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Aethos Comp

SRAM Rival eTap AXS

4.9

28 Reviews

What if we used every ounce of experience we’ve gained serving riders over the past…

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We deliver! Just say when and how.

#1 Again: 2023 Gran Fondo Awards
Voted Best Brand 5 Years in a Row

#1 Again: 2023 Gran Fondo Awards

The riders have spoken! For the fifth year in a row, Specialized has been crowned the #1 “Drop Bar Bike Brand” in the prestigious Gran Fondo Best Brand Awards for 2023. We innovate for riders, and year after year, our bikes are loved by the most discerning riders. Thank you!

S-Works Aethos LTD
All-New SRAM RED AXS

S-Works Aethos LTD

The lightest production bike in the world meets the lightest disc brake groupset ever, the all-new SRAM RED AXS. Add a gorgeous, limited Glacial Metallic color with custom Roval graphics, silver accents, and the new Hammerhead Karoo 3 cycling computer. These lightweights will be in heavy demand, with only 100 worldwide, each individually numbered.

The lightest disc road frame ever: The Specialized Aethos

Product Details

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What if we used every ounce of experience we’ve gained serving riders over the past 46 years and built a bike made simply for the love of riding? The Aethos is designed to straddle the line between perfect ride quality, extreme lightweight, and undeniable style. The Aethos Comp model is no exception.

With low-maintenance, wireless SRAM Rival eTap AXS electronic shifting and hydraulic disc brakes paired with bomb-proof DT Swiss R470 Disc wheels, you have the perfect steed to excite you out on the road.

  • The Aethos frame has been designed with the perfect combination of ultimate ride feel, light weight, and style—from accelerating up steep pitches and descending technical descents, to all-day saddle comfort on even the longest coffee rides, the Aethos hits the mark. But how, you ask? By reinventing the traditional road shape found on bikes of the past, we’ve subtly altered these shapes to deliver massive gains in stiffness and balance, all without affecting weight or durability. Pair that with an entirely new layup and process that we’ve perfected over multiple decades and you have the lightest frame out there (585 grams, S-Works, size 56cm). The Aethos is more than just a new bike, it’s the first of a new breed.
  • The Aethos frame has been designed with the perfect combination of ultimate ride feel, light weight, and style—from accelerating up steep pitches and descending technical descents, to all-day saddle comfort on even the longest coffee rides, the Aethos hits the mark. But how, you ask? By reinventing the traditional road shape found on bikes of the past, we’ve subtly altered these shapes to deliver massive gains in stiffness and balance, all without affecting weight or durability. Pair that with an entirely new layup and process that we’ve perfected over multiple decades and you have the lightest frame out there (585 grams, S-Works, size 56cm). The Aethos is more than just a new bike, it’s the first of a new breed.
  • A featherweight frame is useless without confidence-inspiring ride characteristics, which is why we’ve developed the Aethos to have the perfect balance of front and rear stiffness combined with exceptional ride quality. By studying the flexing and breathing of carbon fiber, we were able to discover groundbreaking findings about how forces flow through frames. Just a few pedal strokes and you’ll realize this sublime ride sets a new standard.
  • Every detail, from the derailleur hangers to the fork expander plug have been designed with style, weight, and durability in mind. We’ve also spec’d it with Roval’s all-new Alpinist carbon seatpost, further saving weight and improving ride characteristics. Everything in pursuit for the perfect ride.

Technical Specifications

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Frameset

Frame

Aethos FACT 10r Carbon, Rider First Engineered™, Threaded BB, 12x142mm thru-axle, flat-mount disc

