Don't feel forced to choose between aerodynamics and weight or ride quality and speed with the new Tarmac. Climb on the lightest bike the UCI allows, then descend on the fastest. The most advanced technologies have been applied, from the FreeFoil Shape Library to an all-new Rider-First Engineered™ frame, to deliver a race bike that is truly without compromise. The days of making sacrifices between "aero" and "lightweight" bikes are over. The all-new Tarmac is the fastest race bike, ever. One bike to rule them all.
This S-Works Tarmac Frameset is the perfect canvas to begin your dream build. Build your totally-custom dream bike, and be ready to ride fast.
Specialized have been preaching that aero is everything for years which is still the driving force behind the new Tarmac. In their quest for tube shapes that deliver the fastest frame that the UCI rules allow, Specialized took a page out of the Venge development book and utilised their FreeFoil Shape Library. Armed with a library of optimised shapes, they turned to the Win Tunnel to plug these shapes into a modular test bike, for more testing and validation. The result is a new Tarmac that’s the fastest they’ve tested, and 45 seconds faster over 40km than the Tarmac SL6 (built with Aerofly II handlebars, sold separately).. No compromises, just pure speed.
While aerodynamics were paramount to the Tarmac’s development, and all of Specialized's race bikes, weight was also crucial on this optimal race bike journey. Previously “aero bikes” always compromised in the weight department where the more drag you reduced, the more weight you gained. With the new Tarmac, the design philosophy was to keep it at, or below, the UCI weight limit out of the box, with no sacrifices to aerodynamics. With the help of the FreeFoil Shape Library, tools like isotopic FEA analysis, and some engineering wizardry by the best engineers in the industry, a frame was delivered that weighs a mere 800g, without giving up a gram of aero, stiffness or ride quality.
To develop the perfect race bike, the Rider-First Engineered™ philosophy was used to ensure that the new Tarmac is the most balanced, best handling Tarmac yet, no matter the size. With an army of the world’s best test riders from three World Tour Teams, including Boels-Dolmans, Deceuninck-Quick-Step, and Bora-hansgrohe, changes were made to the Tarmac based on their thousands of kms on the road. The ride quality was balanced between the front and rear end, so even the longest days in the saddle continue to be comfortable, all without giving up the Tarmac’s legendary handling and race-winning snappiness.
Building on the learnings from the Venge, the new Tarmac utilises simple integration to create a clean, fast cockpit that’s easy to live with. The routing has been improved for any configuration (mechanical shifting, traditional stems, round bars, etc.) all while keeping its aerodynamic attributes. These same traits also make the new Tarmac easy to work on and easy to travel with. It’s a win-win.