A lot of speculation is that SL7 will be a combination of the aeroness of the Venge and the lightweight of the SL6 Tarmac so Specialized will only have to make one bike that ticks both boxes.
I was told by my LBS - a big Specialized dealer - the Venge is gone, no mas.
From what I can see, the SL7 seems like the combo of Venge front end with Tarmac SL6 rear.
Then again, all new bikes these days look pretty much the same: drop seatstays, lower BB, aero front-end, integrated/internal cable routing, wide tire clearance, etc.
The Madone might be in it’s twilight stage too. I’m sure we will start seeing used Venges on the classifieds. I wouldn’t buy one, as the Tarmac is a better riding bike, and now just as aero.
While I think both are great bikes, I agree with this. My Venge Pro is the best thing I’ve ridden. No, it’s not 14 pounds, but it’s also not heavy either. It’ sprints and accelerates extremely well and holds speed like nothing else I’ve used. Still, I’m not surprised Spesh will most likely stop making it. The LBS guys here say that most riders want that super light rig and there are lots more Tarmacs on the roads than Venges.
I’d be on the lookout for a used Venge if I didn’t already own one
SL7 - slightly lighter , slightly less aero
Venge - slightly heavier , slightly more aero.
Easy choice for me. Venge
It’s the best bike I’ve ever owned . Got a used one, 2019 , about 6 weeks ago .
That’s the thing though - according to Specialized the SL6 was as aero as the previous generation of Venge, and the noise coming from them now (guess we’ll know more when they officially launch) is that the SL7 will be as aero as the latest Venge.
In which case it would actually be:
SL7 - light and aero
Venge - just as aero, slightly heavier
Which is a no brainer. A bit of scepticism is always necessary whenever it comes to manufacturer’s own aero claims, but if it’s true that Specialized are going to discontinue the Venge then I think it’s safe to say that the frames must at least be so close aero-wise that they can’t justify continuing with both bikes.
It’s always interesting to hear the sales pitch from Specialized. When the 2020 Roubaix came out they said it was more aero at all Yaw angles than the SL6.
New SL7 800g frame 56cm painted, highest builds at 6.8 kg “ready to race”. Full builds are most likely to be slightly heavier than outgoing SL6 due to Specialized moving to BSA bottom bracket and discontinuing the Sworks cranks, which would not fit that one anyway.
SL7 still a tiny bit slower than Venge, but I guess in reality that might be 1-2, maybe 3 watts.
So the frames might test equal aero wise I doubt I will be able to get in the same position. We all know aero is more about position and less about the bike.
Buy a 54, use a 15 mm longer stem, and use 10 mm of headset spacers? I bet the new tarmac is more like the venge than the current tarmac as far as geometry goes though
New SL7 800g frame 56cm painted, highest builds at 6.8 kg “ready to race”. Full builds are most likely to be slightly heavier than outgoing SL6 due to Specialized moving to BSA bottom bracket and discontinuing the Sworks cranks, which would not fit that one anyway.
SL7 still a tiny bit slower than Venge, but I guess in reality that might be 1-2, maybe 3 watts.
I thought the were going to T47? Valid point about the aero. If it’s significantly lighter and the aero difference is negligible then there’s no reason to carry two separate models. Truth be told lighter still sells on the floor.
I thought the were going to T47? Valid point about the aero. If it’s significantly lighter and the aero difference is negligible then there’s no reason to carry two separate models. Truth be told lighter still sells on the floor.
No, BSA, God knows why (except the new Roubaix was the first high end Specialized bike which went with BSA). Trek is all-in with T47.
The new SL7 unlikely is going to be significantly lighter than Venge. Already with SL6 if you built both bikes with identical components (except integrated stem on the Venge), the difference was very small, like 100g or so.
I thought the were going to T47? Valid point about the aero. If it’s significantly lighter and the aero difference is negligible then there’s no reason to carry two separate models. Truth be told lighter still sells on the floor.
No, BSA, God knows why (except the new Roubaix was the first high end Specialized bike which went with BSA). Trek is all-in with T47.
The new SL7 unlikely is going to be significantly lighter than Venge. Already with SL6 if you built both bikes with identical components (except integrated stem on the Venge), the difference was very small, like 100g or so.
I honestly don’t know too much about the new BB standards, but T47 looks like a return to the good old days of threaded BB. Amen to that!