As the S-Works Venge went on to dominate the sprints of the 2018 Tour de France, Specialized’s Venge pro lay in wait – biding its time before this week’s big reveal. The second-tier entry to the super-aero 2019 Venge range, the Pro has all the same race-winning geometry and innovation that powered Sagan and Gaviria to a handful of Tour de France stage wins, but at a fraction of the cost.
Pro by name, pro by nature
With the same, race-winning frame as its S-Works sibling and flashy Shimano Ultegra Di2 taking care of the drivetrain department, this is a bike built to dominate races. It may be a step down from the very pinnacle of the range, but it is by no means middle-of-the-road.
Like the S-Works, the new Pro comes with the same 11r carbon fibre frameset, Specialized’s lightest and stiffest aero frame to date. Shaving 240g from the outgoing Venge ViAS frame, as well as weight savings made on other components, the new Venge Pro boasts a massive 460g saving from its ViAS ancestor.
Such a stiff and light frame makes acceleration feel instantaneous. As soon as the rider rises from the saddle, the Pro responds and instantly kicks up the speed. Specialized’s unique Rider-First Engineered tubes help to maintain this instantaneous and responsive feel across the wide array of sizes, meaning every rider is treated to the same, supreme ride-feel.
While we focused our efforts on the weight savings with the new Venge, trying to close the gap between our aero range and super-light Tarmac models, aero enhancements were certainly not forgotten. Using cutting edge coding technology to construct a lexicon of a FreeFoil Shapes, the new Venge Pro is a slim, but significant, 8 seconds faster over 40km in Win Tunnel testing.
Such a professional looking piece of kit is sure to be equipped with some of the most elite, proven race-winning extras. Super-responsive hydraulic disc brakes, carbon fibre Roval CL 50 Disc wheels and the same S-Works Turbo tyres that propelled Peter Sagan to World Championship glory all feature.
Big budget savings
While the Venge Pro may not shave any weight from its elite S-Works sibling, it does save a massive £3,250 – we’re not talking small change here. The framesets of the two bikes are identical so they come in at the exact same weight, but the entire builds themselves only have a small, 350g difference between them. So where exactly do the big budget savings come from?
Well, in order to chop off a giant £3,250 from the overall price tag, Specialized have done away with their flashy CeramicSpeed bearings, the Pro opting for the regular, super-reliable Specialized bearings. Ceramic bearings have also been removed from the wheelsets, the Pro equipped with the just-as-deep-and-aero Roval CL50 Disc wheels instead of the CLX50 wheels.
The rest of the saving then comes from the groupset, with Shimano Ultegra Di2 replacing the range-topping Dura-Ace Di2 – a tiny performance difference in a trade for one gigantic saving in price. The rest of the build is much the same, the Pro featuring the new Aerofly II cockpit – an integrated front-end to the bike that hides all cables and hoses from the wind while improving accessibility for any mechanical changes.
One final feature that sets the Pro apart from the S-Works is its iridescent decals, a unique signature that distinguishes this bike from any other in Specialized’s aero range – not to mention it also makes it devilishly handsome.
If you’re not too precious when it comes to saving grams, then the Pro may just be the perfect bike for you. Make sure you view the rest of the Venge range here, there’s a model for just about everyone, especially if you’re one of those speed-hungry racing types.
