You couldnt get a more nostalgic bike to capture the rim brake era then this bike right here..... from the mechanical dura ace 11 speed, the osbb 30 platform, the zipp 404 rim brake.... such a nice bike
Rim brakes lives matter. All the mechanics I know laugh at customers who buy disc brakes because they know customers will be back in the shop with disc brakes problems which means more money for the shop. I have had 8 bikes all rim brake and I have never had a issue. Disc Brake maintenance is too work and is expensive and time consuming. With rim brakes it is all about riding and having fun
The wheel manufacturers are moving to disc only wheels so Rim brake wheelsets are a thing of the past. I switched to disc and the performance is much better.
Disc brakes are a bad thing either way cause it takes a longtime to change wheels/tyres as it has already been seen in competitions. There is a reason why they have to have whole bikes ready instead of just wheels like in the past that were swapped in a few seconds on road bikes with rim brakes.
Bought an orange 2016 last year fully decked out in sram red, carbon wheels for slightly more than a new 105 spec carbon complete. This bike truly is such a rocket, coming from a roubaix it feels like driving an f1 car versus a clunky suv! I cannot fathom why I would ever need more than this....fast, light and to me comfortable. Such a beauty and always gets compliments.
Disc brakes on the road just aren't needed imo. You can still get 30mm tyres on rim brakes (I can on my TCR with 9100 brakes) and carbon wheels have come on loads I use a set of Bora WTO and I've never had an issue with stopping here in the UK (I'm 78kg too and ride a lot over the hills) in winter I'll use Shimano R5 wheels which I purchased new for £50.... Bike weight is 6.7kg with pedals and cages owes me under 5k pounds Is a sl7 sworks tarmac disc really worth 3 times the price of my bike 😂😂😂😂
I do agree calipers have more than enough braking force, and on road cycling one hardly brakes, unless riding in urban areas. Stopping power has increased slightly perhaps, but the tyres are still quite narrow. However, discs brake more with less lever squeeze and still perform in the wet, both of which are crucial for many riders. Especially women with tiny hands and less grip strength, or anyone with hand injuries. I have all of the three and commuting in urban areas was making my hands sore all the time, let alone when it rained (and I did upgrade levers, pads and calipers)! I have since upgraded to discs and di2 and never had issues since. It also means I can ride/train a lot more too without fearing I am aggravating my health. I know a lot of smaller women who ride similar setup for all these reasons, even despite the fortune these bikes cost (the smallest sizes are only available on upper end bikes too). I absolutely don't see the point of upgrading for someone who rides in fair weather and has no biomechanical limitations, as the bikes definitely do the job just fine. However, that is not to say that discs and electronic gears are not needed, because they are for quite a few people.
When my mid level Trek Emonda at a size 58 weighs 7.4kg while my mates high end Specialized Tarmac in a size 54 weighs 8.0kg you know we are living in crazy times Nice to you you GC on Chris’ podcast the other day too
Still have my 2015/16 Venge and love it. Very similar build to that bike but I run 90mm deep wheels 👌 Liked it so much that I even scored the last ever SL6 ultra light rim brake to be sold new in my country. Personally I still highly rate rim brakes 👍🍻
Love the channel Grant 👍. A lot of people forgot how amazingly good some of the rim brake bikes from around 2016-2018 were. That Venge is a weapon… I have a 2016 SuperSix Evo and to this day it is STILL one of the best bikes I’ve ever ridden.
Disc brakes in Florida are dumb. Beautiful bike. If this bike came out in 2025 reintroducing rim brakes after the bike industry has been ripping off the public with all its dumb integration, electric shifting and disc brakes, it would sell like gangbusters. Many people miss the pure aero bike Venge. PS. the bike industry is going backward for pure PROFIT and not forward for value for the consumer with minimalist designs which used to be the mainstay of the industry before it lost its way. Btw, same for the car industry when an average person could work on a BMW or 911.
I really love your videos. One of my all time fav bikes ist the Tarmac SL6 rimbrake variant. It is the last breed of rimbrake bikes and it got direct mount (DM) brakes which are superiour in my opinion. But..unfortunately, it still has a pressfit BB and not BSA like on the SL7. It is so unfortunate that Specialized did not release a SL7 rimbrake version. They could also re-release the SL6 rimbrake variant with BSA (the SL6 _disc_ has BSA!!).. Maybe you could talk to a Specialized rep or something and make it happen :D
What a glorious bike. I've got a 2013 S-works Roubaix sl4 with the zertz inserts in the frame and forks and the cobble gobbler seat post, Roval clx40 wheels,dura ace 9000 group set and the S-works cranks as well. It's still a beautiful bike to ride.
Such a beautiful bike and still my dream bike. This was the bike I really wanted in 2015 when I got back into bicycling, but just did not have the budget for it. Instead I opted for a China Bike with Dura Ace 9000 for 1/3rd the price. I still have that China Bike and love it, but man o man how I still dream about the 2015 S-Works Venge. I don’t think no other bike, even to this day looks as good. Rim Brakes for the Win!
