“Nothing is lighter and stiffer,” is Specialized's talking point when it comes to their S-Works Tarmac SL2.
After taking it out for a spin during Interbike's Outdoor Demo Days, I would tend to agree. But you don't really need me to tell you that as the likes of Tom Boonen, Stijn Devolder, and Tour de France polka-dot jersey winner, Bernhard Kohl, can better attest to the attributes of the Tarmac SL2.
In designing the S-Works Tarmac SL2, the folks over at Specialized basically threw out the kitchen sink. Once they had decided to build the lightest and stiffest bicycle on the market, they eliminated all their preconceived notions and standards.
They applied their "design, material choices, manufacturing methods and system integration without constraint. From the asymmetrical seat tube, to chain stays that feature a 30% larger cross section, to size specific seat stays, down tubes and top tubes, to pioneering the radical new FACT (Functional Advanced Composite Technology) IS (Integrated Structure) manufacturing method, their team of engineers, designers and material experts pursued every conceivable method to enhance the performance of the Tarmac SL2."
The result is the “holy grail” combination for a racer, a super light frame that doesn’t waste a bit of energy laterally when hammering out of the saddle.
Specialized used their top-of-the-line, superlight and strong 11r carbon, with their FACT IS construction and an oversized bottom bracket to produce a bicycle that looks fast just standing still.
The understated matte black finish of S-Works Tarmac SL2 certainly drew a lot of praise for its looks as I rode down to the test course. I was actually glad to see the Mavic R-Sys wheelset rather than any set of Zipp’s that seemed to be ubiquitous on many of the high end testers because that meant I would be able to get a better sense of the frameset rather than being buffered by a nice set of deep dish carbon wheels.
Besides the SRAM Red components, the rest of the set up was Specialized through and through including: the S-Works Pro-Set stem, S-Works SL FACT carbon handlebar, S-Works SL FACT carbon seatpost, and the Body Geometry Toupé saddle.
As with the other high end bicycles I tested that day, the S-Works Tarmac SL2 lived up to, if not surpassed, my expectations. I could tell you how stiff the frame was when I attempted to do some track-style jumps or how feather light it felt as I sat in the saddle while passing people on the climb back, but perhaps a better testament to its ride quality is that it spoiled all other subsequent rides.
CSC - Saxo Bank may have lost Cervelo as a bicycle sponsor for 2009, but their riders will all be smiles once they climb on S-Works Tarmac SL2.
The MSRP for the specific set up I rode is $7400.00 ($8500 for Dura-Ace). Though it may be out of most people's price range, its an investment that will give back in spades.
Photo: Leonard Basobas
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