Earlier today I came across a video review of a Specialized S-Works Aethos 2021 road bike. It looked nice -- a sophisticated paint job, clean lines, and the reviewer said it was straightforward -- round tube shapes, no special integrated stem or bars. Just a road bike, taking the geometry and ride feel of a Specialized Tarmac and putting it in a much more approachable form, for non-racers. Of course, it is super lightweight, under 15 lbs. I was thinking ... wow, this looks really nice and, if I were to get another carbon road bike someday, maybe it would be a contender.
Then I heard the pricetag.
$1250.
No, wait a minute. Add another zero.
$12500.
So they stripped the Tarmac down to something minimal and relatively basic, that you can repair yourself, ... but kept the pricetag.
Ouch. No thank you.
I'd like to applaud Specialized for their sale of this fred sled. Ditto for their high-priced rivals: Pinarello, Colnago, whatever.
ReplyDeleteAll things being equal, the more money that undertaxed, rich idiots pay for such toys, the less they'll have left over for buying overpowered cars, which are considerably more destructive.
(That the frames are plastic and breakable adds a certain comic bonus.)