New Specialized Venge

Specialized released its newest road bike today, the Venge. They are joining the ranks of making an aero road bike along with Cervelo, Felt, etc.

Here is a link to an article and some pictures of it.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/first-look-mark-cavendishs-specialized-mclaren-venge

 

B-e-a-utiful!

 

The full models are shown on the Specialized web site.

 

With all the new carbon fiber bikes being offered there really isn't much difference between a 500.00 frame and a 4,000.00 dollar frame. Using same carbon fiber, and for the most part the same process. You can listen to the hype the major bike companies are putting out but the bottom line is there is little to no difference in these frames. Although I love the bikes I just can't see paying that kind of coin.

 

Cavendish should be able to finish in the groupetto in tomorrows MSR riding that bike.

 

Yes Mike, but without $4000 frames, how are rich slow guys going to feel adequate?

 

This is inaccurate on so many points. I'll chime in when I get home.

 

So hot

 

if you really believe what you wrote you must be riding a pacafic or some other cheap brand you picked up at walmart

 

wow! Really??
You are aware of the Chinese made frames available for around 500 bucks nowadays right?
With features like BB30, integrated seat posts and tapered headtubes they drive a hard bargain. Admittedly they're not made of higher end military grade carbon like Giants and I would assume specialized's higher stuff (due to some funky laws), but they're directly comparable to most brands out there today.
When something like this Venge comes out, it's the cream of the crop. Is there a difference between the chinese frames and this? Yea, totally, but 8x the difference?? Probably not.
Is the performance gain from ultegra to dura-ace worth the price difference? Not really, but for those willing to pay exorbitant prices, the best of the best is there for you to purchase.

 

yes i am aware that there 500 buck chinese frames available nowadays but not near the technologhy or material goes into it. and i didn't say that it was worth 8X the difference of the 500 dollar frame either. if you want high end you will pay a premium for it and if you don't you won't. and dura-ace is worth the price difference

 

We do realize that a "high end" item's value is only what suckers are willing to pay for it, right?

 

Viagra does a lot more for stiffness related inadequacy issues than carbon.

 

I'm just gonna assume that you've never met or ridden with Pain Freak. If you had, then you wouldn't have posted this comment. He will ride circles around your ass. On a bike less expensive than yours.

 

I cant say I'm really a proponent of Chinese frames (would never be caught dead buying one) nor do I want to start an argument about it, but most brands, like specialized, are not bike manufacturers. They are design houses. With Chinese frames your cutting out the up charge that the factories charge bike companies, your cutting out the shipping cost to the bike company's warehouse, you're cutting out the shipping cost to your LBS, and you're cutting out the up charge that the LBS has to barely keep themselves afloat. The quality from one of these direct from the factory frames really is not that different at all from what you see on shelves. This venge might be THE most advanced frame made, but to compare a Chinese made carbon frame to a pacific is just ridicules.

 

One would think so, right?

 

As an owner of a lower grade frame (My hardtail MTB is a Sette), I would have to argue that cheaper carbon frames can be just as good. They probably have less stringent quality control (more defects get through than they should) and the formulation of the carbon may not be *as* great, but it is still a great frame. Very stiff, laterally, yet very compliant, vertically.

All I know is that I have beaten this bike up and ridden trail you shouldn't ride on a carbon hardtail mountain bike and it has stood up to the abuse.

 

And the first race the Venge is in: Win in Milan Sanremo, steared by Matt Goss HTC Highroad. The marketing Gods are looking brightly on Specialized: you officially roll out a new bike at one of the most important 1 day classics and your bike ends up winning the race!

 

I saw that and thought the same thing!

 

It's always cheaper to copy than to create. The Chinese frames are direct copies of bikes they've seen produced in their factories. Four guys on a new bike project making 60k a year for two years is about half a million in cost. After the design is done, its easy enough to copy if you've seen it made. Just make a few changes and voila!, a chibon fiber bike. Imagine the cost savings with just being able to swipe cnc codes for milling a carbon frame mold.