THE TEMPUS IS HERE
Unless you have been living under a rock in the world of triathlon for the last 9 months, chances are you have seen this bike already. I think it’s safe to say that the days where bikes go unnoticed until the embargo lifts are long gone. Although, what you probably haven’t seen, is how the bike is actually coming to you instead of the “bastardized” version ridden by some pro athlete that decided to head to THE HOME DEPOT for some bolts and use a borrowed 3D printer so they could jimmy up “The perfect fit.” But, regardless, “SURPRISE!” Here is the long awaited UCI Legal TT bike from Ventum.
A brief History in the Making
Ventum hit the world with its unique frame design back in 2014. Diaa Nour and Jimmy Seear (the founders) were full of life and promise, and we started to notice the brand at the start of 2015.
The “Ventum One” was, in many ways, the same, yet different, than other non-UCI legal bikes that hit the market at that time. Its backward “Z” shape allowed for a different approach to aerodynamics and bottom bracket stiffness. It lacked a intergraded front end, but came with a top tube of water. It was loved and hated at the same time. Since 2014 Ventum has launched a series of new bike types, and even updates to those. We have covered most of these over the years. The new Tempus brings Ventum up to a total of five current offerings, with a grand total of eight bikes brought to market. The breakdown:
Moving the needle forward again.
Working within the restrictions of the UCI the Tempus has been the brain child of many folks. These folks are internal at Ventum, along with outsourced engineers like the ones @ Kevin Quan Studios (KQS). They have also allowed for past “Mistakes” or “Hindsights” to help mold the look, feel and functionally of the bike. Let’s dive into some of these.
Customer Price Point
Ventum has been sensitive on this point for years now. But, it took a while to get to this point. They were finally able to get to those “affordable” numbers with the GS1, and a lot of that had to do with specs and the help of SRAM, (more on that later) but none the less the Ventum ONE was, for the most part, not a “cheap” offering. In fact, it was pretty expensive at the time. Molding costs, integrated front ends and all the other factors for a unique start-up brand usually drives up the base-line cost, and, well, that usually means that when you add in the mark-up to stay in business, it certainly leads to a lot of $$. So, finally after 10 years of being in business, and adding in all those factors, Ventum is really excited about the new price-points being offered.
Baseline Model MSRP $4,999
STACK AND REACH HOT TAKES
| FRAME SIZE | S | M | L | XL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [A] PAD STACK* | 562-632 MM | 598-668 MM | 617-687 MM | 635-705 MM |
| [B] PAD REACH* | 421-473 MM | 451-503 MM | 465-517 MM | 478-530 MM |
*PAD REACH (ASC Pro Extensions)
It’s important to note that the Frameset comes with the upgraded 52 ASC extensions
SRAM RIVAL AXS
- CRANKS SRAM RIVAL AXS | 48-35t Chainrings
- WHEELS Vision Team 30, Tubeless
- TIRES Schwalbe ONE Performance Race Guard, 700x28c
- SEATPOST ZERO OFFSET TEMPUS CARBON SEATPOST
- SADDLE Fizik Aeris SD R5
- BASE BAR Profile Design Wing Ultimate S Base Bar, Carbon
- EXTENSIONS Profile Design 52 A Aerobar Extensions, Alloy
PRICING $4,999.00
This is the bike we have had the chance to really look at and the one we wanted to check out the most. This baseline price point is one we can really get behind when it comes to a full-functioning, high-end TT bike.
Let’s talk CRANK LENGTH for a second. 170’s are the max stock one will be able to pick on any build. They will have 172.5 and 175’s around but you’ll have to pay for it. With the SRAM RIVAL AXS drive train, we don’t see any third party parts on this build. The crank will come with the maxed out 48-35t chainrings on RIVAL and you are looking for something bigger you will need to upgrade to Force or Red as this is the biggest Chain rings in the RIVAL department.
STOCK FIT INFORMATION
S 165 mm crank length
M 165 mm crank length
L 170 mm crank length
XL 170 mm crank length
Vision Team 30, Tubeless
Plenty of options for all the “snack boxes” or “aero bottles” one would need.
30 mm tire clearance shows that Ventum “gets it” when it comes to where the market is.
The phrase “wide is the new aero” isn’t only being used by Ventum. We have seen countless bikes designed this way. A lot of them claim that their bikes are designed around specific wheels to create the perfect combo. Ventum’s claim on aero is that the Tempus is up to 15 watts faster in certain conditions and configurations – that’s compared to its big brother, the Ventum One Disc.
All builds come with the Fizik Aeris SD R5 Saddle, with a built in rear bottle holder that just needs your favorite cage.
There are frame mounts for top tube accessories. Its going to interesting to see what the public does with these on after market parts and 3D printers.
