Looks like Spesh itself is occasionally willing to admit that most (if not all) of the aero gains are due to the new integrated bar. This quote is from an article on outside's Velo site about the new SL8: According to Tarmac product manager Miles Hubbard, choosing this setup over their existing two-piece stem and aero handlebar shaves four watts at 28 mph (45 kph), and is “well over half of the aero story of the SL8.”
I've been assuming that "well over half" comment equates to the new frame saving you an additional 1-2W over its predecessor (at 45 kph). Probably no more than a watt at more typical enthusiast-level rider speeds. Definitely not worth the upgrade on the basis of aero alone - just buy the new bar and slap it on your SL7 if you hunger for those marginal gains.
Another point to consider is that it seems (to me at least) that all their testing and comparing the one-piece cockpit with a two-piece stem and aero handlebar in their press kits and marketing materials has been done WITHOUT cycling computer installed. I can't help but imagine that once a headunit is placed on an out-front mount most (if not all) of the aero gains of the integrated setup will be lost. Thus their test setup is totally not representative of real-world riding scenarios. Thoughts?
I think the lack of strength for low weight high mod bukesreally hits it on the head. I crashed my SL6 and had to get it repaired. The guy who did it has over a decade in repairs and said he doesn't like ultra light weight frames, they are too fragile for normal riders. The one thing I do like, is how the non s-works models will be around 800 gr, and much cheaper. So you could get a "lower end" sl8 frame, build it up with winspace/farsports and make a very light, fast and relatively cheaper bike. Imagine you get a sub 7 kilo bike for half the price of the pro's. That is the true mechanic build.
7:15 I've been saying this to a lot of people and getting a lot of lash back. Honestly if you are a beginner just buy an aluminum bike, you are going to drop the bike or over tighten things or not properly clean things, etc. The aluminum is much more forgiving and will last them a lot longer.
Peak Torque is the only review channel that doesn't spew biased marketing bs that you'll see in bigger name road bike magazines like "Cycling weekly , etc , etc"
I agree. These bike manufacturers are really starting the thread the needle on weight. The BB on this new SL8 looks very Fragile. Removing carbon and making them fragile. No bueno.
@@ThisIsANameBruhthats's the point, its strong in the ways a rider puts stress on it, but as soon as you crash or the bike falls over the risk of damage increases
@@ThisIsANameBruh ain't no way pros will ride it in a layup this light. none of them go anywhere near the Aethos - Specialized were initially keen for them to use it on big mountain stages but it was an emphatic no from the teams.
Lazy specialized, copy pasted aethos, removed a few layers of carbon on SL7 to make it cheaper (and claim weight gains) and then added that banana bump in the front. 😂
Fine summary. "Measurements" without a test method mean absolutely nothing, indeed less than that. ASTM or BSI can easily fix this. My new Chaos bike design offering will be 5 minutes quicker over 40km, but i wont publish that this was all downhill.
Very nice summary. Sounding a little like Idris Elba there. Anyway, you talked about the high modulus not being worth it. I think the whole bike isn't worth it. The bloody thing STARTS at $6,500 US and skyrockets to $14,000. I couldn't afford the entry level one if I saved for 2-3 years. I've seriously had it with this industry.
There are cheaper bikes out there… it’s like buying a shirt! You can buy one for $5 or $500. If seeing things you can’t afford upsets you, then you must be cranky all the time! 😂
@@francisdayon performance or supercar prices are far more justifiable and in line with development and manufacturing costs than bike prices. if the car industry was the bike industry, an entry level porsche 911 would cost $1m.
Wonderful Lidl t shirt. I still have my 2021 deceuninck quick step bib shorts with huge Lidl logo on the tramp stamp area. Lidl-Trek bib shorts on the list next.
Cannondale's cable routing has its own problems. The steering angle is limited. Therefore, turning your handlebar too fast and hitting the limit can break something inside the fork tube or frame. Other than that, the cables look better rooted on SL8. I guess they made a better choice for them and the customers. It is unlikely they made the same warranty mistake again.
ive owned a SystemSix, I never once have ever turned the handlebar all the way to the ends when riding, and that kind of system typically there are rubber stoppers to absorb impact if you purposely just jerk it as hard as possible. The previous gen S5 also has the same system except they didnt have anything stopping the steerer tube from hitting the frame, those frames were known to have little knocks from the inside visible on the outside of the frame through the paint. For all I have owned the S6, never once has the turning limit ever been an issue... if anything i liked having it, stopped the bike from viciously turning the steerer aggressively from gravity when you pick up the bike for transport lol.
@@atakdd mmj they had lot of issues with the super six and system six so much that Raoul leuschner had to make a metal fix for it before they finally fixed it ...
@@atakdd Just because you've never had a problem doesn't mean that other don't have problems. Even a quick search on you tube will bring up countless problems of people who are having trouble with the subject. Having a piece of rubber there only reduces the risk, it does not eliminate the proble.
The problem with the Cannondale limited steering range is in the crashing, not the riding. In a fall, the steerer can over rotate and slam against the stops damaging the frame. This happened to me on my 2021 Supersix. The replacement frame is a 2022 and it has metal inserts in the frame to help prevent frame damage. Raoul Leuschner showed this change on one of his videos. The metal inserts are an improvement.
Fellow engineer who doesn't pull any punches when commenting on your videos, but believe you are pretty spot on with your overall critique of the new SL8. Well stated and a good assessment of the handlebar aero contribution relative to the head tube change which does not flatter the bike aesthetically but functionally helps skirt liability as you reference. For years now, Specialized has proven they have no shame lying to the public including 10 years of failed press fit bottom brackets which spawned a cottage industry of kluge products aka Praxis and Wheels Mfg and then having the temerity to re-release BSA as a 'design improvement'. Specialized design philosophy works because the public is largely ignorant in general but in particular about tech.
Specialized in their own literature and in info disseminated and passed on to other media state the bar is worth about 4 watts and the frame maybe 1. They're not lying.
