Specialized Tarmac SL8 Expert Carbon Road Bike Gloss Obsidian

About this bike

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 Di2 delivers exceptional performance with a full Ultegra Di2 groupset C38 carbon tubeless ready wheelset and an SL7 stem with Specialized Expert Shallow Drop alloy handlebars makes for an accessible performance-packed bike.






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


Fork
FACT 10r Carbon 12x100mm thru-axle flat-mount disc


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


Saddle
Body Geometry Power Expert


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


Tape
Supacaz Super Sticky Kush


Stem
Tarmac integrated stem 6-degree


Seat Binder
Tarmac integrated wedge


Rear Brake
Shimano Ultegra Hydraulic Brake


Front Brake
Shimano Ultegra Hydraulic Brake


Chain
Shimano XT M8100 12-speed w/ quick link


Cassette
Shimano Ultegra 12-speed 11-30t


Bottom Bracket
Shimano Threaded BSA BB


Shift Levers
Shimano Ultegra R8170 hydraulic disc


Crankset
Shimano Ultegra R81000


Headset
Stem headset spacers kit for SL7 stem & Roval Rapide cockpit use


Rear Derailluer
Shimano Ultegra Di2 R8150 12-speed


Front Derailluer
Shimano Ultegra R8150 braze-on


Chainrings
48/35T


Front Wheel
Roval C38 21mm internal width carbon rim


Rear Wheel
Roval C38 21mm internal width carbon rim


Front Tyre
S-Works Turbo 120 TPI folding bead BlackBelt protection 700x26mm


Rear Tyre
S-Works Turbo 120 TPI folding bead BlackBelt protection 700x26mm


Inner Tubes
Turbo Ultralight 48mm Presta valve


Weight
Size 56cm - 7.18 kg (15 lb 13.3 oz)

Description supplied by Cyclestore.