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2017 Specialized Venge ViAS Disc aero road bike speeds into reality

Written by Tyler Benedict
2017 Specialized Venge ViAS Disc S-Works brake aero road bike
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2017 Specialized Venge ViAS Disc S-Works brake aero road bike

It’s been teased and leaked for some time, but now the 2017 Specialized Venge ViAS Disc is official. Utilizing all of the same aerodynamics modeling and testing as the original, along with absolutely top-level Fact 11-R carbon fiber construction and integrated cockpit details as the rim brake version, they’re showing it to be about as fast as their Shiv TT bike and original rim-brake Venge. Basically, it brings all of the aero benefits and adds real world stopping power to their top level race road bike…

2017-Specialized-Venge-Disc-ViAS-aero-comparison-chart

Assuming the data’s accurate, this pretty much dispels the notion that disc brake bikes aren’t as aero as rim brakers.

2017 Specialized Venge ViAS Disc S-Works brake aero road bike

2017 Specialized Venge ViAS Disc S-Works brake aero road bike

The Venge ViAS Disc will use 12×142 rear thru axles and 12×100 front, making it compatible with all modern thru axle wheels.

According to Specialized, the disc version retains all of the aerodynamic and weight targets of the original Venge ViAS. The S-Works model gets SRAM’s eTap wireless drivetrain, a Quarq power meter on Specialized’s OSBB carbon cranks and Roval CLX 64 carbon clinchers.

2017 Specialized Venge ViAS Disc Expert brake aero road bike

The “entry” level option is the Expert (shown) with an FSA SL-K carbon crankset, Shimano Ultegra mechanical shifting and hydraulic brakes and shallow DT Swiss wheels (presumably, they’re just expecting you to bring your own deep aero wheels here. Slotting between the two will be a Pro model, specs TBA.

2017 Specialized Venge ViAS Disc S-Works brake aero road bike frameset

2017 Specialized Venge ViAS Disc S-Works brake aero road bike frameset

The S-Works frameset will be available in two color schemes. Pricing is:

  • S-Works VENGE DISC VIAS ETAP – $11,500
  • S-Works VENGE DISC VIAS FRMSET – $4,200
  • VENGE PRO DISC VIAS UDI2 – $7,250
  • VENGE EXPERT DISC VIAS – $4,500

Available from select Specialized retailers beginning August 2016 and live on Specialized.com August 3rd.

2017 Specialized Venge ViAS Disc S-Works brake aero road bike geometry

If the details seem scant at the moment, it’s because Specialized sent this info ahead of schedule. We’ll post a followup as appropriate, and look for the bikes to be on their website starting August 3rd.

Specialized.com
Tyler Benedict
11,282 articles

Tyler Benedict is the Founder of Bikerumor.com, where he’s been writing about the latest bikes, components, and cycling technology for almost two decades. Prior to that, Tyler launched and built multiple sports nutrition brands and consumer goods companies, mostly as an excuse to travel and ride in new places.

Based in North Carolina, Tyler also loves the Vanlife & family adventure travel and is always on the lookout for the next shiny new part and off-grid adventure.

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Adam
Adam
8 years ago

I know the rim brake version has new brakes coming for 2017. You can even get a kit to retro fit the new brakes onto the old. The old Vias has some of the worst brakes I’ve ever used. The Big S rushed a bit to get that bike out to market.

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Mr. P
Mr. P
8 years ago

Bummed I am on the square side of that “FASTER” arrow graphic. Nothing a few grand can’t fix. I need to be on the pointy end of the arrow!

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bazookasean
bazookasean
8 years ago
Reply to  Mr. P

The rim brake version in a 56 has 405mm chainstays. Also, Shimano relaxed some of there chainline specs to allow them on a wider variety of bikes.

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Jenny
Jenny
8 years ago

142mm axle with 410mm chainstays and no SCS? What kind of voodoo magic is this? How have they solved the chainline issues this should cause?

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Andy
Andy
8 years ago
Reply to  Jenny

If you’ll notice, the 2017 frames come with routing for conventional handlebars, so you could run whatever you like.

