The previous Tarmac had an exceptional palmarès but as Specialized innovate or die, they created the new S-Works Tarmac which breaks all the traditions of race bike design to create the fastest bike for all conditions.
Advanced aerospace composite optimisation software was utilised to revolutionise the construction and layup of the new FACT 12r carbon. It's the most advanced material and schedule which shed nearly 200 grams. That's right, a 20% reduction in frame weight - the perfect recipe for your next hill climb PR.
Major steps were also taken in improving their Rider-First Engineered™ technology to ensure that the new Tarmac is stiff and compliant in exactly the right places, all while shedding some serious weight. From different layup schedules and materials, to visibly different forks, every single aspect of the new Tarmac was scrutinised to ensure you're getting the perfect ride. The geometry was also updated, basing it on countless Retül data points and professional rider input to develop a Performance Road Geometry that perfects the combination of a responsive front-end and short wheelbase, which delivers instantaneous response and optimal power transfer.
Compliance must also be utilised for an optimal ride quality which is why Specialized designed a seatpost that builds compliance into the upper 120mm where clamping doesn't happen, dropped the seatstays, and altered the seat tube shape. Tyre clearance up to 30mm was also added, which translates to a 28mm Turbo Cotton on a Roval CLX 50 wheel. This allows lower pressures for decreased rolling resistance, increased traction, and more comfort. Altogether, these additions still have the Tarmac riding like a true race-machine, but it also takes a bit of the sting out of road imperfections.
Specialized also know that aerodynamic improvements are the most important thing they can do to make you faster which is why Bora-Hansgrohe and Quick-Step Floors Pro Tour riders are demanding aero improvements on every bike. With this, the aero goal was to discover where aero could essentially be added for free without taking anything away from the hallmarks of the Tarmac design. During the six-month iterative process, three areas were discovered where this could be done - a new fork shape, dropped seatstays with aero tubes, and a D-shaped seatpost and seat tube. The result is a bike that's approximately 45 seconds faster over 40km compared to other lightweight bikes in the same category.
The lightest (440g/172.5mm) and most accurate power metre available was included, because no matter your skill level or experience on the bike, there's no better way to enhance your training and racing performance than by riding with a power metre. Lucky for you, Specialized have combined their incredibly light and stiff carbon fibre S-Works road cranks with dual-sided power measurement.
This S-Works Tarmac comes ready to race with Shimano's new Dura-Ace 9150 Di2 groupset with direct mount brakes and the lightweight, yet impressively aerodynamic, Roval CLX 50s with 26mm Turbo Cotton tyres.
-
Featuring a Rider-First Engineered™ design that ensures every frame size has the same legendary climbing responsiveness and descending prowess you'd expect from a Tarmac. The S-Works FACT 12r frame is the highest quality carbon frame, offering the ideal blend of light overall weight and targeted stiffness.
-
Shimano's Dura-Ace Di2 group offers exceptionally crisp shifts and keeps the overall weight of the Tarmac at an absolute minimum.
-
The Win Tunnel Engineered Roval CLX 50 Disc carbon wheelset offers superior aerodynamics, a svelte 1415-gram weight, and plenty of durability to be both a perfect training and race wheelset.