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Today’s Deals2021 Specialized
Aethos Expert
A carbon frame race bike with high-end components and shimano ultegra hydraulic disc brakes.
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Manufacturer Price
$5,500| Frame | Carbon |
|---|---|
| Fork | Carbon |
| Wheels | 700c Aluminum |
| Drivetrain | 2 × 11 Electronic |
| Groupset | Ultegra, Ultegra Di2 |
| Brakes | Shimano Ultegra Hydraulic Disc |
5'1" – 5'5"
5'3" – 5'7"
5'5" – 5'9"
5'7" – 6'0"
5'10" – 6'2"
6'0" – 6'4"
🐐 Estimated
Summary
The Specialized Aethos is celebrated for its exceptional lightweight design, superb ride quality, and precise handling, making it a standout in the race category. Its frame, one of the lightest available, offers a perfect balance of stiffness and comfort, excelling in climbing and descending. While it boasts understated aesthetics and high-performance features, some reviews note limitations like non-tubeless wheels and a high price point.
One of the lightest frames available, enhancing climbing performance
Superb ride quality with a perfect balance of stiffness and comfort
Precise and intuitive handling, excellent for both climbing and descending
Understated aesthetics with high-performance features
Generous tire clearance and traditional standards for ease of maintenance
Non-tubeless wheels and tires limit potential
High price point may deter some buyers
Limited to electronic groupsets, restricting customization options
Some models may feel too twitchy for certain riders
This $4,800, 17.2-pound Aethos—the base model—is one of the finest road bikes, of any price, I’ve ridden in my long testing career.Bicycling
Much like an iPhone, it appears sleek and minimal on the outside, but with incredible technology and performance hiding inside.
BikerumorThe Aethos is crazy light.
Canadian Cycling MagazineIt’s one of a small number of test bikes I’ve missed since the day I handed it back.
Cycling TipsThe result is the new Specialized Aethos. A concept that goes against the status quo and may revolutionise how bikes are designed and built in the future.
Cycling NewsFeedback?
View all reviews
Aug 2022 · By
Our test team’s expectations of the Specialized Aethos Expert were very high. After all, the Specialized S-Works Aethos won our previous road bike group test by a large margin, albeit with a few upgrades. We put the stock Expert model featuring ULTEGRA Di2 components and a classic two-piece cockpit to the test to see if this model can fare just as well as an all-road bike, comparing it to six of this year’s best all-road models.
First-class handling
Quick acceleration
Pleasant level of vibration damping
Lots of all-round potential with the right upgrades
Tires are too skinny and offer limited reserves
Lack of integration
Dec 2021 · Leon Poultney
We spend time with Specialized's latest lightweight, high-performance road bike that seemingly excels in all areas.
Climbs like a champion
Impossibly light
Stylish
Effortless to ride
The price
Looks better in rowdier colours
Limited wheel options
Lacks aero touches some might demand
Nov 2021 · Warren Rossiter
If you want one of the lightest frames around but don’t want to shout about it, the Aethos is a canny buy
Lightning-fast handling
Understated looks
Flyweight frame
Wheelset and tyres limit the potential of the frame
Sep 2021 · David Kennedy
When you stop listening to the pros and focus on the people, bikes like the Open MIN.D. and Specialized Aethos are the result
Aug 2021 · James Huang
Even an extra 100 g and heavy parts can’t dull this frame's luster.
Superb chassis efficiency and handling, excellent ride quality, generous tire clearance, classically understated aesthetics, headache-free cable routing, proprietary (almost) nothing, SRAM Rival AXS works just as well as Red and Force.
Heavier than some might like, mediocre (and poorly built) wheelset, almost impossible to get.
May 2021 · James Spender
The Aethos is virtually the perfect bike, from its razor handling to incredible climbing. If only it had tubeless wheels and cost a bit less
Light and stiff
Incredible climber
Fantastic handling
Clincher-only wheels
Apr 2021 · Matt Phillips
It sells for $4,800, but it rides like a million bucks.
Dec 2020 · Liam Cahill
What a bike. If you have the cash and don't care about aero, buy it
Incredible ride
Low weight
Excellent stiffness
Perfect handling
Gets most of the tech from the S-Works
No power meter
Expensive
| Frame | Aethos FACT 10R Carbon, Rider First Engineered™, Threaded BB, 12x142mm thru-axle, flat-mount disc BB Standard: BSA, 68mm, Threaded Colors: Gloss Ice Blue / Teal Tint/flake Silver; Satin Red Tint / Dream Silver |
|---|---|
| Fork | FACT Carbon, 12x100mm thru-axle, flat-mount disc |
| Bottom Bracket | Shimano threaded |
| Stem | Specialized Pro SL, alloy, 4-bolt |
| Handlebar | Specialized Expert Shallow Drop, alloy, 125mm drop x 75mm reach |
| Saddle | Body Geometry Power Expert, Hollow Titanium Rails |
| Seatpost | Roval Alpinist Carbon Seatpost Type: Rigid |
| Rear Derailleur | Shimano Ultegra Di2 R8050, GS medium cage |
|---|---|
| Front Derailleur | Shimano Ultegra Di2 R8050, braze-on |
| Crank | Shimano Ultegra R8000, HollowTech 2, 11-speed |
| Shifters | Shimano Ultegra Di2 Disc R8070 |
| Cassette | Shimano Ultegra R8000, 11-speed, 11-30t |
| Chain | Shimano Ultegra, 11-speed |
| Brakes | Front: Shimano Ultegra R8070, hydraulic disc, Rear: Shimano Ultegra R8070, hydraulic disc Type: Shimano Ultegra Hydraulic Disc |
| Rims | Front: DT R470 Disc, sealed cartridge hubs, 14g spokes, 24h, Rear: DT R470 Disc, sealed cartridge hubs, 14g spokes, 24h |
|---|---|
| Tires | Front: S-Works Turbo, 120 TPI, folding bead, BlackBelt protection, 700x26mm, Rear: S-Works Turbo, 120 TPI, folding bead, BlackBelt protection, 700x26mm |
First added March 26
Last updated September 6
Not listed for 270 days