SL8 vs SL7 vs Venge | Ultimate Specialized Showdown!

[@JayLato]

Asking a Specialized ambassador if the new bike is better than the old bike.

[@DaveCM]

I'm having a bit of trouble with it too. He is saying that his position is less aero but was still faster. I'm not an expert, but from everything I've ever read, position matters much more than the bike itself. And the extremely small gain from the frame I doubt will offset a less aero position. People keep claiming the gains are huge. They are actually small.

[@LOGICAL-JAY]

Exactly 💯..he's just going to give his bias reviews..we need a rider off the streets that know how the SL7 feels vs the newer SL8 & who doesn't work for specialized..

[@jeffe.3453]

My thoughts exactly, this is like GCN doing a bike review and you see in the thumbnail that it's an ad for the brand. All these top tier models are still over priced IMO and to be honest the way I ride I'm not going to eek out the advantages. I'd rather work on my positioning and gain more from that than spending over $14K.

[@volkervoit]

Thanks, stopped watching after this comment 😅

[@czts4778]

The difference is the weight and small aero gain.

[@JogBird]

for price comparison, you should have used the launch price, they raised prices by 25% since launch and scaled it back by .5%... woohoo what a deal

[@LewLew18]

I’m a Specialised fan boy but even I’m getting a bit overwhelmed with KZbin channels making such over stated claims on how good the new SL8 is… they’re making out the SL8 should have won every pro race it’s entered so far with dramatic ease! Don’t be fooled people…😊

[@TeoSluga]

I think that they should focus on that new handlebar... I think it makes all the difference. So... put that handlebar on a different bike and check the results....

[@kevindauner6972]

@@TeoSluga 4 watts faster

[@TeoSluga]

@@kevindauner6972 which is exactly "16 seconds quicker over the 40km" as Specialized claims for the entire bike... Don't forget that Specialized needed to change the headset design due to many issues reported on the SL7 model (so changing that area for aero benefits is not the true/entire story).

[@ifp123]

A good morning 💩 makes me 4.25 watts faster.

[@glennoc8585]

@@kevindauner6972 4 watts is so small it about half the power used in the cheapest led bike headlight.

[@DurianriderCyclingTips]

Very objective test. We know wind speed and direction always stays the same when we ride the same road at different times...

[@BrianAndTheBike]

Objective as you hunting down minors in your area

[@johntrussell7228]

Is anyone ever going to do a video with the SL8 Pro?

[@tomrachellesfirstdance7843]

To be fair he is going to say the sl8 is best being an ambassador, sales people never lie about their own products, He isn't going to say the discontinued venge is the fastest is he.

[@ssenssel]

All of them shills...

[@silvercat7328]

Punter here, coming from a 7 (masters 50+ sat on 170 BC points). The 8 is as he describes, to me comfort is more noticeable. Feels shaper than the 6 (rim) & “feels” faster than my old Venge (2019). Really pleased with it.

[@mayalman]

Have not ridden the sl8 but the SL7 is an exceptional bike.

[@markmcinnes8244]

Difference is the SL7 won Gold at the 2023 Women's road race world champs, and the SL8 won Silver 🤪

[@dkelly7159]

She swapped her SL8 for her SL7 just before the finish 😂

[@louis1904]

My SL6 5.8 Kg with Lightweight Obermayer, powermeter and pedals! Best bike ever!

[@tomaxxxx536]

nothing different unless you are a super pro riding huge miles

[@ifp123]

Cyclists should avoid buying any 2024 bike of any brand for 1 full year, until companies lower all prices dramatically. Bikes are not worth half that of a car. I've have 5 Cervelos, 2 Specialized, and 1 Giant in the past 13 years, and down to just 1 after coming to my senses.

[@andrewlabat9963]

This kind of sounds like marketing.. Well, because it is marketing, so take all said here with a big pinch of salt..

[@oftankoftan]

I'd love to see Cycling Weekly's finances. Wouldn't be surprised if they're on someone's payroll....

[@andrewlabat9963]

@martinboson His first review was spot on, but Specialized must have called threatening to cut them off, so this came just a few days later.. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@Swoop10]

The price comparison was very dodgy the sl7 expert was £5500 not £7250, so the sl8 is £500 more.

[@BryanSmith518]

If someone actually wanted to buy one of these is it a 24 month wait? Seems like only the KZbin “influencers” are the only ones that can get their paws on a new bike nowadays…

[@walterhofer937]

Internally routed cables in the handlebars, stem and head tube, non-round seat posts: thank you no.

[@markrskinner]

GCN don't do reviews. And this isn't one either. But I guess neither of them really claim they are reviews, I'll give them that.

[@batfed]

Is very similar at the SL 6 S-works White

[@fabianbv82]

What about comparing the new SL8 vs SL6?

[@norevlimitr1602]

Reverse mullet. Party in the front, business in the back.

