Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL2

Price Paid:  $2900.00 at Spokes in Wheaton, I

Favorite Ride:
Anywhere

Bike Setup:
2008 SL2 frame, 2008 Campagnolo Record, FSA CSI OS-99 stem, FSA K-Wing carbon bars, Mavic ES wheelset, Selle Italia Prolink Gel Flow saddle, Continental 4 Season clinchers, Look Keo Carbon pedals.

Summary:
Was riding a '07 Madone 5.2. It was so stiff that I felt every crack. Decided to purchase the Specialized 54cm SL2 due to its stiffness and vertical compliance. It came highly recommended. (I was not disappointed.)

At 260 lbs, I found the bike to be stable and safe without weight limits. Other carbon manufacturers place a 180-190 lb limit on their finest frames, Specialized does not.

Bike has seen several 40+ mph speeds on the flats without any weakness or hesitaion. Power transfer is awesome. For the heavier rider that generates mega-watts, this bike is clydesdale approved.

Ride quality meets Europe's finest for $2900 USD.

Strengths:
Excellent execution of stiffness with vertical compiance that would rival 'plush' bikes.

This bike shines if your ride is 20 or 100+ miles. Nice, smooth riding bike that is a racer's dream.

Weaknesses:
Limited color schemes. Having this custom painted will void warranty. Didn't like the Specialized crabon cranks, so I stayed with the Carbon Capmy Record cranks.

Price Paid:  $0.00 at Mike's Bikes Sequim

Model Year:
2007

Favorite Ride:
Lake Crescent Loop

Bike Setup:
Red derailleurs and shifters, Force brakes. Mavic Ksyrium SL's. Specialized All Conditino Armadillo Elite tires for the winter, maybe something tubeless in the spring.

Summary:
This is a review for my 2009 SL2, that was a frame warranty replacement for my Pro SL of the same year.
I was surprised at how different the SL2 felt as compared to my SL. The bike is both stiffer and more comfortable, and has a certain liveliness to it that the SL lacked. It reminds of a good quality Ti frame, in terms of ride quality, but with the added stiffness and weight benefits of the carbon.

Strengths:
Stiff, comfy, light, and nice looking bike.

Weaknesses:
I have had some issues with the headset coming loose periodically, but otherwise, no issues.

Similar Products Used:
Giant OCR Composite 2
Tarmac Pro SL
Custom Steel
Windsor aluminum frame
Ritchey Road Classic
Klein Quantum, among others.

Price Paid:  $0.00 at Roy's Sheepshead Cyc

Favorite Ride:
Nyack - Peirmont

Bike Setup:
2008 Campy Record 10, Zero Gravity brakes, 2009 Zipp 404 tubulars, Easton EC90 seatpost, Fizik allante saddle, Zipp bar/stem

Summary:
2008 S-works Tarmac SL2
after the first ride, I hung up my custom Seven Elium... it's light to go up the hills, but stiff enough for a 210 lb guy to sprint with power and it descends with confidence. and it's comfortable for a compact race frame.. 80+ mile rides with ease..
I get more compliments about this ride then any other ride I have had..

I can't wait to get the new SL3, probably don't need it but want it.. and will move up to campy super record..

Strengths:
stiff, light, comfy... and beautiful...

Weaknesses:
headset needs adjustment now and then..

Similar Products Used:
Seven Elium SG, Specialized Tarmac comp, Seven Alaris.

Price Paid:  $0.00 at Binghams

Model Year:
2007

Favorite Ride:
Utah Mountains

Bike Setup:
Campy Super Record. Campy Shamal 2 way fit wheels w/Specialized Turbo tubeless tires. Ritchey carbon stem & bars. Speedplay Ti pedals. Selle Italia Carbino saddle.

Summary:
'09 S-Works Tarmac SL2. The bike completely rocks. It's a true all-rounder. The downtube, BB, and chain stays are massive - there's not a hint of lost power, no matter how hard you mash on the pedals. Vertical compliance however, is exceptional. Rough roads are not an issue, although much of the smoothness is likely attributable to the tubless wheels & tires.

If you've never tried tubeless tires, you owe it to yourself. I thought the claims of reduced rolling resistance were just marketing hype, but I both Shamals and Fulcrum Racing Ones, both w/Spec. Turbo tubless tires. The reduced rolling resistance is immediately noticable, particularly as speed increases. Cornering is fantastic - just a notch below high-end tubulars, and far better than clinchers. They will improve the ride of just about any bike. The added benefit of avoiding pinch flats is also a big plus. I hit a 3" rock in the road this morning when descending at about 30 mph. I hit it pretty hard, and thought Oh ****, I'm sure to flat, but the tubeless sucked up the jolt and kept rolling. A clincher would have certainly flatted, and probably put a ding in the rim.

The Campy SR functions just like you would expect of Campy - flawlessly. I never thought I would need an 11 sp., but with an 11-25, the additional middle range cog comes in really handy.

The brakes are also superb. After my first mountain ride, I was a bit disappointed as I thought the brakes lacked power. However, after a couple of rides the brake pads have become broken in and mated to the rims. Now, the brakes are the best in class.

Having been on Dura Ace since 1988, I thought Campy's thumb shifting would take some getting used to. Actually, it's not a tough adjustment, but overall, I think I slightly prefer the dual paddle shifters of DA over the single paddle & thumb shift combo of Campy. You know what they say about old dogs and new tricks. :-)

Overall, its a great bike at a reasonable price. I compared a lot of other high end frames - Orbea, BH, De Rosa, Madone, Wilier, Cervelo, Parlee, Seven, and they were all hundreds to thousands more than the SL2. None of this stuff is cheap, but the S-Works has the ride dialed in just right, and also comes in as the price leader at the high-end range. You'll save a few more $ going with DA over SR, but in my opinion, the Campy is worth the extra money.

Strengths:
Great all-rounder. Superb on short power climbs, and also on sustained mountain climbs. Sprints like no other. Very smooth on not-so-smooth roads. Rock stable on big desents.

Weaknesses:
Not necessarily a weakness, just an observation. It's interesting that Specialized has not gone with an integrated seat mast, as that seems to be a trend on a lot of high end bikes. Rather, they've stuck with an old-school 27.2 seat post. This allows for a smaller diameter seat tube. I'll leave it to the engineers to explain the pros and cons of this setup, but it certainly works well.

Similar Products Used:
'08 Specialized S-Works SL Dura Ace
'92 Litespeed Ultimate
'86 Guerciotti SLX
'92 Pinarello Montello
'82 Mercian 753

Price Paid:  $0.00

Favorite Ride:
Riverside

Bike Setup:
2009 SL2 w/DA
ROL SL Wheels with Conti 4000

Summary:
Bike is an outstanding race machine that is quick, nimble and handles everything thrown at it all the while being comfortable and quit on the road. If I had all the money in the world I would still choice this bike and setup!

Strengths:
Every pedal stroke is producing wattage to the wheel, no energy loss. Contrary to some reviews very comfortable to ride for hours.

Weaknesses:
Barmac squeeks a little when I get up to sprint but other than that the bike is strong and incredibly quick and stable

Similar Products Used:
Colnago C38
Trek 5.2
Lemond Zurich