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Today’s Deals2023 Specialized
Aethos Expert
A carbon frame race bike with upper mid-range components and sram rival hydraulic disc brakes.
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Manufacturer Price
$5,500| Weight | 16.8 lbs |
|---|---|
| Frame | Carbon |
| Fork | Carbon |
| Wheels | 700c Carbon |
| Drivetrain | 2 × 12 Electronic |
| Groupset | Rival AXS |
| Power Meter | Rival AXS |
| Brakes | SRAM Rival Hydraulic Disc |
Based on build material and quality level of the frame, fork, wheelset, groupset, suspension system, and more.
Compare the full Aethos model range
View Comparison5'1" – 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 ultralight frame, exceptional ride quality, and superb handling, making it a standout in the race category. It combines traditional design with modern performance, offering a balance of stiffness and comfort that appeals to a wide range of riders. Despite its high price point and some limitations like non-tubeless wheels and electronic shifting only, its performance and aesthetics have garnered widespread acclaim.
Ultralight carbon frameset
Exceptional ride quality and handling
Traditional design with modern performance
High stiffness-to-compliance ratio
Generous tire clearance for versatility
High price point
Non-tubeless wheels
Limited to electronic groupsets
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
The Aethos is crazy light.
Canadian Cycling MagazineThe Aethos is one of the finest-riding road frames I’ve ever experienced.
Cycling TipsFeedback?
View all reviews
Mar 2024 · Mat Brett
Spoon Customs has created a stunning finish for a bike that’s being used to raise funds for the fight against motor neurone disease
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.
| Frame | Aethos FACT 10R Carbon, Rider First Engineered™, Threaded BB, 12x142mm thru-axle, flat-mount disc BB Standard: BSA, 68mm, Threaded Colors: Satin Metallic Deep Lake / Deep Lake; Gloss Dune White / Metallic Obsidian |
|---|---|
| Fork | FACT Carbon, 12x100mm thru-axle, flat-mount disc |
| Bottom Bracket | SRAM DUB BSA 68 |
| Stem | Specialized Pro SL, alloy, 4-bolt |
| Handlebar | Specialized Expert Shallow Drop, alloy, 125mm drop x 75mm reach |
| Saddle | Body Geometry Power Expert |
| Seatpost | Roval Alpinist Carbon Seatpost Type: Rigid |
| Rear Derailleur | SRAM Rival eTap AXS, 12-speed |
|---|---|
| Front Derailleur | SRAM Rival eTAP AXS, braze-on |
| Crank | SRAM Rival AXS Power Meter, 48/35T |
| Power Meter | SRAM Rival AXS Power Meter, 48/35T |
| Shifters | SRAM Rival eTap AXS |
| Cassette | SRAM Rival, 12-speed, 10-36t |
| Chain | SRAM Rival 12-speed |
| Brakes | Front: SRAM Rival eTAP AXS, hydraulic disc, Rear: SRAM Rival eTAP AXS, hydraulic disc Type: SRAM Rival Hydraulic Disc |
| Rims | Front: Roval C38, 21mm internal width carbon rim, Rear: Roval C38, 21mm internal width carbon rim |
|---|---|
| Tires | Front: S-Works Turbo, 120 TPI, folding bead, BlackBelt protection, 700x28mm, Rear: S-Works Turbo, 120 TPI, folding bead, BlackBelt protection, 700x28mm |
First added April 22
Last updated June 4