Specialized Tarmac SL4

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CrankAddictsRich
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by CrankAddictsRich

Great looking bike... and a smart build with solid components all around. I think the weight looks pretty spot on given the frame and components used. I think that frame is a 9R carbon frame, which isn't known for being low weight and as pointed out earlier in the thread, is definitely heavier than a Smartweld E5 aluminum frame. The components used are all solid, well-performing components designed to last, not super light, weight-weenie parts.

Enjoy it. Great bike and great pics.

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Dannnnn
Posts: 230
Joined: Wed Apr 04, 2018 1:00 pm

by Dannnnn

CrankAddictsRich wrote:
Fri Sep 07, 2018 12:11 pm
Great looking bike... and a smart build with solid components all around. I think the weight looks pretty spot on given the frame and components used. I think that frame is a 9R carbon frame, which isn't known for being low weight and as pointed out earlier in the thread, is definitely heavier than a Smartweld E5 aluminum frame. The components used are all solid, well-performing components designed to last, not super light, weight-weenie parts.

Enjoy it. Great bike and great pics.

Yeah it's a 9R frame which isn't the lightest but it's good enough.
Plan is run this a couple more years and then get a S-Works Tarmac (once they do a decent colourway).

Dannnnn
Posts: 230
Joined: Wed Apr 04, 2018 1:00 pm

by Dannnnn

Been a while but here's some updates!

Did a few miles over the winter on it and decided in April that I'd bite the bullet and get a power meter so I could train on my commute. Decided on the Favero Assioma Duo pedals and got them fitted. At the same time I also picked up a pair of Fizik R1 infinito shoes.

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Then my Garmin 520 was playing up and only lasting a few hours even after being fully charged, so I pivoted to a Wahoo Bolt:

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I then started riding it 4 days a week to work and back, clocking up a load of miles and enjoying 99% of it by which time it was then July, so took part in the BHF ride at Goodwood Circuit:

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After that I finally got my payments from work for having two patents granted, so treated myself to the wheels I've always wanted for this bike....Some Roval CL50s. I paired them with S-works Turbo tyres in 26mm again as I've enjoyed using them over the last 2 years.

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Also finally managed to get the steerer cut down so it's only got a 5mm spacer on it:

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A week later I took part in Revolve 24 again. Once again the bike was faultless and ate up the 192 miles that I clocked up in my 10 hours riding. No aches, pains or discomfort of any sort.

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This bike just does everything I ask of it. It's comfortable, fast enough and I honestly just love it.

The only thing I'd change it for is a higher spec SL4 frame as it's a bit on the heavy side still.

So final spec is now:

2017 Tamac SL4 Sport
3T Stylus 25 LTD seatpost
S-works Power saddle 155mm
S-works SL Stem 90mm
S-works Aerofly 420mm Handlebars
Custom Revolve 24 2019 Timings Stem Cap
K-edge out front mount + Custom Exposure Trace/Lifeline 600 holder.
Supacaz Galaxy Neon Orange Bar Tape
2 x Specialized gloss black rib cage 2
Ultegra 6800 Groupset (Front & SS Rear Mech and Brakes)
Ultegra 6800 11-28 Cassette
Favero Assioma Duo Pedals
Ultegra 6800 Crankset (172.5mm with 50/34 chainrings)
Roval CL50 Full Carbon Clinchers w/ Mavic Titanium Skewers
Specialized Turbo Inner tubes
S-works Turbo 26c tyres

Final weight: 7.8kg
Last edited by Dannnnn on Tue Oct 15, 2019 4:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.

gurk700
Posts: 956
Joined: Fri Jan 20, 2017 7:40 pm

by gurk700

Love your bike! My B-Bike is a blue / white SL4 with 105 group and I love riding it as much as my s-works.

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Calnago
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by Calnago

Nice writeup. And nice bike. I’d take your bike any day over the newer style.
Colnago C64 - The Naked Build; Colnago C60 - PR99; Trek Koppenberg - Where Emonda and Domane Meet;
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rlanger
Posts: 382
Joined: Sun Oct 02, 2016 11:53 am

by rlanger

Calnago wrote:
Tue Oct 15, 2019 6:06 pm
Nice writeup. And nice bike. I’d take your bike any day over the newer style.
Me too. The Tarmac up until the SL5 was such a classic. I had the SL5 and loved that bike until I killed it in a 38kph crash.

