A new Specialized race bike, which appears to be an updated Tarmac, has surfaced online.
Those hoping for some kind of groundbreaking new aero bike from the brand might be disappointed, though, given the visible changes are minor.
The images, posted on X, reveal a modified fork which smoothes the leading edge to the pronounced head tube via a deepened leg profile.
The Specialized Tarmac SL8 saw the debut of the ‘speed sniffer’ design. This elongated the effective head tube by extending it forward, and meant Specialized could keep the steering axis in the same place as the SL7.
The ‘speed sniffer’ resulted in a slightly awkward look, but the new design appears to address this while, presumably, offering an aerodynamic benefit.
The next obvious change is to the seat tube, which follows the profile of the tyre more closely than before.
This is likely to help reduce turbulence caused by air spilling off the rear wheel, yet the small nature of the tweak suggests that Specialized is aiming to retain much of the SL8’s comfort.
The final clear change can be seen at the seatpost. To the naked eye, the insertion section looks unchanged, but the upper portion appears to be deeper than before.
This looks to be a balanced approach taken to improve aerodynamics, by retaining the (relatively) slender lower section to keep a level of vertical compliance. New hardware for the saddle is also visible – possibly an attempt to balance the scales with the deeper section.
It’s impossible to know if tyre clearance has changed from the images, but the SL8 featured space for 32mm tyres. It’s not unreasonable to speculate that Specialized might have increased this bearing in mind the latest trend towards running wider tyres.
We don’t know if this unreleased bike has a different geometry to the SL8, but the silhouette looks so similar that any changes are likely to be minimal.
The Tarmac SL8 is still regarded as something of a yardstick for race bike handling – one we refer back to regularly – so it could be that Specialized is responding to pro rider and customer feedback by keeping this unchanged.
All-in, should the images prove to be accurate, the supposed new Tarmac seems to favour evolution over revolution, with Specialized appearing reluctant to follow more progressive designs like the Factor One.
We’ll keep our eyes peeled for an official racing debut of the new bike over the coming months, with the traditional Tour de France warm up race, the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (formerly known as the Critérium du Dauphiné) starting in June and the Grand Boucle itself in July.