Suspension

Fork

FACT Carbon, 12x100mm thru-axle, flat-mount disc

Brakes

Front Brake

SRAM Rival 1, hydraulic disc

Rear Brake

SRAM Rival 1, hydraulic disc

Drivetrain

Shift Levers

SRAM ED RIV ETAP AXS D1 SJD REAR/RT F20

Front Derailleur

SRAM FD RIVAL ETAP AXS D1 BRAZE WEDGE C

Rear Derailleur

SRAM RD RIVAL ETAP AXS D1 MAX 36T

Cassette

SRAM CS XG 1250 D1 10-36

Chain

SRAM CN RIVAL D1 12S 110 LINK

Crankset

SRAM FC RIVAL D1 DUB XXX 4835

Chainrings

48/35 T

Bottom Bracket

SRAM DUB BSA 68

Wheels & Tires

Front Wheel

WH-DT R470 DISC XD-R

Rear Wheel

WH-DT R470 DISC XD-R

Front Hub

Tubeless Valve

Front Tire

Turbo Pro, 60 TPI, folding bead, BlackBelt protection, 700x26mm

Rear Tire

Turbo Pro, 60 TPI, folding bead, BlackBelt protection, 700x26mm

Inner Tubes

Presta, 48mm valve

Cockpit

Tape

Supacaz Super Sticky Kush

Stem

Specialized Pro SL, alloy, 4-bolt

Handlebars

Specialized Shallow Drop, 6061, 70x125mm, 31.8mm clamp

Saddle

Body Geometry Power Sport, steel rails

SeatPost

Roval Alpinist Carbon Seatpost

Seat Binder

SEAT COLLAR, KCNC, SPL-SC02-300-02, EXTRUDED, 7075-T73, 30.0MM, 10B21, BLACK ZINC BOLT, BOLT CLAMP TYPE

Accessories

Pedals

PEDAL, TEST RIDE PEDALS PROVIDED BY SPECIALIZED

* Weights based on production painted frames as pictured. Actual weights will vary based on colourway, frame size, and component variation. Specifications are subject to change without notice.

Geometry

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495254565861
Crank Length165mm170mm172.5mm172.5mm175mm175mm
Handlebar Width380mm400mm420mm420mm440mm440mm
Stem Length80mm90mm100mm100mm110mm110mm
Saddle Width155mm155mm143mm143mm143mm143mm
Seatpost Length300mm300mm360mm360mm360mm360mm
Stack514mm527mm544mm565mm591mm612mm
Reach375mm380mm384mm395mm402mm408mm
Head Tube Length109mm120mm137mm157mm184mm204mm
Head Tube Angle71.75°72.5°73°73.5°73.5°74°
BB Height266mm266mm268mm268mm268mm268mm
BB Drop74mm74mm72mm72mm72mm72mm
Trail63mm58mm58mm55mm55mm52mm
Fork Length, Full369mm369mm369mm369mm369mm369mm
Fork Rake/Offset47mm47mm44mm44mm44mm44mm
Front Center574mm577mm579mm591mm606mm613mm
Chainstay Length410mm410mm410mm410mm410mm410mm
Wheelbase973mm975mm978mm991mm1005mm1012mm
Top Tube Length, Horizontal508mm531mm540mm562mm577mm595mm
Bike Standover Height705mm728mm748mm769mm796mm824mm
Seat Tube Length431mm462mm481mm504mm532mm567mm
Seat Tube Angle75.5°74°74°73.5°73.5°73°
Geometry

Rider Reviews

4.9

28 Reviews

 

Aethos

This is a wonderful bike! This has a buttery smooth ride that I have never really ridden before. It is so light that climbing actually is easier than before. I cannot at this time find anything that I don't like. I am a huge steel Bianchi fan but somehow they have created a nice ride that is fun and euphoric. It rides better than my steel machines and seems to be stiffer and faster. Spend the money, Ride the best road made today.


Name:
Bob

Helpful?

Best all-around road bike ever

A crazy lightweight climbing machine. My go to personal record bicycle. Amazing handling and it's soft and compliant on beat up roads. spend the $ and never look back. This is the best of the best.

Would Recommend?
Yes!

Name:
Rodney

Helpful?

Great roadie

Purchased this bike due to similar geometry to my Crux which I have been riding on the road and gravel for the last year. I wanted a bike as comfortable as the Crux but faster on the road than the Crux. The Aethos is an awesome road bike and I love how comfortable it rides. I look forward to HnH100 and BDB100 in 2024.

Would Recommend?
Yes!

Verified Buyer
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Name:
Louis G.

