S -WORKS + McLAREN VENG E
S-WORKS + McLAREN VENGE = WINNING FORMULA THIS STORY BEGAN ALMOST FIVE YEARS AGO WHEN I WAS TEST-RIDING A MODIFIED TRANSITION: I WAS JUST TESTING BRAKES ON THE TRANSITION—BUILT WITH DROP BARS LIKE A ROAD BIKE—AND WAS BLOWN AWAY BY THE SPEED. THAT’S WHEN I REALIZED HOW FAST A ROAD BIKE COULD BE. WE KNEW WITH OUR EXPERTISE MAKING THE WORLD’S FASTEST ROAD, TT, AND TRI BIKES, WE COULD ACHIEVE THE WINNING FORMULA OF LIGHT WEIGHT, TORSIONAL STIFFNESS, AND STEALTHY AERODYNAMICS. WE BEGAN WORK ON A PROTOTYPE, AND IN AUGUST 2009 OUR FIRST TEST FRAMES WERE READY. FOLLOWING ATHLETE AND WIND TUNNEL TESTING, WE CONTINUED TO LEARN, INNOVATE, AND REDESIGN. OVER A YEAR LATER WE FINALLY HAD A FRAME THAT DID IT ALL: THE VENGE IS TRULY A NO-COMPROMISE ROAD BIKE. TRADITIONAL AERO ROAD BIKES SACRIFICE SIGNIFICANTLY IN WEIGHT AND STIFFNESS, BUT WE REFUSED TO COMPROMISE. IT’S LIKE OUR APPROACH WHEN WE CREATED THE ROUBAIX: WE UNDERSTOOD THAT RIDERS NEEDED INCREASED COMPLIANCE WITHOUT SACRIFICING HIGH PERFORMANCE IN SPECIFIC CONDITIONS AND RACES. THREE CONSECUTIVE WINS AT PARIS-ROUBAIX PROVES WE NAILED IT. VENGE’S WEIGHT NUMBERS AND STIFFNESS AND WATTAGE TESTING ALL CONFIRM THAT WE HAVE ONCE AGAIN ACHIEVED SOMETHING THAT HAD NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE—A UCI-LEGAL MACHINE THAT’S MORE BIKE THAN AERO. THIS NEW PLATFORM NEATLY FILLS A NICHE IN OUR LINE OF ROAD BIKES. TARMAC REMAINS THE MAINSTAY OF OUR ROAD RACING COLLECTION—NOTHING IS LIGHTER AND STIFFER. VENGE IS A NEW PREMIUM OPTION, IDEAL FOR CERTAIN RACES AND CERTAIN RACERS, BASED ON RACE-DAY CONDITIONS AND RIDER PREFERENCES. THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE VENGE ALSO AWARDED US THE PERFECT OPPORTUNITY TO PURSUE A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE LEGENDARY TEAM BASED AT THE McLAREN TECHNOLOGY CENTRE—HOME OF McLAREN F1™ RACING AND THE NEW MP4-12C SUPERCAR. WITH THEIR 30 YEARS OF EXPERTISE IN COMPOSITE TECHNOLOGY, WE COULD PUSH THE EXISTING BOUNDARIES OF DESIGN AND ENGINEERING. WHILE THE S-WORKS VENGE HAD ALREADY EXCEEDED EXPECTATIONS (AND SURPASSED THE COMPETITION IN TESTING), TOGETHER WE COULD IMPROVE THE STIFFNESS-TO-WEIGHT RATIO, WHILE LEARNING FROM EACH OTHER ALONG THE WAY. OVER THE PAST YEAR, SPECIALIZED AND McLAREN ENGINEERS EMPLOYED MATERIALS, FABRICATION PROCESSES, AND EXHAUSTIVE LAYUP SCHEDULES NEVER BEFORE USED IN THE CYCLING WORLD. THE RESULTS ARE SIMPLY STUNNING.
CAMBERED AIRFOIL X-SECTION SEATSTAYS TAPERED HEAD / STEERER TUBES
WEIGHT + STIFFNESS + AER0 VENGE: COMPLETE PERFORMANCE THROUGH THE WINNING FORMULA OF WEIGHT, STIFFNESS, AND AERODYNAMICS.
