The new Tarmac is designed to go fast, representing 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, it is ready to help you achieve your goals—PRs, KOMs, or podium top-steps. One bike to rule them all.
With a full Shimano Ultegra Di2 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'—this has been a driving force for the new Tarmac. In the quest for tube shapes that deliver the fastest frame the UCI rules allow, the FreeFoil Shape Library was utilized. Armed with a library of optimized shapes, the Win Tunnel was used to plug these shapes into a modular test bike for more testing and validation. The result? A new Tarmac Expert that is 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 these 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, 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, a frame that weighs a mere 920 grams was delivered, without giving up a gram of aero, stiffness or ride quality.
Continuing the quest to develop the perfect race bike, the Rider-First Engineered™ philosophy was used 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 three World Tour Teams — Boels-Dolmans, Deceuninck-Quick-Step, and Bora-hansgrohe — changes were made to the Tarmac based on their thousands of kilometers on the road. The ride quality between the front and rear end was balanced, 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. The routing has been improved 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.