The Specialised S-works Tarmac SL8 was maybe essentially the most anticipated bike of final yr, and since its launch has remained illustrious ever since its launch on the UCI Biking World Championships.
Since then, nevertheless, the SL8 has come up in opposition to some fairly stiff competitors. Canyon launched its new Aeroad, Van Rysel got here out swinging with the RCR Professional, and Large launched the tenth era TCR.
And with all the large names updating fashions which immediately compete, it begs the quetsion, the place does the Tarmac actually sit in 2024? Has its as soon as commanding efficiency lead waned, or does it rule the roost of the greatest highway bikes available on the market?
Let’s have a look, twelve months on.
Specialised S-works Tarmac SL8: building
First issues first let’s recap the Tarmac’s design, beginning with the bike’s aesthetics. At a look, the SL8 shares many similarities with its older relative (the SL7), so what precisely has modified?
Essentially the most drastic growth comes within the bike’s body form. The chassis has taken on a way more rounded design, which Specialised claims are the product of its new ethos: ‘aero the place it issues, not the place it appears good’. While I might prefer to consider that this philosophy had been in place for the final decade, it is good to know it is the present strategy.
Essentially the most polarising a part of the design is the top tube, which Specialised has dubbed the ‘Velocity Sniffer’ as a consequence of its less-than-beautiful (in my humble opinion) protrusion past the fork. It’s not dissimilar to the design of the Pinarello F, choosing extra materials in entrance of the steerer, relatively than an extended trailing edge. As is commonly the case, now a yr into its existence, the ‘Velocity Sniffer’ would not appear to be fairly as polarizing because it as soon as was.
The modifications, Specialised declare, result in a 33% stiffness to weight enhance due to classes discovered from the tremendous mild Aethos. In truth, The brand new SL8 began life as an Aethos in digital type. The Specialised engineers utilized the carbon layup of the Aethos to the brand new SL8’s form, the place it then went by means of over 50 totally different computer-modelled iterations. Specialised says this allowed the engineers to extend stiffness and obtain a 685 gram body weight (dimension 56), which is staggering in the event you consider the bike’s aerodynamic claims.
Yep – my bike has modified color… this lovely crimson marble color scheme was on the bike I used for long run testing, publish launch.
(Picture credit score: Future)
Geometry-wise, Specialised took an ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t repair it’ strategy, and has modified exactly nothing, and I believe this is sensible given the reward the SL7 acquired for its dealing with traits.
Lastly, elevated consolation. Specialised declare a 6% enhance in vertical compliance, principally due to a slimmer seatpost. It’s significantly slender in design, which the model says decreases its aerodynamic interference, and will increase its flex to help all-day consolation.
Specialised S-works Tarmac SL8: the experience
So then, how does Specilaized’s plethora of selling claims stack up in the actual world? The brief reply is, extremely nicely. And whereas it’s undoubtedly an incredible bike, I don’t suppose it’s fairly for the explanations that Specialised claims.
My first experience on the brand new bike – final yr – was a memorable one, made up of twisty Scottish lanes simply exterior of Glasgow. What was instantly noticeable was that not more than 25 minutes into the experience, I used to be completely assured throwing the bike down damp and winding descents. The pinnacle tube stiffness made for very assured dealing with – one thing that was tangibly higher than different bikes I’ve examined. The brand new Roval Rapide cockpit too was actually fairly inflexible, which makes an enormous distinction to the bike’s dealing with – although I want they might provide some barely narrower choices, with 38cm being the smallest (and a 115cm stem the longest).
Specialised has additionally chosen to forego whole inner cable routing for a channel beneath the stem which implies you’ll be able to nonetheless change handlebar top with out brake bleeding.
Out within the Welsh lanes, the SL8 actually got here to life, whether or not the gradients had been constructive or adverse.