@@n0ch91c3sThey lie in their promises and what they release as better which can in fact is many times worse but they 'market' it as a benefit with an associated up-charge for profit. It like adding a barnacle to a pet rock and say it is better than the previous pet rock. An example is 11 years ago. 11 years ago Specialized released the Roubaix SL3 and Pro model that Cancellara went onto victory riding in the Paris Roubaix race. I went out and ordered the frameset due to all the fantastic reviews on the bike as I knew with endurance geometry, compliant ride yet lateral stiffness, it was going to be a great bike and it was. I have owned two and still own a pristine example today. What did Specialized do? They ruined in with the SL4 Roubaix. Almost every tester said Specialized destroyed the 'balance' of ride stiffness and stiffness out of the saddle laying down the watts. How did Specialized market it? They said they made the SL4 more laterally stiff but as vertically compliant as the SL3. They lied. As it turns out, there is no such thing as stiffness in the lateral plane only. Bikes have 'torsional' stiffness aka a ratio of lateral to vertical compliance. This for example is how aero bikes fall down due to this interrelationship of making frame rails shaped like an airfoil to cut the wind. It is impossible to make an aerobike as laterally stiff and yet as vertically compliant. It violates Physics aka moment of inertia. Specialized has lied countless times. The latest Roubaix with future shock and disc brakes is 'horrid' compared to the lighter and more compliant SL3 of 11 years ago. The new Specialized Diverge with coat hanger out the back of the top tube? Try putting a 1000 watt rider on one and asking his opinion of the 'seat bobbing' when laying down the watts. That bike is a disaster and look for them to change it back and market it as the next coming. The SL7 Tarmac caused too many world class riders to end up on their heads due to broken steerers. We don't know how many were killed or injured for life by this egregious design that only an irresponsible Chief Engineer would ever sign off for production because it is quite clear to anybody with an engineering degree that the steerer tube is compromised by the cable routing on the SL7.
Specialized does not say that the SL8 is stiffer, but that it is better in terms of weight to stiffness ratio. Since the frame is lighter than the SL7 it may well be that the bike is simply as stiff as before with a lower weight.
Nice video! I hope someone could do a video about real-world aero. For example: what are the aero penalties after adding a bell, Garmin mount, handlebar racenumber and saddlebag to a bike? All stuff that normal people would add when they ride Maratona or Haute Route. Personally, I just like the feel of a light bike and make sure to tuck in, as your body creates the most drag.
Was really hoping for a breakdown of Dan's epic performance in the IP final, hopefully coming soon! On this, have to agree on frame weight, as a part of system weight we must be approaching a point of diminishing returns/irrationality.
Love all your videos. Regarding the aerodynamic benefits of the one-piece bar and stem. Do you think this was tested with a head unit computer + computer mount, or without? With a bike computer in front of the bars, the frontal profile of the new one-piece bar and stem I imagine looks very similar to the separate two piece sl7 bar and stem. The computer likely hides some of the stem hardware that makes the two-piece system less aero if tested without a computer.
Moving the head tube depth forwards, rather than making a bigger compensation triangle between top and down tube should make the layup and mold simpler and cheaper. It's a cost saving. Also, this is a really light bike ... I'm dubious about stiffness - the SL7 was already not brilliant in this area, and the not much lighter Aethos is a wet noodle. Aethos sales are almost dead, so this should allow them to discontinue it. Should allow them to revive the Venge at some point. Specialized have it that in Aero terms SL8 > SL7 > Venge ... I'm pretty sure that's backwards if you put the same bar on them.
Maybe the frame is not more aero (barring the handlebar) but the nose cone makes up for the lighter, less aero shapes further back at the bike. The bike is absurdly light for an aero bike. That’s probably the bigger gain, than the outright aerodynamics.
Those handlebars may be aero, but from the pictures they have a pronounced forward sweep that looks like it'd be horrible on the wrists. Unless you ride elbows-out which probably negates any aero benefit.
While I do agree - if you are riding on the tops then at that moment in time you are probably not concerned with the aerodynamics. If you were trying to ride fast you wouldn’t be choosing that position anyway
Putting the cables through the speedsniffer would seriously change the turning radius of the bike to an annoying point. Some people on the SystemSix can't make a U turn on a road because they hit the limit of their handlebar.
@@PeakTorque the current system for the cables on the sl8 or the deda dcr system with the huge plastic compression ring is the best and should be the standard. If the hoses don't pass along the steerer you need a steer stop (which is going to break) and the brake hoses get damaged like on the system six
Finally, the SL8 video we needed. After trawling through the shill catalogue (Dowsett's was the most cringe), I had exactly the same thoughts. The StinkSniffer has been on the Dogma F for years. They also beat Specialized to the 'one bike for all' strategy by, I dunno... 14 years? Just as the one-piece bars have most likely contributed to all of the aero gains, I find it hard to believe they don't make up a lot of the stiffness increase too. Depends how and where they measure this 'stiffness', surely. The bottom part of the bottom bracket shell looks so thin, I reckon you'll get a lot of heavier weekend warriors reporting cracks all over it soon. Was also expecting them to run the cables away from the steerer after their last debacle. Missed opportunity.
They also aren't claiming an overall increase in stiffness, ironically. They are reporting an improved "stiffness to weight" ratio. Which, given this bike lost a bit of weight, leaves room for debate on wether or not the stiffness is really that much different.
Awesome video. Definitely starting to agree the aero advantage is in the handle bar. And fwiw...it's possible that the reason they didn't route the cables in the speed sniffer is that they just haven't had time to iterate on the modification. It's possible that to get the design out and manufactured, they stuck with something that was quicker and easier to fix the existing SL7 issue and potentially down the road, with the new shape, they will add on a new routing design.
My possibly dumb question is what an aero handlebar is worth, being in front of the human. So, the air being less disturbed before it hits the human is a plus?
