Specialized appears to be developing a radical new frame design, according to a patent application filed by the company.
The patent shows a frame without the lower section of the seat tube.
Instead, what Specialized calls a ‘strut’ intersects the down tube, connecting the seatstay junction to a point around two thirds of the way down the down tube.
The patent claims this design could increase compliance by “advantageously reducing the vertical stiffness of the bicycle while maintaining or reducing to a lesser extent the horizontal (e.g. lateral and/or torsional) stiffness of the bicycle while increasing the comfort for the rider”.
Specialized is no stranger to introducing innovative designs. The 2017 Roubaix was a notable departure from the-then endurance bike convention with its Future Shock. The Venge ViAS was also a futuristic aero road bike ahead of its time.
More recently, the Diverge STR shook the gravel bikes genre with its Future Shock Rear suspension system. Is this the new Roubaix?
First spotted by Cyclingnews , the frame shown in the patent clearly portrays a drop-bar bike. But exactly what it could be is unclear.To start, the frame doesn’t appear to be aerodynamically optimised, which means it’s unlikely to be a new Tarmac, Venge or Shiv.The Aethos is Specialized’s lightweight bike with traditional tube shapes. Given areas of the frame will need to be reinforced to support the ‘strut’ and rider – thus, increasing weight – we also reckon it’s unlikely this will be a new Aethos.This leaves the Roubaix and Diverge as the […]
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