Hey GC! G’day from Western Australia! Love your videos. As in your guest appearance with CMC, higher quality videos will be a bonus but don’t stress. Content is king. Have subscribed.
The 1st gen Venge was launched in 2012. I got it together with the 10 speed Durace Di2 which was launched around the same time. Still riding it now but with Winspace hyper 50 wheels.
Beautiful bike! Pretty amazing how light rim brake bikes were. Cheap too relatively. Bought my bike in 2017 40% off, old stock sale as new models had diff paint. $2200AU and weighed 8kg flat with pedals and heavy wheelset stock. In a 56 mech ultegra rim brake. Bought some $800AU 50mm chinese carbon and upgraded a few parts and now 7.6kgs with pedals cages. Pretty good for $3500AU($US2400) total build. Braking does suck compared to my alloy ultegra wheelset though. So when riding hills I usually ride my training bike with alloy wheels. No need for discs running alloys.
Cool. I've been riding my Steel Redline Metro Classic with ENVE 4.3 Rims, Mechanical Disc Brakes, and 1st gen 11-sp RED eTap. Been loving it. 19 LBS without water. I like it more than my Cannondale Synapse Disc.
Bikes up to this point got better and better. Peak bike before we started marketing marginal benefits. Yes I ride rim but when the weather optimal for discs you’ll find me on the trainer or doing something else entirely.
Even when the weather is bad, Yes rimbrakes brake worse but you tires also have less grip. You can easily lock up the tires with good rim brakes. Disk is such a gimmick.
@@wesleyvandeurzen7199 I agree I’ve commuted the last 10 years in the winter I ride a cx bike with cx tyres and cantilever rim brakes all weathers. I replace one set a blocks a winter the rims have done 20,000 miles. In the summer I ride Shimano dual pivots I’ve had the same rims on my peleton since 2001 I wreck on they’ve done 30,000 miles plus. They’ve only done less because my weekend ride has 10 year old carbon rims.
I got back in to commuting in the uk dug out my old giant tcx popped on some continental cross king a bit of sealant in the tyres and put it away last month. 2000 miles on one set of blocks and no punctures. Riding my summer giant peloton now on gatorskins for the summers first 600 miles same results.
@@tobycolin6271 I would run Vittoria corsa next 2.0 tires with tpu tubes. Have run them for 2000km no punctures either and alot faster than gator skins.
Just different, regardless, a road bicycle doesnt need disc brakes,its overkill, unless one rides in the wet. They should have kept manufacturing both. A shame
If you plan on rolling way more than you plan on stopping, then narrow wheels and rim brakes are still superior. But on 30mm tires and larger, all road platforms and of course gravel, then disc brakes start to make a whole lot more sense. I own and like both, horses for courses, but when it comes to road racing it's rim brakes all day everyday, throw some 80mm deep dishes on this venge and I'm sure it smokes the current Tarmac.
Why would you want to use 30 mm tyres on a road bike? Isn't it hypocritical? Buy yourself a gravel bike and call it a day. Leave my road bikes with narrow tires and rim brakes. I don't want this mountain bike stuff on my road bike.
@@tweed0929 was referring to "all-road" bike platforms like the Specialized Roubaix, Marin Gestalt 2, Trek Domane etc. bikes designed for all road all weather conditions plus light off road. They're not really gravel bikes, they're still meant as fast road bikes but designed to not be impeded by rough road conditions thus the slightly heavier frames wider tires and disc brakes, they're comfortable, a bit slower up hill, fast downhill, yet still competitive on flats, and still fast even over badly conditioned tarmac would be my criteria for an all-road versus a race road bike.
My road bike is a rim brake bike 2013 P1 Madone, of course it’s still going to work. It’s not gonna slow you down just because everything now is disc brake.. what works then still works now it’s just common sense. if I was to buy a new bike now I need to get one or just got started into cycling then the most obvious thing is I wouldn’t have a choice I would have to go right into a disc brake bike and that’s OK too..
Love rim (shout out to the man DR) held onto it for a long time, but disc is just better (sorry DR) unless we are talking big climbs/ratio rides. Yes they’re more involved maintenance wise but the stopping performance is no comparison.
Il y a eu des comparaison entre disque et rim brake sur temps sec les temps sont les mêmes sur une descente c est en temps Humide que le disque freine mieux
Damn. I finally just got over wanting a venge but I might have to start looking for a deal again. Some stupid part of me needs to know what it's like to go back and forth between this and the 2018 rim tarmac.
In theory, they should make massive aerodynamic benefits, they're very effective. However, they're placed right behind the legs of a rider, so the benefit negates to practically null.
@@Adi-ok3rg no problem! Dropped seatstays are another example of cycling industry incompetence exacerbrated by aggressive marketing. Dropped seatstays would work only if cyclist had no legs. The air behind cyclist's legs is very turbulent, so this negates all the benefits of such a construction.
