I don't know then answer to your specific question. But my wife just got the SL7 pro with the stock 1x etap force build and roval wheels. Size 44 (tiny!). It's heavier than I expected it to be. We've got it at 7.2kg with dura ace pedals, carbon saddle, and carbon arundel cages. Coming from an s-works amira with etap red, hed stinger 3 wheels that's 6.4kg (we had to add weight to it for UCI races). So feels like a big difference.

That said, she has beaten some of her old strava PRs on rolling terrain with similar or even slightly lower power. So the aero seems to trump the weight gain.

Pretty bike and has been really easy to work on.

So, at least for the pro with stock build, I'd say the main reasons to get it would be rock solid, future proof, reasonably light and reasonably aero.

Andy

Specialized has an interesting history with S-Works and regular frame differences. There was quite the internet hub-bub about some of the McClaren Venges weighing way more than the claimed weights. Those were limited production $18,000 bikes where the layup was different and they were made by McClaren employees.

There is also the rumor that all the Expert Tarmacs were actually using the higher quality carbon fiber of the S-Works bikes a couple years ago. No idea if that was true, but that would have made the Expert frame the real bargain.

I have owned both the Expect and S-works versions of Venge and honestly I could never tell the difference in ride and I never weighted the bare frames, so I don’t have an n=1 experiment with weight differences.

I am pretty cheap and I like to drink beer too much to worry about frame weight, so I am solidly in the nonS-Works camp. If I were on a budget I would probably see if I could use the money I saved on the frame to pick up other cool goodies like the over-sized jockey wheels from CeramicSpeed and a Premier chain, Ti bolt kit, and maybe fancy Light-weight shoes and pedals to see if I could reduce both weight and friction enough to come up with an overall faster package.

I guess in the end it all comes down to whatever makes you happy. Nothing worse than spending money on a new bike and wishing you had gotten something different.

150g frame weight makes pretty much zero difference to actual performance. But if you're doing a 'weight weenie' bike build or racing up mountains or just like the paint job then it's probably worth it.

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Dimond Bikes Superfan

Yeah I'm right there with you. I think the point of my post was more pointing out the fact that Specialized is selling two framesets that in practice probably weigh the same amount by the time you factor in the paint even though one is marketed as being supposedly lighter.

I have been told that most if not all SL7 bikes and frames have been sold out. I have a Pro model coming and was told there were no more available currently.

SL7's are pretty much sold out, but your LBS has access to incoming availability. I was going to build up an SL7 from a frameset, and my LBS said more were expected in the next month or so and in several colors. S Works framesets are also expected, although, like the OP, I question the benefit of that other than the cool logo.

I was going to wait but then came across a 2021 Cervelo S Series that was actually in stock in my size and preferred color, so pulled the trigger on that instead.

You bought a nice bike!

Thanks - you have a nice bike incoming as well. This is my first road bike with Di2 (my tri bike has it), and it's fantastic as expected. This one also has the wireless unit, so I can switch screens on my Garmin from buttons on the hoods, and my Garmin beeps at me before a big chain ring shift using synchro shift mode. I liked the wireless so much I ordered one for my tri bike.

Ahh, sorry. I agree it’s completely possible that they are the same frame with only heavier paint to differentiate.

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Dimond Bikes Superfan

Isn't the story (secret) with the top tier carbon frames that they just select the lightest ones out of the normal production run, and call them the specials? Both use a mix of carbon moduli in different areas anyway, so either way they're technically correct to say "this one contains high modulus carbon", and "this one contains regular modulus carbon". The difference in weight would be more due to the amount of resin between the actual carbon layers. At least that's what I've heard. Portner (sure it was on his podcast) or someone who knows might want to chime in?

I'd just get the cheaper one and spend the balance on other upgrades (and stickers)