Specialized

Tarmac

Why the Specialized Tarmac?

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 Specialized 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.

Technical Details

The engineers at Specialized aimed to make the SL8 more aerodynamic than its predecessor. One of the ways they achieved this is with the Speed Sniffer. By sliding the steer tube position back, it allowed them more freedom when sculpting the head tube into its drag-reducing shape.

  • Speed Sniffer Equipped
  • A Lesson Learnt
  • The Trifecta

Geometry

44 49 52 54 56 58 61
A Reach 366 375 380 384 395 402 408
B Stack 501 514 527 544 565 591 612
C Head Tube Angle 70.5° 70.5° 70.5° 70.5° 70.5° 70.5° 70.5°
D Front Centre 572 574 577 579 592 606 613
E Bottom Bracket Drop 74 74 74 72 72 72 72
F Wheelbase 970 973 975 978 991 1006 1013
G Chainstay Length 410 410 410 410 410 410 410
H Head Tube Length 99 109 120 137 157 184 204
I Top Tube Length 496 509 531 541 563 577 595
J Seat Tube Angle 75.5° 75.5° 75.5° 75.5° 75.5° 75.5° 75.5°
K Standover Height 723 735 746 768 786 808 834
All measurements in degrees or millimetres

Sizing Guide

The sizing chart is a great place to start when picking your next bike but everyone will fit a bike a bit differently. Your torso, arm, and leg lengths all play into what size of bike you may need. Plus, there's your own personal preference.

We always recommend swinging by the shop and taking the bike that you're looking for a spin to see how it feels. If you're unable to come by, looking at the geometry of your current bike and comparing it is a good place to start. If you have any further questions, our customer service team is there to help.

Size Height
Imperial Metric
44 4'8" - 5'1" 142 - 155cm
49 5'1" - 5'5" 155 - 163cm
52 5'4" - 5'7" 163 - 170cm
54 5'7" - 5'9" 170 - 175cm
56 5'9" - 5'11" 175 - 180cm
58 5'11" - 6'2" 180 - 188cm
61 6'2" - 6'5" 188 - 196cm
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