I’ve got both an S40 and a V20.
I agree that the S40 is a better fit for long, relaxed rides at an endurance pace.
My observations on the S40 and V20’s characteristics below.
Both are amazing bicycles. I’m so happy with them!
Hope this information helps.
--- Climbing: I can’t really tell any difference in climbing between the S40 and V20. After getting used to the S40 and V20, I am as fast or faster on the hills than on my wedgie-bike.
--- Speed: The S40 is fast. On average, I am a little faster on the S40 than my wedgie-bike, and I spend a lot less time stopped on the S40 than on the wedgie. The V20 is really-really fast; scary-fast sometimes. The V20 is so fast that I need to really pay attention the whole time. With that in mind, the S40 is more chillin,’ and the V20 more intense.
--- Seat: The S40’s seat is comfortable. The V20’s seat is more comfortable. I believe it has something to do with the V20’s seat leaning back more, which puts less weight on my tailbone / glutes. I notice more when my muscles are sore; I don’t notice much when my muscles are not sore. With the S40, I shift myself around a little now and then on the seat to keep things comfy. With the V20, I have to do less of the shifting around. Both the S40 and V20 seats are incredible light-years ahead on comfort than my wedgie-bikes’ seats. I’m constantly amazed at the lack of seat / neck / hands / feet trouble on the S40 / V20. I do find that, as with any bike, when I’m riding lots and lots (hundreds of miles a week), I still have to make sure small adjustments (e.g. bar angle, cleat angles, boom length, etc.) are correct to keep over-use pains from cropping up.
--- Handling: V20 seems a little twitchier than the S40, which is a good thing or not, depending on what one wants. I only notice the handling difference for the first few minutes when switching from one bike to the other (e.g. I ride the S40 Mon – Fri to / from work, I ride the V20 on the weekends). After the first few minutes, both bikes feel normal. Similar to speed, one might find the V20’s quicker handling to be a good thing, where another person might find the S40’s more chillin’ handling a good thing. Depends on what’s important to the rider.
--- Getting On / Off the Bike: It is more difficult to get in / out of the V20, although this is a function of how one has their chainstay & boom set up. It’s a little more difficult to get in / out of the V20 after I put a long chainstay on it, and made the boom more horizontal. Even with the boom more horizontal, the V20 isn’t difficult to get in / out of per se, it’s just a little easier to get in / out of the S40.
--- Road Buzz: More road buzz with the V20, courtesy of narrower, higher pressure tires (I run 28mm tires at 90psi on the V20). S40’s wider tires (I run 32mm tires at 70 psi on the S40) give smoother ride and are more forgiving of road imperfections. By the way, tubeless is the way to go. With road tubeless, I’ve gotten one “flat” in two years (glass cut too big for the sealant to seal). In those same two years, when I occasionally inspect my tires, I observe many cuts that have simply sealed themselves and I never noticed. When I was running tubes on the same route to / from work, I sometimes would have several flats a week.
--- Height of Eye: S40 sits higher. V20 sits lower. I can see the world around me a little better on the S40 than on the V20, although it’s not difficult to see when riding the V20. The S40 sitting higher is a good thing for commuting.
--- Fenders and Rack: S40 has fender and rack eyelets. It might be theoretically possible to fit fenders and a rack to the V20 but I haven’t tried that.
--- Cargo Capacity: S40 can carry lots of stuff (not just one rack but two!). For me, the V20 can carry a jacket and enough food for a 12 hr ride, provided that I use the Scarab bag. The S40 can carry enough stuff for a multi-day camping trip.
--- Weight: When configured identically, my V20 and S40 are basically weigh the same (within 1 lb of each other). My S40 is outfitted for commuting with fenders, racks and bags. With all that stuff, the S40 is heavier. However, my basic S40 / V20 setups are essentially the same weight.