ONE-PIECE BB / CHAINSTAY
BRAD PAQUIN / SPECIALIZED BICYCLE COMPONENTS THE WINNING FORMULA
TIMELINE
2006
MACCA WINS KONA ON A TRANSITION
BJARNE RIIS TEST RIDES SL2 AND TRANSITION; SHIV PROJECT BEGINS
CHRIS & ROBERT SHOW BONDO MODEL OF SHIV TO RIIS; BEGIN CFD AND FEA STUDIES
OCTOBER
JUNE
AUGUST
2007
2008
2008
2008
2008
2008
JULY
MAY
JULY
SEPTEMBER
CHRIS D’ALUISIO RIDES MODIFIED TRANSITION — IDEA FOR VENGE IS BORN
FIRST BONDO MODEL OF VENGE BUILT BY CHRIS D’ALUISIO & ROBERT EGGER, BASED ON TRANSITION — KNOWN BY WORKING NAME (SR10)
POWER TEST / WT TEST OF TRANSITION VS TARMAC SL2 AT LOWE’S MOTOR SPEEDWAY
SHIV IN WIND TUNNEL AT UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON; CORRELATION WITH CFD RESULTS
CHRIS D’ALUISIO TALKS ABOUT VENGE DEVELOPMENT
SR10 PAVES WAY FOR VENGE
TIMELINE
2008
D’ALUISIO AND CALLAHAN RESUME 3D CAD WORK ON VENGE; DESIGN PHASE BEGINS
FIRST VENGE FRAMES COMPLETE, PRESENTED TO UCI; DESIGN REJECTED; REDESIGN BEGINS
JANUARY
AUGUST
2009
2009
2009
TEAM SAXO BANK’S FIRST LOOK
D’ALUISIO PRESENTS VENGE TO SAXO BANK
JANUARY
2009
2010
2010
NOVEMBER
MARCH
SEPTEMBER
FEBRUARY
A2 WIND TUNNEL TRIP; POWER TESTING AT LOWE’S MOTOR SPEEDWAY
McLAREN APPROACHES SPECIALIZED REGARDING FUTURE COLLABORATION
CANCELLARA WINS FIRST TT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ON A SHIV
A2 WIND TUNNEL TRIP RESULTS IN “EUREKA” MOMENT FOR CAMBERED, AIRFOIL X-SECTION SEATSTAYS; DRAFTING TESTS TO VALIDATE AERO EFFECTS WHILE DRAFTING IN THE PELOTON
VENGE IN THE WIND TUNNEL
TIMELINE CANCELLARA WINS SECOND TT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ON SHIV
SEPTEMBER
2010
2010
2010
ATHLETE POWER-TEST VENGE ON TRACK IN MILAN
CAVENDISH AND SBC TEAM VISIT McLAREN; POWER TEST IN MILAN
NOVEMBER
JANUARY
2010
2010
2011
2011
JULY
OCTOBER
DECEMBER
MARCH 17TH
McLAREN COLLABORATION BEGINS ON S-WORKS + McLAREN VENGE
MACCA WINS IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ON SHIV
CAVENDISH RIDES VENGE AND DECLARES, “I LOVE IT!”
MACCA WINS HAWAII ON SHIV
CAV LOVES IT
S-WORKS + McLAREN VENGE PROTOTYPE PREMIERS AT MILAN SAN REMO, RACED BY SELECT ATHLETES FROM HTC-HIGHROAD, SAXO BANK, AND ASTANA
TECHNOLOGY S-WORKS + McLAREN VENGE
WEIGHT FRAME MODULE SYSTEM WEIGHT FRAME / FORK / SEATPOST / CRANKSET
2012 S-WORKS + McLAREN VENGE
2071
2012 S-WORKS VENGE
2179
2011 CERVELO S3
2332
2010 RIDLEY NOAH
2500
2011 FELT AR1
2588 2000
2100
2200
2300
2400
2500
2 600
AFTER 45 YEARS OF DEVELOPING THE WORLD’S FASTEST FORMULA 1™ CARS AND SUPERCARS LIKE THE NEW MP4-12C, WE ASKED McLAREN IF THEY COULD TAKE OUR S-WORKS VENGE — ALREADY IN A CLASS BY ITSELF — TO WEIGHT AND STIFFNESS NUMBERS PREVIOUSLY UNIMAGINABLE FOR A HIGHLY AERODYNAMIC FRAME. THROUGH FEA OPTIMIZATION, AND CUSTOM SOFTWARE NORMALLY EMPLOYED IN F1™ DEVELOPMENT, THEY WERE ABLE TO DESIGN LAYUP SCHEDULES AND FABRICATION METHODS RESULTING IN 15% BETTER OPTIMIZED TUBE SETS THAN ANYTHING PREVIOUSLY SEEN IN CYCLING. INDIVIDUAL PLY PATTERNS WERE DESIGNED TO ELIMINATE OVERLAP, SHAVING GRAMS WITH EVERY PLY. THESE PLIES WERE THEN CUT USING COMPUTERIZED CNC FABRIC CUTTERS TO FURTHER MINIMIZE EXCESS MATERIAL.