I don’t get the manufacturers making the frames lighter (after one crash throw it in the skip) when the components are heavy making the bikes heavier than 10 years ago
lol the first thing i searched was youtube build log so i can see what headset integration they use this year glad at least they updated a polymer cable guard :) my biggest problem with sl8 as a heavy rider myself the SL7 already felt slightly soft by removing more material i hope its not soft under load i have one piece bar coming in a few days :)
So when you / they claim a big (4 watts drag reduction at 40kph) from the new bars does that take account of the effect of the rider being not far behind those bars? Or is this blowing air over a set of bars with no rider? I’m genuinely just curious.
Ive heard a lot say the sl7 is a wet noodle compared to the sl6, can't see how this is any stiffer with the weight being lower "apparently". Still think for the weight the tcr sl is much stiffer🤷🏻♂️. Their marketing is begger belief though😂
I'm not really loving that big nose on the new frame. Maybe it'll grow on me, but it just looks weird to my eye. I love my SL7 so I'll prolly stick with that one for a long time. Very informative video!!
What I understood from their own Vidos, they made the front end stiffer (the front end is yes bigger dimensioned), and the back end more comfy. They didn't say "BB area is stiffer" therefore, I assume, that only the overall stiffness has increased.
@@christophertan3195 Small BB doesn't mean flexy and this is not the point... What he tried to explain in his video is: It is yes stiff, but you can't make it even stiffer without increasing the volume. You are limited by the shape. If you claim, that you made it stiffer with the same material by decreasing the volume, then it is unlikely. I hope I could explain the whole point.
Specialized: "we will go to a threaded bb to make your life easier" Also Specialized: "Lets send the hoses through the top headset bearing" Also Specialized: "3 years ago we told you the SL7 was the one bike to rule them all, but actually now thats shit and you need to buy this"
This indicates what I kept saying for a decade already: the bike in its final form has been finalized. Pardon the tautology. Today MFGs create problems and sell solutions for these problems to keep pushing business further. They're not pushing the innovation - there's nothing innovative in bicycles these days - they merely reuse what other industries (motorcycling and automotive had for over 4 decades) and branding this as the best thing since the sliced bread.
Super informative shit. Keep it up. I built a farsports wheelset based off one of your videos like 5 years ago. Just bought a new set of rims from them a couple weeks ago.
This just falls into the usual pattern over the last 5 years: Most of the aerodynamic gains claimed when new bike models are released have been from the handlebars or hidden cable routing. By the way, the SuperSix EVO (2023) routes the brake lines through the inner race (It has a triangular steerer).
Hi, what do you think about 10r fact frame My build will be 10 r frame , ultegra di , rovalmcockpit and dura ace c 50 , second alternative is tarmac 9r with 105 mechanical, Is s worx frame worth money?? Thank you
Isn't this aero gains all coming from the handlebar the exact same thing that Colnago did with their v3R => V4R upgrade? Also, if the handlebars give you 18 secs, but the total bike only gives you 16,6...then what did they screw up on the frame? Or is it the hoods/levers?
Otherwise - SL7 was already soft versus Venge. I gave up on waiting for new Venge. Bought couple weeks ago Canyon ultimate and it is stiff as hell. Heavier by 300g overall - but worthy. I got 80kg, dont care about 300g on bike
I ride an SL7, and I agree with what you said. Weight.. I can just do away with my 50/65 depth setup to a 35 or 40 setup for my wheels and get a similar weight. Aero wise... the SL7 is already fast, just snap on a roval one piece bar and you will go faster than the SL8.
For a pro racer, probably all good, a specialist tool. For pretty much everybody else , no. It's fragile, it will be really stiff, the compromise with internal routing is more likely to present itself because you'll have the bike for a few years. Is it going to be comfortable? A stiffer bike must beat you up. Unless you are super slim, maybe you'd gain more by reviewing your diet.
The new compression ring on the SL7 is just fine. I haven't got any problems with it. I did not have problems with the old one on my S-works SL7. I would mount the old one without any problems or fear.
Was hoping you would address this-and here It is! Was thinking exact same: lighter frame and smaller tubes = stiffer? I don’t think so. Likewise dubious about any aero gains from the frame, especially with such a round down tube and new cockpit to attribute gains to. Any “comfort” gains just coming from having a less rigid frame overall. Seems like they are riding coat tails of single piece bar and stem and selling a hollowed out sl7.
If you are not competitive, what does it matter? You are riding a bike because you enjoy the sensations, the scenery, the fresh air, the camaraderie, the exercise. If you want to reduce effort, a motor is going to be way more effective per dollar spent. For these people the decision to pursue aerodynamics is purely aesthetic.
It's interesting that the bars are the biggest factor, particularly as they are offered in limited sizes, which may negatively effect rider position. Would be interesting to see how much more aero are they vs say a far sports f1 which is available in a greater range of sizes.
The 'urgh...ooh' gets me everytime it's almost primal. The head tube looks like my old Chinese Sobato RAA aero frame circa 2018. The new new comp ring looks like a plastic.
Thanks for the realistic information. Amazing how many people believe the marketing. Even a certain British TH-camr is lapping this stuff up. Specialized have a word guy. That’s all it is.
They've minimized the rear of the bike instead of going into dirty air management back there, solid design strategy, aesthetically though just kinda boring. I suspect in later models we're going to see way more surface area added to the front head tubes and forks with thinner and thinner rear ends. A new Venge may have a super deep kite like front fork with wide tire clearances and super deep headtube, same minimalistic rear end with a beefier bottom bracket for added stiffness.
thanks, as always, for providing the other side of the argument/data.....I think the aero knowledge for bikes has come a long way and what was needed a decade ago can now be achieved in much more ordinary ways and by adjusting the right parts..same knowledge evolution happened with cars and f1...
Curious what a major safety flaw/recall does to the resale value on a 14k bike, even if it was ultimately “fixed”. Any dentists in the comments let me know.
What do you think about a stick on nose prosthesis to change a cylindrical steering tube to an extended aero profile.? I built first prototype today. Any guess about what power savings there may be? I added 25 mm elliptical nose to a 25 mm radius cylinder.