A SOLID FOUNDATION
Months ago. when I was sitting at Ventum HQ talking about this launch, I was really excited about the price points that were going to be offered, and while some people might want something even less in price, the price represented includes solid materials. In other words, the buyer isn’t getting fourth-tier, aftermarket brakes that are going to rust after the first couple of rides in the rain. These are all quality parts, put together so that the buyer has something to enjoy for years to come without hassle. And that is important to me and it’s important to Ventum.
3 other Price Tiers, People Can Go in Over 10K if They Want.
SRAM FORCE AXS
- CRANKS SRAM FORCE AXS | 48-35t Chainrings
- WHEELS Zipp 404 Firecrest, Tubeless
- TIRES Schwalbe ONE Performance Race Guard, 700x28c
- SADDLE Fizik Aeris SD R5
- BASE BAR Profile Design Wing Ultimate S Base Bar, Carbon
- EXTENSIONS Profile Design ASC 52 Aerobar Extensions, Carbon
PRICING $6,499.00
SRAM RED AXS
- CRANKS SRAM RED AXS | 48-35t Chainrings | Power Meter Included
- WHEELS Zipp 808 Firecrest, Tubeless
- TIRES Schwalbe ONE Performance Race Guard, 700x28c
- SEATPOST ZERO OFFSET TEMPUS CARBON SEATPOST
- SADDLE Fizik Aeris SD R5
- BASE BAR Profile Design Wing Ultimate S Base Bar, Carbon
- EXTENSIONS Profile Design ASC 52 Aerobar Extensions, Carbon
PRICING $9,999.00
Shimano Dura Ace Di2
- CRANKS Shimano Dura Ace | 52-36t Chainrings
- WHEELS Zipp 808 Firecrest, Tubeless
- TIRES Schwalbe ONE Performance Race Guard, 700x28c
- SADDLE Fizik Aeris SD R5
- BASE BAR Profile Design Wing Ultimate S Base Bar, Carbon
- EXTENSIONS Profile Design ASC 52 Aerobar Extensions, Carbon
PRICING $10,999.00
Partnerships Matter
I told you I would talk more about SRAM a minute ago (assuming you caught that). Ventum was a long-time Shimano OEM partner and, like many small brands during the COVID boom, they sort of got the shaft from the component company. They were low on the sales list and, to be frank, they needed help and Shimano had other things that they were dealing with. Now I’m not saying Shimano didn’t want their business, but I am saying that Ventum had formed a very good relationship with ZIPP first, which then led to a very successful relationship with SRAM. As these relationships started to form we have been able to see prices come down on Ventum bikes.. I remember when the GS1 V2 had a $2,499 price tag a couple of years back. The current OEM relationship has also included faster ordering time, and that led to savings on inventory needs, which led to savings for the consumer.
The other relationship that led to the success of this bike is the one with Profile Design. After the nine-month delay on the Ventum ONE disc, Barrett Brandon (now CEO) and Diaa gave up on custom-made, integrated aerobars. So, over the last couple of years, they have been working together with Profile to create what a great non-proprietary front end would look like.
The Wing Ultimate S Carbon Base Bar provides the foundation bar for every Tempus, and is combined with either the 52 A Extensions or 52 ASC Extensions, depending on the model. This has given riders “almost” all the adjustability one would need. I say “almost” because, no matter what one does, it’s not quite good enough. 🙂 Because profile works closely with David Bowden or, as we know him cyclenutnz ( per his forum username), stack and reach on this bike is going to be very “on point”
All of the Bike Geometry
NOT “NEW”
Like I stated at the beginning, we have been talking about this bike for a while now.
Other pro’s we haven’t covered are starting to get this bike in their hands, and Ventum has some big announcements to come to go along with Danielle Lewis, Tom Bishop and Steph Clutterbuck, who have all joined the Ventum Family.
MOVING THE BALL FORWARD
To close this out I wanted to point out that the Tempus is more to the brand than a “new bike.” It’s a new directional flag that has been set in the ground. Until this point Ventum has been a little pigeon-holed in the world of professional cycling when we look at talent. The odd shaped Ventum ONE has been tough for professional and age-group triathletes to wrap their heads around. And, even though it’s a great bike, it’s not for everyone. So, with that said, it’s arguable that, for the last couple of years, Ventum’s focus in terms of talent (professional riders) has been around gravel and road Athletes. It’s also tough to have a TOUR Team without a UCI legal bike. Last year I know Ventum had some opportunities to move into the women’s professional team side of things, and it was the lack of a UCI legal bike that ultimately made that decision for them. Still, loyal Ventum triathletes have stayed true to the brand, even though they have suffered with a “heavy” bike. (That’s what most people say – “OMG it’s so HEAVY.”)
So, yeah, if that was you issue before..get inline for the purchase cart cause they fixed that for you.
This is a LARGE Stock Rival AXS weighing it at 20 lbs and 15 oz
This is the SAME stock build with the new Zipp Super – 9 and 858 NSW @ 19 lbs and 10 oz ( minus the cover ) I lost mine 🙁
I liked this bike when I saw it almost a year ago. And I kept liking it as time went on. It’s clean, simple and it looks good. It checks a lot of boxes that anyone needs or wants and it’s priced right. What do I not like? So far… They don’t really have a good marking on the frame size…. Thats about it at this point.
