Clever Joke or AI Slop? Specialized’s Confusing Wheel Image

Specialized Bicycles recently posted an image promoting the new Roval Rapide CLX III wheels, but what everyone is calling “AI Slop” might actually be a joke about “flipping the script” that no one caught on to right away. After inspecting the image and looking for some of the mistakes AI typically makes when generating detailed photos like this, I don’t think it’s artificial intelligence; it might just be an organic editing error – by a human.

The image shows a Specialized Tarmac road bike with the new Roval Rapide CLX III wheels installed backwards. The cassette is on the front wheel, and the brake rotors are on the wrong side, which one would assume is just some lazy editing and a huge fumble as Specialized decided to go the artificial intelligence route for this latest launch. 

But I got it almost immediately and was confused why people were pointing the finger at AI for this. The literature for the launch states, “Conventional wisdom says aero wheels always have a deeper rear, but why? When 90% of aero gains come from the front? The Rapide CLX III flips the script with a 51mm front and 48mm rear…” This implies that they are flipping the script and putting what would normally be a rear wheel on the front, and a front wheel on the rear. It’s just a joke that didn’t land, and not a reason to grab the torches and pitchforks.

I’m not sure if the image is entirely AI, but this wouldn’t be the hardest thing to replicate in a studio if you were to remove the end caps from the rear wheel to slide it into the front dropouts, or do some careful cutting and pasting in Photoshop. I don’t think the image is AI-generated; it might just be a rushed job, as the spokes on the rear wheel are on the wrong side of the brake caliper, and the typical signs of AI, like weird spelling and slightly off random details, aren’t visible. Plus, I think AI would have put on a properly sized chain, and you can see the cassette teeth on the right side of the rear wheel brake rotor.

AI or not, the joke didn’t land for most people because they didn’t read the part about flipping the script. Either way, the wheels are probably pretty sick when put on the right way, and if these are better than the last generation Rapide CLX (which I have ridden quite a lot), then they’re most likely absolute weapons on the road.