[@RoquetteAttaquer]

Nahhhh, still overpriced, I sold my venge and bought the Canyon Aeroad MVDP edition with Dura Ace group set. I’m happy 😊

[@MJarthur95]

Much faster and stiffer bike, you did yourself a favour

[@volkervoit]

@@MJarthur95 you can provide any evidence that a canyon Aeroad is faster than a Venge? Curious to see data 🤔

[@MJarthur95]

@@volkervoit it wasn’t hard to find the die hard Specialized “Venge” fans 🤣… The data of the “aero and stiffness” claims of both Aeroad and Venge can be found online, compare both and voila (this can be done for every bike). In all seriousness the only data this can be based on is the data provided by the manufacturers and some 3th parties as SwissSide etc. So at the end of the day everything has to be taken with a grain of salt.

[@volkervoit]

@@MJarthur95 That’s why i would never claim one bike to be faster than one from another brand as there is basically zero comparable testing done. And yes I do love my Venge :-) no matter if its faster or slower than another bike.

[@chrisbinch800]

Any chance of an independent review?

[@lcisso8584]

The reason why I like S-work is because it still uses round frame works lol love old sch!

[@stal5406]

The only way this video could come across credible is if the guy said there is no difference.

[@kieranocallaghan1164]

This video should be advertised as an advertisement. As a brand ambassador is giving his opinion this is a biased video. CW is not GCN. I would have expected CW to do your own independent testing.

[@jasonorgan499]

Nice video with a real world context. Good job.

[@falcoperegrinus82]

Other than to show off or for clout whoring on social media, there is zero reason to buy a bike this expensive.

[@marcinstyle85]

Every bike for free is always great .....:0)

[@nicholastopley7611]

Why not do a proper real-world comparison by riding each for 5km in random order three times on a racing circuit with hills, then aggregating all the data. Nonsense that the Venge is an uncomfortable bike, I have an S-Works Venge and an S-Works SL7 and they are both equally comfortable with my setup.

[@dannb0dge]

Agreed. Comfort is very personal. I'm not sure how one person can say one is more or less comfortable than the other and have that correlate amongst other people.

[@nicholastopley7611]

@@dannb0dge Yes, it depends on many things not least, saddle, bib shorts, and in my case age! I've done 10,000km on both Venge and Tarmac and I think the Venge edges it over all conditions. Its NOT generalisable.

[@rg807]

What taillight was on the bike? I have the Lupine under saddle light, which is great, but the bracket it connects is pretty clunky.

[@8rk]

Came for the comparison, left after 5 seconds of screeching background noise

[@robertphillips3078]

Xcellent Assessment of the ×3 bikes. Had the opportunity 2 purchase a Venge Sworks a few years ago & glad l didnt. Have a Expert SL5 Speced up with 12 di2 ultegra groupset Aerofly 2 carbon bars & Roval Rapide CLX 32 mm climbing wheels. 6/7 months ago l purchased a SL7 S-WORKS with Dura Ace 12speed groupset & 1st edition CLX Roval Rapide 51/60 Wheelset . with fsa carbon bbars . Just had an SL8 S-WORKS with 1at generation of CLX Roval Rapide CLX 51/60 wheels ( last brand new set available anywhere ) Dura Ace 12 speed Roval Cockpit ( narrower have gone for 40cm ) waiting 4 the Time Xpro 15 Pedals. Have oversized pulley wheels on all ×3 bikes . Titanium / Ceramic from ATIA Australia. Have the printed power saddle on all ×3 bikes comfort . Ride away weight with computer mout , carbon bottle cages & pedals is 6.736 kilos . Looking 4ward 2 riding it in a shop ride next Saturday

[@Bradbajc]

7:03 4kmh faster than the SL7 lolol bs

[@jeffreyb.1657]

Video is marketing blubber. CW fails to show the actual data....the 8 is 7 seconds faster (but we don't know the power output being done.........) Most of us use seat tube bottles.......and? ' The video is couched in reasonableness but if you look closely, the key data are not shared. So, not valid. FYI.

[@mitchellsteindler]

I dont think it was done with malice. I think they just didn't think to share every detail.

[@azk_182]

The title is clickbait, no measured data shown

[@metatron-007]

It is a Team Replica. It is a Team Replica. It is a Team Replica. It is a Team Replica. It is a Team Replica. It is a Team Replica. It is a Team Replica.

[@yeah-na]

I'm still sticking with mt 230£ cannondale cad 7 in Saeco colors

[@roadglide]

The fitter the faster.

[@Hawk-qn2zk]

The guest looked like he wanted to be somewhere else 😂

[@anon7684]

Got a home alone text from his girl right before the video

[@glennoc8585]

I've got one specialised bike, 2019 diverge and I find the quality and ride very good. I own an Emonda and a Chinese aero frame bike from 2018. The genetic Chinese frame bike is still my fastest feeling bike albeit very harsh on rough roads. I'm sure the sl8 is a great frame set but unfortunately the price is up there.

