Venge to Tarmac sl8 , upgrade or not?

[wheelsONfire]

The typical Specialized customer is pretty funny.
No matter what bike they get, they repeat what they read - how great this bike is (because they're told it is)

If they buy Venge they tell how great it is, but when they swap it out, they say things like it was too harsh.
But when me or anyone else suggest so we are "bad people" and plain wrong.
It doesn't matter if they as in later years go to SL7, because when they get the Tarmac ofcourse the Tarmac is the best bike.
But oh no, now it's a new Tarmac so i must have that. Again they are claiming that this bike is the very best.
But i swear, if a new Re:Venge would appear, same guys would post high and low of how great this bike is until the next Tarmac comes out (what's that SL9 or SL10) because then that will be better.
This has been the typical run and about since Venge and Tarmac appeared. It's like a phenomenon never ending.
(for the boys and girls, yes i am soon 50 so i have lived through the circus)

But hey, AERO IS EVERYTHING until we say Tarmac is more aero (because we can't admit we were wrong can we)

[ViperFFM]

This

[wolflikeme]

Having had a few thousand miles on the Venge, SL7, and SL8 I would say that the SL8 is the most comfortable ride between the three bikes. Venge may have felt marginally faster on the flats to my recollection but I also don't use the same wheels so it's not an apples to apples comparison. I will say the SL8 climbs like a dream which is not a sensation I remember having on the Venge.

[AJS914]

The typical Specialized customer is pretty funny.
No matter what bike they get, they repeat what they read - how great this bike is (because they're told it is)

But one could say the same for pretty much any $6,000 frameset. How many, aftering buying a new Colnago C68, would post that it's a piece of junk or doesn't live up to the hype?

It's the same with any high end frameset. Because the person chose it, it is awesome. Confirmation bias.

[wheelsONfire]

The typical Specialized customer is pretty funny.
No matter what bike they get, they repeat what they read - how great this bike is (because they're told it is)

But one could say the same for pretty much any $6,000 frameset. How many, aftering buying a new Colnago C68, would post that it's a piece of junk or doesn't live up to the hype?

It's the same with any high end frameset. Because the person chose it, it is awesome. Confirmation bias.

Well, not all tell all aero is everything, designing something like a Venge and then claiming SL8 is better.
Aero isn't everything when ride feel goes shit. I personally think the absolute BS marketing is Specialized. They're simply worst!

[ome rodriguez]

Their BS is working with good tour magazin test.

[cleanneon98]

Tour Magazine is not the end all be all of bikes, just because it rates highly in their scoring system doesn't mean everyone will or has to like how it rides or looks. Having briefly ridden an SL7 I felt it rode really harshly even compared to my pure aero bike, I can't imagine the SL8 is a big departure from that and for me ride comfort is more important for longer days than eeking out the last bit of stiffness and lightness for my casual non-racing use. Yes the acceleration off the line was better, but for my use case that doesn't matter because I'm not accelerating from a stop 100x per ride

However I'm sure the average SL8 buyer is an elite athlete who will totally make good use of the marginal improvements it offers over the SL7 and not just parrot Tour Magazine results at every opportunity

[ome rodriguez]

I really don't care about tour magazin tests. It's just that whenever there's a new bike everyone here's interested what tour scores.
Btw, I race and can hold my own so I know what's a fast bike.

[AJS914]

Well, not all tell all aero is everything, designing something like a Venge and then claiming SL8 is better.
Aero isn't everything when ride feel goes shit. I personally think the absolute BS marketing is Specialized. They're simply worst!

All bicycle companies market the shit out of their stuff. The new stuff is always the best ever - 'stiffer, lighter, more compliant'. We could also ask how carbon frames have been magically getting stiffer with every generation for 2-3 decades now.

A few friends have had Venges. They all loved the bikes. I never heard a single complaint. One friend "upgraded" to an SL7 and regretted it a little because in a larger size (61) it really didn't feel like much of an upgrade and the weight was very similar in the larger size.

[wolflikeme]

Tour Magazine is not the end all be all of bikes, just because it rates highly in their scoring system doesn't mean everyone will or has to like how it rides or looks. Having briefly ridden an SL7 I felt it rode really harshly even compared to my pure aero bike, I can't imagine the SL8 is a big departure from that and for me ride comfort is more important for longer days than eeking out the last bit of stiffness and lightness for my casual non-racing use. Yes the acceleration off the line was better, but for my use case that doesn't matter because I'm not accelerating from a stop 100x per ride

However I'm sure the average SL8 buyer is an elite athlete who will totally make good use of the marginal improvements it offers over the SL7 and not just parrot Tour Magazine results at every opportunity

IMO Tour is the most objective comparison resource we have available. It's not perfect and every bike will ride differently for every rider but oustide of riding every bike yourself it should at least provide some useful context. Tire, wheel, and pressure differences between bikes are going to account for a lot of the comfort difference you mentioned. Again, having owned a Venge, SL7, and SL8 my experience is that the SL8 is the most comfortable on the same setup as the SL7 otherwise they are pretty much the same.

[wolflikeme]

The typical Specialized customer is pretty funny.
No matter what bike they get, they repeat what they read - how great this bike is (because they're told it is)

But one could say the same for pretty much any $6,000 frameset. How many, aftering buying a new Colnago C68, would post that it's a piece of junk or doesn't live up to the hype?

It's the same with any high end frameset. Because the person chose it, it is awesome. Confirmation bias.

Well, not all tell all aero is everything, designing something like a Venge and then claiming SL8 is better.
Aero isn't everything when ride feel goes shit. I personally think the absolute BS marketing is Specialized. They're simply worst!

You realize that marketing and consumer tastes aren't stagnant right ? And that manufacturers can actual improve things over time ? Specialized started Aeroiseverything a decade ago and you're complaining about it in 2024.

[wheelsONfire]

The typical Specialized customer is pretty funny.
No matter what bike they get, they repeat what they read - how great this bike is (because they're told it is)

But one could say the same for pretty much any $6,000 frameset. How many, aftering buying a new Colnago C68, would post that it's a piece of junk or doesn't live up to the hype?

It's the same with any high end frameset. Because the person chose it, it is awesome. Confirmation bias.

Well, not all tell all aero is everything, designing something like a Venge and then claiming SL8 is better.
Aero isn't everything when ride feel goes shit. I personally think the absolute BS marketing is Specialized. They're simply worst!

You realize that marketing and consumer tastes aren't stagnant right ? And that manufacturers can actual improve things over time ? Specialized started Aeroiseverything a decade ago and you're complaining about it in 2024.

I have been consistent over years when it comes to BS. Specialized is king here....