Specialized Tarmac SL7 Expert Carbon Sram Rival eTap AXS 2023

The new Specialized Tarmac SL7 Expert Carbon Sram Rival eTap AXS is designed to go fast, there’s no if’s, and’s, or but’s about that—but it represents so much more than just aerodynamic prowess. With a light-weight, Rider-First Engineered™ frame, it delivers the best-possible ride characteristics, no matter the size. So no matter what you have planned for your new Tarmac, its ready to help you achieve your goals—PRs, KOMs, or podium top-steps. One bike to rule them all.

With a full SRAM Rival Etap AXS electronic groupset to keep shifts crisp and fast, and S-Works Turbo 700x26mm tires to keep you rolling fast, this new Tarmac delivers performance at a more palatable price point.

'Aero is everything'—Specialized preaching it for years and it’s still the driving force for the new Tarmac. In their quest for tube shapes that deliver the fastest frame that the UCI rules allow, they took a page out of the Venge development book and utilized FreeFoil Shape Library. Armed with a library of optimized shapes, they turned to the Win Tunnel to plug these shapes into a modular test bike, for more testing and validation. The result? A new Tarmac Expert that’s faster than before—33 seconds faster over 40km than the Tarmac SL6. No compromises, just pure speed.

While aerodynamics were paramount to the Tarmac’s development, and to the development of all of race bikes, weight was the co-pilot on this optimal race bike journey. Previously “aero bikes” always compromised in the weight department—the more drag you reduced, the more weight you gained. With the new Tarmac, Specialized design philosophy was to keep it at, or below, the UCI weight limit out of the box, with no sacrifices to aerodynamics. And with the help of the FreeFoil Shape Library, tools like isotopic FEA analysis, and some engineering wizardry by the best engineers in the industry, they delivered a frame that weighs a mere 920 grams, without giving up a gram of aero, stiffness or ride quality.

Continuing their quest to develop the perfect race bike, Specialized used his Rider-First Engineered™ philosophy to ensure that the new Tarmac is the most balanced, best handling Tarmac yet—no matter the size. With an army of the world’s best test riders from their three World Tour Teams — Boels-Dolmans, Deceuninck-Quick-Step, and Bora-hansgrohe — Specialized has changes to the Tarmac based on their thousands of kilometers on the road. They balanced the ride quality between the front and rear end, so even the longest days in the saddle continue to be comfortable—all without giving up anything to the Tarmac’s legendary handling and race-winning snappiness.

Building on the learnings from the Venge, the new Tarmac utilizes simple integration to create a clean, fast cockpit that’s easy to live with. Specialized improved the routing for any configuration — mechanical shifting, traditional stems, round bars, etc. — all while keeping its aerodynamic attributes. These same traits also make the new Tarmac easy to work on and easy to travel with. It’s a win-win.

Technical specifications

Cockpit
SeatPost: 2021 S-Works Tarmac Carbon seat post, FACT Carbon, 20mm offset
Saddle: Body Geometry Power Expert
Handlebars: Specialized Expert Shallow Drop, alloy, 125mm drop x 75mm reach
Tape: Supacaz Super Sticky Kush
Stem: Tarmac integrated stem, 6-degree
Seat Binder: Tarmac integrated wedge

Wheels & tires
Front Wheel: Roval C38, 21mm internal width carbon rim
Rear Wheel: Roval C38, 21mm internal width carbon rim
Front Tire: S-Works Turbo, 120 TPI, folding bead, BlackBelt protection, 700x26mm
Rear Tire: S-Works Turbo, 120 TPI, folding bead, BlackBelt protection, 700x26mm
Inner Tubes: Turbo Ultralight, 48mm Presta valve

Suspension
Fork: FACT Carbon, 12x100mm thru-axle, flat-mount disc

Drivetrain
Chain: SRAM Rival 12 speed
Cassette: SRAM XG 1250 10-36
Bottom Bracket: SRAM DUB BSA 68
Shift Levers: SRAM Rival AXS
Crankset: SRAM Rival AXS with Power
Rear Derailleur: SRAM Rival eTAP AXS, Max 36T
Front Derailleur: SRAM Rival eTAP AXS, braze-on
Chainrings: 48/35T

Brakes
Rear Brake: SRAM Rival, hydraulic disc
Front Brake: SRAM Rival, hydraulic disc

Frameset
Frame: Tarmac SL7 FACT 10r Carbon, Rider First Engineered™, Win Tunnel Engineered, Clean Routing, Threaded BB, 12x142mm thru-axle, flat-mount disc

Specifications are subject to change without notice.