According to Tour magazine's test, SL7 got a quite low pedaling stiffness, 58N/mm, where old SL6 is 76 and SL5 is 84, which we known as super stiff bikes. So maybe that 13% increase on SL8 is possible?
As soon as I saw the claims my bullshit sensor went crazy. Going from a classic round bar setup to arro bar generally saves 4 to 6 watts so how can a tweaking of an already aero bar save 4? Most likely 1 or 2 and the other 2 are thanks to the front end. What’s with the 2 minute San Remo thing? So anyone riding an SL8 will be 2 minutes faster than any other rider? Lol. And yeah, 33% stiffer but where exactly? Which plane? Lateral, torsion?
The first thing I thought about was yes the speed schnozz, but the second thing that stood out to me is the angle of the stem vs the SL7. To me it looks like a more negative angle say -10° vs what I assume is-6 on the SL7. Wondering if this would also reduce drag.
Besides practicality, I am very surprised that the SL8 frame has a stiffness/ weight ratio 33% higher than SL7 frame, with the use of same carbon fibre material. As a structural engineer, it is very difficult to do so unless the SL7 frame design is very poor.
Yes i have also Seen this value, i mean with a weight reduction of approx. 200gr for the sl8 (from ~860gr for the SL7 to 680gr for the SL8) this ratio is fully impacted by the weight (~ +25%) with equal stiffness values. This means the BB stiffness will be nearly equal to the SL7.
Please can you discuss the new unreleased Winspace frame set!!! It was teased on GC performance and China cycling! At first glance it looks like a pretty serious competitor to western aero & lightweight designs 👍🏼
So hopefully the bars won’t snap off anymore? I guess that’s an improvement. 😂
I know how they’ve made it faster - they’ve put Demi Vollering on it!
I was going to comment on this. Bike looks great but how good is it that they're using her for a tonne of the marketing material.
Lance Armstrong is the King
and then she got beat by Lotte Kopecky on an SL7 😛 Not sure if that was the marketing moment Specialized hoped for.
@@BennyCornelissenBut Demi looks a lot better 😉
This aged well lmao
Looks like Spesh itself is occasionally willing to admit that most (if not all) of the aero gains are due to the new integrated bar. This quote is from an article on outside's Velo site about the new SL8:
According to Tarmac product manager Miles Hubbard, choosing this setup over their existing two-piece stem and aero handlebar shaves four watts at 28 mph (45 kph), and is “well over half of the aero story of the SL8.”
Interesting. Thanks for that. I assumed it was 40kmh in my calc
I've been assuming that "well over half" comment equates to the new frame saving you an additional 1-2W over its predecessor (at 45 kph). Probably no more than a watt at more typical enthusiast-level rider speeds. Definitely not worth the upgrade on the basis of aero alone - just buy the new bar and slap it on your SL7 if you hunger for those marginal gains.
Another point to consider is that it seems (to me at least) that all their testing and comparing the one-piece cockpit with a two-piece stem and aero handlebar in their press kits and marketing materials has been done WITHOUT cycling computer installed. I can't help but imagine that once a headunit is placed on an out-front mount most (if not all) of the aero gains of the integrated setup will be lost. Thus their test setup is totally not representative of real-world riding scenarios. Thoughts?
The handlebar is only on the s-works isn't it?
@@VitekHolubovsky Seems plausible. Surely the head unit is going to mess things up to some degree - I'm not in a position to quantify how much.
I think the lack of strength for low weight high mod bukesreally hits it on the head. I crashed my SL6 and had to get it repaired. The guy who did it has over a decade in repairs and said he doesn't like ultra light weight frames, they are too fragile for normal riders. The one thing I do like, is how the non s-works models will be around 800 gr, and much cheaper. So you could get a "lower end" sl8 frame, build it up with winspace/farsports and make a very light, fast and relatively cheaper bike. Imagine you get a sub 7 kilo bike for half the price of the pro's. That is the true mechanic build.
I'll stick with my OLD SL3 which still thunders me along at 40+kmh.....Rim Brake and a 20yr old pair of ZIPP 50mm Hybrid wheels.
God, I’ve just watched this directly after David’s Just Ride Bikes review 😂 what a contrast. Thank goodness for PT 🙌
Couldn’t even get myself to try and watch that guy. He’s a complete bot. Talking sales brochure.
7:15 I've been saying this to a lot of people and getting a lot of lash back. Honestly if you are a beginner just buy an aluminum bike, you are going to drop the bike or over tighten things or not properly clean things, etc. The aluminum is much more forgiving and will last them a lot longer.
this is not a beginner bike
Peak Torque is the only review channel that doesn't spew biased marketing bs that you'll see in bigger name road bike magazines like "Cycling weekly , etc , etc"
Not sure that's true, I'm pretty sure that Hambini isn't shilling for anyone either. :P
I agree. These bike manufacturers are really starting the thread the needle on weight. The BB on this new SL8 looks very Fragile. Removing carbon and making them fragile. No bueno.
it'll be ridden by pros putting out thousands of watts. It'll be fine.
@@ThisIsANameBruhthats's the point, its strong in the ways a rider puts stress on it, but as soon as you crash or the bike falls over the risk of damage increases
@@ThisIsANameBruh….with a different layup of carbon yes
@@ThisIsANameBruh ain't no way pros will ride it in a layup this light. none of them go anywhere near the Aethos - Specialized were initially keen for them to use it on big mountain stages but it was an emphatic no from the teams.
@@pmcmpcaethos was used, aethos issue is UCI illegal
Really informative video. It seems like they just slapped a nosecone on the Aethos and tried to fix the steerer issue.
Lazy specialized, copy pasted aethos, removed a few layers of carbon on SL7 to make it cheaper (and claim weight gains) and then added that banana bump in the front. 😂
Fine summary. "Measurements" without a test method mean absolutely nothing, indeed less than that. ASTM or BSI can easily fix this.