Helpful?

Everything you would want on

Everything you would want on a climbing bike.

Would Recommend?
Yes!

Verified Buyer
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Name:
Derek G.

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Specialized Aethos

Great bike

Would Recommend?
Yes!

Name:
Jfranco

Helpful?

Great bike

I’ve rode 7,000 miles on my Aethos Comp upgraded wheels and would highly recommend this bike being very comfortable and lightweight which helps me in the hills. My front derailer had a failure but was under warranty and replaced. Best bike I’ve ever rode I keep up with the Tarmac’s.


Name:
Scott

Helpful?

The Best!

This is the absolute best bike I have ever ridden. In 25 years of riding on the road, I’ve had everything from a cheap aluminum bike to a splendid Specialized Tarmac SL to a custom steel frame. The Aethos Comp is the winner all day long. It’s comfortable, fast and just wants to run up the hills. The OEM wheelset is not the best, but it works very well. I had no real problems with it, but did swap to an Alpinist CL set, which made the bike even more amazing. I have no problem with any of the Rival equipment. It’s fast, reliable and fairly light tech. Saving another half a pound is not worth the extra cash. This bike is light snows it is.

Would Recommend?
Yes!

Name:
Dan

Helpful?

Couldn't be happier

After a little over a year and 9000 miles on the Aethos Comp, I can say it's as good as they say it is (full disclosure: I upgraded the stock wheels, which simply don't do the bike justice). The handling, responsiveness, comfort, just the overall 'feel' of the bike in motion, like an extension of my body and mind--I've fallen even more in love with road cycling, after 12 years and tens of thousands of miles.

Would Recommend?
Yes!

Name:
Baz

Helpful?

Great bike.

Great bike.

Would Recommend?
Yes!

Verified Buyer
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Name:
Guest G.

Helpful?

Fast, light, comfortable ride

Love this bike, I did upgrade wheelset to Rovals - big improvement. I ride with A and B club/groups. When you punch it - it just goes, accelerates nicely!

Would Recommend?
Yes!

Name:
Tim

Helpful?

Love This More And More!

I am 71 years old and been a rider for 30 years this is the smoothist, best handling bike I have ever ridden. Loving it more each time I go for a ride, it's even great on my Wahoo Kickr. I picked this bike because I am into it for the joy of ridding and not racing!

Would Recommend?
Yes!

Name:
Herb

Helpful?

Light, fast, and comfy on crap roads

I bought my Aethos in December of 2020, mine is set up with Ultegra Di2. I had my heart set on a Tarmac, but when I rode the Tarmac and then the Aethos, the Aethos just felt better, mainly in terms of compliance on choppy roads. Now I live in Central Asia, where good roads are hard to find. The Aethos is simply outstanding on bad roads - paired with 29mm tires, the carbon seat post and frame soak up the bumps and make for a comfy ride. I can spend all day on this bike and still feel great afterwards, without the arm and ass fatigue I get on other bikes. As expected the Di2 is ultra reliable, the ultimate ride and forget groupset. I did replace the wheels with a lighter set of carbon hoops. I usually struggle to get comfortable in the drops, but the shallow drop bars on this bike are perfect for me - in fast group rides I settle into the drops and stay there, pain free.

Would Recommend?
Yes!

Name:
Paul

Helpful?

Excellent frame compromised by the components

If I was reviewing the frame alone, this would be a 5 star review. No question about that. Everything you read about comfort and ride quality is absolutely true. However when you consider the product as a whole it’s definitely not worthy of 5 stars. The wheel set is simply not worthy of this frame and ultimately dulls the experience. Given this bikes price tag its sad to think you'll have to make another significant investment on a new wheel set to unlock anything close to its full potential. I think Specialized have let themselves down here - the Aethos frame deserves better. The SRAM groupset is ok. The eTap is a nice to have but certainly not the be all and end all. The shifting is nice and smooth for the most part although it does sometimes drag its heels when shifting into the bigger cogs on the casette. I’ve also encountered reliability issues where the hydraulic brake pistons get stuck and fail to retract which ultimately leave the bike unrideable. But the frame is excellent.

