Ex-Demo: 2019 Specialized Tarmac Expert Mens Road Bike - 54cm

As this is not a brand new bike, it may not feature the full original technical specification and is subject to change.

The Tarmac Expert is the bike to annihilate the competition whether you're training or competing in your local road race.

The S-Works Tarmac might be the perfect bike for winning a Grand Tour, but chances are, you're not going to be competing in Southern France this season. So when you need a bike that is in it to win your daily racing, the new Tarmac Expert is pretty hard to beat.

For the construction, advanced aerospace composite optimisation software was utilised to revolutionise the construction and layup of the new FACT 10r carbon. It's the most advanced layup schedule Specialized have ever made - the shape, schedule, and material optimisation shed nearly 200 grams. That's right, a 20% reduction in frame weight, the perfect recipe for your next PR.

The Rider-First Engineered™ technology was improved to ensure that the new Tarmac is stiff and compliant in exactly the right places, all while shedding some serious weight. The geometry was also updated, basing it on countless Retül data points and professional rider input. This enabled Specialized to develop a performance road geometry that perfects the combination of a responsive front-end and short wheelbase, delivering instantaneous response and optimal power transfer.

While stiffness aids in the aforementioned, compliance must also be utilised for an optimal ride quality. That's 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 SLX 24 rim. 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 they just take a bit of the sting out of those road imperfections.

Specialized know that aerodynamics are the most important thing they can do to make you faster. Both their Bora-Hansgrohe and Quick-Step Floors Pro Tour riders, after all, are demanding aero improvements on every bike. With this, the aero goal was to discover where aero could essentially be "added for free," by not 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.

This Tarmac comes ready to race out of the box, featuring a crisp Shimano Ultegra 8000 groupset, resplendent Roval CL 50 carbon wheelset, and a sublime Toupé Expert Gel saddle.

• 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 FACT 10r frame is the perfect blend of value and performance.
• The 11-speed Shimano Ultegra 8000 shifting is extremely reliable, lightweight, and precise.
• The Roval CL 50 wheelset utilises the same rim as its older sibling the CLX 50, but pairs it with traditional bearings and round spokes to keep value at an all-time high.