Not sure there’s anything notable. It looks like every other tri/TT bike, with the exception of some unusual seat stays.
Can we please back off some of the blatant marketing on the forum posts? “Moving the needle forward again” implies they moved the needle forward before, which they arguably didn’t. This bike looks nice and all, but I’ve never met anyone who bought a ventum without getting a steep discount on it, I’m honestly super confused how they’re still in business.
X2, it has some Scott Plasma in the head tube design but the fork, down tube, seat tube , top tube is the same as just about everything else. That’s not a knock, that shape works, but no needle has been moved here.
The point of Moving the Needle forward is that they have a UCI legal bike. That is the forward movement for them…
I was part of an team comparing it to 2 other bikes looking for the best choice for a pro.
I would say it is a massive step forward for them. It’s a good looking bike, it is very competitive and it seems to be reasonably priced.
I don’t know a lot about pricing, but I suspect that $4999 is very very competitive. I would have to research what I could get for that price but my guess is that it would be one of the better performance/$.
Yeah comparable is the P-series at a $5700 msrp for the Rival AXS version. Looks a little more sleek, but I couldnt tell if its more/less aero from pictures.
Last year I bought a P-series, my goal being to build a base model up to be competitive with a World Tour level bike. Let’s call this bike B
I had access to bike B and sure enough I could get the PSeries as fast.
The pro athlete I worked with happened to compare bike B to the Ventum.
So if Cervelo~= B and B~= Ventum then Cervelo~=Ventum.
Very roughly.
I am not a fan of some of their top-spec components, but I would buy that frameset in a heart beat.
In performance/$ I suspect they are up there with my PSeries.
I have been waiting for this one since I first heard about it last year. But the price is a bit of a bummer. I bought an NS1 because it was an incredible value for an AXS Red road bike. But the Tempus seems higher priced relative to their other bikes. And they don’t offer Ultegra, which is my preference for TT bikes.
So, the little changes that will push me to a buy…
I would probably buy a Cervelo P5 with Ultegra before I would buy a Tempus with Dura Ace.
I don’t think the frame is a particularly compelling value on its own. So let’s leave that aside.
The Rival AXS is the one for people who have existing disc brake race wheels. There’s no need to step to Force at that point, as Rival electronic 2X and Force 2X are just matters of grams apart IMHO.
But for somebody who doesn’t have those things – that $6499 on a Force bike with 404s starts to look a lot more compelling.
Ultimately once with electronic shifting I don’t think there’s a particularly good or bad component spec to be had. Mere preferences, I suppose. I’m one to talk, as I’m on older Di2 on a nearly 10 year old PRsix…some habits die hard.
I put this among the top choices of current bikes. When personally choosing which frame to build up for a tricked out expo bike I will have on display, with my choice of any frame available, this was the frame I went with due to testing, weight, simplicity, design, tire clearance.
I see it differently. I would not race with the $4999 (vision ) or the $6499 (404) wheels, but I would use them for training. That $1500 difference with maybe a few bucks more gets me a better set of race wheels.
Yeah, my thought path kinda ties into the other “lifecycle” thread that just started… My current bike is 11-speed rim brake, so nothing I have is applicable. I will have to buy 100% new if I buy anything. So, the frame is not a consideration for me either, and I would much rather buy the exact bike I would race on rather than stock parts that I have to change (aka, the wheels).
I have Di2 on my TT bike and much prefer that because of how the buttons integrate with the brakes and bar ends. So, none of the SRAM offerings interest me. Plus, I am not a fan of SRAM’s throwaway button design for wireless buttons. (In general, I just don’t like the wireless blip design.)
If I had to stick with Zipp, my ideal build would be Ultegra Di2 with Zipp 858 NSW front and Super-9 rear. This would be stupidly expensive, but the cash would be in the areas I value most. I would not want the 808 wheels. At all.
Sounds like you need to be on the Slowtwitch Goodliffe Racing Team.
I was wondering what the minimum crank length one could order? I mean 170’s are fine if you are 6’3", but what if you are 5’4"?
Yeah, I get where you are coming from there. I, too, would be on the “change everything” bandwagon.
But that would also mean to some level, I would need a training wheel set, too. So, for me, I’d be on the Rival bike, then pick up whatever wheel set I wanted (which would probably be HED’s Jet RC Pro 90/Disc). That gets me out the door close to what you would be buying the full Force bike with wheels I don’t want.
The thing to keep in mind, though, is that in the grand scheme of the industry – we are the weird ones when it comes to this sort of thing.
But for you, where you want to get the exact bike spec’d the way you want it…well, that does start to make a frameset more plausible. A build with Ultegra Di2 and HED’s Vanquish Pro gets you out the door for under the cost of the Red AXS build.
$4600 frame
$1800 groupset
$3270 wheels