My new Chaos bike design offering will be 5 minutes quicker over 40km, but i wont publish that this was all downhill.
Nice lidl analysis
Very nice summary. Sounding a little like Idris Elba there. Anyway, you talked about the high modulus not being worth it. I think the whole bike isn't worth it. The bloody thing STARTS at $6,500 US and skyrockets to $14,000. I couldn't afford the entry level one if I saved for 2-3 years. I've seriously had it with this industry.
There are cheaper bikes out there… it’s like buying a shirt! You can buy one for $5 or $500.
If seeing things you can’t afford upsets you, then you must be cranky all the time! 😂
@@francisdayon When it comes to bike prices, yeah, I kinda am. It's ridiculous.
@@CatManDoSocial I like spending more on shoes and kit than frames myself. People buy worse things TBH… like a Ferrari! 🤪
@@francisdayon performance or supercar prices are far more justifiable and in line with development and manufacturing costs than bike prices. if the car industry was the bike industry, an entry level porsche 911 would cost $1m.
2nd hand market is offering sweet deals, just take your time and you will find exceptional ones, as dentists try to buy these gimmick SL8s :D
Wonderful Lidl t shirt. I still have my 2021 deceuninck quick step bib shorts with huge Lidl logo on the tramp stamp area. Lidl-Trek bib shorts on the list next.
I also have that Decuenick Quickstep jersey. 😊. I like the fact that wearing it here in the US, no one knows what the hell any of it means .
I'm showing Lidl some love by buying their sliders (only worn to get the bike out of the shed).
Have been waiting for a Peak Torque Tarmac SL8 video!!
You have been waiting 22 hours.
@@PeakTorque 🤣
Cannondale's cable routing has its own problems. The steering angle is limited. Therefore, turning your handlebar too fast and hitting the limit can break something inside the fork tube or frame. Other than that, the cables look better rooted on SL8. I guess they made a better choice for them and the customers. It is unlikely they made the same warranty mistake again.
ive owned a SystemSix, I never once have ever turned the handlebar all the way to the ends when riding, and that kind of system typically there are rubber stoppers to absorb impact if you purposely just jerk it as hard as possible. The previous gen S5 also has the same system except they didnt have anything stopping the steerer tube from hitting the frame, those frames were known to have little knocks from the inside visible on the outside of the frame through the paint. For all I have owned the S6, never once has the turning limit ever been an issue... if anything i liked having it, stopped the bike from viciously turning the steerer aggressively from gravity when you pick up the bike for transport lol.
@@atakdd mmj they had lot of issues with the super six and system six so much that Raoul leuschner had to make a metal fix for it before they finally fixed it ...
@@atakdd Just because you've never had a problem doesn't mean that other don't have problems. Even a quick search on you tube will bring up countless problems of people who are having trouble with the subject. Having a piece of rubber there only reduces the risk, it does not eliminate the proble.
The problem with the Cannondale limited steering range is in the crashing, not the riding. In a fall, the steerer can over rotate and slam against the stops damaging the frame. This happened to me on my 2021 Supersix. The replacement frame is a 2022 and it has metal inserts in the frame to help prevent frame damage. Raoul Leuschner showed this change on one of his videos. The metal inserts are an improvement.
Fellow engineer who doesn't pull any punches when commenting on your videos, but believe you are pretty spot on with your overall critique of the new SL8.
Well stated and a good assessment of the handlebar aero contribution relative to the head tube change which does not flatter the bike aesthetically but functionally helps skirt liability as you reference.
For years now, Specialized has proven they have no shame lying to the public including 10 years of failed press fit bottom brackets which spawned a cottage industry of kluge products aka Praxis and Wheels Mfg and then having the temerity to re-release BSA as a 'design improvement'. Specialized design philosophy works because the public is largely ignorant in general but in particular about tech.
Specialized in their own literature and in info disseminated and passed on to other media state the bar is worth about 4 watts and the frame maybe 1. They're not lying.
@@n0ch91c3sThey lie in their promises and what they release as better which can in fact is many times worse but they 'market' it as a benefit with an associated up-charge for profit. It like adding a barnacle to a pet rock and say it is better than the previous pet rock.
An example is 11 years ago. 11 years ago Specialized released the Roubaix SL3 and Pro model that Cancellara went onto victory riding in the Paris Roubaix race. I went out and ordered the frameset due to all the fantastic reviews on the bike as I knew with endurance geometry, compliant ride yet lateral stiffness, it was going to be a great bike and it was. I have owned two and still own a pristine example today. What did Specialized do? They ruined in with the SL4 Roubaix. Almost every tester said Specialized destroyed the 'balance' of ride stiffness and stiffness out of the saddle laying down the watts. How did Specialized market it? They said they made the SL4 more laterally stiff but as vertically compliant as the SL3. They lied. As it turns out, there is no such thing as stiffness in the lateral plane only. Bikes have 'torsional' stiffness aka a ratio of lateral to vertical compliance. This for example is how aero bikes fall down due to this interrelationship of making frame rails shaped like an airfoil to cut the wind. It is impossible to make an aerobike as laterally stiff and yet as vertically compliant. It violates Physics aka moment of inertia.
Specialized has lied countless times. The latest Roubaix with future shock and disc brakes is 'horrid' compared to the lighter and more compliant SL3 of 11 years ago. The new Specialized Diverge with coat hanger out the back of the top tube? Try putting a 1000 watt rider on one and asking his opinion of the 'seat bobbing' when laying down the watts. That bike is a disaster and look for them to change it back and market it as the next coming.
The SL7 Tarmac caused too many world class riders to end up on their heads due to broken steerers. We don't know how many were killed or injured for life by this egregious design that only an irresponsible Chief Engineer would ever sign off for production because it is quite clear to anybody with an engineering degree that the steerer tube is compromised by the cable routing on the SL7.
