The Spoke Word: Specialized Tarmac SL3
I'm in Snowbird, Utah, for Specialized's annual press launch. We just had our first dinner, and I'm told that I'll be spending the next three days riding the newest iteration of the brand's flagship road racer, the Tarmac SL3. The bike was actually under a couple of Specialized-sponsored pros at May's Giro d'Italia (painted to look like the SL2), and several riders from the Saxo Bank and Quick Step teams will be racing it at next month's Tour de France.
I got the lowdown after dinner from a Specialized engineer who says the bike was developed in response to racer feedback after two seasons on the SL2. Tube shapes of the front triangle—including the tapered head tube—remain basically unchanged, though the construction and carbon layups are completely different. The rear triangle, however, has been completely redesigned and includes a monocoque bottom-bracket-chainstay assembly and new hollow-aluminum dropouts.
We'll be taking the bikes out for about 50 miles tomorrow through the Wasatch Mountains. Check back for first impressions.
—John Bradley
Twitter: johnwbradley
| Email this post | | | Permalink |
TrackBack
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00d83453140969e201157081a577970c
Listed below are links to weblogs that reference The Spoke Word: Specialized Tarmac SL3:
Comments