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Tarmac SL8 Expert

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Tarmac SL8 Expert

4.5

2 Reviews

Nothing is faster than the Tarmac SL8 thanks to a combination of aerodynamics, lightweight,…

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1974 to 2024: A 50-Year Tradition of Innovation
Pedal the Planet Forward

1974 to 2024: A 50-Year Tradition of Innovation

As Specialized celebrates its 50th Anniversary of innovating to improve riders’ lives, we have our sites set on the next half century and creating the future of cycling. Join us as we look back at five decades of innovation so we can continue to Pedal the Planet Forward together.

One Bike to Rule Them All
Tarmac SL8

One Bike to Rule Them All

The engineering obsessed Germans at Tour Magazine declared the Tarmac SL8, ‘the best road bike in the world’. Reaching the previously unimaginable rating of ’1.3’ *- the highest Tour score ever - Tarmac SL8 beats every competitor. Or, as these serious, data driven journalists put it, ‘No other racing bike functions better as a complete package.’

Aero In Everything
Our Most Aero Race Bike Ever

Aero In Everything

After a decade of working in the Win Tunnel, our engineers put aero where it matters, not just where it looks good. The result? A new Nose Cone called the ‘Speed Sniffer’ helps the new Tarmac SL8 be 16.6 seconds faster over 40km than the Tarmac SL7. And yes, more aero than the Venge.

Minimum Weight, Maximum Aero
685 Gram Frameset

Minimum Weight, Maximum Aero

We saw how the lightest production road bike in the world - the Aethos - could marry blistering response in the mountains with a supple, all-day ride. The Tarmac SL8 took those learnings from Aethos to be easily built at the UCI minimum with a full aero set up.

Goes Like Hell, Rides Like Heaven
Stiffer and Smoother

Goes Like Hell, Rides Like Heaven

The Tarmac SL8 delivers a massive 33% improvement in stiffness to weight vs the SL7, all while being 6% smoother in the saddle. With World Championship proven geometry and 32mm tyre clearance, it adds up to an unprecedented ride quality.

Tarmac SL8 x Demi Vollering
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Tarmac SL8 x Demi Vollering
S-Works Tarmac SL8 LTD
All-New SRAM RED AXS

S-Works Tarmac SL8 LTD

The best race bike in the world, now in a gorgeous, limited Glacial Metallic color with the all-new SRAM RED AXS, custom Roval graphics, silver accents, and the new Hammerhead Karoo 3 cycling computer. With only 300 worldwide, each individually numbered, they’ll go faster than Demi chasing Tour glory, so don’t wait.

Aren’t You Glad Some Kids Stayed in Science Club?
Front Loading Development

Aren’t You Glad Some Kids Stayed in Science Club?

Creating a bike more aerodynamic, 15% lighter, with a 33% improvement in stiffness-to-weight than the 4X World Championship winning Tarmac SL7 took more than an obsessive commitment to Innovate or Die. Our engineering team created an entirely new process.

Made in Racing
Demi and Remco

Made in Racing

Since day one at Specialized, the rider has been the boss, so the best all-rounders in the world - Remco Evenepoel, Demi Vollering - had a hand in developing and refining the Tarmac SL8. Ultimately, we co-created the fastest race bike in the world.

Product Details

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Nothing is faster than the Tarmac SL8 thanks to a combination of aerodynamics, lightweight, and ride quality previously thought impossible. After eight generations and over two decades of development, it’s more than the fastest Tarmac ever - it’s the world’s fastest race bike. Your legs up for it?

Aerodynamics or lightweight alone don’t win races - speed is what matters. Delivering that speed requires creating an uncompromising combination of aerodynamics, lightweight, stiffness, and compliance. Through race simulations using real world data our Ride Science team knows the Tarmac SL8 is the fastest race bike ever made on the routes that matter - 16.6 seconds faster over 40km, 128 seconds faster over Milan San Remo, 20 seconds faster over the legendary Tourmalet climb.

  • AERO IN EVERYTHING: We’re putting aero where it matters - the leading edge - not just where it looks good. In the process we’ve created our most aerodynamic road bike ever. Yes, it’s more aero than the Venge. Clean air is optimized for maximum advantage with the Tarmac’s new nose cone - the Speed Sniffer. By moving the steer tube back - the tube that determines head tube width - the leading edge of the head tube can be much sharper, delivering a much lower drag shape. Utilizing new UCI rules, the Tarmac SL8 has the narrowest, most aero seat post we’ve ever made ensuring fast moving, dirty air around the legs can flow back more cleanly. Doesn’t victory smell sweet?
  • MINIMUM WEIGHT, MAXIMUM AERO: Tarmac SL8 took learnings from Aethos to be easily built at the UCI minimum with a full aero set up. The team delivered a mind bending, scale tickling 685 gram frame - 15% lighter than the Tarmac SL7 and lighter than anything on else on the World Tour*. With the ability to make lightweight a top priority in the down tube, seat tube, and rear of the bike lessons from Aethos were applied. The frame’s shape carries load so efficiently that extra carbon stiffness layers become redundant. *Unless of course you count the time Kasper Asgreen raced our 585 gram Aethos frame during a Tour stage.
  • GOES LIKE HELL, RIDES LIKE HEAVEN: With massive gains in stiffness-to-weight - an improvement of 33% over the SL7 - the Tarmac SL8 takes legendary handling, aggressive responsiveness and World Championship proven geometry to the next level. The bike is stiffer at the pedals, more precise at the bars, and combines it with a compliant ride in the saddle that sets a new benchmark for race bike comfort. Thanks to our Rider-First Engineering, every rider, regardless of size, gets the same unprecedented ride quality and handling. In the saddle the Tarmac SL8 delivers 6% more compliance, floating over rough road with a supple feel unique in the high strung world of race bikes. Tarmac’s proven geometry and 32mm tire clearance are identical to the SL7, ensuring easy adaptation and the versatility to run higher volume tires when needed.
  • BEYOND GENDER: There can be more difference between two male cyclists than between a male and female. Gender alone doesn’t provide nearly enough data to specialize and that means creating male or female bikes is arbitrary and outdated. Every rider can get the next level advantage of Tarmac SL8. It’s time to go Beyond Gender.
  • The Tarmac SL8 Expert delivers exceptional performance with a full SRAM Rival eTap AXS groupset with power meter, C38 carbon tubeless ready wheelset, and an SL7 stem with Specialized Expert Shallow Drop alloy handlebars makes for an accessible performance-packed bike.

