SPECIALIZED S-WORKS TARMAC
PRICE: R140 000 / SPECIALIZED.COM
This utterly gorgeous bicycle is the sixth iteration of the S-works Tarmac, one of the most successful bikes in the pro peloton.
Specialized were one of the first manufacturers to introduce a dropped seat-stay design, which is now commonplace among toplevel road bikes. The dropped stays increase compliance and improve aerodynamics – something that is further enhanced by a slimmer down tube and bottom bracket – but somehow the extra compliance doesn’t sacrifice anything in the way of road feel, handling or stiffness.
And amazingly, despite all the new aero tech borrowed from the Venge, the SL6 Tarmac frame is 20% lighter than the previous version, weighing only about 800g. This is thanks to some stupidly high-quality FACT 12r carbon, the construction and lay-up of which was done using aerospace composite-optimisation software.
Unlike some Italian superbikes that seem to ripple with show-off technology, the Tarmac is all understated class. The raw carbon finish is stealth with a capital ‘S’, perfectly accentuating the aggressive geometry. The only ‘colour’ comes from the skinwall Specialized Turbo Cotton S tyres – 26mm of proven race rubber that give you plenty of cornering confidence.
The finishing kit is mostly Specialized’s own-brand components, including an excellent S-works crankset with built-in power meter and a set of blisteringly fast Roval CLX 50 wheels, which are stiff and fast enough for the riders of Deceuninck–quick-step, so they’ll be stiff and fast enough for you. The cockpit is refreshingly old-school – in other words, there’s no one-piece bar and stem with complicated internal routing. This allows for easy servicing, and you can dial in the perfect fit by changing the angle of the bar and stem, or by using a different stem and bar combo altogether.
Like the frame, the seat post is also made from FACT 12r carbon, and features a 20mm offset as standard. Combined with the low head tube, this gets you into a seriously low-down race position. Too hectic? Stop whining – you’re here to win, not to look at the view on the way to your coffee stop!
A final word on the disc brakes, which are becoming standard at pro level. The Dura-ace stoppers on the Tarmac are simply sublime, and give you so much extra confidence – not only when you’re descending, but also when coming into a corner on the flats. At last year’s Tour de France, Julian Alaphilippe kept himself in contention for as long as he did thanks largely to his insanely fast descending, which he accomplished using disc brakes when everyone else was still on rim brakes. The more powerful brakes somehow round off the bike, giving you that little confidence boost to shave off seconds around every bend. – Jon Minster