R= road= rim brakes D= dirt= disk brakes Although v-brakes were more than sufficient for X-country bikes. Anything electric on a bike is ridiculous. And calling a 2016 model bike retro, old school or nostalgic is ageist and I’m offended. 👴🏻 😂
I purchased one for my wife , Its mint , swiss stop pads and it brakes supurb , Will never sell it , The new bikes are proprietary over rated and expensive , The market is already suffering because cheaper rim brake bikes are becoming hard to find , Tech is expensive and over rated imho "I refurbish computers in my spare time" Resale of new bikes will be difficult due to lack of adjustment, "bike fit" and current tech is basically void after 3 yrs , Cycling is fast becoming a rich persons sport and in todays climate simply out of reach for many ,,, Sad really..
Very confusing! All the talk about carbon being soooo shock-absorbing over steel and aluminium. Yet, a carbon frame, with carbon pedals, with carbon rims, with carbon seat post, and carbon saddle still has to worry about . . . . road shock?
Beautiful bicycle. I have 3 old bicycles (all rim brakes). BUT the idea of rim brake on carbon rim fundamentally was a bad idea and carbon experts in various RU-vid videos confirm that. Well Of course if you do climbing a lot.
Rim brake lack of power on the hoods...on db you can just stay on the hoods on a fast short descent before a climb. Also riding on a wet road is scary... save your rims and go db
@@GCPerformance18 I will say this, I've been running Red AXS on my Madone SLR for a few months now...I don't miss mechanical shifting. In the DMV when the temp drops below 30°, it hurts the hand to shift. Shorter lever stroke on Dura Ace 9100 my ass. I quit that sh*t.
A wheel could also be called a disc (like on some tri bikes have what people call a disc wheel in the rear) so what is called a rim brake bike is just a bike with a big disc. The principles are the same on all bikes. It is just the industry trying to create new sales.
Of all bikes I want to add to my collection and missed out on. This is it. No Scott Addict RC Ultimate, No Scott Foil Ultimate... 2023/2024.... I am no Safa Brian wannabe although I respect the bikes he rides, I am no dentist to shell out $15,000-$20,000 on a bike... Just this S WORKS VENGE 2012 Rim Brake model. The Pinaccle of what is Fast on Rim Brakes between 2012-2015. I am finding it extremely hard to find it in my size and preferred black colour with the white minimum logo. The cost the sellers are asking seem to hold up well too in general on these. I guess they know what they are selling. 🤣
Yeah I can imagine.... You get your hands on so many bikes, I am suprised you do not take these bikes your review for a ride, doing the same output down a 'safe' flat route to see what the results are for the 'average rider' - might add an extra "edge" to your channel. @@GCPerformance18
Why would you need carbon wheels with rim brakes? They always come with aluminium wheels. There is near zero advantage between aluminum and carbon bikes. Weight is nearly identical and there is one advantage to aluminium - its virtually indestructible, while carbon bikes can break.
@GC Performance hehe speaking of old tech. I live in Melbourne CBD and see 17ish year olds walking around allday with film cameras lately. People actually comment on my bike sometimes which is nice. I dunno if its the chrome or the basicness or just the giant white Bianchi and rainbow livery.
This version of the Venge makes the rim brake ViAS model look like a disaster. I have a 2015 Comp with 404’s tucked away ready for the summer. Plenty of life in the old rim brakes yet!
I still have one and it's kind of horizontally flexy compared to other stuff from specialized. I also own an SL4 and SL7. I'm a bit heavy so maybe if you are light it wouldn't bother you. I did notice it back when I was at race weight and it was my main race bike though.
Yeah bb30 was absolute dogshit. I got rid of every bb30 bike I owned, except my rim brake Allez Sprint. I love this bike so I just fitted a bsa sleeve, no issues whatsoever in the last 4 years. Also just sourced some deep alloy wheels for it, this season is going to be awesome.
@@DoNuT_1985 yeah but back then high end bike came with tubular and steel frames. Steel frame and tubular (although skinny) are more comfortable. I rode old bikes from 70s steel bikes like peugeot px10 race bike with tubular and Cinelli Speciale Corsa to modern bike like Trek Madone Sl6 disc. Aluminum or carbon bike with 23mm are bone shaker.
@@bicyclenerd.9377You don't have to go back to the 70s, 23 mm were pretty much standard, probably even 15 years or less ago. I ride a 2000s alloy frame with carbon fork/stays on 23mm, including a skinny carbon saddle and I'd say, the most notable difference to my 25mm-equipped carbon all-round bike is the comfier bar wrap, other than that I can ride both for hours. I'm a light rider, I guess it is more about the bibs in my case.
I like these bikes, but that era of OSBB was not great. Also, rim braking on a plastic rim always struck me as a questionable idea. Also, even riding through fog (let alone rain) would render your bike essentially brakeless. On the other hand, that 11sp Dura Ace is great. Specialized still sells the Romin Evo of course, I actually just bought one this week. It's one of my favorite saddles of all time.