Aero is Everything
"Aero is no longer a category, Aero is everything." This is the mantra of Specialized and they just upped the ante with their multi-release of new products branded as an ecosystem. These products were developed and engineered entirely in their "win tunnel" as part of their new marketing plan, "Five Minutes."
Five minutes represents the claimed time savings (5min32sec) over 40km after switching to their newly developed ecosystem of speed: S-Works Venge ViAS, CLX 64 & S-Works Turbo Tire, S-Works Evade Helmet (not developed in win tunnel), S-Works Evade GC skinsuit, and the S-Works 6 shoe verses less aero stuff: its Tarmac SL4 with alloy wheels/Continental GP4000sII, average short sleeve jersey and bib, S-Works prevail helmet and S-Works 5 shoes.
S-WORKS VENGE ViAS
The new S-Works Venge ViAS (Venge integrated Aero System) struck me as a concept bike until I saw a small and single cable protruding to the rear derailleur, which led me to conclude that the display was operational. At first glance, you see no brakes, no cables, and a space-age aero bar on a road bike. The frame and fork, along with the down tube, have obvious changes in shape (unlike traditional designs) that further improve aerodynamics, but also a claimed performance in ride quality and force transfer. The Venge ViAS was also designed under the premise of carrying two water bottles, which further protects the rear brake from drag forces. The seat stay is designed to emulate the Shiv TT, but to be stiffer.
Specialized chose two ways to deal with the Di2 junction box. On the Venge ViAS, when examined from underneath, there's a compartment for the Di2 junction box integrated into the bottom bracket. There's also a stem-integrated mount allowing the Di2 Junction box to be situated under a bike computer with no drag penalty.
The Aerofly ViAS handlebar and stem are unique. The stem is equivalent to a -17° pitch (extension parallel to the ground) and the handlebar has a 25mm rise, right from the handlebar clamp, which equates to a 6° stem and 110mm stem length. There is room to play with different stem lengths and the Aerofly ViAS handlebar comes in either a flat or rise option. Per the design of the Venge ViAS, no other stem/bar combinations will work.
Front and rear brake calipers are impressive, not only from an aerodynamic standpoint but Specialized is also happy with their performance. They looked at V-brakes and the Shimano 9000 brakes but thought they could do even better. This brake system, says Specialized, is equal to or better than the Shimano Dura-Ace 9000 in stopping power and the Manx Missile, Mark Cavendish, appears to agree based on his (Skyped in) comments.
Specialized maintains it wasn't just speed that led to the development of these brakes' functionality. They tested a number of different locations and found that the rear brake placement on the new Venge was not only the fastest, but through testing with strain gauges discovered it was also the best in terms of performance, and least affected by outside factors such as road vibration.
How fast is this bike? Below is a graph showing the Venge ViAS tested against its own product line, including the Shiv TT. Yes, you are reading the graph correctly; Specialized says it measures faster, or nearly as fast, at all yaw angles, even against the Shiv TT.
Clearly this was not with a rider; however the results were equally impressive with a rider.
As is its custom, Specialized partnered with McLaren Applied Technology on the development and testing of this bike that allowed for McLaren to use its proprietary software (MIDAS) to control and account for an infinite amount of external variables (MIDAS is worthy of its own examination).
A number of us were shown how this software works on a test ride on a local Strava 18km TT route. Two rides were compared where riders either used a Tarmac, Prevail helmet, CLX 40s, and Specialized SL Pro clothing versus the Venge ViAS, CLX 64 system, Evade, and Evade Skinsuit. The result was 122 seconds of savings when controlling for environmental factors and power differences. The Venge ViAS was about even, or slightly less, on hills but exploded on the downhill portions compared to the Tarmac setup.
Specialized leveraged its two in-house fit systems, Retül and Body Geometry, to develop a fit software program for the Venge ViAS to help buyers and fitters find their ideal size bike and Aerofly system prior to purchasing. The software shows the ideal-size bike and how to make fit adjustments if a rider wishes to go with a more aggressive or more relaxed bike fit.
An interesting note to the new Venge is that it comes with a Quarq power meter. I have long-wondered why a top-of-the-line bike doesn't come with one installed. The common-sense inclusion of the Quarq was the result of a lunch-hour ride with Specialized and Quarq employees.
I asked Specialized engineers Mark Cote and Chris Yu about a road bike that tests faster than their TT bike. Each responded with a "we know." It will be interesting what the next generation of their Shiv TT and triathlon bikes will look like.
ROVAL CLX64 WHEEL SYSTEM
Specialized took some years to get traction with its own wheel brand. It had the DuPont-developed trispoke that has since evolved into what is now the HED3. It bought Roval and has steadily improved these wheels. The Roval CLX 64 system is impressive. The CLX 64s were built to work symbiotically with the S-Works Turbo, which is beyond dispute an extremely fast tire. These wheels are tubeless-ready with bladed spokes and Specialized created new aero hubs after extensive testing to further improve aerodynamics. Although not clear from the photographs, the shape of these wheels are quite unique going from narrow, to wide, back to narrow (a theme flowing the other way, a toroidal rim shape pioneered by HED, now at Specialized?).