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anonymous
anonymous
8 years ago
Reply to  Jenny

They might have revised chainring spacing.

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Jeff
Jeff
8 years ago

The Venge disc is an awesome looking bike until you get to the stem and bars. Not trying to be superficial, but I could not own that bike because of that. I’m looking at the BH G7, also a aero road disc brake only frame.

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Ian
Ian
8 years ago
Reply to  Jeff

The new frame has cable ports for the brakes so you can run a standard bar and stem now.

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CyclistA
CyclistA
8 years ago
Reply to  Jeff

Totally agree. Another set of aero shaped bars and stem will make a huge difference.

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Dave
Dave
8 years ago

If there’s one thing that convinces me above all others, it’s valueless charts.

Some companies are only so bold as to publish data without units. But Specialized, nooo no, they publish data without VALUES! Some might argue that valueless data isn’t even data. Luddites. Specialized should patent this stroke of genius.

Want to make that drag chart even MORE impressive??? Increase the size of it, then zoom in. Only then will you see that you should feel honored to have Specialized allow you to buy one of their bikes.

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Eric Schiller
Eric Schiller
8 years ago
Reply to  Dave

I love how Bikerumor just eats it right up: “Assuming the data’s accurate, this pretty much dispels the notion that disc brake bikes aren’t as aero as rim brakers.”

A chart with no Y axis is not data.

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Menos
Menos
8 years ago
Reply to  Eric Schiller

Negating the value of a “no data chart” without any argument seems to be clueless either… 😉

OY axis is here labeled “Faster”: it can simple be a simple ratio – w.r.t. the reference bike they have. Unless you a bike engineer or a professional team member or a scientists/researcher – what is reason you need the accurate values/units?

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Kai
Kai
8 years ago
Reply to  Menos

Because the length of the arrow could be 10 CdA or 0.0001 CdA.

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Menos
Menos
8 years ago
Reply to  Kai

Still unless you are a super-trained, fit and lean professional fighting for a seconds-split GC it remains pretty much meaningless.

I neither know the units, but you can still infer that:
1. Venge is better than Tarmac
2. Rim and disc version are relatively better and fairly indistinguishable from each other (w.r.t. to Tarmac).

Antipodean_eleven put it even more straightforward: all these differences will be even less significant if a potential bike raider is (likely) barrel-shaped.

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jaamon
jaamon
8 years ago
Reply to  Kai

@menos

You could infer that but that graph doesnt actually show/prove that. This is the problem with “science” reporting these days… Fancy phrasing and nice little graphs on an overhyped topic over shadow what is actually shown.

First in the absence of error bars there is no way of knowing if any of those lines are different from each other. Next, how was the data even produced? Is it in a manner that generates an answer that is relevant to the bikes use?

Finally, even accepting that the lines are different, and the frame really is faster against the wind, who cares? I dont push my riderless frame down the road…

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Eric Schiller
Eric Schiller
8 years ago
Reply to  Kai

It’s a marketing piece Menos, I guess if it persuades you, then great.

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Menos
Menos
8 years ago
Reply to  Kai

jaamon,
I can’t agree more.

Eric,
I know.

But I simply like both: the bike and the charts! 😉

Anyway – I am aiming at the recent Giant’s entry-level offer. Their approach to the stem (which incorporates a hydraulic brake converter) is much more – in my opinion – practically significant.

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D P
D P
8 years ago

At least the “entry level” Scott foil comes with the proper stem. That “expert” model with its bars and stem are god awful! How could they release this pic? Who is calling the shots? And haven’t they heard, discs are banned? Oh wait… They put the purchase order in 17 months ago. If Sagan is on rim brakes then it’s good enough for me! 🙂 And as it sits right now, he will be on rim brakes for the next few years. I’m a sheep! If pros use it, I use it!

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Bazz
Bazz
8 years ago

Pity the frame set doesn’t come with the bars an stem – are they available separately?

