Building a competitive, truly efficient road bike that costs less than $5000 is no easy task, but with the incredible value and performance of SRAM's Rival eTap AXS/HRD groupset and the incredible competitive balance of weight, handling, aerodynamics and overall performance of the Specialized Tarmac SL7 frameset design in their FACT 10r carbon grade, the Tarmac SL7 Comp Bicycle delivers everything you need to compete or simply push every ride beyond limits.

In addition to thousands of hours of FEA engineering analysis, Specialized utilized their most advanced technologies and learned knowledge- such as their FreeFoil Shape Library to create an all-new, Rider-First Engineered™ frame in delivering a race bike that is truly without compromise. The days of making sacrifices between "aero" and "lightweight" bikes are over. While it ins't really wrong to suggest the Tarmac SL7 is a combination of the Venge and the SL6, it isn't actually true or that simple either.

Aero road has been a driving force behind Specialized's recent bike development and their design engineers have developed and tested many shapes and combinations to build their library of in-house resources. 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 the FreeFoil Shape Library. Armed with a core book 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 that’s the fastest they've tested- 45 seconds faster over 40km than the Tarmac SL6 (with Aerofly handlebar in test).

While aerodynamics were paramount to the Tarmac’s development, and to the development of all of Specialized 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, the design philosophy was to keep it at, or below, the UCI weight limit out of the box as a complete build, with no sacrifices to aerodynamics. Tools like isotopic FEA analysis, used in conjunction with the tubes shapes and some engineering wizardry by the best engineers in the industry, enabled Specialized to deliver a frame that weighs a mere 920 grams, consistently across sizes, without giving up a gram of aero, stiffness or ride quality while allowing for 700x32 tires. The primary ingredient in all this has been their FACT 10r Carbon, which was developed in house to provide a more cost effective combination of carbon fiber properties that are the foundation of the lay-up schedule and deliver the tubeset and junctions that make the SL7 design unique.

Finishing off the Tarmac SL7 frameset, the designers drew off their experience and proven systems of the Venge to apply simple integration to create a clean, fast cockpit that’s easy to live with. They've improved the routing for any configuration, mechanical shifting, traditional stems, round bars, etc., all while keeping its aerodynamic attributes. A BSC threaded bottom bracket system was integrated and found to test as well or better than other systems for stiffness and power transfer. The frame features a 12/142mm rear thru-axle and flat mount disc standard, which matches the SL7 FACT Carbon Fork, albeit with a 12/100mm set-up. The lightweight and upper-section compliant S-Works FACT Carbon Tarmac Seatpost is included, as is the Tarmac integrated 6° stem, with detailed spec determined by frame size.

Rival eTap AXS provides refined ergonomics and performance with wireless shifting in a 2x12 wide range drivetrain and road-specific hydraulic disc braking that cannot be challenged at this price point. The brakes control a wheelset featuring DT Swiss 470 TLR alloy rims and Specialized disc hubs while carrying Turbo Pro clincher tires in the 700x26 size.

For the cockpit the S-Works Tarmac Carbon Seatpost carries the Power Comp Saddle, while the Specialized Shallow Drop alloy handlebar with it's 125mm drop / 75mm reach mounts to the integrated -6 degree Tarmac stem. Supacaz Super Sticky Kush bar tape finishes off this truly capable and accessible complete bike.