Specialized S-Works Aethos

Where do you go when you've created an all-rounder as stunningly capable as the Tarmac SL7? If you're Specialized then the answer is to create a whole new model from scratch - a classic lightweight road race bike, reimagined.

The S-Works Aethos is a skunk-works project come to life, ultralight and totally focused on handling and ride quality. With frame weights as low as 585g the weight may be what catches your eye first, but that's a happy side effect of a bike built for the joy of the ride.

Those elegant lines hide a huge amount of research and design work, using Specialized's stiffest, lightest FACT 12r carbon in a totally new layup, and drastically reducing the number of stiffness layers required without compromising on stiffness or strength.

The silhouette is understated and classic, with a threaded BB, 27.2mm seatpost and smooth lines free from gimmickry and superfluous detail. The Aethos is available in a range of complete builds. This top of the line S-Works model is also available as a frameset, to be custom built to your exact requirements, as we've done here.

photos by Bence Bujaki