MODULE WEIGHT (G)
ANOTHER McLAREN ADVANCEMENT BORROWED FROM F1™ ALLOWED US ELIMINATE AN ENTIRE PLY OF NON-STRUCTURAL LAMINATE, WHICH USUALLY COATS THE INSIDE THE FRAME TO FACILITATE MANDREL REMOVAL AFTER LAYUP. WITH THIS LAYER NO LONGER NECESSARY, McLAREN WAS ABLE TO SAVE APPROXIMATELY 40 GRAMS MORE. DUNCAN BRADLEY / McLAREN APPLIED TECHNOLOGIES EXPLAINS McLAREN’S ROLE IN THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS
PRECISE CARBON PLIES
TAPERED HEAD / STEERER TUBE
STIFFNESS THE TARGET NUMBERS FOR TORSIONAL STIFFNESS — EQUIVALENT TO THE SL3 — WERE EXTRAORDINARY CONSIDERING THE BIKE’S AERO PROFILE. THE EXTREMELY PRECISE PLIES CREATED BY McLAREN’S ENGINEERS ALLOWED US TO REALIZE THESE GOALS VIA AN EXHAUSTIVE LAYUP SCHEDULE. AS THEY PUT IT, “THE MORE ACCURATELY CUT PLIES COULD BE PLACED MORE PRECISELY.” A POSITIONING OR DIRECTIONAL TWEAK OF A FEW MILLIMETERS ON ANY GIVEN PLY DIRECTLY RELATES TO IMPROVED STIFFNESS, ALLOWING EACH PLY TO BE METICULOUSLY PINPOINTED ACCORDING TO THEORETICAL WEIGHT AND STIFFNESS COMPUTER MODELS. JONATHAN HEAL / McLAREN RACING EXPLAINS LAYUP SCHEDULE OF VENGE
BOTTOM BRACKET
BB / CHAINSTAY OUR CHAINSTAYS, BOTTOM BRACKET, AND SEAT TUBE ARE CONSTRUCTED AS ONE PIECE, WITH CONTINUOUS FIBER ALIGNMENT AND INTERNAL RIBBING IN CRITICAL AREAS. THIS PROPRIETARY DESIGN MAXIMIZES STIFFNESS TO RESIST DEFLECTION UNDER EXTREME PEDAL LOADS, IMPROVING POWER TRANSFER. PLUS, THE FULL-CARBON BB ELIMINATES EXTRA MATERIALS FOR THE STIFFEST, LIGHTEST INTERFACE WITH THE CRANKSET.
STIFFNESS TO WEIGHT TORSION ((N*m/deg)/Kg)
2011 FELT AR1
56.4
2011 CERVELO S3
68.0
2010 RIDLEY NOAH
77.2
2012 S-WORKS VENGE
80.4
2012 S-WORKS + McLAREN VENGE TORSION
ONE-PIECE BB / CHAINSTAY
40
45
50
55
60
65
89.7 70
75
80
85
90
1-1/8” UPPER
STEERER ASSEMBLY TAPERED HEAD / STEERER TUBES
1-3/8” LOWER
OUR STRATEGICALLY DESIGNED HEAD TUBE/STEERER ASSEMBLY TAPERS FROM 1-1/8” TO 1-3/8” AT THE CROWN FOR MAXIMUM TORSIONAL STIFFNESS, AND CURVES IN AT THE WAIST FOR A NARROW PROFILE TO MINIMIZE DRAG. A GRADUAL TRANSITION OF CARBON FIBER FROM TOP TO BOTTOM ELIMINATES THE POTENTIAL FOR WEAK SPOTS DUE TO SHARP ANGLES (CARBON IS AT ITS BEST WHEN IT KEEPS A SMOOTH LINE).
