Alaphilippe’s new Specialized Shiv TT Takes Him To Victory in Pau

The original Specialized Shiv was considered a radical change to time trial bikes when it first launched in 2008. The combo stem, bars, and extensions helped give it a smooth, clean front end, and the computer designed tube shapes acted like a sail in cross winds, in a good way. It was aero, light for a TT bike and stiff (even compared to Specialized’s road bikes at the time), but it’s over 10 years old at this point and due for a refresh. And just when it seems other brands have caught up, Specialized has changed the game with their new Shiv TT.

 

Though we saw it at the Giro d’Italia, Tour de Suisse, and multiple national championships, the new bike was officially unveiled at the beginning of the tour and used by Deceuninck – Quick-Step and BORA – Hansgrohe for the team time and individual time trials. After finishing 3rd and 12th in the team time trial respectively, it was the current yellow jersey leader Julian Alaphilippe who gave the new Shiv TT its first official pro win.

Looking at the bike, you’ll see some familiar aspects. The integrated stem and bars, aerofoil down tube, and low slung seat stays all look familiar, but even here there are differences between the old and new Shiv TT. Even comparing it to the triathlon version that came out late last year, Specialized says the Shiv TT is a very different bike. The changes makes it lighter, along with a better handling and more efficient bike.

Something you might notice is that I didn’t say more aerodynamic. Specialized claims the new Shiv TT is just as aerodynamic as the previous Shiv, which they say is the most aerodynamic UCI legal bike out there. What they did was make the bike lighter, more compliant, and better handling in real world conditions, all things TT bikes are not typically known for.

Probably one of the most dramatic differences is the seat tube. Instead of a big cut out for a rear wheel to tuck into, Specialized found they could go with a smaller seat tube profile without the cut out, and let the Roval 321 disc wheel manage air on its own. They dug into their FreeFoil Shape Library to find a shape that works independently from the wheel, and provides stiffness and weight savings to help increase the performance of the bike. The bike is optimized to run the 321 Disc, so expect to lose a little bit when running a non-disc wheel in the back. Setting up the bike 1x makes it even faster as the front derailleur mount, which bolts onto the back of the seat tube, can be removed to give it a clean profile.

The seat post comes from the newest Venge. Instead of the traditional long, skinny seat post, which is heavier and makes for a rougher ride, the Venge’s post is shorter and wider, adding stiffness, comfort and reducing weight. Specialized found there was little difference in aerodynamic performance between a narrow or wider seat post due to the the riders body and legs moving around it. For Shimano Di2 users, there is an integrated Junction A box to help keep things nice and tidy.

The new Shiv TT drops the seat stays lower than the previous model, which is as low as the UCI would allow. Their position and shape makes them extremely aerodynamic, while also keeping the bike stable and allowing power to transfer more efficiently when riding in and out of the saddle. With the wider stays, there is clearance for up to a 28mm wide tire in the back, though the full bike comes with 24mm Turbo Cotton Clincher tires.

For brakes and drivetrain, there is only one option for each, disc and electronic. Specialized has no plans of offering the new Shiv TT as a rim brake bike, and honestly, I agree with that. As much as people still want rim brakes, discs are the future, and offer significantly better braking than the rim brakes you find on TT bikes. Additionally, it allows for cleaner shapes at the fork crown and the rear seat and chain stays. For the drivetrain, electronic just makes sense. Along with cleaner cable routing (if there are any), you also have the ability to run shifting on the drops and extensions.

Over the last 7 years of testing in their Win Tunnel, Specialized found that the down tube is more important for stiffness and weight than it is for aerodynamics. Since it sits behind the wheel, it is already out of the wind a bit. So looking at the various shapes they have developed, they used one that still provides an aerodynamic effect, but increases power transfer and reduces weight. Two options for mounting a water bottle allows you to put the bottle as low as possible, or in line with the seat tube mount for improved aerodynamics with two bottles. The English-threaded bottom bracket is a refreshing change from the creaky press fit bottom brackets found on many bikes these days.

Up front, the updated one piece base bar and stem is stiffer and 200g lighter than the version on the previous Shiv TT. For extensions, it uses the standard 22.2mm mounts, allowing you to use a wide rang of popular extensions on the market. The elbow pads are U-shaped cups, providing more lateral stability when in the drops. Even the risers and bridge were redesigned to help improve the stiffness of the bars. The fork is also borrowed from the latest Venge to help improve handling in the more common, technically challenging TT courses that are seeing in pro cycling today.

Fitting is always a challenge when it comes to time trial bikes. Utilizing data from the brand’s Retül fit system, they tweaked the geometry and front end of the frame. We don’t have a ton of info on the changes here yet, but we’ll add more info when we can.

Another area of improvement is in building the bike up. Specialized said they improved access and cable routing, with reports that the Deceuninck – Quick-Step mechanics were able to build up the team bikes in about a third of the time the previous Shiv TT took.

The new Shiv TT is currently only available as a complete bike, but I’m willing to bet a module will be available in the future. At $16,000, the S-Works Shiv TT Disc comes with SRAM AXS eTap wireless groupset with power meter crank, set up 1x to maximize aerodynamics. It’s paired with Roval CLX64 Disc front and rear wheels, and the 321 Disc wheel, which you’ll want to use to get the most out of the bike.

Specialized continues to push the industry when it comes to aerodynamics and performance. The new Shiv TT was definitely one of the tools that Alaphilippe used to keep his yellow jersey on stage 13’s individual time trial. If you want to add it to your go fast arsenal, stop into your local Specialized dealer.

http://www.specialized.com