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S-Works Tarmac SL8 LTD

Forward 50 Collection

5

1 Reviews

As Specialized celebrates its 50th Anniversary and the innovation that has helped…

Inspiring the Next 50 Years of Innovation
S-Works Forward 50 Collection

Inspiring the Next 50 Years of Innovation

The Forward 50 Collection is the ultimate expression of the innovate or die attitude that continues to drive us. Gold represents our 50th year and how our desire to improve lives through riding has not lost an ounce of luster. The pink calls back to our historic Team Stumpjumper and our commitment to racing with an irreverent, rebellious spirit.

1974 to 2024: A 50-Year Tradition of Innovation
Pedal the Planet Forward

1974 to 2024: A 50-Year Tradition of Innovation

As Specialized celebrates its 50th Anniversary of innovating to improve riders’ lives, we have our sites set on the next half century and creating the future of cycling. Join us as we look back at five decades of innovation so we can continue to Pedal the Planet Forward together.

Aero In Everything
Our Most Aero Race Bike Ever

Aero In Everything

After a decade of working in the Win Tunnel, our engineers put aero where it matters, not just where it looks good. The result? A new Nose Cone called the ‘Speed Sniffer’ helps the new Tarmac SL8 be 16.6 seconds faster over 40km than the Tarmac SL7. And yes, more aero than the Venge.

Minimum Weight, Maximum Aero
685 Gram Frameset

Minimum Weight, Maximum Aero

We saw how the lightest production road bike in the world - the Aethos - could marry blistering response in the mountains with a supple, all-day ride. The Tarmac SL8 took those learnings from Aethos to be easily built at the UCI minimum with a full aero set up.

Goes Like Hell, Rides Like Heaven
Stiffer and Smoother

Goes Like Hell, Rides Like Heaven

The Tarmac SL8 delivers a massive 33% improvement in stiffness to weight vs the SL7, all while being 6% smoother in the saddle. With World Championship proven geometry and 32mm tire clearance, it adds up to an unprecedented ride quality.

Product Details

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As Specialized celebrates its 50th Anniversary and the innovation that has helped us inspire riders worldwide, we have our sights set on the next 50 years of innovation. The Tarmac SL8 Forward 50 LTD represents this commitment to continue pedaling the planet forward by innovating for riders. As the fastest, most innovative road race bike in the world, the Tarmac SL8 is the perfect platform.

It all comes together in a stunning graphic. Gold represents our 50th year and how our desire to improve lives through riding has not lost an ounce of luster. The pink calls back to our historic Team Stumpjumper and our commitment to racing with an irreverent, rebellious spirit. With only 250 of these available worldwide, they represent the ultimate expression of the innovate or die attitude that has inspired Specialized for the last 50 years and continues to drive us into the future.

These unique bikes are delivered with the best-of-the-best—Rapide CLX II Team wheels, S-Works Power with Mirror saddle, and S-Works Tarmac SL8 seatpost, all custom painted to match the frame. Turbo clinchers, a Rapide cockpit, a Shimano Dura-Ace 12-speed group, and Ceramic Speed bearings ensure these bikes go as fast as they look.

The Tamac SL8 was designed with the knowledge that 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 setup. The team delivered a mind-bending, scale-tickling 685-gram frame—15% lighter than the Tarmac SL7 and lighter than anything 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 roads 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 differences between two male cyclists than between a male and female. Gender alone doesn’t provide nearly enough data to specialize, so 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.

Geometry

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44495254565861
Crank Length165mm165mm170mm172.5mm172.5mm175mm175mm
Handlebar Width380mm380mm400mm400mm420mm420mm440mm
Stem Length75mm75mm90mm100mm100mm110mm110mm
Saddle Width155mm155mm155mm143mm143mm143mm143mm
Seatpost Length300mm300mm300mm380mm380mm380mm380mm
Frame Stack501mm514mm527mm544mm565mm591mm612mm
Frame Reach366mm375mm380mm384mm395mm402mm408mm
Stack to Stem509mm522mm535mm552mm573mm599mm620mm
Reach to Stem363mm372mm377mm381mm393mm400mm406mm
Head Tube Length99mm109mm120mm137mm157mm184mm204mm
Head Tube Angle70.5°71.75°72.5°73°73.5°73.5°74°
BB Height266mm266mm266mm268mm268mm268mm268mm
BB Drop74mm74mm74mm72mm72mm72mm72mm
Trail71mm63mm58mm58mm55mm55mm52mm
Fork Length, Full370mm370mm370mm370mm370mm370mm370mm
Fork Rake/Offset47mm47mm47mm44mm44mm44mm44mm
Front Center572mm574mm577mm579mm592mm606mm613mm
Chainstay Length410mm410mm410mm410mm410mm410mm410mm
Wheelbase970mm973mm975mm978mm991mm1006mm1013mm
Top Tube Length, Horizontal496mm509mm531mm541mm563mm577mm595mm
Bike Standover Height723mm735mm746mm768mm786mm808mm834mm
Seat Tube Length433mm445mm456mm473mm494mm515mm545mm
Seat Tube Angle75.5°75.5°74°74°73.5°73.5°73°
Geometry

Rider Reviews

5

1 Reviews

 

Best Bike Ever

Won a gold medal on this bike; its pretty good.


Name:
Remco E.

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