The Specialized Tarmac SL8 Road Bike is unmatched in speed, combining aerodynamics, lightweight construction, and exceptional ride quality in a way previously thought impossible. After eight generations and over two decades of development, it's not just the fastest Tarmac ever, it's the world's fastest race bike.
Speed Matters
Winning races isn't about aerodynamics or lightweight alone, it’s about overall speed. Achieving this requires an uncompromising blend of aerodynamics, lightweight design, stiffness, and compliance. Through race simulations using real-world data, our Ride Science team has demonstrated that the Tarmac SL8 is the fastest race bike on key routes (16.6 seconds faster over 40km, 128 seconds faster over Milan-San Remo, and 20 seconds faster on the legendary Tourmalet climb).
Aero in Everything
Specialized focus on aerodynamics where it matters most. This has led to the creation of their most aerodynamic road bike ever, even surpassing the Venge. The Tarmac’s new nose cone, the Speed Sniffer, optimises clean air for maximum advantage by moving the steer tube back, allowing for a sharper, lower drag head tube shape. Utilising new UCI regulations, the Tarmac SL8 features the narrowest, most aerodynamic seat post, ensuring smoother airflow around the legs.
Minimum Weight, Maximum Aero
Drawing insights from the Aethos, the Tarmac SL8 achieves the UCI minimum weight with a full aero setup. The frame weighs an astonishing 685g, 15% lighter than the Tarmac SL7 and the lightest on the World Tour*. Lessons from Aethos allowed Specialized to prioritise lightweight design in the down tube, seat tube, and rear of the bike. The frame’s efficient load distribution renders extra carbon stiffness layers unnecessary. *Excluding Kasper Asgreen's race with a 585g Aethos frame during a Tour stage.
Goes Like Hell, Rides Like Heaven
The Tarmac SL8 boasts a 33% improvement in stiffness-to-weight over the SL7, elevating its legendary handling, responsiveness, and World Championship-proven geometry. The bike offers increased pedal stiffness, enhanced bar precision, and a compliant ride that sets a new standard for race bike comfort. Specialized's Rider-First Engineering ensures that every rider, regardless of size, experiences the same exceptional ride quality and handling. The Tarmac SL8 delivers 6% more compliance, smoothly gliding over rough roads with a unique suppleness for a race bike. Its proven geometry and 32mm tyre clearance match the SL7, providing versatility for higher volume tyres when needed.
Beyond Gender
There’s more variability within male cyclists than between male and female cyclists. Gender alone doesn’t provide enough data for specialised designs, making gender-specific bikes arbitrary and outdated. The Tarmac SL8 offers its advantages to every rider, regardless of gender.
Tarmac SL8 Expert
The Tarmac SL8 Expert delivers exceptional performance with a full SRAM Rival eTap AXS groupset with power meter, C38 carbon tubeless-ready wheelset, and an SL7 stem with Specialized Expert Shallow Drop alloy handlebars, making it an accessible, performance-packed bike.
Rival eTap AXS
Experience a better bike ride. SRAM Rival eTap AXS features the technology modern riders want, including intuitive wireless shifting, innovative gearing, integrated power measurement, AXS connectivity, and refined hydraulic disc brakes. It’s low on complexity, but rich with features.
Wireless Shifting
It's clean, secure and reliable technology to match your modern bicycle. eTap wireless shift logic is simple and intuitive to ride: one button to go easier, one to go harder.
Capable and Efficient Gearing
12-speed gearing provides wider range and tighter jumps so that you're always in the right gear, whether climbing a fire road or sprinting for a town line. Plus, SRAM Rival eTap AXS has multiple gearing options to tailor your bike to your specific needs.
AXS Enabled
Control, personalisation, and monitoring are at your fingertips with the AXS mobile app. Build a bike profile, customise your shifting, check battery charge status, and update firmware as needed right from your phone.