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gringo
gringo
8 years ago

negative stem + riser bars = kooky

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MarkM
MarkM
8 years ago
Reply to  gringo

neg stems, chopped riser bars, flanged Ourys slammed into the clamp area, pastel colors…..I remember we used to just ride our bikes around town with our friends and then go eat junk food and drink junk beer… I miss those carefree days of youth.

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Walter Ostrander
Walter Ostrander
8 years ago

The spokes appear to be in the foreground to the disc rotor. What’s the deal there?

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AlanM
AlanM
8 years ago
Reply to  Walter Ostrander

Well, the rotors are on the left side of the bike, which would put them in the background of this photo, no?

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Robert Underwood
Robert Underwood
8 years ago

Looks a hell of lot better than the calliper brake version.

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Antipodean_eleven
Antipodean_eleven
8 years ago

Funny. A LOT of guys I see riding these sorts of bikes around these parts all seem to suffer from very large frontal cross sections…. does that factor into that rather interesting valueless chart?

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Ted
Ted
8 years ago
Reply to  Antipodean_eleven

@bill. Guessing your referring to the top tube length? Check out the reach numbers, classic specialized geo, size 49 to 54 all have the same reach numers…

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lop
lop
8 years ago
Reply to  Ted

I’m not scientician, but I believe he’s saying that the people he seems riding these bikes could stand to lose a few pounds, then he is mocking the meaningless chart that ten people at Specialized had to OK before it got emailed to the press.

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Bill
Bill
8 years ago

All this talk of charts without values, and everyone’s missing the one that does have values.. the geometry chart. Look at the odd jumps in ETT length between sizes.

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Mortimer E Gormsby
Mortimer E Gormsby
8 years ago

I assume the aero test was with the same spoke count for rim vs disc brakes. Perhaps 24f and 28r. What’s the min limit to a spoked wheel? Perhaps a scary 16f and 24r. Well with the rim brake a spoked wheel (in tension) will stay together with 12 spokes out front and perhaps we go 18 on the rear – just because we can do so a bit more safely that you could with discs. Then which bike would be more aero?

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Haromania
Haromania
8 years ago

Love it. Well done Spesh.

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matt
matt
8 years ago

Thank god there are still normal road bikes available.

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lop
lop
8 years ago
Reply to  matt

I recently decided that bike tech had crossed my personal retrogrouch point-of-no-return for me, and I sold all my high end stuff, put the money into my savings account, and used some Campagnolo 9-speed spare parts I had to build up an old high-end steel Trek road bike that I got from a thrift store.

I’m not going to climb to the rooftops and start shouting about the wonders of vintage steel, but it works for me. Like you, I am glad that you can see get a “normal” road bike.

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Flatbiller
Flatbiller
8 years ago
Reply to  matt

Please don’t be one of those retrogrouches who pull up to the bike ride on a 1972 Nishiki, lambasting “all these high-tech expensive fancy road bikes you guys are on,” as your 2017 Mercedes-Benz C63 sits back in your driveway at home.

Funny how people want everything in their lives to progress…except bikes.

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the biz
the biz
8 years ago
Reply to  Flatbiller

funny how your amateur sociological experiments reach conclusions that have no basis in reality

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James
James
8 years ago

It’s a decent bike, but they are still overcooking the marketing with things like that unlabelled chart, which is like something Trump would use to sell condos.
And let’s explore pricing. To keep it simple, just the S-Works frameset at $4,200 vs the rim-brake “module” at $6,200.
How in hell is a set of bars, a stem (no matter how fancy) and pair of brake calipers (calipers that are known to be substandard, even with the new fixes) worth $2,000?
I know there are tweaks to the rim brake frame and more carbon in it, about $40 worth plus some labor. But still.
And better yet, let’s compare the disc brake frame at $4,200 to the first generation S-works frameset they are still selling apparently at a profit for $2,000 retail.
So it costs like, $2,200 to add disc mounts and thru-axles to a frame that otherwise is essentially constructed the same?
The products are good, the engineering is good, but Specialized’s marketing is a hype machine and its pricing is extortionate. Company is run like a freaking pirate ship.
The frame is worth about $2,500, the bars $275, the stem, I dunno $140.

