Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL8

[gurk700]

Some will be on the phone / email all day with Specialized, send the bikes in, receive returns, complain more, sell the bike and call rest of us suckers for riding the front wheel 1mm off (with no real world consequence)

Rest of us will be busy riding an amazing bike and would never be aware of this issue if it wasn't posted on a forum. Cause it literally has no real world consequence that affects your riding.

[bcarvalho]

Some will be on the phone / email all day with Specialized, send the bikes in, receive returns, complain more, sell the bike and call rest of us suckers for riding the front wheel 1mm off (with no real world consequence)

Rest of us will be busy riding an amazing bike and would never be aware of this issue if it wasn't posted on a forum. Cause it literally has no real world consequence that affects your riding.

I'm with you untill a certain point. The bike is a dream to ride and it's actually the best frame I've ever ridden.
But to be honest, specialized should be clear about this. For sure they already know.

[js]

I'd think a lazer level on the front tire might be the best way to check alignment before buying.

That's a fairly cheap and readily-available item and it would quickly show if the wheel is aligned with the centre of the headtube. I agree that it's still an extra step you shouldn't NEED to do before buying, but I expect that need would be on a person to person basis - if you're a more cautious / anxious person or if your eyeball test doesn't seem a clear pass, then it's likely a worth while extra step for that reassurance.

As others have mentioned though, there are lots of bikes with asymetric forks - including ones where the tire clearance side to side is asymetric. But as long as the tire clearance on the short side matches what's advertised (and they aren't advertising that the fork is symetric), then I'm not sure why Specialized needs to meet what would only be an aesthetic standard they haven't claimed to meet.

If the wheel is off the steering axis or if they're not meeting something they're advertising that's different, but I'm reading your message as asking for more. Sorry if that's missing your point.

[Jaisen]

I commented on his post... after seeing all these comments on SL8 threads, I took a look at my SL6 fork and it is basically the same. It isn't quite as pronounced as the SL8, but it is not symmetrical. My Allez is also not symmetrical.

I've never once been on a group ride and had someone take out calipers to measure if that spacing is equal. hahahaha

Haha, I've been saying the SL8 fork is asymmetrical for a year on here, and I got ROASTED for it when I first brought it up.

It's not even unique to the SL8, most disc forks are asymmetrical but when I brought it up the Karens here got all upset, implying that Specialized OWES them an explanation or some kind of statement for something they've invented in their own minds as an issue. My non-Spesh is also like this to the point where I can even see it while riding

There's no need to insult other posters, this is a community where we are all just trying to help each other by sharing our perspectives. If the asymmetrical fork is a non-issue for your use case great, if it causes a concern for others, well that is ok too. At the prices we pay for our equipment we shouldn't have to settle with stuff that doesn't satisfy our needs.

[rollinslow]

FWIW, on my SL8 the fork looks perfectly symmetric.

[SilverSteve]

FWIW, on my SL8 the fork looks perfectly symmetric.

Same

Mine is a 2025 non S Works (Dune white) frame set.

[pdlpsher1]

Spesh could have changed the fork mould and added more carbon on the inside of the NDS fork leg so the gaps would look even. We’re talking only 1-2mm of added materials.

My friend’s SL8 looks just like mine, slightly diff gaps. Both of our bikes are the 2024 models.

Also, as someone already mentioned, the bigger the tire used the more exaggerated the gap difference.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[HBike]

FWIW, on my SL8 the fork looks perfectly symmetric.

Same

Mine is a 2025 non S Works (Dune white) frame set.

I have this frame, too and it is perfectly symmetric.

[bcarvalho]

I'm really curious to know if specialized just increased the fork thickness by 1.5 mm to solve this aesthetic problem. I dont believe that a full re design was performed

[cleanneon98]

I suspect all forks are the same but the people who say they don't have the issue just can't see this minor discrepancy that some are raising such a huge stink about. Probably not adding carbon because they know their customers will then complain how it got 6 grams heavier

[bcarvalho]

I suspect all forks are the same but the people who say they don't have the issue just can't see this minor discrepancy that some are raising such a huge stink about. Probably not adding carbon because they know their customers will then complain how it got 6 grams heavier

Yep

I'm curious about if someone at this thread really got a replacement fork out of this situation.

And to be honest also curious about a picture with the "centered" wheel.

If Remco rides it, why shouldn't we

[cleanneon98]

What does Remco know, he didn't spend his hard earned money to buy his bike. I don't doubt that some forks were out of spec and maybe replaced, but this is probably par for disc forks if they don't start out super wide at the top (SSE4, BMC). Search on google and you'll find similar Reddit posts for Canyon and Trek bikes, among others.

This is an extreme example but this is what the fork would have to look like if there was no minor offset at the top

Here's a stock SL8 photo showing the asymmetry as well

[bcarvalho]

What does Remco know, he didn't spend his hard earned money to buy his bike. I don't doubt that some forks were out of spec and maybe replaced, but this is probably par for disc forks if they don't start out super wide at the top (SSE4, BMC). Search on google and you'll find similar Reddit posts for Canyon and Trek bikes, among others.

This is an extreme example but this is what the fork would have to look like if there was no minor offset at the top
IMG_0514.jpeg

Here's a stock SL8 photo showing the asymmetry as well
IMG_0513.jpeg

I was being sarcastic about Remco. Pros would ride a wood bike if the brands pushed it.

And I totally got your point. If the fork legs don't start really wide after the steer tube the disc side leg will have to have a different curvature.

By the way has anyone fitted 32c ? If yes, how much was the clearance at the DS?

[ryanw]

I don't know what else I can do

I've only built about 65 SL8's now, and I haven't had one with a perfectly symmetrical fork. Maybe I've just been unlucky.

I'd also go check your Crux...

[Kardinal]

I have got now 3 SL8´s in our house and the fork of the first one had definitely a centering problem (Sworks frameset, RTP, bought in September 2023)! My dealer opened a warranty claim and I got a new fork (thanks to Specialized!!) - the same wheel with the same tire was then centered in the new fork!

My wife bought a SL8 (Pro Frameset) in Apri 2024 and there was also no issue… all wheels we have were centered in the fork!

Now in November 2024 I just received a warranty Sworks sl8 frameset (crack in the downtube of my rtp frameset) - the front wheel is also 100% centered in the new fork! I think there was an issue with some forks in the beginning of the sales start of the sl8 (my dealer had 3 complete Sworks bikes in his shop at sales start and 2 of it had the issue and one was aligned perfect).

Look at my pictures…first fork from the rtp frameset with the issue and second fork of my newest warranty frameset without the issue… I‘m not a technician but you can easily see a problem here (always the same wheel which is centered)!