Steve Lai

Agreed. Because Sworks decided that they wanted a No-aero, simple and easily changeable parts, there is a thinking that it's retro. It is much more.

Just a few days back I went to checkout a 2nd hand Specialised Aethos size 52. It was 7.3 kg. I was a bit surprises it was that heavy! Maybe that is the standard setup by the LBS....Sram Force and other standard Specialised parts.

So to get to 6kg, you need to spend a lot more money for Roval Alpinist CLX, stem, dropbar, seat post & seat.

mschwett 

if you're in the 6'0 - 6'2 range, mine is available for test rides in exchange for peninsula route advice

genejockey 

Pretty sure they'll ask for some kinda collateral.

genejockey 

Oh, man......
How long a ride do I get for suggesting Kings instead of 92 the other day?

Mojo31

Here they ask for DL and credit card to hold. No financial statement required.

PeteHski

7.3 kg sounds about right. That's about 0.4 kg lighter than my Canyon Endurace CF SL with SRAM Force, fairly light carbon DT Swiss Wheels, integrated carbon bars and post etc. My size L frame weighs around 950g, while the Aethos standard frame is around 700g. The Aethos Fork is very light too, so probably another 100g saving there over mine. So that pretty much accounts for the overall weight difference. So to get down to 6 kg is going to require an expensive build, whatever. In the cold light of physics, the weight saving on the Aethos frameset is not that big a deal over any other sub-1000g CF frame.

PeteHski

The Aethos geometry is pretty standard compared to other modern bikes. So there is no reason why it would be any more or less stable on descents. CofG height depends entirely on BB height i.e how far the rider is off the ground, which in this case is par for the course with a 72 mm BB drop. If you value super-stable descending then you either need a dropper seat post to get your mass several inches lower. Or go for a bike with a longer wheelbase and slacker head angle - something like the LOOK 765 or Cervelo Caledonia That really does make a difference, but a few hundred grams on a framset isn't going to register on CofG height. The Aethos has race focused geometry like the Tarmac, so will be at the nimble end of the handling spectrum. The weight is a red herring here.

Steve Lai

Thanks for your views. Much appreciated and makes sense.

You are right about the geometry & stability. I do feel quite steady & stable on the Giant Revolt. I suspect it has a longer trail. However, there isn't much discussion/review on CofG. The 2 heaviest parts on a bike is the rear hub/cassette and the Crankset. Wonder if there are any calculations on changes to weights of these parts?

I will have to find someone in Singapore who owns a Aethos to let me try it out properly. I have talked to a LBS who builds Aethos from framesets he orders. He had one but sold it after he became a new father.

It will be a expensive disaster if the Aethos turns out to be not much ddifferentin ride quality from my carbon TCR Adv Pro (6.4kg, 2x) or Al alloy Caad12 (6.3kg, 1x) or my Chromoly Yasujiro (6.4kg, 1x)...!!!

Iride01 

Ride quality as in comfort? Probably not much if you properly fit your current bikes and get properly sized and fitted for the Aethos. For how it handles the road, it's going to be sporty, like my Tarmac. You'll dodge potholes and maneuver in groups of other riders with ease. But still probably not materially better than your TCR or Caad.

You'll probably perceive the road handling and feel transmitted through the frame differently. And then it just becomes whether you think that odd and hate it, or whether you accept that it's different and learn to like it.

Steve Lai

Ride quality will be comfort, handling ease, good acceleration when needed, the feel of being grounded when going downhill and overall good balance when going slow.

My Revolt (7.5kg, 1x, GRX, 28mm tires) gives me some of that "feeling"...but I am working on bring it to 7kg so it accelerates quickly. So it concerns me that the Aethos Specialised is about the same weight as my Revolt.

Sometimes when a Product & the technologies supporting its Quality (will define later) reaches a plateau, u cannot really improve it significantly. U only get minute improvement after a lot of engineering & selection of materials (until a major breakthru comes along)..

Would we consider Aethos a major/significant breakthru or justo an incremental evolution?

Quality of Product
1 Aesthetic
2. Perceived Quality (branding)
3. Performance (does one thing extremely well)
4. Functionality (like a Swiss pocket knife)
5. Conformance (meeting basic requirements)
6. Reliability
7. Durability
8. Serviceability (eg quick turnaround in repairs)

Learned this many years ago from a Havard Biz Review by DA Garvin. It is basically still relevant today when looking at Products. Service quality is a bit more complicated. Thot I will share it.

mschwett 

even with the "base" frame, it's pretty easy to build a 14.5lb aethos, ready to ride. ultegra and nothing exotic, similar to the stock "pro" bike. will you notice a bike that's 12% or 2lb lighter than your current bike? probably a little, depending on where the weight is distributed. i don't think the aethos is revolutionary, at all. but it’s a new combination of things for those who like that particular balance of things, with the two big drawbacks being cost and some degree of aero.

it's a “more than the sum of it's parts” situation, very light but practical and functional, stiff but comfortable, hi tech and modern but understated and classic, etc etc.

Iride01 

I agree with that. The only thing revolutionary about it is that Specialized decided to make a high dollar, lightweight bike with round tubes. And a bike with round tubes made from the same basic material as a more aerodynamic bike is made of, will almost always be lighter.

I don't think the OP should expect something magical about the fit of the Aethos, unless the other bikes weren't sized correctly and don't fit properly and the Aethos just happens to be the right size and fit.

TheSilverFox 

Could not agree with the above statement more. Recently picked up an Aethos and I'm pretty excited but shocked how much I just spent on a bike. Went with the Expert which set me back $8k and unbelievably now I am looking to upgrade the stock wheels. Might be crazy but I do enjoy modding things until they are how I would design them. The high tech but understated/classic describes it perfectly for me. Think it is something I can ride for long time and should age gracefully without any weird paint or shouting logos.

What really sold me was the dude at the bike shop. Stopped in on a whim in Dec to check out the Pine Green color as I thought it looked fantastic online. Reminds me of British racing green or classic green Porsche. So happens this guy also owns an Aethos in Pine Green and he was totally pumped talking about it. Next thing I know he is slapping pedals on it and we are both out the door for a demo. The Aethos rode great and I looked at the bike everyday online for a couple weeks until I finally said F it and ordered. Yea it is a lot of money for bike, but it makes me smile and want to ride it every time I look at it.

Jrasero

I think the Aethos is totally worth it since it's such a counter bike to the aero push the whole industry is obsessed with and really the fact that it's not about being UCI compliant in terms of weight, thus it's such an outlier. I semi tested an Aethos at a LBS and believe while Specialized overall is really overpriced this is the one bike I would actually buy. Now the S-Works version... I personally don't think the S-Works or really any S-Works is worth it unless you just want that badging since the diminishing returns are insane. For example a regular Aethos $3300 frame weighs 999g w/ an uncut steerer and a S-Works $5500 is 885g. 114g and a S-Works badge is not worth $2200. Frankly take that $2200 and then use it on Di2 Durace or SRAM Red