Would Recommend?
Yes!

Name:
Markos

Helpful?

Awesome ride

Awesome ride

Would Recommend?
Yes!

Verified Buyer
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Name:
Guest G.

Helpful?

Smooth ride

Smooth ride

Would Recommend?
Yes!

Verified Buyer
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Name:
Eric G.

Helpful?

A gift for my wife

A gift for my wife and she couldn’t be happier. I guess I’ll have to get one now!

Would Recommend?
Yes!

Verified Buyer
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Name:
Guest G.

Helpful?

Great ride. Great technology. Well done!

I bought the Aethos Etap with some trepidation as I really like my Trek Madone. My Trek it is almost ten years old with about 12,000 miles on it and I was considering an upgrade. Now, after one month and 150 miles I have to say that I love this Aethos. The cycling magazine reviews are spot on. The bike is comfortable, responsive and the SRAM eTap is so well designed. If you are looking for an endurance bike consider the Roubaix. If you want a performance bike this is the bike to consider.

Would Recommend?
Yes!

Name:
Mike

Helpful?

Quick, Light, Responsive

Purchased this about 2 months ago as an upgrade from an Allez. am very happy with the shifting and high-speed stability. She's also not shy about climbing. looking forward to many more rides to come!

Would Recommend?
Yes!

Name:
Adam

Helpful?

The bike I was waiting for

This is the bike I was waiting for. I had been riding a Tarmac SL5 since 2016 and had been on the long search to upgrade. I know what I wanted; disc brakes, wider tire clearance, electronic shifting, and a threaded bottom bracket. I wanted a simple no nonsense bike that would deliver day in and day out but I could not find something like this anywhere. Everything was integrated, aero, and a little too racy. Then the Aethos arrived and I was sold. I did a few test rides at my local Specialized store and then pulled the trigger. I am 600 miles in on it at the time of writing this and could not be happier.

Would Recommend?
Yes!

Name:
Michael

Helpful?

Excellent Ride! Light, responsive and comfortable

I love this bike! I bought it for some longer rides I had planned and man has it lived up to the billing. Light weight, responsive, and comfortable ride. It was everything I was looking for!


Name:
Gavin H.

Helpful?

Responsive, Light, Superb geometry, excellent package

Brought a big joy to the end of my working days and my weekends. This bike rocks, climbs nicely, handles superbly, stiff but accommodating, fast, shifts like a charm, an overall very well put together package


Name:
Nick61

Helpful?

Best bike ever!

I've been in the market for a new bike and lucked up with this Specialized Aethos! I purchased my first bike last April (specialized sirrus 1.0), and later upgraded to the Specialized Roubaix Sport after realizing how much fun and versatility I was missing out on by not having a road bike. After a few months of riding the Roubaix and feeling like it wasn't quite the right fit and style for me, I was ready to upgrade to eTap and the specialized Aethos has not disappointed me! With a beautiful frame, excellent handling, smooth-riding, easy climbing, and effortless shifting, I am so glad I made this purchase and I think I've found my forever bike!


Name:
Kimberly

Helpful?

Specialized Aethos Comp

I've been a Specialized rider since 2004. I ride as a daily commute.... not to race, but to get to where I'm going as fast as possible. I am not experienced enough to review the specifics, however, I love cycling and appreciate the artwork involved in designing bicycles. This is the most beautiful bike I have ever seen, touched, rode, and I can't get enough of it.. I stare at it for hours and my boyfriend thinks I'm mad. Very happy with this bike.


Name:
Misha

Helpful?

Bike of the Year Candidate!

