Tech Talk: The Tarmac SL9 is Specialized’s biggest launch, but not its best one
Thanks to more than ten years testing products for Cyclist, tech editor Sam has plenty to say when it comes to new bikes and gear. Tech Talk is Sam’s fortnightly newsletter, with a focus that hops between his thoughts on the latest kit to be featured by Cyclist and wider tech trends that people are talking about, or should be talking about. Click here to get Tech Talk directly to your inbox.
Last month I wrote to Cyclist readers gushing over how brilliant I thought Specialized’s aero overhaul of its Crux gravel race bike was. I described how I thought the new design was perfect for modern off-road competitive riding and pretty damn ideal for amatuers looking for a do-it-all drop-bar solution as well. After that, I suggested that it’s well-rounded competence might have put the then-unreleased Tarmac SL9 in an awkward position commercially – the inevitable ‘lighter, stiffer, faster’ rhetoric would be enough for the pros, but could it struggle to justify itself to those that will actually buy it?
Well, the Tarmac SL9 is here now and after spending some time getting familiar with the updates, it has done little to change my mind.
Structurally there have been some changes, but they are little more than refinements. The fork blades have got deeper – extending forward to thankfully obscure the SL8’s awkward Speed Sniffer nose – and the lower half of the seat tube now more closely traces the curve of the back wheel. Specialized calls it the ‘Win Fin’ but the advantage is said to be only half a watt, which sounds worryingly close to the testing’s margin for error, and that’s only when there’s no bottle in the seat tube cage anyway.
So side-on there’s little to write home about: the main change is the bike getting thinner, which Specialized says its modelling shows as the critical factor in reducing drag, rather than the extended, sail-like tube profiles of other race bikes. The upper half of the seat post gets squidged thinner, and the head tube slims down too, thanks to revised cabling routing allowed by a steerer that has a very structurally disconcerting wiggle in it.
Add that the geometry – unquestionably the most important factor in allowing a rider to go faster for the same effort – is essentially unchanged, and I’m left feeling a little cold about the SL9. It’s said to be perhaps four watts faster at 45kmh, which’ll be imperceptible in the real world.
It feels as if Specialized has been backed into a corner by ditching the Venge and doubling down on ‘One bike to rule them all’ tagline. In the time since the brand made that call, rule changes have afforded aero bikes a new lease of life but with the Tarmac being such a popular design, Specialized can’t afford to dramatically change it, and don’t have that second option to work on instead.
Don’t get me wrong, one of the Cyclist team will have the chance to review the bike soon (me, I’ll make sure of it) and I’m sure it’ll be as excellent fun as Tarmacs always are, but will it be the best race bike in the modern context? I’m not so sure. The superb revolution of the Crux may have thrown the new Tarmac into harsh perspective, but I do think Specialized risk losing ground to competitors unless they do something more drastic in the SL10, or bring back the Venge before that. I wouldn’t be surprised...
The rumour mill
Pinarello Q36.5
Tech tip-offs from your man in the know
Pinarello is known for its uncommonly short developmental cycles for its flagship Dogma F race bike – generally two years to other brands three or four – and it was last revised in 2024. With the Tour de France starting tomorrow, there’s no better occasion for Netcompany Ineos and Pinarello Q36.5 to put an update to work.
This tech tip-off is slightly different to usual as there has been nary a whisper of a new Dogma F, but I wouldn’t put it past Pinarello to quietly roll out a new version and let the speculation run wild at the world’s biggest bike race, with Fausto giggling cheekily in the background.
Tech tidbits
A couple of smaller product launch highlights from the last week or two
Zipp wheels, no so Zipp pricing
Zipp is one of the world’s most desirable names to have on your wheels, but more often than not it’s only the lucky few that can afford its £3k+ models. The 303 S wheels, initially launched in 2021, provided a more accessible entry point into Zipp’s wheels.
Now, Zipp has just launched a deeper equivalent to supersede them – the 404 S – and their price is lower than ever, just £985/$1,300/€1,100. This is perhaps thanks to pressure from Far East brands, which are becoming more visible in western markets and offer excellent products at aggressive price points.
The new 404 S use Zipp’s well-regarded aero rim profile, pairing a 50mm depth with a 23mm internal width that will support 28-30mm tyres nicely, though they are hookless, so be careful with tyre and pressure compatibility. Claimed weight is 1,585g.
Is the Specialissima still special?
BIanchi
Bianchi has just released an updated Specialissima, a model that has traditionally encapsulated all that was desirable about this historic Italian brand: light weight, smooth ride quality and gorgeous appearance.
The model reached a peak around 2015 and was shelved for a time after that before coming back looking a little derivative of the aero-light all-rounder genre popular a few years ago.
The new revision features aero shaping that apparently saves the rider 16 watts at 45kmh, and Bianchi’s Countervail vibration absorption tech has been incorporated as well, to help with ride quality. If nothing else however, the latest Specialissima takes a step back towards the model’s roots in my opinion, being a handsome thing, even if it’s not still as distinctive and classically beautiful as it once was.
