Chinertown
Chinese Carbon Road Bikes => Road Bike Frames, Wheels & Components => Topic started by: Willos on June 30, 2026, 08:44:51 AM
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https://www.bikeradar.com/news/specialized-tarmac-sl9-2026
I wonder how long until we see clone appearing in this forum.
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Is there a geometry table available? I'm curious to see the geometry of this frame before making any opinions.
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Geometry hasn't changed vs SL8.
That offset steerer is wacky. I hope it won't come back to haunt them, Specialized has had plenty of recalls for "features" that turned out to be mechanical disasters.
Not that i would ever buy one, but you can't turn the bars much, which may be a problem if you want to put the bike in the trunk.
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I only watched a video for two minutes, so I don’t think it would be fair to comment, especially since I haven’t seen it in person yet. The thing that surprised me the most was the “crooked” head tube. I imagine there’s a team of engineers behind the project, but it still seems strange to have a crooked head tube. In any case, I can’t wait to see it in real life and try it out.
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I got invited to launch party tonight at my local flagship shop.
Gonna do my best not to laugh out loud during the marketing presentation. But mainly I'm gonna film content of all the attendees drooling over what is essentially a 3 year-old product.
The components brand GANNA has been selling aftermarket "aero-fin" seatposts for months. Well before the SL9 launch. So I am curious who stole from whom in terms of that aero seatpost design. Because GANNA basically sells the SL9 seatpost for the SL8.
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I got invited to launch party tonight at my local flagship shop.
Gonna do my best not to laugh out loud during the marketing presentation. But mainly I'm gonna film content of all the attendees drooling over what is essentially a 3 year-old product.
The components brand GANNA has been selling aftermarket "aero-fin" seatposts for months. Well before the SL9 launch. So I am curious who stole from whom in terms of that aero seatpost design. Because GANNA basically sells the SL9 seatpost for the SL8.
Well you can laugh at me as I have Pre Ordered mine! ;D
Plus I have been making enquires now I have sold my X68 for someting heavily inspired by the the SL9 ;D spoke to a gentlemen who said he already has something apparently!
Seat post wise I heard it was the larger of the two companies that had the idea first ;D
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Well you can laugh at me as I have Pre Ordered mine! ;D
Hey I never said I wasn't going to buy one myself :-X
Currently I am working on a deal LoL
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Hey I never said I wasn't going to buy one myself :-X
Currently I am working on a deal LoL
;D
No deals from Specialized for us mere mortals :'(
But luckily the sale of the SL8 and a UK government scheme called the cycle to work scheme will help to ease the financial burden! :)
And maybe we will see a TT X72 ;D
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Meh! I would never pay £11,999 / $14,000 / €13,999 for a Specialized bicycle. I'd build another sub $4K Chiner bike that would meet my needs, and spend the saved $10K on something else. (Besides, I doubt if I will ever purchase or build another road bike. I'll stick to gravel bikes, bikepacking, and MTB riding. The roads where I live have become too dangerous due to distracted drivers, and aggressive drivers that don't give a sh*t about road cyclists.)
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The components brand GANNA has been selling aftermarket "aero-fin" seatposts for months. Well before the SL9 launch. So I am curious who stole from whom in terms of that aero seatpost design. Because GANNA basically sells the SL9 seatpost for the SL8.
That style of seat post is a copy of something Giant did in the '90s.
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There's already a preorder launched for 'replicas" ;D
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https://www.bikeradar.com/news/specialized-tarmac-sl9-2026
I wonder how long until we see clone appearing in this forum.
Not long.... I found these on Threds 😉
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It is so damn boring I don't understand why bother buying one even when you have a budget/
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The Specialized SL9 launch is straight out of the Apple playbook. Every two years, it’s the exact same script: they shave off some grams, change a tube shape and save a couple of watts, call it a 'revolutionary breakthrough,' and the fanboys lose their minds and rush to pre-order.
Don't get me wrong, it’s a premium bike, but you’re paying a massive 'S-Works tax' just for the brand. Anyone who actually looks at the data knows you can get the exact same performance—or better—from brands on the market.
With the SL8, the biggest aero gain came from the handlebar, now out of the 4Watt improvement half of it comes froms the wheels.
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The Specialized SL9 launch is straight out of the Apple playbook. Every two years, it’s the exact same script: they shave off some grams, change a tube shape and save a couple of watts, call it a 'revolutionary breakthrough,' and the fanboys lose their minds and rush to pre-order.
Don't get me wrong, it’s a premium bike, but you’re paying a massive 'S-Works tax' just for the brand. Anyone who actually looks at the data knows you can get the exact same performance—or better—from brands on the market.
With the SL8, the biggest aero gain came from the handlebar, now out of the 4Watt improvement half of it comes froms the wheels.
Yes I lost my Mind ;D
But I don't have to pay full RRP
I sell my old bike and with a scheme through my employer in the UK I pay next to nothing for a new frame basically the new SL9 will cost me £411.85 I have done this since the Venge.
Sell the out going frame before second hand value nose dives and transplant the parts and group set on to the new bike
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Honestly, Dan Bigham's drop bar shiv looks more interesting to me than this.
Imo a minimalist update, most aero gains are from the wherls and the rear end, which matters way less with the rider on. Crux and Aethos had good updates, but this one is meh.
