S-Works Tarmac SL8
The ideas we gained from developing the unconventional lightweight motorcycle called the Athos
The design concept of the Tarmac SL8 is based on the ideas incorporated to reduce weight in the development of the Athos, a lightweight road bike developed without regard for the weight restrictions of racing bikes. The word ‘compromise’ may be a misnomer, but the fact that elements deemed unnecessary for weight reduction have been eliminated can be seen in the rounded frame, slim rear frame and narrow bottom bracket, and as a by-product of this, it is thought that comfort has been improved (for a racing bike) while still pursuing speed.
I also own an Athos from the S-Works series, which I use for short trips around the Tokyo area with my wife, or for training in the middle of the night when I have some free time. The biggest advantage of the Athos is its light weight. So even if you don’t go very fast or use inertia, you can ride up hills easily and nimbly. As a side note, I often ride my Asos with my wife around the streets of Tokyo, and then park it in a bicycle parking lot and go for a walk, so I use non-slip flat pedals instead of bicycle pedals. The lightness of this bicycle is also convenient for everyday transport and for storing it in a two-tiered rack in a bicycle parking lot.
I don’t have much time to go out and take photos, but I’d like to introduce Athos if I get the chance.
Riding the Athos really brings home the aerodynamic properties of tarmac. The Athos is a lightweight road bike that doesn’t meet race regulations (it’s too light to be legal), and it’s designed so that even people who don’t race can enjoy the benefits of a road bike. Anyone who rides it will be able to experience its lightness. The lightness really comes into its own on hills. Even on flat roads, the bike feels noticeably lighter at the start, and up to around 30km/h it feels faster than a tarmac bike. From there, if you increase your speed further and exceed 40km/h, you’ll find it becomes more difficult to maintain your speed or increase it. The Athos feels faster than the Tarmac at the start, but the difference becomes apparent when you increase your speed to around 30km/h. The Tarmac accelerates even after exceeding 40km/h, and it’s easy to maintain speed (you do need to pedal quite seriously). This is a natural result of the benefits of aerodynamic characteristics, and it is only natural that the height of the wheel rims, the shape of the handlebars and the aerodynamic processing of the frame are all different.
The development philosophy that aerodynamic performance and weight reduction are easy to quantify, but that this is not everything
However, when it comes to comparing the aerodynamic treatment of the SL8 racing bike with that of other manufacturers‘ racing bikes, there are other models that are even better, and I feel that this aspect may be what is making the latest SL8’s reputation a little more subtle.
The latest SL8 is a model that has achieved a good balance between weight reduction and ease of driving and fatigue-free driving, as well as aerodynamic performance. I feel that the fact that the latest SL8 is difficult to evaluate is because it is difficult to explain the merits and good balance of the model, which are not elements that can be demonstrated by numerical values such as the best aerodynamic performance of the current generation.
The company Specialized has a history of producing innovative bikes, and its Venge road bike from two generations ago was a bike that pushed the boundaries of aerodynamics. The overwhelming performance of that bike and the influence of the rider Sagan, who rode it, created the image of the bikes that Specialized produces, and I think that the fact that the concept of the latest Tarmac was different from the expectations for it is also a factor that makes it difficult to evaluate. The concept and lightness of the Athos mentioned above have also been the subject of much discussion, but Specialized is a company that creates extremely interesting road bikes, and it is a company that has gained fans through this.
Since road bikes are also highly hobby-oriented tools, price and specifications are inevitably taken into account when evaluating them.
It is also a game of using tools, so naturally talking about tools is one of the pleasures of the game. I feel that in a word-driven exchange space such as the internet, the discussion of tools tends to be more important than the actual running, and it is easy to fall into the illusion that this is of paramount importance to both the proponents and detractors of the sport.
There is a lack of information from the point of view that riding taste and feeling are more important than specifications, and that in a sport like road biking, the environment and the ability of the individual who chooses it are more important than the equipment (in the sense of improving individual skills, not superiority or inferiority to others), and that changing training methods and positions is more effective than changing road bikes in the same class. There is a lack of information from the point of view of choosing a bike to improve your skills based on the premise that changing your training method or position is actually more effective than changing to a different road bike in the same class, or from the point of view of an enthusiast who wants the latest flagship from their favourite manufacturer without regard to specifications. I feel that there should be a choice from an enthusiast’s point of view. (I think there are reasons for that, too, such as specs.)