Your setup is killer Dannnnn. Great looking, and I'm sure it's a great riding bike too.
Last edited by rlanger on Wed Oct 16, 2019 1:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.

rlanger
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by rlanger

DP

Dannnnn
Posts: 230
Joined: Wed Apr 04, 2018 1:00 pm

by Dannnnn

rlanger wrote:
Calnago wrote:
Tue Oct 15, 2019 6:06 pm
Nice writeup. And nice bike. I’d take your bike any day over the newer style.
Me too. The Tarmac up until the SL5 was such a classic. I had the SL5 and loved that bike until I killed it in a 38kph crash.

Your setup is killer Dannnnn. Great looking, and I'm sure it's a great riding bike too.
Cheers guys.

Yeah this frame shape has so much more character than the newer ones. Also comes in a great colour way which helps too.

I don't think I'll ever sell this. If I get a better SL4/5 then I'd probably turn this into a winter bike or something

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Dannnnn
Posts: 230
Joined: Wed Apr 04, 2018 1:00 pm

by Dannnnn

An unfortunate update.

Went out one morning for a quick ride, 0.15km from my house I had a woman cycle out infront of me on the wrong side of the road.
So as you can imagine, we collided.....at 34kph

Managed to hit the deck, split my eyebrow open and mash the front end of the bike. She hit the floor and I completely destroyed her front wheel (basically bent it in half).

Got back up and cycles home, ended up at the hospital getting my eyebrow glued back together.
That afternoon I checked the bike over, straightened everything up and inspected the front end.7

S-works aerofly bars - Okay, did a hard sprinty turbo session and they seem fine.
Forks - Loads of paint missing and a chip behind the brake caliper where it's hit on impact.

Then I found this:
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Yep, that's a crack around the top of the headtube where it meets the top tube.

On request of my insurance company I took it to my LBS (supplying shop too) and got them to inspect it.
They've spoken to specialized in depth about it and agreed to write the frame off.

So the bike I wanted to keep long term, is now dead.

Bigger issue now is there is no Tarmac in rim brake.
Hopefully I'll be able to upgrade to a better frame (comp or expert over sport) or even get a S-Works, so all is not lost.

Gutted doesn't sum it up though.

Sorry for the wordy post

TL:DR
Crashed, Frame Cracked, Frame written off, No rim brake Tarmacs available to entire bike + Wheelset written off.

Jackofallgrades
Posts: 250
Joined: Tue Oct 08, 2019 10:15 am

by Jackofallgrades

Sorry to hear that man, hope you find a worthy rim brake replacement... is it just your LBS that doesn't have any rim Tarmacs available?
Cannondale SSEvo3 'Atticus' - 7.2kg
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=161634

Cannondale Systemsix ’Dante’ - 7.7kg
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=167144

Dannnnn
Posts: 230
Joined: Wed Apr 04, 2018 1:00 pm

by Dannnnn

Jackofallgrades wrote:Sorry to hear that man, hope you find a worthy rim brake replacement... is it just your LBS that doesn't have any rim Tarmacs available?
I'll probably be going down the disc route.
Hoping that I can get the old bike back and sell it for parts. I can get a disc S-Works SL6 for a but extra ontop of my insurance payout and selling the old bits.

Nah it was specialized direct from Spesh

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Jackofallgrades
Posts: 250
Joined: Tue Oct 08, 2019 10:15 am

by Jackofallgrades

Surprised they don't have ANY rim brakes left! But the SL6 sounds like a lovely frame so certainly not the end of the world!
Cannondale SSEvo3 'Atticus' - 7.2kg
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=161634

Cannondale Systemsix ’Dante’ - 7.7kg
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=167144

Dannnnn
Posts: 230
Joined: Wed Apr 04, 2018 1:00 pm

by Dannnnn

Jackofallgrades wrote:Surprised they don't have ANY rim brakes left! But the SL6 sounds like a lovely frame so certainly not the end of the world!
Yeah I thought the same but apparently Specialized UK don't have any replacement framesets except S-Works ones.

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