The Specialized Aethos is a range of road bikes whose design process broke all the rules. With a relentless focus on creating the perfect ride and keeping weight to a minimum, the end result is a fast road bike that is smooth and enjoyable to ride.
If you’ve questions that aren’t answered here – about the Specialized Aethos or any other bike - get in touch with our team of experts, who’ll be more than happy to help.
How do you pronounce Aethos?
Just so you’re reading it right while you read the rest of the article, it’s pronounced ay-thoss.
What is the Specialized Aethos?
Aethos is a range of high-performance road bikes which has quickly gained a reputation for speed and responsiveness, both the result of a lightweight frame and minimalist design philosophy. Specialized says that while making this bike, they “broke every design, ride, and race rule along the way.”
Bold words, but what do they mean in practice? Well, thanks to a carbon frame made from a proprietary blend that Specialized claims “broke the ‘rules’ of carbon manufacturing”, the Aethos is touted as “the lightest production disc frame ever made”.
An emphasis on finding the perfect frame shape – followed by “a few hundred thousand computer simulations” – combined with myriad interventions designed to reduce weight to create a road bike that’s a pleasure to ride. Here’s what industry reviewers have to say about the Aethos:
- “It doesn’t carry an eye-watering price tag but still shares an exquisitely designed frameset which is equipped with, for the most part, sensible components” – Cycling Weekly
- “Lightning-fast handling; understated looks; flyweight frame” – Bike Radar
- “The Specialized Aethos Expert is the ultimate mountain goat with excellent handling.” – Gran Fondo Cycling
Is Aethos a climbing bike?
The Aethos is not marketed specifically as a climbing bike, but its light weight and its speed-centric geometry make it a fine choice for undulating routes.
Is Aethos an endurance bike?
Thanks to the effort Specialized invested in balancing stiffness and compliance, the Aethos is built to absorb vibrations from the road: great for reducing fatigue and minimising the risk of aches over long distances.
The frame geometry is also less aggressive than you’ll find in racing bikes, and this relatively relaxed riding position facilitates longer times spent in the saddle.
As with the previous question though, the Aethos is not marketed as an endurance bike. This means that depending on your riding style and planned routes, you may find a dedicated endurance bike to be more suitable.
Is the Aethos a gravel bike?
No, this isn’t a gravel bike. The geometry and design are both tailored toward road riding, and aren’t well suited to rougher terrains as a result.
If you’re in the market for a gravel bike, check out one of these instead.
Is the Specialized Aethos legal?
With the UCI weight limit currently set at 6.8 kilograms and frame weights hovering around a kilogram (including the fork), it’s not hard to find Aethos builds that weigh in below the legal limit. A review by Road Bike Action gives a full build weight of 6.545kg for example, just below the regulation.
And while Specialized’s rebellious tone is impressive, unless you’re planning on competing in UCI sanctioned events, this low frame weight is unlikely to be much of a hindrance.
What is the max rider weight for a Specialized Aethos?
While Specialized doesn’t give this information on the Aethos product page, industry blogs give a max rider weight of 275lb, or just shy of 20 stone.
What is the ride quality of the Aethos?
The ride quality is often celebrated, with Aethos owners noting that the bike gives a smooth and comfortable ride. Here are a handful of reviews from Reddit to give a feel for the type of comments people make about this bike:
- “Rides like a dream” – Twostroke01
- “One of the most comfortable AND fastest bikes I’ve ever ridden” – crayonhotdog
- “Very stable in both low and high speed which feels unreal” – Phonektor
- “Love mine. Super light, super fast” – Accomplished_Duck337
It’s worth noting that a lot of people mention switching out the standard wheels in favour of something a little smoother: a possibility to consider when deciding what bike to buy.
What is the tyre clearance on a Specialized Aethos?
Aethos frames have 32mm of tyre clearance, giving you scope to switch to something bigger if your riding style requires it.
Is the Aethos lighter than the Tarmac?
The Specialized Tarmac is another road racing bike from Specialized. Many people considering the Aethos or Tarmac are curious about their relative weights, and we’re happy to report that the Aethos is definitely the lighter of the two.
Find out more about the Specialized Aethos
The Specialized Aethos is a road bike built on a relentless pursuit of rideability and performance. By challenging – and outright breaking – long-held assumptions about road bike design, Specialized has built a bike that performs beyond expectations.
If you have questions about the Specialized Aethos that we haven’t covered here, get in touch with our team and we’ll give you the info you need.
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