Specialized does not say that the SL8 is stiffer, but that it is better in terms of weight to stiffness ratio. Since the frame is lighter than the SL7 it may well be that the bike is simply as stiff as before with a lower weight.
he did the math on this in the video. the claimed absolute increase in stiffness is 13%
How much of that stiffness increase is in the front end were we do have more material. BB can have same or decreased stiffness.
I like PT´s new voice better then the old one sounds more stiff and compliant
6% rougher than the model before. You exactly 0 watts at 40 kph.
8% more self righteous
My Cervelo R3SL is over 10 yrs old, totally solid and about 850g. Ride it off road and had many a tumble. My concern is 10yrs wear on the headset cups
Superb update and perfect assessment in terms of new top tube shape and internal enchantments. Keep up the good stuff.
the SL8 was 10 minutes slower than last years canyon aeroad in the Worlds. Not a great advertisement
Nice video! I hope someone could do a video about real-world aero. For example: what are the aero penalties after adding a bell, Garmin mount, handlebar racenumber and saddlebag to a bike? All stuff that normal people would add when they ride Maratona or Haute Route. Personally, I just like the feel of a light bike and make sure to tuck in, as your body creates the most drag.
Is that Hambini sampled "Hello" in the intro? 🤣
😊
Was really hoping for a breakdown of Dan's epic performance in the IP final, hopefully coming soon!
On this, have to agree on frame weight, as a part of system weight we must be approaching a point of diminishing returns/irrationality.
That's coming!
Love all your videos. Regarding the aerodynamic benefits of the one-piece bar and stem. Do you think this was tested with a head unit computer + computer mount, or without? With a bike computer in front of the bars, the frontal profile of the new one-piece bar and stem I imagine looks very similar to the separate two piece sl7 bar and stem. The computer likely hides some of the stem hardware that makes the two-piece system less aero if tested without a computer.
Moving the head tube depth forwards, rather than making a bigger compensation triangle between top and down tube should make the layup and mold simpler and cheaper. It's a cost saving. Also, this is a really light bike ... I'm dubious about stiffness - the SL7 was already not brilliant in this area, and the not much lighter Aethos is a wet noodle. Aethos sales are almost dead, so this should allow them to discontinue it. Should allow them to revive the Venge at some point. Specialized have it that in Aero terms SL8 > SL7 > Venge ... I'm pretty sure that's backwards if you put the same bar on them.
Around here people are buying up the Aethos. It's quite popular.
Which bike is stiffer than the SL7?
@@entombed_killsGiant TCR, Aurum Magma
The new frame is slower. So just get new bars for the old frame
Maybe the frame is not more aero (barring the handlebar) but the nose cone makes up for the lighter, less aero shapes further back at the bike.
The bike is absurdly light for an aero bike. That’s probably the bigger gain, than the outright aerodynamics.
Nailed it !!!! Most of us are 80-90 kilos 🤣🤣😂😂😅😅😃😃🤔🤔😥😥😪😪😢😢😭😭😭😭
Those handlebars may be aero, but from the pictures they have a pronounced forward sweep that looks like it'd be horrible on the wrists. Unless you ride elbows-out which probably negates any aero benefit.
A lot of the dentists and lawyers that buy these $15K bikes ride with their elbows out anyway so Specialized did a great job!
While I do agree - if you are riding on the tops then at that moment in time you are probably not concerned with the aerodynamics. If you were trying to ride fast you wouldn’t be choosing that position anyway
😂😂😂 " the shill market", thanks for that I'm gonna use it all the time now!
Thanks for boosting the audio
Haha, that had to be a rough championship. 😀
Great, easy to understand explanation as always.👌
The SL8 will be slower…lack of easy handlebar adjustability/rotatability means optimising the ideal position is lost = slower bike
well said! Pointless to shave more grams off the frame. It only reduces the frames durability for almost no gains. What a mistake if you ask me.
If they claim that the seat stay seat tube etc doesn’t matter much in aero dynamics, why dont they pattern the design of their TT bikes to the SL8? 🤔🤔
Putting the cables through the speedsniffer would seriously change the turning radius of the bike to an annoying point. Some people on the SystemSix can't make a U turn on a road because they hit the limit of their handlebar.
Good point! And requires a steering stop that won't damage things...ahem S5.
@@PeakTorque the current system for the cables on the sl8 or the deda dcr system with the huge plastic compression ring is the best and should be the standard. If the hoses don't pass along the steerer you need a steer stop (which is going to break) and the brake hoses get damaged like on the system six
The "Stink Sniffer" as the bike is very aero when drafting another rider. 😂
I love it when people who have never made a bike before tell me all about how bikes should be made. Gives and confidence in their abilities.
I've made bikes in carbon, and I've made bikes out of bamboo even.
Finally, the SL8 video we needed. After trawling through the shill catalogue (Dowsett's was the most cringe), I had exactly the same thoughts. The StinkSniffer has been on the Dogma F for years. They also beat Specialized to the 'one bike for all' strategy by, I dunno... 14 years? Just as the one-piece bars have most likely contributed to all of the aero gains, I find it hard to believe they don't make up a lot of the stiffness increase too. Depends how and where they measure this 'stiffness', surely. The bottom part of the bottom bracket shell looks so thin, I reckon you'll get a lot of heavier weekend warriors reporting cracks all over it soon. Was also expecting them to run the cables away from the steerer after their last debacle. Missed opportunity.
Dowsett is sponsored so what do you expect.
@@DanTuber Stupidly, a modicum of self-awareness that might tell him the bias was painfully transparent, and predictable.
@@dutypaidrock When you're getting free bikes, what are you going to do. Say no (??)
nah dogma f beat the sl7 but sl7 was the king before that accdg to tour mag
They also aren't claiming an overall increase in stiffness, ironically. They are reporting an improved "stiffness to weight" ratio. Which, given this bike lost a bit of weight, leaves room for debate on wether or not the stiffness is really that much different.
