Specialized S-Works Tarmac

Specialized’s new Tarmac was the weapon of choice for both the men’s and women’s World Champions in Bergen

- Peter Stuart

The Specialized Tarmac isn’t just a model of bike – it’s a dynasty. The line began in 2003, and since then the various iterations of the Tarmac have claimed victories at every Grand Tour, multiple World Championships and Olympic Road Races, and even a handful of the cobbled Classics.

While on the surface the new Tarmac may look similar to its predecessor, with a near identical geometry for a 56cm frame, every single tube has changed in shape. Perhaps most notably, the seat stays have dropped in height and are now reminiscent of the back end of the Venge ViAS. The seat tube also uses a more aerodynamic D-shaped cross-section along with a cut-out for the rear wheel, which Specialized claims has contributed to a considerable reduction in drag.

The result is that Specialized’s ‘Win Tunnel’ (see what they’ve done there?) data shows this new Tarmac to be equal with the previous generation of Specialized Venge in aerodynamic terms.

‘Our tests show the new Tarmac saves 45 seconds over 40km compared to the current generation of Trek Émonda or Cannondale SuperSix,’ says Chris Yu, Specialized’s director of integrated technologies. Of course, we’ve only got his word for that.

The gains in aerodynamics reflect a wider desire to make the bike more versatile for Grand Tour pros – a one-stop solution to racing. ‘The dynamics of pro racing have changed over the years,’ explains Yu. ‘Every 10km the decision on which of our previous bikes was most suitable would switch. So that’s why we have taken the decision to make a bike that is appropriate across all different types of stages and terrain.’