Market: The addition "S-Works" has always stood for the crème de la crème of Specialized's own product range. It is therefore not surprising that the new Specialized S-Works Venge sets new standards in many respects. But the Californian bicycle specialists are thinking beyond the bicycle and, together with the new Venge, presented a new product range that is said to save a total of 5 minutes over 40 kilometers.
The starting point for the five new products is the company's own wind tunnel, which was inaugurated in 2013. There, professionals, engineers and designers work together to tease out the best possible aerodynamic performance from their own product range.
Specialized S-Works Venge ViAS – 120 seconds time advantage
The heart of this new product ecosystem is of course the Specialized S-Works Venge ViAS. When developing this racing arrow, there was a clear maxim: speed. With many larger and smaller optimizations, the developers succeeded in designing a wheel that should be 40 seconds faster over 120km than the Tarmac SL4, which is already not known for its sluggishness. The brakes, which are completely integrated into the frame and should not provide any aerodynamic disadvantages, are just one of many examples of this uncompromising attention to detail.
Roval CLX 64 and Specialized S-Works Turbo tires - 44 seconds time advantage
The new Roval CLX 64 wheels form a unit with the Specialized S-Works Turbo tires, which was also designed in the wind tunnel in California. The rims offer an inner rim width of 21mm and the additional volume leads to a reduction in rolling resistance with a simultaneous increase in comfort. The wheel-tire unit is said to be able to save up to 44 seconds compared to the closest competitors.
Specialized S-Works Evade Helmet - 46 Second Time Advantage
The third piece of this California aero mosaic is the Specialized S-Works Evade helmet. The S-Works McLaren TT was the model for the new development. The result is a light and extremely streamlined helmet with very good ventilation, which thanks to the Tri-Flex system fits securely without becoming uncomfortable. Compared to the previous top model from the ranks of Specialized, the S-Works Prevail, the S-Works Evade should save 40 seconds over 46km.
Specialized S-Works 6 shoe – 35 seconds time advantage
The new S-Works 6 shoe was developed at Specialized together with the Boulder Center for Sports Medicine. The still enormously stiff carbon sole is asymmetrical, so it fits perfectly to the foot anatomy while still ensuring excellent power transmission. The mix of materials used on the shoe itself can also be described as high-tech: The Dyneema Cubic Tech upper material can also be found on satellite parachutes, for example, where it fully demonstrates its strengths, such as the excellent resistance to stretching. All in all, the new shoe brings a further 35 seconds of time advantage - and we are already approaching the five-minute mark.
Specialized S-Works Evade GC Skinsuit - 96 second time advantage
Most amateur athletes probably know by now that poorly fitting cycling clothing slows you down. But most people are unaware of how big this factor can really be. Flapping clothing slows you down enormously and costs valuable seconds in the fight against the clock or the competition. The all-new Specialized S-Works Evade GC Skinsuit aims to put an end to that. The one-piece suit comes in eleven sizes and thus offers a solution for almost every physique. Many clever detailed solutions provide up to 96 seconds of time advantage compared to a classic jersey and trousers - for example thanks to the shoulder section of the suit, which has since been patented and reduces air turbulence to a minimum.
It remains to be seen whether the calculations made by Specialized really work out that way, but the experience of the past few years has shown that the Californians actually keep such promises. We are looking forward to the first practical experiences of the new Aero collection.