g. tyres).
Last edited by robeambro on Tue May 17, 2022 5:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.

rolfo
Posts: 113
Joined: Sun Apr 23, 2006 11:15 pm
Location: Netherlands

by rolfo

robeambro wrote:
Tue May 17, 2022 11:10 am
rolfo wrote:
Mon May 16, 2022 9:04 pm
robeambro wrote:
Mon May 16, 2022 3:22 pm
rolfo wrote:
Mon May 16, 2022 2:12 pm
Hi,

Sizing question.
It seems I fall between a 54cm and 56cm size Aethos, as I'm 175cm.
The bikeshop advised a 56 size, as "the Aethos runs short".

I currently have a Canyon Ultimate SLX in size small, which has exactly the same stack and reach as the 54 Aethos.

As the 54cm Aethos has a steeper headangle and a shorter wheelbase, will it run more nervous than my current Canyon?
I'm not look for an even more nervous bike, but would love to check out the aethos ;-)

Any thoughts or experience?
The LBS statement sounds like a typical uninformed old-school shop owner. :roll:

In theory, yes, steeper head angle and shorter wheelbase would lead to a snappier ride. Anecdotally, I have a friend who went from an XS Ultimate to an SL6 Disc (which in theory shares its geometry with the Aethos) and found it more nervous.

I myself don't find mine nervous at all, but I also run 30mm GP5000S which probably tame the handling a bit when compared to narrower tyres. That said, I don't think the Aethos would be something I'd define nervous at all, but I can't explain why that is the case. It surely descends better than other bikes I've owned.
Thanks! Helpfull, I was indeed affraid it would descent less stable as my Canyon (which isn't such a great descender ;-)
Wait, where can you find descents in NL? :mrgreen:

For the sake of objectivity, I want to say that I can't rule out wider tyres as a big reason for well-mannered the bike is on descents - 'unfortunately' I haven't tried it with narrower rims and tyres. However, I also have a 90mm stem and very narrow bars, which most would not quite consider the best for descending - I seem to do just fine with them.

All of this to say, ultimately most people will give you their personal experience, based on their own setup (not just frame, every component) and previous experience/bikes. And all of us are somewhat prone to confirmation bias whereby 'our latest bike is the best bike', and/or to attribute a lot of positive/negative effects to the frame, just because it's easy (after all, it's usually the most expensive part of our bikes), when in fact these effects come from other parts of the bike (e.g. tyres).
Totaly agree, but I cannot test ride a Aethos, so any input will give some more context. In the end I'll only know how it rides if I buy one ;-)

simbikotic
Posts: 154
Joined: Tue Nov 03, 2020 12:52 am

by simbikotic

rolfo wrote:
Tue May 17, 2022 10:30 am
simbikotic wrote:
Tue May 17, 2022 6:39 am
pmprego wrote:
Mon May 16, 2022 9:17 pm
rolfo wrote:
Mon May 16, 2022 9:04 pm


Thanks! Helpfull, I was indeed affraid it would descent less stable as my Canyon (which isn't such a great descender ;-)
175cm and a size 56?!?! OMG!! With that height, many run a 52. Even spesh recommends 56 for people around 180cm.
Yep. What @pmprego said. I am 176cm. I ride the 54cm and it is perfect for me. I can also ride a 52 comfortably. But 56cm is too big for me, feels sluggish .
Thanks for the input! And how does it descent for you, compared to other roadbikes you've ridden?
Well, this bike is kind-of famous for being a good descender. That is certainly my experience. After I got the bike I quickly started getting Strava PRs on all my local descents, without really trying, just doing what feels fun/comfortable. My local rides are all in the Santa Cruz mountains, so the descents are not trivial either.

Unfortunately descending characteristics are hard to predict. There's a great thread elswhere on the forum where folk dig into all the factors (google Descending manners weightweenies...). Sure, a longer frame can feel more stable, but i have scared myself riding larger frames on descents when they don't turn in well and I run wide - into oncoming traffic. Shorter frames can feel twitchy, but a longer stem is often enought to remidiate. Then there's all the other stuff: rider position (where are your feet), tyres (width, suppleness, pressure), wheel depth (watch those crosswinds)... and so on.

takolino
Posts: 340
Joined: Sun Nov 13, 2016 9:11 am
Location: USA, SF Bay Area

by takolino

I have an Aethos and have owned many bikes including steel and ti with a variety of descending characteristics. I agree with @simbikotic and @robeambro regarding the feel of a bike. They feel good or bad for many reasons but focusig on the frame, the Aethos is tops. More specifically, it feels very neutral and stable yet tossable. I'd also add that for me, it's not noticeably better than some other carbon frames that I've ridden. For example, since my recent shoulder separation, I've been riding a 2017 Scott Addict disc because it's set up with a taller stack. On Kings and also Pagemill in the SF Bay area, I'm not far off my usual times and it feels just as solid and confident. So obviously, it depends on personal experience. Happy to share mine.

Details: Aethos set up with 28c. Addict 32c. Both are 56, I'm 180cm.

Nickldn
Posts: 1867
Joined: Mon Mar 25, 2019 12:35 am

by Nickldn

Does anyone know how the Aethos feels compared to the SL7 on descents?

