Originally Posted by
asgelle
I would trust the Cyclingtips review more than any single owner.
https://cyclingtips.com/2020/10/spec...-ride-quality/ After all James has experience riding many more bikes than any owner is likely to have. As to independence, I think someone who's spent the kind of money this bike costs is more likely to be prejudiced in favor of it than an independent reviewer. (and no, Cyclingtips accepts no sponsorship money.)
Thanks so much for all the comments. Really useful!
I am not a racer and not really an aero guy. I do enjoy a bit of speed every now & then. Love bikes and build bikes when free.
I have Giant TCR Adv Pro, a Revolt, Cannondale Caad 2, 8, 12 (6.3k) and 13, a very light Chromoly Yasujiro Svelte (6.4k), a very old (35 yrs old) Schwin.
I love the ride on the Revolt (7.4kg, 1x, 28mm tires)...very comfy.
For faster rides, I enjoy the Caad12 (6.3kg, 1×, 26mm Race tires) and the Yasujiro (same wt almost but 26mm Road tires). I am moving all my tires to Pirelli Pzero Race and Road series...I can feel the grip even when wet. I only use Pirelli Pzero smart tube (Polyurethane, 34g per tube). I have dropped Tubolito ( production consistency not there yet)
So I am looking to decide if Sworks or Specialised Aethos should be on my list...as I prefer lighter bikes. All my frames will be heavier than either of the Aethos, so on 1x, I should get to 6kg hopefully. And with the quality & years of engineering knowhow put in by Sworks/Specialised into the design, carbon layout, finite element analysis etc (which they claim)...I should be over the moon.
My big question is will the difference be sufficiently significant that I will go "wow, this is it man"! Or it will be just another bike. And if u blindfold me, I can't tell the difference. Or it takes an expert to tell the difference.
I have drank a few very good wine..C Lafite, C Blanc etc...and a novice can tell they are very good! Will Sworks/Specialised Aethos be the same? And as many mentioned, is the added cost of SW aethos worth it?
Has bike design & engineering reached a plateau...they can't do much more to differentiate, other then Price & percieved quality? Many products reach a plateau and companies just come out with more functionalities with no change in Performance?