INTRODUCING AETHOS
BREAK THE RULES
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? When we set out on this project, we promised ourselves that we would make a bike that elevated the moments when human and machine become one, when we lose ourselves dancing up a climb or carving through a turn. Well, we did it, and in keeping that promise, we broke every design, ride, and race rule along the way. And we’re not sorry.
FOR ONCE, WE’RE NOT IN IT TO WIN
We stopped worrying about winning, or the way things are supposed to be done, and instead chased the greatest expression of ride quality ever made. On the way, we broke the “rules” of carbon manufacturing, and we broke the unwritten “rules” of riding. Oh and by the way, at just 585 grams, it’s the lightest production disc frame ever made—we broke those sacred UCI rules too. It’s a revolution born of inspiration.
FOR ONCE, WE’RE NOT IN IT TO WIN
We stopped worrying about winning, or the way things are supposed to be done, and instead chased the greatest expression of ride quality ever made. On the way, we broke the “rules” of carbon manufacturing, and we broke the unwritten “rules” of riding. Oh and by the way, at just 585 grams, it’s the lightest production disc frame ever made—we broke those sacred UCI rules too. It’s a revolution born of inspiration.
BILLIONS OF CALCULATIONS
ONE EPIPHANY
An almost out of body test lab experience birthed Aethos. Meditating on the breathing and swaying of a bike under load in the lab, lead engineer Peter Denk had an epiphany when he realized that true performance lies in the shape, not the material. After a few hundred thousand supercomputer simulations, we knew we were right.
BILLIONS OF CALCULATIONS
ONE EPIPHANY
An almost out of body test lab experience birthed Aethos. Meditating on the breathing and swaying of a bike under load in the lab, lead engineer Peter Denk had an epiphany when he realized that true performance lies in the shape, not the material. After a few hundred thousand supercomputer simulations, we knew we were right.
LET’S FLIP THE SCRIPT
A frame’s shape is what drives the vast majority of a bike’s performance. Through our obsessive simulation, we learned that tubes with subtle, elongated conical sections - aka our Continuous Curvature Design strategy - deliver the highest stiffness-to-weight ratio ever tested. Turns out the obsessive Germans at the Zedler Institute agree with us.
This discovery of shape driving performance then gave us the opportunity to improve the ride quality delivered by material and layup. We were able to eliminate traditional stiffness layers, reducing the plies necessary to build the bike by 11% compared to a Tarmac SL6. Utilizing longer, unbroken plies, every fiber is structural and reduces weight substantially. This ensures that the only thing along for the ride is you.
“The first frame was 545 grams. We put it on the test machine and the frame behaved so beautifully—it was so stable. We only had to add 10 grams, and we could test-ride the frame. That was the moment we knew we had discovered something big.”
—Peter Denk, Aethos Engineering Lead
RULES? WHAT RULES?
Turns out, this bike may be *illegal in some circles. With Aethos, we chased ride quality, not a number, but we know a light, stiff, and balanced bike is magic at the pedals. The result? The lightest disc road frame ever produced with builds as light as 5.9kg, and all with the telepathic handling, response, and stiffness targets you’ve come to expect from every bike we make (*Psst…don’t tell the UCI).
GREATER THAN THE SUM OF ITS PARTS
THE NEW MODERN ROAD BIKE
To say that “everything has been considered with this bike” would be an understatement. We spent weeks upon weeks iterating, designing, and obsessing over every piece of the puzzle. But with the rider at the center of the conversation, our goal was to make a bike that would fit your riding lifestyle—not the other way around.
GREATER THAN THE SUM OF ITS PARTS
THE NEW MODERN ROAD BIKE
To say that “everything has been considered with this bike” would be an understatement. We spent weeks upon weeks iterating, designing, and obsessing over every piece of the puzzle. But with the rider at the center of the conversation, our goal was to make a bike that would fit your riding lifestyle—not the other way around.