I realise the SL7 is usually built with deeper wheels and that could make a difference to descending manners, especially when the wind is blowing.
Giant Propel Advanced SL Red Etap 11s Easton EC90 wheels CeramicSpeed BB Zipp SL70 bars 6.5kg

Vitus ZX1 CRS Campy Chorus 12s Bora WTO 45 disk brake wheels Zipp SL70 bars 7.5kg

SL8 build with Craft CS5060 Wheels in progress

rolfo
Posts: 113
Joined: Sun Apr 23, 2006 11:15 pm
Location: Netherlands

by rolfo

takolino wrote:
Tue May 17, 2022 7:02 pm
I have an Aethos and have owned many bikes including steel and ti with a variety of descending characteristics. I agree with @simbikotic and @robeambro regarding the feel of a bike. They feel good or bad for many reasons but focusig on the frame, the Aethos is tops. More specifically, it feels very neutral and stable yet tossable. I'd also add that for me, it's not noticeably better than some other carbon frames that I've ridden. For example, since my recent shoulder separation, I've been riding a 2017 Scott Addict disc because it's set up with a taller stack. On Kings and also Pagemill in the SF Bay area, I'm not far off my usual times and it feels just as solid and confident. So obviously, it depends on personal experience. Happy to share mine.

Details: Aethos set up with 28c. Addict 32c. Both are 56, I'm 180cm.
Thanks all!

maquisard
Posts: 3772
Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 8:51 pm
Location: France

by maquisard

simbikotic wrote:
Tue May 17, 2022 5:22 pm
Unfortunately descending characteristics are hard to predict.
Agree, but Peter Denk bikes are usually brilliant in this area. Before the Aethos my previous favourite bike on descents was the Cannondale Super-Six Evo. The Denk era Cannondale's were fantastic and he has carried this on to Specialized.

dmetzinger
Posts: 64
Joined: Mon Jul 22, 2019 5:46 pm

by dmetzinger

Nickldn wrote:
Tue May 17, 2022 8:08 pm
Does anyone know how the Aethos feels compared to the SL7 on descents?

I realise the SL7 is usually built with deeper wheels and that could make a difference to descending manners, especially when the wind is blowing.
I'll be able to tell you in a week or so, wating for my clavicle to heal up after crashing on my Aethos. I was all set to build up my new (to me) S Works SL7 the day after I crashed so pushed the build back a few weeks but now it's ready to go and I'm planning my first post surgery outdoor ride this weekend. The Aethos is a great handling bike, I kinda prefer the handling of my 2019 Venge disc (sold frame to get SL7) and my (sorely missed) Dogma F10 rim brake to the Aethos but I think that may be due to the Alpinist bars I had on the Aethos. I know it may sound crazy but I had beefier aero bars on the Venge and Dogma and they just gave me a very solid, confident feeling versus the Alpinists. I'm a big guy (6-4, 185) so the Alpinists just felt thin/noodly to me even with Fizik bar gel and thick Supacaz tape. I had to strip the Aethos to get it to the painter to fix all the paint damage from the crash and will be rebuilding it with different bars. However, the Aethos descends well enough that I crashed due to being overconfident in a fast turn that I've done at least 500 times. So yeah, it's a great handling frame but it helps if it's pilot isn't a total idiot :)
Last edited by dmetzinger on Thu May 19, 2022 11:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Seven Axiom SG - Force AXS rim brake
Colnago C50 - Campy Chorus 12
Wilier Filante - SRAM Force/Red AXS
Wilier Zero SLR - Red AXS

maxima
Posts: 460
Joined: Fri Oct 17, 2008 9:37 am

by maxima

I ride with latest 12 speed Dura Ace C50, so far so good, except for the strongest of wind. If you are light weight rider, probably a dura ace c36 will be a better wheel going up and down.

Nickldn wrote:
Tue May 17, 2022 8:08 pm
Does anyone know how the Aethos feels compared to the SL7 on descents?

I realise the SL7 is usually built with deeper wheels and that could make a difference to descending manners, especially when the wind is blowing.

Birch
Posts: 107
Joined: Fri Jul 25, 2008 4:12 pm
Location: Chicago, IL USA

by Birch

How is the bike for bigger guys? At 190cm and 100kg, would this be a noodle under me? I'm on a 2018 System Six and thinking upgrade here.

I'm also older, so at 50, I'm no longer racing, but think fast club rides. I have my old Serotra CSi for the slower easy distance days too.
In desperate moments, on the rivet, opening up my giant suitcase of courage, definitely not a climber but a big strong man..

FlatlandClimber
Posts: 2491
Joined: Tue Mar 31, 2020 3:37 pm

by FlatlandClimber

I have not heard of anyone calling the Aethos a noodle, so I don't think it will be problematic in this regard.
I however highly doubt you will perceive this as an upgrade (at least in terms of speed).
If you were to save 1kg compared to your system six (of course there is potential for more than that), that's like 0.9% of the system weight saved.
On a 10% climb, this saves you around 3/4 of a percent. So 3 watts for 400 Watts of power.
Everywhere else, the Aethos is certainly slower than the System Six.
If you are saying fast group rides, that's definitely aero bike territory.
If it's comport you're after, there is likely still a better (more aero) alternative.
Cervelo P5 Disc (2021) 9.1kg
Factor Ostro Gravel (2023) 8.0kg
S-Works SL8 (2023) 6.3kg

*weights are race ready, size 58/L.
Sold: Venge, S5 Disc, Roubaix Team, Open WI.DE, Émonda, Shiv TT, Crux, Aethos, SL7

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justonwo
Posts: 430
Joined: Mon May 30, 2016 9:16 pm

by justonwo

I'd say the Aethos is a confident descender. Compared to my old Ultimate EVO, I'd say it's much more planted. But still not as confident as my F12, which is like riding rails.
2020 Pinarello Dogma F12 AXS Red (Enve SES 3.4 Disc, Zipp 353)
2021 S-Works Aethos Di2 9200 (Alpinist CLX II)
2006 Cervelo Soloist
2021 S-Works Epic

Retired: 2014 S-Works Roubaix
2020 S-Works Roubaix
2020 Canyon Ultimate
2018 S-Works Camber

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