{"id":47506,"date":"2023-03-28T18:00:40","date_gmt":"2023-03-28T16:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bikeradar.com\/?p=721229"},"modified":"2023-03-28T18:34:21","modified_gmt":"2023-03-28T16:34:21","slug":"you-cannot-be-sirrus-what-does-the-specialized-sirrus-mean-for-the-future-of-frame-design","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/rss_feed\/you-cannot-be-sirrus-what-does-the-specialized-sirrus-mean-for-the-future-of-frame-design\/","title":{"rendered":"You cannot be Sirrus! What does the Specialized Sirrus mean for the future of frame design?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Might your next road bike adopt the radical seat tube design of recent Rondo and Specialized bikes? Liam Cahill gets his thinking cap on <\/p>

By Liam Cahill\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Tuesday, 28 March 2023 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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The redesigned Specialized Sirrus Carbon and new Rondo Ruut share one major frame feature: b<\/span>reaking from tradition, the seat tube kicks forward to join the down tube well above the bottom bracket area.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Rondo has used the design for a gravel bike, with the Ruut V2 currently a prototype but slated for launch later this year<\/a>, while Specialized has deployed it on a flat-bar town bike (with light-gravel capabilities), the Sirrus Carbon<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n

With both brands heading in a similar direction, we\u2019ve been busy considering what the radical frame designs from Rondo and Specialized could mean for the road bike market in the future.<\/span><\/p>\n

What\u2019s the point?<\/h2>\n

Before we cast an eye over how this might impact frame design in future, let\u2019s take a look at what Specialized and Rondo are saying about their respective designs.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rondo claims that by ditching the seat tube as we know it, leaf-spring-like suspension has been added to the frame. <\/span><\/p>\n

Forget complex gravel bike suspension<\/a>, Rondo says its frame design, combined with chunky tyres, will take the sting out of rough trails.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The Rondo Ruut V2 gravel bike broke cover earlier this year and is expected to launch officially later in the summer.<\/span><\/figcaption> Rondo<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Indeed, Rondo\u2019s take follows the trend for micro-suspension in gravel bikes \u2013 and does so in a way that\u2019s free of additional parts.<\/span><\/p>\n

Speaking to BikeRadar, Rondo\u2019s technical product manager, Marcin Skiba, told us the new Ruut is designed to occupy the middle ground in Rondo\u2019s three-bike gravel line-up.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Rondo Ratt<\/a> already exists as the brand\u2019s all-road take on gravel<\/a>, while at the other end of the spectrum, there\u2019s the Rondon Mylc<\/a>, for a more extreme side of gravel.<\/p>\n

\"""\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
The Sirrus Carbon is Specialized\u2019s radical take on the hybrid bike.<\/span><\/figcaption> Specialized<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

A similar story comes from Specialized regarding the Sirrus Carbon, which sports another seat tube-less design, albeit with a much flatter junction between the seat tube and down tube.<\/span><\/p>\n

In a \u2018does what it says on the tin\u2019 piece of marketing, the so-called Compliance Junction, as it is known, has been designed to have \u201c<\/span>just the right amount of flex and forgiveness across the carbon frame without sacrificing performance and efficiency\u201d.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s what Specialized claims, anyway \u2013 and, as a result, Spesh says the Sirrus Carbon offers \u201ca ride so smooth and comfortable that it is truly unmatched in its category. Well, that and the fact that it just looks so dang good.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The UCI might have something to say about that, though\u2026<\/p>\n