They didn't want to really change their best selling product, which I can understand.
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Well all the unofficial frame are now available. Just have to wait for 'where can I buy best quality clone' posts ;D.
And the cycle begins!
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Bonkers! Does temp you for the extra 4 watts though :P
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Well all the unofficial frame are now available. Just have to wait for 'where can I buy best quality clone' posts ;D.
And the cycle begins!
That fork looks terrible. Steerer looks like a crushed Coke can.
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I am being entertained by this thread regarding that the 4 watt gain that Specialized is pushing is all marketing BS! They state 4 watts aerodynamic improvement at 45kph, or 28 seconds saved over a "100km Grand Tour-style stage". Again all BS. A tour style 100km stage is a mass rider event. No rider will be out there riding alone at 45kph trying to save 28 seconds. The largest energy output saving riders always have is drafting. Drafting reduces energy outputs by 20 to 40% and eliminates that 4 watts of aero savings. Specialized will never comment on real world riding where there are cross-winds, climbs, tarmac road condition surface changes that will consume by far more watts than the 4 "intermittent" watts that their bike claims. One can also gain back 4 watts by keeping your chain properly lubricated, or by optimizing your selection of tires and their pressure, your riding position on the bike. So many other variables such that this 4 watts watts saved, over time, becomes something that is not even achievable over a 100km ride.
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I am being entertained by this thread regarding that the 4 watt gain that Specialized is pushing is all marketing BS! They state 4 watts aerodynamic improvement at 45kph, or 28 seconds saved over a "100km Grand Tour-style stage". Again all BS. A tour style 100km stage is a mass rider event. No rider will be out there riding alone at 45kph trying to save 28 seconds. The largest energy output saving riders always have is drafting. Drafting reduces energy outputs by 20 to 40% and eliminates that 4 watts of aero savings. Specialized will never comment on real world riding where there are cross-winds, climbs, tarmac road condition surface changes that will consume by far more watts than the 4 "intermittent" watts that their bike claims. One can also gain back 4 watts by keeping your chain properly lubricated, or by optimizing your selection of tires and their pressure, your riding position on the bike. So many other variables such that this 4 watts watts saved, over time, becomes something that is not even achievable over a 100km ride.
I’m not in the Tour, and I honestly give two f@cks about 4 watts. I don’t race, I just want the latest bike, same as most people.
everyone was having similar discussion when the SL8 launched, and people still went out and bought it anyway.
I looked at other options:
Factor One — not for me, ugly and too heavy
Y1RS — same thing, just didn’t like the aesthetics
So I’ve stuck with the S-Works. It’s simple, classic, and the formula works.
End of the day, I’m sure once it’s built it’ll be a weapon… even if it just gets me to the coffee shop 10 seconds quicker ;D ;D
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Bonkers! Does temp you for the extra 4 watts though :P
2W from new wheels. 2W from new cockpit being 2cm narrower. Frame is not doing much. I bet money you could put those wheels and cockpit on an SL7 and it’s just as aero.
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2W from new wheels. 2W from new cockpit being 2cm narrower. Frame is not doing much. I bet money you could put those wheels and cockpit on an SL7 and it’s just as aero.
Don't be rude (to the cult) those 4w are hugmonguss and will make every true beliver win a lot races!
I mean, Spec is serious business, they would never say something like that just to sell overpriced bikes, would they?
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Well, sometimes a 4W is a big difference between 2 sprinters on the finish line on a bike throw.....
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Well, sometimes a 4W is a big difference between 2 sprinters on the finish line on a bike throw.....
Professionally yes. When you optimized every other aspect of performance it is natural to squeeze every few watts here and there to have an edge on the competitors.
On the amateur side, it's not so clear. There are tons of parameters that will limit you performance before the bike itself (better training, better nutrition on and out of the bike, better recovery, etc). And the 4w are at 45km/h. Let's be honest, not so many peeps here ride that pace on a daily basis. And let's also remember, 4w in lab test environment, very specific, very much not applicable to real world conditions.
What I'm the most amazed at, is the power of a good marketing, or here, I will call it marketing gymnastic.
Let's take the statements here and analyze them.
Specialized is openly saying :
This bike is also not the lightest. (even sl8 is lighter).
This bike is not the most aero. (even by spec own numbers, they admit to be behind in term of aero compared to the competitors).
All this wrapped up in their new "time to finish" metric which is a proprietary method to estimate the speed of a bike based on their methodology, with their data, on their own wind tunnel, comparing to competitors they picked, on courses they picked (in which there is this story of the Women TDF lost to 4s, what a great story telling example, nothing to say here, except bravo to the marketing team, they are good I have to admit).
So basically: not the lightest (not even vs their own last model), not the best in aero either, but somehow the "fastest bike ever made" according to a metric they invented, tested with their own gear, using their own data. That's about as textbook conflict of interest as it gets in the scientific community, and yet it'll probably sell like crazy.
What do you think ?
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Anyone got a hold of one SL9 frame? Is YOHObike still around? Taiwan Eisen? Or does tan tan have an upcoming version? Wonder who is the manufacturer for the rep frames over Aliexpress that are for sale?
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Tarmac SL9 is probably the most boring upgrade I've seen in a while. Some of the design decisions are pretty questionable as well. Aesthetically it's a clear downgrade IMO. I have zero FOMO.