Looking to knock a few minutes off your morning commute? Bike manufacturer Specialized has come up with a wallet-emptying solution.
This svelte slither of carbon is the S-Works Venge ViAS - an £8,000 road bike that's spent more than 1,000 hours in a wind tunnel to achieve the perfect streamline shape.
The visible results of all that testing include "zero-drag brakes", which hardly protrude from the rear frame and front fork, flat-top handlebars and an aerodynamic stem to hide all of those pesky cables. It's the cycling equivalent of a Lockheed Blackbird.
Specialized has made the lofty claim that the bike's design will see experienced riders (Mark Cavendish and Peter Sagan, who rode a set of the new model at the Tour de Suisse) knock up to two minutes off a 40km time trial. If a rider were to use the bike along with the rest of the company's "Five More Minutes" range, which includes lightweight shoes, a helmet, tyres and a speed suit, you might be able to knock a full five minutes off your 40km time.
We'll be leaving the fast-paced testing to Cavendish when he sets off astride one of these on July's Tour de France. We don't think our legs nor bank balance would be up to the challenge.
(Image: Specialized)
