guadzilla

Leaving aside color schemes and geometry [dont care about the former; both fit me well enough re the latter], does anyone have any first-hand experiences riding these bikes and can care to comment on stiffness, acceleration and cornering abilities?

Thanks!

patentcad

Velonews preferred the Foil.

https://velonews.competitor.com/2012/...visited_256023

I like mine.

Campag4life

My only comment is...be careful what you wish for. Both are very fast bikes. Both come with a ride penalty...just to let you know.
They are both uber stiff. One has to ask, why is this? The book on the Venge for example is...it has a bone jarring ride compared to the Tarmac SL4 which is one of the best race bikes on the planet..
So why couldn't Specialized with their great R&D get the Venge to have a bit more vertical compliance? Only reason I can come up with since it seems to be a common theme with aero bikes is...frame section shape for aero profile is not conducive to vertical flex when meeting torsional stiffness requirements.
I suggest you ride both before you decide.

guadzilla

The only thing with the Velonews testing is that they tested just the bike - I recall reading somewhere that if you test bike+rider, the Foil does much better in the lab....

I wish I could ride both - neither has a dealer within 2 countries of me. I may have to fly to Singapore to test-ride.

eduardo76

i ride a foil, and there is a bike demo going on this weekend and i am planning to test ride a venge just for fun...if i do, i will give my impressions next week...i really enjoy my foil - it was the first bike i test rode that I felt had aero qualities without sacrificing its racing capabilities...i like stiff frames and the foil is stiff enough to make it uncomfortable for many people, but it doesn't bother me (i've done 100-mile-solo-rides and felt absolutely fine)...having said that, i think any bike in that segment (aero/racing/stiff) should be test ridden, because i think people will have an immediate feel for what works best for them... for example, i did test ride the cervelo S5 the same day as the foil, and the foil was significantly closer to what i was looking for...

Campag4life

Pcad likes his Foil as well.
Why do you like the Foil better than the also aero S5 which has a more friendly ride? S5 is also very stiff but not bone jarring.
I look forward to your comparison to the Venge which is said to be the harshest riding aero road bike.

thechemist

I know 4 or 5 racing buddies that have nothing but positive things to say about the venge. Not a mention of harshness when it comes to ride quality. I do think perspective going into it and what you are looking for play a big part as well as tire/wheel/pressure etc.

guadzilla

Thanks - I'd appreciate that.

That's exactly the reason I am looking for either a Foil or a Venge as well - a lively, responsive race bike which is also aero.

gc3

I'm pretty sure that between the Foil and the Venge....I'll take that Tarmac....

patentcad

The Foil is by far the best race bike I've ever ridden, and I've had some nice bikes.

Tarmac this Fredly.

guadzilla

Yeah, but arent you a flower-counting, hairy-legged ambler by now, Pops? I'd have thought you'd have become a full-on recumbent rider in the year I was away.

darb85

I prefer the venge between the two, but Tarmac above them all.

guadzilla

Hi darb85 - can you perhaps outline the differences that made you prefer the Venge over the Foil?

Crash716

Bh g6?