(Picture credit score: Future)
Backside bracket stiffness too was spectacular given the bike’s weight, although I wouldn’t say good. Curiously, that is the place Specialised stated the most important positive aspects had been to be discovered, however when sprinting all out, leaning the bike over to use as a lot power as potential to the underside bracket, I did really feel some deflection. This may be brought on by tyre deformation, however if you do the maths, experiencing some backside bracket deflection at a torque of round 120Nm is reasonable.
My pleasure when using this bike hasn’t decreased as time has gone on. In truth, I’ve lined extra miles over the previous couple of months than I often would, and I genuinely put this all the way down to my pleasure at having the chance to experience Tarmac SL8. The bike is markedly extra compliant on the rear finish, and along with 26mm tyres I believe it is a mixture that almost all riders who’re used to stiff race bikes might be pleasantly stunned by. That stated, in the event you’d like extra cushioning the SL8 can match as much as 35mm of rubber, which implies you might comfortably experience your £12,000 bike by means of the winter, in the event you actually needed to.
My using
I’ve been fortunate sufficient to spend greater than 1000km on the brand new Tarmac during the last twelve months, after initially testing it for evaluate final yr, and subsequently pitting it in opposition to a bunch of opponents in our bumper Race Bike of the 12 months 2024 take a look at.
Over this time-frame, it has seen just about all of my native using routes round Oxfordshire, tackling the steep climbs and descents of the Cotswolds, the dire bumps and potholes of the Chiltern hills, in addition to excursions additional afield within the Brecon Beacons.
All through testing, I’ve been totally impressed at simply how nicely the Specialised Tarmac SL8 tackles such a variety of terrain. ‘One bike to rule all of them’ could be fairly a tacky slogan, however I’ve to say Specialised has made this as near actuality as any bike model has finished to this point.
The Tarmac’s trump card although, is how nicely it holds its pace. The mix of stiffness and aerodynamics excels on rolling terrain, and can undoubtedly switch to real-world racing, the place you save power with each single small acceleration. No, we haven’t had the bike within the wind tunnel, and sure the claims of a 16-second saving over the outgoing bike are, in my view, fairly weak when you think about that Specialised admitted that “greater than 50%” of the aerodynamic developments come from the handlebar alone, however this brings me to how I believe the Specialised Tarmac SL8 is barely misunderstood.
Specialised is good at advertising and marketing – that’s no secret, however this far into the product growth cycle, even the most effective entrepreneurs are left in a difficult place. The model’s emphasis on measurable positive aspects, like weight and aerodynamics (that are fairly small) has led to loads of scepticism, and that takes away from how spectacular the brand new bike is as an engineering system.
As somebody who has raced at a excessive degree on the continent, I can fortunately say that the bike performs so nicely throughout all classes that there isn’t a actual standout function – it simply does precisely what I need a race bike to do, which is to be as quick as potential over a wide range of terrain. While you boil it all the way down to that, I don’t suppose any race bike at the moment does that higher than the Tarmac SL8.
Specialised S-works Tarmac SL8: 2024 rating
Merely put, the Specialised S-works Tarmac SL8 is the most effective race bike I’ve ever ridden. When it comes to how nicely it matches the transient, of a singular bike that have to be fast over all terrains, nothing has managed to surpass the Tarmac – however the hole is narrowing.
In our Race Bike of the 12 months testing, for instance, when using the Tarmac again to again with the newest era Large TCR, I skilled for the primary time a motorbike that managed to bop with somewhat extra aptitude on steep climbs. The TCR’s decrease weight and good stiffness was powerful competitors, nevertheless in different classes, the Tarmac nonetheless pulls away.
The Tarmac SL8 actually popularised the transfer again towrads extra slight body shapes
(Picture credit score: Future (Richard Butcher))
The identical is true of the Look 795 Blade RS I’ve ridden extra just lately – sure it could be stiffer, however level the 2 bikes up hill, and (all issues being equal), the Tarmac will certainly attain the highest first.
To conclude, then, the Specialised S-works Tarmac SL8 does stay my benchmark on the finish of 2024. What has modified although, is a few bikes, just like the TCR may be capable to edge out the Tarmac in particular areas.
