SPECIALIZED TARMAC SL8
When the brand is Specialized, we're talking about lots of professionals. Just to list a few, the company provides its Tarmac race frame to top European women's teams AG Insurance - Soudal Quick-Step and Team SD Worx. On the men's side, the brand supplies framesets to the BORA-hansgrohe, TotalEnergies, and Soudal Quick-Step UCI squads. And domestically, Specialized sponsors L39ION of Los Angeles.
Before diving into the new-new, let's take a moment to recognize that the SL5, SL6, and SL7 Tarmacs were-and still are-well-mannered and great-riding race bikes. Specialized's goal with the new Tarmac was to improve upon well-regarded and ultra-successful bikes.
That's a far tougher ask than improving a bike with glaring deficiencies. But raising an already-high bar was what Specialized set out to do with the new Tarmac SL8. Thanks to some lessons learned from the fantastically lightweight and smooth Aethos and the devastatingly fast Venge, the SL8 is more aerodynamic and lighter than the SL7.
The result is a bike that answers the question, "What do you get when you Aethosize a Venge?"
On paper, the results look stunning: 685-gram claimed frame weight (115 grams lighter than an SL7), over 16 seconds faster than the SL7 across 40 kilometers (derived from aerodynamic drag at 45km/h), with notable improvements (compared to the SL7) to the frame's stiffness-to-weight ratio, and a smoother ride in the saddle.
AERO FOR ALL?
Specialized touts the SL8 as "The most aero road bike we've ever made" and more aerodynamic than the now-discontinued Venge model.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
ONE MAN'S OBSESSIVE CRUSADE TO Take Down Zwift Cheats
Indoor cycling and virtual racing are booming, and so are the ranks of digital dopers abusing the platforms.
WHAT I LEARNED WHEN LOST IT ON A MOUNTAIN BIKE
A lifelong roadie tries singletrack for the first time. It did not go as planned.
THE UNLIKELY HERO WHO RECOVERED OVER 200 STOLEN BIKES IN ONE AMERICAN CITY
It was a sunny day in the summer of 2022. There were some things I had to move into the house, so I left the garage door open. I was gone less than 15 minutes.
YOU CAN BE MORE THAN JUST A CYCLIST
I'VE ALWAYS HAD A LOVE FOR SPORTS, starting with the usual team ones such as football and baseball. But that faded in favor of more individual pursuits. Watching my dad roll down the driveway to go for a ride, I wanted to do the same. The bike was my first taste of freedom, a freedom to do it my way.
THE RIGHT SADDLE CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE
UP UNTIL RECENTLY, I WAS, AT BEST, A TWICEa-month cyclist.
HOW TO SAY GOODBYE TO THE RIDER YOU USED TO BE
CYCLISTS OF ALL LEVELS GO THROUGH various phases or eras over the years they spend in the saddle. For the vast majority of riders (myself included), these things happen privately, without fanfare.
BIKES MAKE THE WORLD A MORE INCLUSIVE PLACE
LIFE'S A BEAUTIFUL PUZZLE THAT COMES in all sorts of shapes, colors, and sizes.
WHAT MAKES A GOOD CYCLING SCENE, ANYWAY?
I'VE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF INVOLVING myself in a few populous and dramatically different cycling communities.
CHOOSE GEAR THAT INSPIRES YOU TO HAVE FUN E
EVEN THOUGH I TEST LOADS OF CYCLING gear for a living, sometimes I get locked in on particular items and find it difficult to enjoy competing products, even if those products have obvious advantages.
WHY YOU DESERVE A CUSTOM BIKE
Custom. The word evokes passionate opinions about what constitutes a custom-made bike and who gets to ride one. There's this idea that they're wildly expensive pieces of functional art meant only for the fittest, fastest riders.