The main point of this article is to complement the information that is missing in the essence of the enjoyment of choosing equipment, which is that by choosing a road bike with high specifications, you can ride a little easier or a little faster.
Enjoy road biking in a casual way
Road biking has an image that if you own a certain amount of equipment, you have to follow a certain style of riding, and I feel that this has raised the bar for people who have never ridden before.
We think it’s a good idea to enjoy it as a slightly hobbyist means of transport, with the awareness that it’s a physical activity and therefore seems to be good for your health. There is a kind of unwritten rule that riding a road bike inevitably means you have to wear a bib, cycle wear and binding shoes, and that is correct, but one of the benefits of road biking is that you can ride long distances at a reasonable travel speed.
This thing moves you to places you can’t go on foot, although not as far as by car. You can enjoy the extraordinary experience of feeling the scenery and cityscapes along the way, which you cannot feel by car. You can also enjoy the pleasure of leaving your bicycle at a parking lot on the way and enjoying the streets on foot, so cycle wear and binding shoes are not necessarily required. You can also enjoy riding in normal clothes and sneakers.
On holidays, my wife and I go out on bicycles to explore Tokyo. My wife is not so much a cyclist as a hobbyist, but she says it is fun to cycle around different places in half a day, so she and I actively cycle out when the weather is good.
I don’t go that fast, but I ride for a distance of about 30 km. It is not a serious way to ride a road bike, but you can enjoy the bike in that way. My wife rides a Specialized electric Como model. On holidays like this, I wear Patagonia clothing that I can sweat in.
Patagonia is also quite casual in terms of sportswear, but even in places like hotel cafés where you wouldn’t normally wear cycling gear, you can enjoy lunch with a helmet and a simple backpack without feeling out of place.
As an extreme example, my wife and I went cycling in Ginza, hung our helmets on our waists, and visited the Brunello Cucinelli Ginza store. The staff didn’t seem bothered at all and even enjoyed chatting with us, making it a memorable experience.
You can enjoy it in this way, so if you are thinking about taking up road biking for health reasons, I recommend not overthinking it and just enjoying it as an extension of your usual commute.
When viewed from behind, the thinness of the handlebar and seat stays, combined with the circular shape, optimise aerodynamics. However, other manufacturers’ road bikes have further refined this aerodynamic design with forward-rounded or straight lines.
While this may lower the Tarmac SL8’s rating, it is a genuine racing bike that is easier to ride and faster than its specifications and appearance suggest.
Is it necessary to switch from the Tarmac SL7?
Personally, I think switching was a good decision, but to be honest, I would hesitate to recommend it to others.
Road biking is a sport that requires equipment, and one of the pleasures of the sport is being particular about that equipment.
However, being particular can make the price a sticking point. For those who are willing to spend what it takes, when the time comes to buy the latest high-performance road bike, other manufacturers will also be considered.
If you were to choose the S-Works Tarmac SL8, who would it be suitable for? The answer is very extreme, but
Whether you have the ability to ride long distances or not, if you want to choose good equipment (this refers not only to price or brand name, but also to the mechanical precision and feel that make you feel it is good equipment), or if you are not very experienced with road bikes but want to ride a good bike and prioritise rideability over marketing-driven specifications.For those who want to purchase an expensive flagship model and use it for a long time.
This is recommended for such individuals. (This is what I believe.) The SL8’s greatest advantage lies in its combination of excellent ride comfort and responsiveness under load, the precision felt when pedalling, and the ease with which anyone can experience these qualities. The S-WORKS model embodies this balance at its highest level.
On the other hand, if you are already quite experienced with road bikes, understand the differences, and are able to make the most of the specifications, then you may find the specifications of other manufacturers’ road bikes more interesting, and you may be more satisfied with those options.
When it comes to high-level users who participate in competitions, I am not one of them myself, but there are benefits to be gained as distance and load increase. Therefore, I think that high-level amateurs who participate in competitions of the 200km class may actually benefit from this. However, at this level, riders do not use off-the-shelf frames and have their own preferences for parts, so they would purchase the frame alone. For those who find the physical strain to be the least among frames of the same class, I believe the satisfaction level would be high.