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J
J
8 years ago
Reply to  James

Framesets throughout the industry are the worst bang for your buck. Margins on them are just stupid, only a sucker would buy one from any company. Pay just a few hundred more and you can get all of the parts along with it, not the best parts of course, but still rideable.

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Greg
Greg
8 years ago
Reply to  J

Depends. Some SWorks bikes come out significantly cheaper when put together individually. SW Epic…

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bazookasean
bazookasean
8 years ago
Reply to  James

The Venge Vias rim brake module is now $4900. Just looking at my dealer site. They just haven’t changed it yet on the consumer site.

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PV
PV
8 years ago

No matter how cynical we want to get about this, aero is faster. Having said that, 80% of aero drag is the rider. Almost all amateur riders (which, by the way, would be almost all of us) would be better served decreasing weight and increasing flexibility and FTP.

And seriously, if you aren’t making a living from racing bicycles (and you should take note that only a small percentage of pros use an aero option even when they have one), then we’re all just buying what flips our switch. The rest is just specious rationalization. Word.

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James
James
8 years ago
Reply to  PV

No, they actually would be better served by decreasing weight, boosting flexibility and FTP … AND getting the aero gear. You must hit all the licks if you want to go faster. Or you hit the ones you can afford.
Your argument is close to that Golden Oldie against buying lighter bike parts: “you could do the same thing by leaving half your water bottle at home/losing weight/going to the bathroom” etc.” No, you can’t, or we would all be on 35-pound bikes. You must take the amount of water you need, you will lose whatever weight you are motivated to lose and … you go to the bathroom so you don’t explode, which generally prevents a high finish in races, though it may get you on Fox News.
Buying lighter and/or more aero bikes and gear is not a wise substitute for losing weight and training properly, but those other things WITHOUT the new gear won’t make you as fast as people who are checking off as many boxes as they can.

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PV
PV
8 years ago
Reply to  James

Gee James, I don’t think I was arguing against anything. What I was saying is that this bike sells to far more non-racers and club riders than to people for whom this would make a substantial difference. What I was suggesting is that you buy and ride what you want, but you should avoid making more of the choice than there is.

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Andrew
Andrew
8 years ago

Huh…. BR deleted my comment where I said this bike is probably fun to ride but is horribly horribly ugly. Odd.

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Matt
Matt
8 years ago

I own an S-Works Tarmac and am a Spec guy in my heart, but I have seen both bikes and the Trek aero bike is a much more well thought out and executed bike, but also insanely expensive.

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Robin
Robin
8 years ago

Won’t someone from Specialized please jump in and it least give a scale for the vertical axis in the graph? If they won’t, can we please kill that graph with fire before it breeds and produces more?

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Alvis
Alvis
8 years ago

Significantly faster at extreme yaw? Need to recalibrate that tunnel of theirs.

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Flatbiller
Flatbiller
8 years ago
Reply to  Alvis

I know it’s the internet and all, but can you elaborate just a teensy weensy bit?

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matthew moseley
matthew moseley
8 years ago

Whats the point to discs outside of endurance bikes again?

“Assuming the data’s accurate, this pretty much dispels the notion that disc brake bikes aren’t as aero as rim brakers.”

In other news OBama says re Global Warming “the science is settled”…..

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Robin
Robin
8 years ago
Reply to  matthew moseley

Let’s see: better brake modulation; more consistent braking; better foul weather braking; no more worn out rims from rim brakes; no more tire or tube failures due to brake heat on descents…….

Disc brakes will be the dominant brake in the road market. Pros will be using them.

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Dave
Dave
8 years ago

Specialized are the masters of spin. Still confused. The frame-set is $4200.00 and a complete E-Tap is $11,500.00 So a $7300.00 difference? WOW.

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Flatbiller
Flatbiller
8 years ago
Reply to  Dave

What are they spinning, in your opinion? Spin would be if they said, “Frameset cost: Call Us For Price!”

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