My 2018 Crux Elite is Fact 11 carbon. Doesn’t mean it’s better than the new Tarmac. It’s just a number. It all about where and how they layup the carbon throughout the frame.
Venge is slightly more aero yes but the benefit is negated by compliance of new Tarmac
No tubeless sucks for some but the new wheels are very light and I bet more people run tubes than tubeless. Not me but you know the guys.
Rear wheel is a 60mm
Yes same stack n reach.
The whole point is like there slogan. One bike to rule them all. Untill we get some pros doing side by side comparisons to see if it holds true. The Venge will always be a sexy bike. The new tarmac just happens to be a better bike. If you can afford it just grab a Sl6 and have 2 bikes but then you have to make a choice each ride.
Well after seeing the new tarmac and all the reviews you can find online my question is:
Tarmac sl6 pro 25% off
Tarmac sl7 pro
What would you do?
Btw, I am a regular guy that goes 2-3 times per week with the bike, flat roads, climbs and if someone tries to go in front of me I try to attach myself to that person as long as I can.
I find it hard to believe the manufacturer in this case is putting forward graphs to benchmark increased aero efficiency/speed without applying datums
And what’s this 45seconds over 40km about? What was the average speed? The gain here I would suggest is from adopting aero bars and hidden cables.
The fluffers in the marketing department are selling a minor facelift as a major upgrade and personally I would opt for the SL6 pro as the marketing material is saying more to me in what it doesn’t say and that is disappointing as I’ve only bought Specialized bikes for the last 7 years.
That said I’m thankful they have used a threaded bottom bracket on the latest iteration.
I agree with you in some aspects, nowadays they couldn’t do a lot with the new tarmac, use the sl7 as all the other brands are current doing but then… add the aerofly bar, hide cables if you use shimano and add venge stuff, if they put in the market the venge as well, you would have 2 identical bikes.
For me the gaining of 45 seconds even some minutes isn’t the main thing, for my level all the gains i could get would be because im training harder and whatever, no because of the bike. Im not a pro and im sure if i have to climb it would be the same a venge or a tarmac for me at least.
Im happy for the people who already got the new tarmac and i do envy them as well but i have to think about myself and really know what would be the best for me, a super bike but with shimano when i wanted sram and in a red colour that i have to see it first in real life or go to the sl6 pro with sram with a good deal.
Im sure whatever i get i may think the other option was better or more suitable for me hahah.
I agree, but can’t blame them for trying to sell a new model. It’s just typical marketing, plus I think they feel the need to justify dropping the Venge line. The SL6 is so good that there wasn’t much they could do to make it better. Throw some aeroflys on the SL6 and you’re mostly there.
I really like that they’ve converged on a model that takes the best of the Tarmac and Venge.
If I had a SL6 or 2020 Venge, I would not be upgrading unless I really wanted a new color way. However, being someone who hasn’t gotten a new road bike in many years, this model is appealing enough that I’m strongly considering getting one. And I’ll be keeping an eye on the used market for the SL6 and would pick one up for a good deal in a heartbeat.
Well, that’s what Specialized’s marketing team wants us to believe anyway! (As an aside, it makes no sense to me to spend money on a less aero bike to save 1lb. The compliance on my Venge is better than my older SuperSix, so what I don’t know won’t hurt me anyway! YMMV!)
Agreed. Any gains on the Venge are probably marginal, and upgrading the SL6 could be done less expensively. But I’m the guy that upgrades every 10 years… I get the draw to upgrading rides more frequently. All in all, I’m not kicking myself for going Venge, but the $1000 savings would’ve been nice!
I think it’s an issue as well from Specialized side…
They obviously don’t want to talk about specifics, hence why everything is so muddy and its easy to get away with “one bike to rule them all” concept if there are no specifics.
Like someone else mentioned in the thread, it would be interesting to see the aero differences between SL6 and SL7 if they were to have aero handlebars, same CLX Rapide wheels etc.
It almost feels like they are comparing apples to oranges.
He says exactly: “It felt like I was on a Venge” at 8:30…
So what Specialized have released now is a lighter Venge pretty much. And while it does impress me that they got it down to such low weight and almost made it as aero as the Venge is cool - but 500g between S-Works Venge and Tarmac SL7 is something that makes a difference to the GC contender - not so much to us mere mortals. Aero still wins, and here the Venge still wins…
I think we have come to the same period with bikes as we have with mobile phones. If you are buying a premium one, get the one that you feel that you want the most - and its probably gonna be as good as the other ones…
If you’re quick, you can catch Justin Williams’ instagram story. He has the blue with several angles and some video of it in the sunlight while giving his opinions on how it rides.