Data provided by Specialized shows that the CLX 64 wheel system is on average faster when tested against the Zipp 404 FC/Super 9 with Continental 4000sII.
I know some of you are wondering why 64mm and not CLX 65. Having the luxury of the developers on hand I asked that very question. During the various presentations all such questions were met with either a functional, aerodynamic, or speed response and this was no different. The lead developer responded with a matter-of-fact, "Because the 64mms tested faster than the 65mms." This response left me with the feeling they tested every possible wheel depth and configuration. In fact, they also tested skewers and spoke nipples (internal vs. external) but found no significant difference.
Specialized athletes were quick to tell product managers not to mess with a good thing, that thing in this case the S-Works Turbo. The only significant change to the S-Works tire is the release of an aero (22mm) front tire that was designed to mold with the front CLX 64.
The CLX 64 can safely work with tires that measure up to 28mm, which are generally listed as 26mm.
S-WORKS 6 & SUB6
As a result of the famous shaved-leg wind tunnel test, Specialized began looking at footwear for speed savings. Developer lead Rob Cook (formerly of Adidas) and longtime Specialized collaborator Andy Pruitt worked together to create a faster and more efficient cycling shoe with claimed time savings of up to 35 secs over 40km. The savings in this category are difficult to quantify due to varying cadences and pedaling techniques, a fact Specialized was quick to point out, but preliminary data on max power output and duration showed time to achieving peak power took one second less and held max power longer.
The significant differences I noted on the shoes were changes in the materials and significant construction improvements along with a new molded heel cup that improved hold and power transfer across the one-piece carbon plate. I also noted the shoe narrows toward the heel for improved air flow and the use of a "warp sleeve." The Sub6 will measure around 170 grams while the S-Works 6 will be around 210 grams.
S-WORKS EVADE GC SKINSUIT
The new S-works GC skinsuit is claimed to test as fast or faster than skinsuits currently on the market. A couple of the nice features: patent-pending seamless shoulders with dimpled fabric; full-length front zipper; hidden rear pockets; 11 sizes (including tall sizes) available for optimal fit. Specialized incorporated different fabrics in the suit and a dimplex pattern around the shoulders.
WIN TUNNEL
Nearly all of these products were engineered in their very own "win tunnel", an asset Specialized is quite proud of. It is located next to its headquarters and is currently the industry's only cycling specific wind tunnel (FASTER might dispute this). Since its opening in 2013, they say they have conducted over 1600 hours of testing and have tested over 60 professional riders. It tests to a resolution of 0.0005 meters squared which makes it, they say, between 2 and 4 times more accurate than many wind tunnels used in cycling. It is also large enough to allow for testing multiple riders at once and for speeds from 10 kph to 115 kph. Finally, all current and future Specialized products that are developed in the win tunnel will now have an insignia indicating "win tunnel engineered."
It's clear the strategy here, and it's been this way for better than two years, since Specialized had its wind tunnel grand opening and we first wrote about it in May of 2013. Specialized wallops its competitors with its wind tunnel narrative. Specialized is the master at introducing its products inside a story and a process. This very launch is a case in point. When Specialized releases a product it's an event. It's part movie premier, part running for office, part going to war. It's a fact-and-information siege. Enterprising competitors will want to leverage competing technologies (Alphamantis?) to stay up with this formidable juggernaut.
PRICING AND AVAILABILITY
The S-Works Turbo Tires and Evade helmet have been around for the past year so there is nothing new to report. The S-Works Venge ViAS will be introduced at near-halo-bike pricing, available in August, 2015, for $12,500. The CLX 64 Wheel/Tire system will be rolled out in some global markets beginning in September, 2015, for $2,800. The S-Works 6 shoes will be $400 while the Sub6 shoes will be $325. The new S-Works Evade Skinsuit will not be available to Spring 2016 for $500.
I expect to be doing some hands-on testing and comparison of the old Venge versus the Venge ViAS, hopefully this summer. Till then, everyone can watch Mark Cavendish and Peter Sagan who will be riding this set-up at the Tour.
What Would You Do With 5 Minutes?
It took more than four years to create the fastest bike we ever made, the S-Works Venge. It took building our own Win Tunnel, hundreds of prototypes, and dedicating ourselves to redefining the shape, structure, and theory of speed. The payoff, however, is that every element of the bike is painstakingly constructed to be faster. To learn everything about the innovation and advancements in speed, go to: http://www.specialized.com/5minutes
Posted by Specialized Bicycles on Tuesday, June 23, 2015