Road bikes also have a wide appeal, and as the shop staff mentioned, many people ride them not for their performance but because they enjoy riding them. It makes sense that quite a few older people are purchasing them. These older riders have extensive experience and a deep understanding of the sport, so they make their choices based on what they personally seek, rather than being swayed by the latest specifications or trends.
In that respect, it is an excellent road bike.
High-performance road bikes are professional tools, and to get the most out of their performance, you need the physical ability and skill to master their narrow sweet spot. However, I feel that the Tarmac SL8’s biggest selling point is that its sweet spot feels more forgiving.
As someone who is neither a competitive cyclist nor a veteran, but simply enjoys riding bicycles, I am approaching retirement age and find myself in a similar situation.
For those with a flexible budget, I would recommend this product. This product is designed for competitive use, so its performance in races and competitions is prioritised, which is reflected in the price. However, this product offers flexibility that allows you to enjoy it based on personal preferences beyond speed, so I believe it is best to choose something you truly like without being overly influenced by information.
Although unrelated to S-Works, there are many manufacturers selling attractive road bikes, from long-established brands such as Colnago, Pinarello, and Cervelo to Trek and Canyon. These products have a certain appeal that makes you want to own them, thanks to their history, racing victories, innovation, and the fact that they are used by admired athletes. Therefore, I believe that choosing a bike that suits your personal preferences will result in the highest level of satisfaction.
Detail
| frame | S-Works Tarmac SL8 FACT 12r Carbon, Rider First Engineered™, Win Tunnel Engineered, Clean Routing, Threaded BB, 12x142mm thru-axle, flat-mount disc | fork | S-Works FACT 12r Carbon, 12x100mm thru-axle, flat-mount disc |
|---|---|---|---|
| handlebar | Roval Rapide Cockpit, Integrated Bar/Stem | stem | Roval Rapide Cockpit, Integrated Bar/Stem |
| bar tape | Supacaz Super Sticky Kush | saddle | Body Geometry S-Works Power, carbon fiber rails, carbon fiber base |
| seat post | S-Works Tarmac SL8 Carbon seat post, FACT Carbon, 15mm offset | front brakes | Shimano Dura-Ace R9270, hydraulic disc |
| rear brakes | Shimano Dura-Ace R9270, hydraulic disc | sheet clamp | Tarmac integrated wedge |
| shift lever | Shimano Dura-Ace R9270, hydraulic disc | front derailleur | Shimano Dura-Ace R9250, braze-on |
| rear derailleur | Shimano Dura-Ace R9250, 12-speed | cassette sprocket | Shimano Dura-Ace, 12-speed, 11-30t |
| chain | Shimano Dura-Ace, 12-speed | crankset | Shimano Dura-Ace R9200, HollowTech II, 12-speed with 4iiii Precision Pro dual-sided powermeter |
| chain ring | 52/36T | bottom bracket | Shimano Dura-Ace, BB-R9200 |
| front wheel | Roval Rapide CLX II, Tubeless, 21mm internal width carbon rim, 51mm depth, Win Tunnel Engineered, Roval AFD hub, 18h, DT Swiss Aerolite spokes | rear wheel | Roval Rapide CLX II, Tubeless, 21mm internal width carbon rim, 60mm depth, Win Tunnel Engineered, Roval AFD hub, 24h, DT Swiss Aerolite spokes |
| front tyre | S-Works Turbo Rapidair 2BR, 700x26mm | rear tyre | S-Works Turbo Rapidair 2BR, 700x26mm |
| tube | Turbo Ultralight, Presta valve |
| S-WORKS TARMAC SL8 – SHIMANO DURA-ACE DI2 | 44 | 49 | 52 | 54 | 56 | 58 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stack to Stem (mm) | 509 | 522 | 535 | 552 | 573 | 599 |
| Reach to Stem (mm) | 363 | 372 | 377 | 381 | 393 | 400 |
| Frame Stack (mm) | 501 | 514 | 527 | 544 | 565 | 591 |
| Frame Reach (mm) | 366 | 375 | 380 | 384 | 395 | 402 |
| Head Tube Length (mm) | 99 | 109 | 120 | 137 | 157 | 184 |
| Head Tube Angle (degrees) | 70.5 | 71.75 | 72.5 | 73 | 73.5 | 73.5 |
| BB Height (mm) | 266 | 266 | 266 | 268 | 268 | 268 |
| BB Drop (mm) | 74 | 74 | 74 | 72 | 72 | 72 |
| Trail (mm) | 71 | 63 | 58 | 58 | 55 | 55 |
| Fork Length, Full (mm) | 370 | 370 | 370 | 370 | 370 | 370 |