Awesome video. Definitely starting to agree the aero advantage is in the handle bar. And fwiw...it's possible that the reason they didn't route the cables in the speed sniffer is that they just haven't had time to iterate on the modification. It's possible that to get the design out and manufactured, they stuck with something that was quicker and easier to fix the existing SL7 issue and potentially down the road, with the new shape, they will add on a new routing design.
Would never buy a Specialized anyway especially because of price tag but all this info compounds my reasons to stay away from them 👏🏻👏🏻👌🏻
❤Hambini loves you🥰
That opening sequence: from the Hambini dub, to the tekkaz, to the poo brown knicks…. all class 😂 gets me every time
Honestly this is the 2nd time I watched this and can't beleive I missed "stink sniffer" in the 1st viewing. Wetting myself @1:02
After the flexy dumpster fire the SL7 was I wouldnt touch this brand if I was paid to.
My possibly dumb question is what an aero handlebar is worth, being in front of the human. So, the air being less disturbed before it hits the human is a plus?
Problem with running brake line in the sniffer is that steering stops are needed and as Canondale already learned, these can crack frames.
I don’t get the manufacturers making the frames lighter (after one crash throw it in the skip) when the components are heavy making the bikes heavier than 10 years ago
lol the first thing i searched was youtube build log so i can see what headset integration they use this year glad at least they updated a polymer cable guard :)
my biggest problem with sl8 as a heavy rider myself the SL7 already felt slightly soft
by removing more material i hope its not soft under load
i have one piece bar coming in a few days :)
So when you / they claim a big (4 watts drag reduction at 40kph) from the new bars does that take account of the effect of the rider being not far behind those bars? Or is this blowing air over a set of bars with no rider? I’m genuinely just curious.
$1,000 for each second saved. Pretty good value for money
Ive heard a lot say the sl7 is a wet noodle compared to the sl6, can't see how this is any stiffer with the weight being lower "apparently". Still think for the weight the tcr sl is much stiffer🤷🏻♂️. Their marketing is begger belief though😂
My SL7 S-works is not a wet noodle. I don't' notice any difference with my SL6 Pro frameset.
@TheBarts27 Well, I've just heard that from a few people. Sorry, I meant the sl5.
I'm not really loving that big nose on the new frame. Maybe it'll grow on me, but it just looks weird to my eye. I love my SL7 so I'll prolly stick with that one for a long time. Very informative video!!
Just a question, will it have a fork that doesn't kill people or will it be added after the recall?
Killing is their business, and business is good...
What I understood from their own Vidos, they made the front end stiffer (the front end is yes bigger dimensioned), and the back end more comfy. They didn't say "BB area is stiffer" therefore, I assume, that only the overall stiffness has increased.
Aethos style has small BB but really stiff
@@christophertan3195 Small BB doesn't mean flexy and this is not the point... What he tried to explain in his video is: It is yes stiff, but you can't make it even stiffer without increasing the volume. You are limited by the shape. If you claim, that you made it stiffer with the same material by decreasing the volume, then it is unlikely.
I hope I could explain the whole point.
@@dogukantosun5547 the circular shape of the aethos has a small BB but it is stiffer than the SL7
@@christophertan3195 you still don't understand the point of the video. It is not about which one is stiffer...
Specialized: "we will go to a threaded bb to make your life easier"
Also Specialized: "Lets send the hoses through the top headset bearing"
Also Specialized: "3 years ago we told you the SL7 was the one bike to rule them all, but actually now thats shit and you need to buy this"
This indicates what I kept saying for a decade already: the bike in its final form has been finalized. Pardon the tautology. Today MFGs create problems and sell solutions for these problems to keep pushing business further. They're not pushing the innovation - there's nothing innovative in bicycles these days - they merely reuse what other industries (motorcycling and automotive had for over 4 decades) and branding this as the best thing since the sliced bread.
@@tweed0929you may be right.
Is it possible to instal Deda Gera fork with D-shape steerer on SL7 like Twisted Wheels did on an Aethos and get easier cabeling?
Super informative shit. Keep it up. I built a farsports wheelset based off one of your videos like 5 years ago. Just bought a new set of rims from them a couple weeks ago.
This just falls into the usual pattern over the last 5 years: Most of the aerodynamic gains claimed when new bike models are released have been from the handlebars or hidden cable routing. By the way, the SuperSix EVO (2023) routes the brake lines through the inner race (It has a triangular steerer).
Hi, what do you think about 10r fact frame My build will be 10 r frame , ultegra di , rovalmcockpit and dura ace c 50 , second alternative is tarmac 9r with 105 mechanical, Is s worx frame worth money?? Thank you
Must say nice update and loved the Lidl Trek shirt whilst reviewing ;-) Like wearing Nike socks with Adidas shoes!
just gimme that pretty white cannonade at 1:13, please.
Isn't this aero gains all coming from the handlebar the exact same thing that Colnago did with their v3R => V4R upgrade?
Also, if the handlebars give you 18 secs, but the total bike only gives you 16,6...then what did they screw up on the frame? Or is it the hoods/levers?
Otherwise - SL7 was already soft versus Venge. I gave up on waiting for new Venge. Bought couple weeks ago Canyon ultimate and it is stiff as hell. Heavier by 300g overall - but worthy. I got 80kg, dont care about 300g on bike
It doesn't get better than the bb90 when it comes to a stiff bb
So questions: being a heavy rider would I be better off getting the SL7 non sworks version? And how is the SL8 stiffer with thinner tube profiles?
I ride an SL7, and I agree with what you said. Weight.. I can just do away with my 50/65 depth setup to a 35 or 40 setup for my wheels and get a similar weight. Aero wise... the SL7 is already fast, just snap on a roval one piece bar and you will go faster than the SL8.
are there any similar issues with the Roubaix S works SL8 - perhaps another video if applicable - thank you! Great video
'white paper which is ironically black' 😂 and I hit the like button 😂
For a pro racer, probably all good, a specialist tool.
For pretty much everybody else , no. It's fragile, it will be really stiff, the compromise with internal routing is more likely to present itself because you'll have the bike for a few years. Is it going to be comfortable? A stiffer bike must beat you up.