[@dkelly7159]

They're all Chinese frames😉

[@glennoc8585]

@@dkelly7159 yes and no. The frames are constructed in china but often to the companies drawings and specifications. Specialised outsource but have their own management team directly involved in China. The cheapest frames are often made by the same manufacturers to their own designs and sold as open mold. Sometimes the factory engineers in china and Taiwan approach the big names with their own design and sometimes they buy that way. The carbon is sourced from Japan at the high end with some Chinese made prepreg being used now in handlebars, saddles, stem and forks.

[@Pilgrim13090]

What a joke 😂 who is this guy really ? An spe should ambassador ! And the bike is awesome of course he is an ambassador, and not a very good actor if you ask me !

[@jbaairways2763]

Great video, but you barely showed any info on looks, the SL8 is way uglier than the SL7 and venge.

[@Yalsti]

Hope cafe ppl managed to reposition all cutlery and cups during this 14 mins

[@12Okmtonl]

he looks way more on the SL8 with the higher stack and bent elbows. Don't slam your stem guys.

[@marksmithWLC]

Great comparison. Thank you!

[@lorenzodestefano4043]

Don't see how this bike can be better than a Tcr or a Bianchi Specialissima...

[@Vitone22]

Don’t buy upgrades-ride them!

[@Cyclist-o6e]

New Specialized 🥱

[@CowneloAlvaroid]

4:19 What are "power saddles"?

[@falcoperegrinus82]

Specialized's short-nosed saddles.

[@dogukanak3489]

What size is the SL8 on the video? How tall is the ambassador :) ?

[@departurexx1520]

Lots of BS on SL8. Just witness a rider in my group riding the SL8, I don't see him improved on his ride thought.

[@rayshardy7625]

well said😂😂😂

[@datdudeinred]

Thanks for reminding me why I unsubscribed 😂

[@mitchellsteindler]

The "s" sounds almost made my ears bleed. A little sound editing needed!

[@etistours6650]

Great test and interview. Lovely dream bike.

[@user-cx2bk6pm2f]

Nothing screams "bad life choices" than an armful of scattered tattoos.

[@walterhofer937]

Marketing BS.

[@adrian21090]

You can surely do better than this Cycling Weekly!

[@marcinstyle85]

20-22 miles/h that is my normal average speed on fairly hilly route 50 km long in my area where Im living on my heavy 7years old giant propel for £2500 :))))) so no thanks I will pass

[@marcinstyle85]

Put on those 3 bikes random amateur rider then you will see the real results 🤣🤮

[@robertwhyte3435]

If you're a brand ambassador and you can't honestly give a good review, you just don't say anything. I don't doubt for a second anything the man said.

[@goranvulic4791]

One SL8 as a gift please, thanks

[@robertphillips3078]

Questions guys , what tyre pressures were u running during this Test please. Xcellent chat & insight in2 these ×3 Bikes

[@JoseLCiclista]

But which one looks better? Last place goes to SL8 😂

[@gomezea2]

it's just marketing, that is the same bike with a different model name!

[@paulosullivan3991]

Top class Great interview Real in-depth information 147 maxi

[@jean-pierredawance8332]

Can you confirm the SL8 geometry is the same as the Aethos (seen on the Specialized website)?

[@johntrussell7228]

No but you can, just look at the charts online.

[@lazyac_]

how much SL6 weight?

[@DVLSENGN]

"Science"

[@mikelohmeyer4140]

I know I will probably make some people angry but all of this is bulshit. The only way to tell if one bike is better than any other bike on the planet is to put it in a wind tunnel and you some highfalutin computer to tell you the answer. Whatever the computer tells you is a fact from that point on nothing matters once you're out on the open road with your competitors either you have heart lungs and legs or you lose.

[@dkelly7159]

Give it to Hambini and we'll find out how aero it really it is. Unless your scared of the truth that is 😂

[@evanjohn503]

'real Ghetto testing ' ??? on a dual carriageway? Some people are still walking and talking in the school playground even though they're 40+ - perspective?

[@joharimohd6390]

What a dissapointing 'review' from Cycling weekly which is normally has more balanced honest reviews of bikes. More like marketing hype you would expect from GCN

[@DurianriderCyclingTips]

Sugar free coke = no respectable power was put out that day lol.

[@GatorDevastator]

Oh my God i must buy new s-works 😂😂😂😂🤮🤮🤮

[@crazyjoedavola9002]

Why is this guy so annoyed 😅

[@BrianAndTheBike]

Can you replace the presenter, i don't know if it's trying to sell me a bike or some curry. Jokes aside, no carisma, no criticism over brands, what's the point.