32MM TIRE CLEARANCE
32MM TIRE CLEARANCE
27.2MM SEATPOST
27.2MM SEATPOST
THREADED BOTTOM BRACKET
THREADED BOTTOM BRACKET
PERFECTION IS IN THE DETAILS
From dropouts to derailleur hangers, no gram was overlooked. The same can be said about the approach of our partners at Roval Components. They’ve been working towards the same North Star of ride quality, and the 1248-gram Alpinist wheels and new Alpinist bar/stem combo were tailormade for Aethos and the ride of your life.
PERFECTION IS IN THE DETAILS
From dropouts to derailleur hangers, no gram was overlooked. The same can be said about the approach of our partners at Roval Components. They’ve been working towards the same North Star of ride quality, and the 1248-gram Alpinist wheels and new Alpinist bar/stem combo were tailormade for Aethos and the ride of your life.
“HAVE YOU RIDDEN IT YET?”
THE BIG EASY
Before Specialized, there was just a guy named Mike. He loved to ride the roads that traverse the Santa Cruz mountains, and he created a not so facile ride called “The Big Easy”—7000 feet of climbing over 80 miles. It’s become a part of the Specialized DNA, and it’s been a rite of passage long before we won any races. The Big Easy is still the beating heart of the brand today.
“HAVE YOU RIDDEN IT YET?”
THE BIG EASY
Before Specialized, there was just a guy named Mike. He loved to ride the roads that traverse the Santa Cruz mountains, and he created a not so facile ride called “The Big Easy”—7000 feet of climbing over 80 miles. It’s become a part of the Specialized DNA, and it’s been a rite of passage long before we won any races. The Big Easy is still the beating heart of the brand today.
THE MOTHER TREE
It should be noted that these photos were shot directly before the CZU Lightning Complex Fire. The Mother Tree as it’s known, at the top of Mt. Madonna Road, is a great landmark for many of the rides coming from the Specialized HQ. Take a jacket, though, as the weather isn’t the same at the top as from whence you came.
THE MOTHER TREE
It should be noted that these photos were shot directly before the CZU Lightning Complex Fire. The Mother Tree as it’s known, at the top of Mt. Madonna Road, is a great landmark for many of the rides coming from the Specialized HQ. Take a jacket, though, as the weather isn’t the same at the top as from whence you came.
CORRALITOS MARKET
Make sure you stop at the Corralitos Market & Sausage Co.—it’s a fantastic spot to refuel before the ensuing climb. Plus, it’s a great place to meet up with your cyclist friends that live on the other side, not to mention that the homemade sausages can’t be beat.
CORRALITOS MARKET
Make sure you stop at the Corralitos Market & Sausage Co.—it’s a fantastic spot to refuel before the ensuing climb. Plus, it’s a great place to meet up with your cyclist friends that live on the other side, not to mention that the homemade sausages can’t be beat.
GLORIOUS GRIT
“Having never ridden The Big Easy before, I was optimistically, well, pessimistic about it. It's a dauntingly fantastic ride that throws a little bit of everything at you. By the end of it, the ride will have revealed just what you're made of— glorious grit.” —Starr Walker, Road Product Manager
GLORIOUS GRIT
“Having never ridden The Big Easy before, I was optimistically, well, pessimistic about it. It's a dauntingly fantastic ride that throws a little bit of everything at you. By the end of it, the ride will have revealed just what you're made of— glorious grit.” —Starr Walker, Road Product Manager
OLD SANTA CRUZ HIGHWAY
After leaving the Summit Store, it’s just a little rise followed by a great descent down the Old Santa Cruz Highway. Just make sure to be safe, because this is a fun one where you can see through all the corners.
OLD SANTA CRUZ HIGHWAY
After leaving the Summit Store, it’s just a little rise followed by a great descent down the Old Santa Cruz Highway. Just make sure to be safe, because this is a fun one where you can see through all the corners.
FOUNDER'S EDITION
We celebrate every new platform we introduce with a Founder’s Edition. Limited to 300 bikes globally, this Aethos is the lightest build on offer, and it features an exclusive, stunning paint scheme.
MEET THE TEAM
It takes a team of hundreds to deliver a bike like the Aethos, but that team is led by engineers and designers absolutely obsessed with innovation.
THE ALL-NEW AETHOS