AERODYNAMICS CAMBERED AIRFOIL X-SECTION SEATSTAYS TO OPTIMIZE THE CROSSWIND AERODYNAMICS OF THE SEATSTAYS WITHOUT SACRIFICING STIFFNESS, WE DEVELOPED THE CAMBERED AIRFOIL X-SECTION SEATSTAYS. THESE AIRPLANE WING-SHAPED STAYS FEATURE A FLAT OUTER SURFACE AND A SMOOTH, ROUNDED INNER SURFACE TO CALM CROSSWIND AIRFLOW BEFORE IT PASSES BY THE WHEELS. PLUS, SINCE CYCLISTS MOST OFTEN FACE CROSSWINDS (APPROXIMATELY 15% YAW ON AVERAGE), WE’VE SLIGHTLY CAMBERED THE STAYS TO ALLOW WIND TO HIT DIRECTLY ON THE LEADING EDGE OF THE UPWIND STAY. THIS MINIMIZES AIR DISTURBANCE AND WRAPS AIRFLOW AROUND THE STAY AND SMOOTHLY OUT THE BACK. MARK COTE / PRODUCT MANAGER/AERODYNAMICIST TALKS ABOUT AERO QUALITIES OF VENGE
X-SECTION SEATSTAYS
374 351 POWER VS. SPEED TRACK TESTING ON INDOOR VELODROME
350
251
2012 S-WORKS VENGE 2011 S-WORKS TARMAC SL3
176
273
300 250
188
200
122 42
45
72
76
150
118
100 50
RIDING SPEED
20 KPH
25 KPH
30 KPH
35 KPH
40 KPH
45 KPH
00
RIDER POWER OUTPUT (W)
SEATPOST REVERSIBLE / ADJUSTABLE CARBON SEATPOST THE BLADED CARBON SEATPOST OPTIMIZES AERODYNAMICS AND IS COMPLETELY UCI-LEGAL. A 10MM SETBACK IS BUILT IN—WHEN COMBINED WITH ANGLE OF THE SEAT TUBE, THIS BECOMES EITHER A 20MM TOTAL SETBACK OR 0MM, DEPENDING ON MOUNTING DIRECTION. THIS ALLOWS RIDERS TO DIAL THEIR POSITION DEPENDING ON THE DAY’S EVENT. PLUS, UNLIKE SEATMAST-STYLE POSTS, OURS ALLOWS A WIDE RANGE OF VERTICAL ADJUSTABILITY WITHOUT NEEDING TO CUT IT DOWN.
SEATPOST FLIPS
FACT CARBON AIRFOIL FORK LIKE MOST AERO BIKES, OUR 4TH GENERATION, UCI-LEGAL, X-SECTION AIRFOIL CARBON FORK USES 3:1 SHAPING. BUT WHAT SETS OURS APART IS THE STRAIGHT PROFILE. THE X-SECTION FORK BLADES PRESENT A NARROW EDGE TO THE WIND, AND RUN IN A STRAIGHT LINE FROM CROWN TO DROPOUTS, OPTIMIZING LATERAL STIFFNESS OVER TRADITIONAL CURVED FORKS FOR IMPROVED HANDLING. AN ULTRALIGHT CARBON LAYUP KEEPS THE WEIGHT TO A MINIMUM ON THE HOLLOW DROPOUTS AND BLADES. THE DROPOUTS ARE CO-MOLDED WITH STEEL INSERTS FOR DURABILITY.
3:1 X-SECTION
INTERGRATED TOP CAP
INTEGRATED TOP CAP THE MOST MINUTE DETAILS DIDN’T ESCAPE US. THE INTEGRATED TOP CAP TURNS WITH THE STEERER TUBE AND CURVES GRACEFULLY INTO A BEVEL IN THE TOP TUBE FOR SEAMLESS INTERFACE AND SMOOTHER AIRFLOW.
TOP TUBE ROUTING
INTERNAL CABLE ROUTING FULL INTERNAL CABLE ROUTING FOR BRAKE AND SHIFTER CABLES ON ALL FRAMES MAINTAINS THE CLEANEST LINES FOR OPTIMAL AERODYNAMICS, WHILE ALSO KEEPING GRIT AND GRIME FROM AFFECTING SHIFTING AND BRAKING PERFORMANCE. CABLES ARE ROUTED FROM THE HANDLEBARS THROUGH THE FRAME AND EXIT AT THE TOP TUBE, BB, AND CHAINSTAY, AND ROUTING IS COMPATIBLE WITH STANDARD AND ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS.
CABLE ROUTING
DOWN TUBE / BB ROUTING
S-WORKS + McLAREN
VENGE