Much has been made of the Tarmac SL2 that propels riders like Paolo Bettini and Tom Boonen of Quick-Step and the Gerolsteiner team in the ProTour, while there has been muffled chatter about the lower end Tarmacs that are the beneficiary of the race-tested and proven designs of the pros. Don’t quote us, but we would bet that more Tarmac Elites will be sold this year than SL2’s, and so we decided to take a look at a bike that will run you $1950, but that looks and rides strikingly similar to its $8500 counterpart. We first got to experience the prowess of the 2008 Tarmac SL2 in a mountain town, north of Spain, jet-lagged, full of ham and Tapas, this past summer, and so the chance to put some miles on the SL2’s cousin, the Tarmac Elite, on our home turf, was a welcome duty.
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| The Tarmac Elite out-performed in every category for the price. | THE FRAME
The Frame of the Tarmac Elite features Specialized FACT 6r carbon, triple-monocoque construction with a Specialized FACT carbon fork. It looks fast out of the box. The blue/gray and white paint scheme (your only choice), looks more elegant and sophisticated than the price suggests, and most if not all onlookers in the RBA offices assumed it was a much higher-end Tarmac before they spotted the tiny “Elite” graphic on the toptube. Speaking of the toptube, the sloping tubes of the Tarmac Elite, combined with the oversized headtube (a la Roubaix) really give the Tarmac a unique look when you line it up with other bikes.
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| The lines and tubing on the Tarmac Elite are almost identical to its much higher-priced SL and SL2 siblings. | THE NUMBERS
Our 58-centimeter test bike had an effective 58.2-centimeter toptube, a 73-degree seat-tube angle and 73.5-degree head-tube angle. The wheelbase on the Tarmac Elite was a generous 103 centimeters, and the frame features a 205-millimeter head-tube length and 175 millimeter cranks. The Tarmac Elite is available in a 49, 52, 54, 56, 58 and 61-centimeter sizes, in compact or standard (same price).
THE PARTS
The Tarmac Elite comes with a Shimano 105 group (we chose the Compact version), a SRAM 11-28 cassette, and Mavic CXP rims with Specialized Mondo Pro tires. Most parts are manufactured by Specialized (which is common in this price range) including the saddle (Body Geometry Toupe Team), stem, bar, the RBA “favorite” Pave seatpost with Zertz inserts, and the Bar Phat handlebar tape. An FSA Gossamer MegaExo bottom bracket and two-piece crankset finish off the parts collection.
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| The headtube design of the Tarmac Elite reminded us of the popular Roubaix. | THE RIDE
From our very first ride on the Tarmac Elite we were impressed with its performance. It climbs well, offers a nice, stretched-out feel, answers the call when the cycling muses announce a sprint, and holds firm and steady on fast descents. For $1950 you are going to have a little additional weight, but at pretty close to 18.5 pounds, that really shouldn’t be stopping you from missing a lunch ride break. Get yourself a salad once in a while instead of the Macho Burrito and call it even. If we have one complaint, it’s the Pave saddle. Not one of our favorites, but not noticeably tragic either. In the drops, the Tarmac Elite was smooth, responsive and outright speed-encouraging on longer descents, and the Zertz-inspired seatpost, and the overall design and construction of the frame, offered a balanced ride, not too stiff, and with no alarming flex. It soaked up road chatter just fine, while allowing us to still communicate with the road.
THE VERDICT
We found ourselves riding this bike even when we were supposed to be reviewing other, higher-priced models. It just works really well, and it’s possible we were trying to find something that cemented the $1950 price range, a glitch, something to complain about, but we couldn’t find anything. The Tarmac Elite is a great bike for the price and would be at the top of our list for the under-$2000 range. If you are looking to succeed in your club ride or Saturday world championships, and plan to recession-proof your cycling addiction, pick up this bike, ride it for a season, then invest in some new wheels and ride it for another three. All for $6500 less than the Tarmac SL2.
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| Shimano 105, compact gearing makes the bike attractive to riders of all levels. | Price: $1,950
Weight: 18.5 pounds
Contact: www.specialized.com |