Unless you are super slim, maybe you'd gain more by reviewing your diet.
For most amateur cyclists, they all need endurance bike. Period. But most of these thinks they are pros in their own head 😂
I wonder if the new compression ring fits the SL7 as well 🤔 ?!
if they changed the size of the bearing
i dont think it will fit sl7
Had the same thought, but looks like a different size bearing.
The new compression ring on the SL7 is just fine. I haven't got any problems with it. I did not have problems with the old one on my S-works SL7. I would mount the old one without any problems or fear.
@@TheBarts27 the power of anecdotal evidence strikes again.
I have ridden my SL7 with the new ring for 3 years now and check the fork two times a year for wear and I have no marks whatsoever.
Was hoping you would address this-and here It is! Was thinking exact same: lighter frame and smaller tubes = stiffer? I don’t think so. Likewise dubious about any aero gains from the frame, especially with such a round down tube and new cockpit to attribute gains to. Any “comfort” gains just coming from having a less rigid frame overall. Seems like they are riding coat tails of single piece bar and stem and selling a hollowed out sl7.
What are the aero gains to the typical sportive rider (majority or riders) who ride between 25-30kmph average?
If you are not competitive, what does it matter? You are riding a bike because you enjoy the sensations, the scenery, the fresh air, the camaraderie, the exercise. If you want to reduce effort, a motor is going to be way more effective per dollar spent. For these people the decision to pursue aerodynamics is purely aesthetic.
It's interesting that the bars are the biggest factor, particularly as they are offered in limited sizes, which may negatively effect rider position. Would be interesting to see how much more aero are they vs say a far sports f1 which is available in a greater range of sizes.
The 'urgh...ooh' gets me everytime it's almost primal. The head tube looks like my old Chinese Sobato RAA aero frame circa 2018. The new new comp ring looks like a plastic.
@7:31 It's the Badman!
'Harvey Dent, can we trust him'?
Not a specialized fan but am into this one. Quite like the speed shitter. Will wait to see what happens
Likewise! I quit like the overall look of the sl8 & I’m sure Specialized wouldn’t make the same mistake.
Thanks for the realistic information. Amazing how many people believe the marketing. Even a certain British TH-camr is lapping this stuff up. Specialized have a word guy. That’s all it is.
It's faster because the wallet in your jersey pocket will be MUCH thinner and way more aero.
They've minimized the rear of the bike instead of going into dirty air management back there, solid design strategy, aesthetically though just kinda boring. I suspect in later models we're going to see way more surface area added to the front head tubes and forks with thinner and thinner rear ends. A new Venge may have a super deep kite like front fork with wide tire clearances and super deep headtube, same minimalistic rear end with a beefier bottom bracket for added stiffness.
That sounds like a Factor Ostro VAM. Aero up front with the rear end of a climbing bike
Handle bar is everything 😅
thanks, as always, for providing the other side of the argument/data.....I think the aero knowledge for bikes has come a long way and what was needed a decade ago can now be achieved in much more ordinary ways and by adjusting the right parts..same knowledge evolution happened with cars and f1...
Wow this is so objective it boggled my mind
Curious what a major safety flaw/recall does to the resale value on a 14k bike, even if it was ultimately “fixed”. Any dentists in the comments let me know.
What do you think about a stick on nose prosthesis to change a cylindrical steering tube to an extended aero profile.? I built first prototype today. Any guess about what power savings there may be? I added 25 mm elliptical nose to a 25 mm radius cylinder.
Stink sniffer is the best name I’ve heard so far 😂
Let’s see how it performs in the cobbled classics
According to Tour magazine's test, SL7 got a quite low pedaling stiffness, 58N/mm, where old SL6 is 76 and SL5 is 84, which we known as super stiff bikes. So maybe that 13% increase on SL8 is possible?
I'd rather pedal 4w more and save money on handlebars
It's weird that the venge has the same compression ring system but there were never any troubling news as far as I know.
As soon as I saw the claims my bullshit sensor went crazy.
Going from a classic round bar setup to arro bar generally saves 4 to 6 watts so how can a tweaking of an already aero bar save 4? Most likely 1 or 2 and the other 2 are thanks to the front end.
What’s with the 2 minute San Remo thing? So anyone riding an SL8 will be 2 minutes faster than any other rider? Lol.
And yeah, 33% stiffer but where exactly? Which plane? Lateral, torsion?
Sound slightly like Henry Quinney now
The first thing I thought about was yes the speed schnozz, but the second thing that stood out to me is the angle of the stem vs the SL7. To me it looks like a more negative angle say -10° vs what I assume is-6 on the SL7. Wondering if this would also reduce drag.
the angle is the same
Besides practicality, I am very surprised that the SL8 frame has a stiffness/ weight ratio 33% higher than SL7 frame, with the use of same carbon fibre material. As a structural engineer, it is very difficult to do so unless the SL7 frame design is very poor.
I think the stiffness itself is nearly equal between SL7 and 8. Like in the Aero facts this Marketing value comes only fromm the reduced weight...
@@andihoppe6284What i watched from other youtube is that the stiffness/weight ratio of SL8 increase by 33% over SL7
Yes i have also Seen this value, i mean with a weight reduction of approx. 200gr for the sl8 (from ~860gr for the SL7 to 680gr for the SL8) this ratio is fully impacted by the weight (~ +25%) with equal stiffness values. This means the BB stiffness will be nearly equal to the SL7.
Please can you discuss the new unreleased Winspace frame set!!!
It was teased on GC performance and China cycling! At first glance it looks like a pretty serious competitor to western aero & lightweight designs 👍🏼
The downtube seems more round on the sl8, wouldn't that increase the stiffness?
it will, the aethos is stiff af
Nevermind the “stink sniffer”, I want Demi Vollering 🤣
Funny enough I saw an old madone 4.3 from 2014 and the front end resemblance is uncanny 😅