Technical Specifications

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Frameset

Frame

Tarmac SL8 FACT 10r Carbon, Rider First Engineered™, Win Tunnel Engineered, Clean Routing, Threaded BB, 12x142mm thru-axle, flat-mount disc

Suspension

Fork

Tarmac SL8 FACT 10r Carbon, 12x100mm thru-axle, flat-mount disc

Cockpit

Handlebars

Specialized Expert Shallow Drop, alloy, 125mm drop x 75mm reach

Saddle

Body Geometry Power Expert

Stem

Tarmac integrated stem, 6-degree

Tape

Supacaz Super Sticky Kush

SeatPost

S-Works Tarmac SL8 Carbon seat post, FACT Carbon, 15mm offset

Seat Binder

Tarmac integrated wedge

Brakes

Rear Brake

SRAM Rival eTap AXS, hydraulic disc

Front Brake

SRAM Rival eTap AXS, hydraulic disc

Drivetrain

Shift Levers

SRAM Rival eTap AXS

Front Derailleur

SRAM Rival eTAP AXS, braze-on

Rear Derailleur

SRAM Rival eTap AXS, 12-speed

Cassette

SRAM Rival, 12-speed, 10-36t

Crankset

SRAM Rival with Power Meter

Chainrings

48/35T

Bottom Bracket

SRAM DUB BSA 68

Chain

SRAM Rival 12-speed

Wheels & Tires

Front Wheel

Roval C38, 21mm internal width carbon rim

Rear Wheel

Roval C38, 21mm internal width carbon rim

Front Tire

S-Works Turbo, folding bead, 700x26mm

Rear Tire

S-Works Turbo, folding bead, 700x26mm

Inner Tubes

Turbo Ultralight, 48mm Presta valve

Weight

Weight

7.77 kg (17 lb, 2.1 oz)

Weight Size

56cm

* Weights based on production painted frames as pictured. Actual weights will vary based on colourway, frame size, and component variation. Specifications are subject to change without notice.

Geometry

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44495254565861
Crank Length165mm165mm170mm172.5mm172.5mm175mm175mm
Handlebar Width360mm380mm400mm420mm420mm440mm440mm
Stem Length70mm80mm90mm100mm100mm110mm110mm
Saddle Width155mm155mm155mm143mm143mm143mm143mm
Seatpost Length300mm300mm300mm380mm380mm380mm380mm
Stack to Stem509mm522mm535mm552mm573mm599mm620mm
Reach to Stem363mm372mm377mm381mm393mm400mm406mm
Frame Stack501mm514mm527mm544mm565mm591mm612mm
Frame Reach366mm375mm380mm384mm395mm402mm408mm
Head Tube Length99mm109mm120mm137mm157mm184mm204mm
Head Tube Angle70.5°71.75°72.5°73°73.5°73.5°74°
BB Height266mm266mm266mm268mm268mm268mm268mm
BB Drop74mm74mm74mm72mm72mm72mm72mm
Trail71mm63mm58mm58mm55mm55mm52mm
Fork Length, Full370mm370mm370mm370mm370mm370mm370mm
Fork Rake/Offset47mm47mm47mm44mm44mm44mm44mm
Front Center572mm574mm577mm579mm592mm606mm613mm
Chainstay Length410mm410mm410mm410mm410mm410mm410mm
Wheelbase970mm973mm975mm978mm991mm1006mm1013mm
Top Tube Length, Horizontal496mm509mm531mm541mm563mm577mm595mm
Bike Standover Height723mm735mm746mm768mm786mm808mm834mm
Seat Tube Length433mm445mm456mm473mm494mm515mm545mm
Seat Tube Angle75.5°75.5°74°74°73.5°73.5°73°
Geometry

Rider Reviews

4.5

2 Reviews

 

SL8 Expert Headset Clearance

Hello, the bike is sweet and has been so much fun to ride (hence the 4 stars). That being said I think I may have gotten a lemon or the Specialized shop that put it together didn’t install the headset correctly. For some reason, the dust cap has rubbed against the frame and it wore down the paint/frame right around the headset area. I just noticed this after cleaning the bike this past weekend. I took it to an Incycle shop near me and they advised that the clearance between the headset and frame is not ideal on my bike. I am pretty bummed to have this happened to my bike, it was very expensive and I’ve taken extremely good care of it. The shop emailed the warranty department to see what they thought of it so hoping they can replace the frame and install a new headset with the right amount of clearance in this particular area. Fingers crossed!


Name:
Alejandro

Helpful?

Great expert level bike

Geometry is both comfortable and aero position, this's almost impossible to find in other bikes, the frame is stiff and feels as smooth as butter, the Roval carbon wheel-set is light and stiff making the ride fast, the grip of the S-Work tyres is high on tarmac yet has minimum surface contact. With this bike, I was performing as good as Pro bikes with DuraAce group-set, the frame is definitely a the secret sauce here.


Name:
Mustafa A.

Helpful?