It's tough to find a good road bike this year (again due to supply issues), but I lucked out completely with the Aethos Comp!! I spent six months test riding bikes, looking to move to disc from my caliper road bikes. I was about to give up, every time I found one I liked that was < 5k, it was unavailable again. I was about to give up, then the Aehos Comp arrived. They have better availability than most (nice job with your supply chain Specialized), and I thought maybe I'd be compromising by getting one. Wrong there. The frame is stiff when/where it needs to be, and compliant enough for longer rides. Not quite ""endurance"" geometry, but certainly you won't have your teeth falling out going over some rough stuff. The fact that the cockpit is non-proprietary is a huge plus, makes it much more straight forward to size right. What about the Rival AXS? I wasn't considering an electric drivetrain at first, but this one convinced me. Sure, it's a bit heavier than the other Sram models, and not as sexy as the Shimano Di2. But it's a worker, pure and simple. Precise shifts, straight forward customizing. I have over 1k miles on it, no mis-shifts and still working like day 1. The Aethos models do use a custom thru axle that is minimalistic. You need to be careful when threading it. After replacing the tires, I had it a little off and two rides later I was going crazy trying to figure out a creaking that I was sure was the BB. Actually tore apart the BB/crank/seat/seatpost/pedals and was about to give up, Re-threaded the axle, creaking gone. Also, I run tubeless all the time, the rims on the Comp are tubeless compatible, but it comes with tubes and turbo tires. One unfortunate event with a large rock snake bit both tires (group ride, no warning given, hit it full on). I immediately went tubeless to avoid this. Best thing I learned from this? The DT Swiss rims on the Comp are bomb-proof, wheels had no damage and stayed true.


Name:
Doug

Helpful?

Fantastic!

This bike is light, fast, comfortable and, most importantly - fun! I love it.


Name:
Chris

Helpful?

Fantastic bike

Love the choice I made with the Aethos, and really glad the timing of the Rival eTap release brought one down into my sub-5k price range. I was coming off a 10 year old Fuji Roubaix 1 (SRAM Rival) with a fairly racy geometry. I was originally looking at a Trek Domane or Specialized Roubaix thinking I wanted the relaxed fit, but when I demo'd a Domane it felt like an over compensation and was a bit too upright. I got super lucky and found an Aethos in my size about an hour away and the fit is amazing. Not as relaxed as the Domane/Roubaix but less racy than my old bike. I was using all spacers and flipped the stem up on the old bike to avoid locking out my elbows, and the Aethos so far feels great stock without any stem adjustment and with one spacer left to swap if needed. Took it out for a maiden voyage this AM and the electronic shifting is incredible coming from mechanical. The press and hold for continuous shifting is amazing for situations like turning a corner right into a climb. The ride is super smooth on the stock 26mm tires (compared to my old 23s) - although I will probably look at going to tubeless 28s before too long to smooth it out even more. All in all I think Specialized hit the nail on the head with this bike. The ""riding should be about fun"" concept is perfect for a rider like me. I don't aim to go super fast all the time. I don't race. I ride because I enjoy it, I go fast when I feel like it, but mostly I'm looking for long comfortable rides at a semi-decent clip. The Aethos just felt smooth without needing any of the gimics of IsoSpeed or Future Shock. It tackles hills and descents fine - always felt super responsive and in control at high speeds.


Name:
Matt

Helpful?

This is a dream bike

I've had this bike less than a week and I'm head over heels. This bike is FAST. I'm a pretty big guy (6'2"" 185lbs) so I was looking for a light bike that could help improve my climbing. This bike did not disappoint. I am crushing PRs already in my first week on it and it's just a dream to ride. The Rival groupset is very responsive. The saddle is surprisingly very comfortable. I'm picky about my saddle and fully expected to change this one out but after 60 miles of riding it felt great. I'll be sticking with it for the foreseeable future. The bike handles incredibly well. The only issue I've had is I wish I could gear down a little more for descents, but I'll take it. Having the extra 36 option on the rear cassette has been really helpful for the steeper grades. I could not be more happy with my purchase. At this price point, this is a steal.


Name:
The B.

Helpful?

Completely indescribable - the best a ride can get

I don't even know how to start this. The bike just feels incredible. Super nimble, but with such confidence that you always feel like you know what the bike wants to do. It's wicked fast, both in climbing with the lightweight setup (under 8kg with the Rival groupset) and ripping down hills at high speed. The SRAM hoods are super comfortable and the saddle is great for long rides without wearing you out. Overall, the perfect bike!


Name:
Philip

Helpful?