Bikes 2022 Specialized S-WORKS Tarmac SL7 – SRAM RED ETAP AXS

Why should you be forced to choose between aerodynamics and weight, between ride quality and speed? It’s simple, you shouldn’t. Enter the new Tarmac—climb on the lightest bike the UCI allows, then descend on the fastest. We’ve utilized our most advanced technologies, from our FreeFoil Shape Library to an all-new Rider-First Engineered™ frame, to deliver a race bike that is truly without compromise. The days of making sacrifices between “aero” and “lightweight” bikes are over—the all-new Tarmac is the fastest race bike, ever. One bike to rule them all.

To complement the world’s fastest frame, only the best components will do—which is why you’ll find the likes of SRAM’s RED eTap AXS 12-speed group with power meter, and Roval’s new CLX Rapide wheels, with their exceptional stability and aerodynamic prowess. The S-Works Tarmac is a top-level, 6.8kg race machine, right out of the box.

 

• “Aero is everything”—we’ve been preaching it for years and it’s still the driving force for the new Tarmac. In our quest for tube shapes that deliver the fastest frame that the UCI rules allow, we took a page out of the Venge development book and utilized our FreeFoil Shape Library. Armed with a library of optimized shapes, we turned to the Win Tunnel to plug these shapes into a modular test bike, for more testing and validation. The result? A new Tarmac that’s the fastest we’ve tested—45 seconds faster over 40km than the Tarmac SL6. No compromises, just pure speed.
• While aerodynamics were paramount to the Tarmac’s development, and to the development of all of our race bikes, weight was the co-pilot on this optimal race bike journey. Previously “aero bikes” always compromised in the weight department—the more drag you reduced, the more weight you gained. With the new Tarmac, our design philosophy was to keep it at, or below, the UCI weight limit out of the box, with no sacrifices to aerodynamics. And with the help of the FreeFoil Shape Library, tools like isotopic FEA analysis, and some engineering wizardry by the best engineers in the industry, we delivered a frame that weighs a mere 800 grams, without giving up a gram of aero, stiffness or ride quality.
• Continuing our quest to develop the perfect race bike, we used our Rider-First Engineered™ philosophy to ensure that the new Tarmac is the most balanced, best handling Tarmac yet—no matter the size. With an army of the world’s best test riders from our three World Tour Teams — Boels-Dolmans, Deceuninck-Quick-Step, and Bora-hansgrohe — we made changes to the Tarmac based on their thousands of kilometers on the road. We balanced the ride quality between the front and rear end, so even the longest days in the saddle continue to be comfortable—all without giving up anything to the Tarmac’s legendary handling and race-winning snappiness.
• Building on the learnings from the Venge, the new Tarmac utilizes simple integration to create a clean, fast cockpit that’s easy to live with. We’ve improved the routing for any configuration — mechanical shifting, traditional stems, round bars, etc. — all while keeping its aerodynamic attributes. These same traits also make the new Tarmac easy to work on and easy to travel with. It’s a win-win