| Fork Rake/Offset (mm) | 47 | 47 | 47 | 44 | 44 | 44 |
| Front Center (mm) | 572 | 574 | 577 | 579 | 592 | 606 |
| Chain Stay Length (mm) | 410 | 410 | 410 | 410 | 410 | 410 |
| Wheelbase (mm) | 970 | 973 | 975 | 978 | 991 | 1006 |
| Top Tube Length, Horizontal (mm) | 496 | 509 | 531 | 541 | 563 | 577 |
| Bike Standover Height (mm) | 723 | 735 | 746 | 768 | 786 | 808 |
| Seat Tube Length (mm) | 433 | 445 | 456 | 473 | 494 | 515 |
| Seat Tube Angle (degrees) | 75.5 | 75.5 | 74 | 74 | 73.5 | 73.5 |
| Crank Length (mm) | 165 | 165 | 170 | 172.5 | 172.5 | 175 |
| Handlebar Width (mm) | 380 | 380 | 400 | 420 | 420 | 440 |
| Stem Length (mm) | 75 | 75 | 90 | 100 | 100 | 110 |
| Saddle Width (mm) | 155 | 155 | 155 | 143 | 143 | 143 |
| Seatpost Length (mm) | 300 | 300 | 300 | 380 | 380 | 380 |
Conclusion
When it was first released, this product attracted a lot of attention and mixed reviews, making it difficult to judge its true value. This article is intended to provide reference information for those who are considering purchasing this product or are interested in it, based on my own impressions after actually purchasing and using it.
It is difficult to express the performance and riding sensation of a bicycle in words, and I regret that this article ended up being unnecessarily long. However, this is not limited to road bikes. In today’s trend, where easy-to-understand keywords are essential for product sales, this product was a typical example of how it is difficult to evaluate a product if its value does not match the keywords that make it easy to understand.
This situation is similar to that of the Porsche GT3RS I owned in the past. It is a product that exceeds expectations and offers a high level of owner satisfaction. Rather than having one outstanding, easily identifiable feature, it strikes a good balance of values, allowing the rider to fully experience the multiple advantages of the product through actual use. In summary, it is a high-performance road bike that offers a sense of tolerance and flexibility.
This high-performance road bike is actually used in professional races, so its performance is a given. However, unlike the narrow sweet spot typically associated with bikes used by professionals, this bike is easy to ride even for those without professional-level skills, and its high performance can be enjoyed intuitively.
I purchased the S-WORKS Tarmac SL8, but the Specialized Tarmac SL8 has similar characteristics. The difference lies in the weight and mechanical precision. This difference can be both small and significant, so I recommend choosing based on your budget and preferences.
I purchased it because I wanted to try triathlon, but due to changes in my living environment, I have not been able to take up the challenge. I would like to try it if I have the opportunity.
Shop
I purchased the S-WORKS SL8 at Specialized Jiyugaoka.
The staff members are competitive cyclists who have placed in top positions in races such as the Fuji Race and the Tour de Okinawa, but they are also approachable and happy to offer advice to anyone. As staff members who use bikes for competition, they are well-versed in racing and sports-related topics and can recommend non-original parts based on their intended use.
They also provide regular maintenance services, allowing you to enjoy your road bike with peace of mind. For beginners, there are weekend ride events where you can improve your skills and enjoy the company of friendly participants.Like Mr. Corleone of the watch shop, the store manager is a competitive cyclist who has also experienced car racing, so conversations about bikes and cars often get lively, making it easy to stay longer than planned.
Since they handle Specialized bikes, which are used for competitive riding, many customers are also competitive cyclists. However, due to the location, there are also many older, charming customers who are hobbyists, making it a great place for couples considering taking up road biking together.
“Specialized Jiyugaoka.” Global shipping is not supported. Come to the shop when you come to Japan.
