Specialized Tarmac Sport VS. S-Works Tarmac (Head to Head Review) 

ROAD BIKE GIVEAWAY - Please note that there will be more information to follow. Please also consider you will need to have your RU-vid profile listed as ‘public’ at least one week before the draw on the 18th of December. Otherwise, your profile name will not appear on the list I extract from RU-vid to facilitate the draw. Many thanks, Cam

As a materials engineer specialized in composites, I can tell you that the difference between the two frames is maximum 10% cost (including using some higher modulus fiber which enables the drop in weight, but remember that the cost of the 1Kg of resin and carbon fiber that go into a bicycle frame is below $50, the rest is labor, marketing costs and margin) and 90% extra margin. The higher end frame has to pay for R&D costs for the next generation and sponsorship of the pros. It is fair that the pro sponsorship is paid by the people that want to say they have the same bike as the pros, makes sense... For instance, once you made the new mold, the cost difference between the round post and the D shape is zilch...

Props for the actual frame weight info! I searched for months and couldn’t find that info. Purchased the Tarmac sport a few months ago in the other color and upgraded the wheels with the roval c38. Local shop gave me a great deal, $3800 out the door for the package with wheels installed. Couldn’t be happier with it… currently dropping all the S-Works riders each week. 😉

I would agree on your choice of wheels in closing the gap.

I've had the SWorks tarmc disc for a few months now and after 22 years of cycling nothing even comes close and I've ridden and owned many in that time. Of course I've dialled in the position to a T being aggressive and slammed to really bring the bike into its own! This really is as good as a roadbike gets! Truly spectacular!!!!!

It's straight up ignorance to say 'it's all about the rider'. Deeper wheels will make you faster. Aero bits on the bike will make you faster. Areo kit will make you faster. A few less pounds on the bike will make you climb faster. All these things do add up over hours and hours of riding. This is a game of energy conservation.

Hi Cam, You’ve articulated the Gap extremely well. I’m actually in this very situation!

Exactly this. I'm lucky enough to own both an S-works tarmac and a Specialized one. 2018 S-Works Tarmac SL6 Ultralight (rim brake) with custom parts (Extralite, super light 60mm Caden Decadence tubulars etc etc). Weighs 5.69kg. My travel bike is a 2015 Specialized Tarmac SL4 (rim brake R8000 groupset). 7.85kg. Weight difference is huge and noticeable but sometimes I throw the tubulars on the SL4 and it weighs 7.2kg, rides like a dream and looks every bit as badass as the S-Works. So much so that I came close to selling the SL6.

Every headset spacer you take out gives $1000 worth of speed.

Totally agree I have comp fact r 10 . I stuck on bora ultras 35 ..and upgraded to di2 with upgrade kit. All in almost half the price of an s work and 99 % performance. Killer combo

great vid! I bought the new sl6 tarmac sport and just swapped the wheels with some zipp 404s and I love it, I have ridden my friends S works sl6 and I couldn't tell much of a difference after putting the wheels on

I agree Cam the Wheels are the best upgrade.

I just purchased a 2020 tarmac sport. I've just put my 4th ride on it and I absolutely love it. I Decided to go mechanical over electronic and felt the 105 was more than sufficient for my level of competitive riding. I will upgrade the seat 1st and then the wheels.

Great review as always... love how you drilled down the nuances between the two...

I agree with you. I would pick the 2500$ bike and invest in quality wheels or just better tires. Even better I would buy last year 2500$ bike for less money. I've done that for my commute bike and I don't regret it. It's a Caad 12 and I got it at a very good price. I still have to try it with my Cosmic carbon wheelset that are on my Canyon ultimate cf slx.

Cam one of the things i like about your chanell is Australian content. Surprising that you have more subscribers in the US of A! Liking the price point comparison - I agree with the "compare apples with apples" approach of looking at two bikes from the same manufacturer. Cheers mate.

Good job~ i have been thinking which tarmac model to go for and your explanation clear things out for me. I choose sport model for now and get a decent wheelset in the future~

Thanks, Nich for sharing such valuable content, and very logical comments below. On the flip side after I upgraded the wheels on my Allez Sports, I could barely make any difference in the ride quality between it and Cervelo s series or Pinarello prince disc, again it's a great sense of satisfaction when you spend more on things you are obsessed with :)

Just wanted to let Cam know that his channel placed an important role in helping choose my next bike. At first it was the R5 vs Tarmac video. Around the time I chose the R5, the new S5 came out... Then the Bianchi Oltre XR4 Disc came out. The Bianchi Oltre XR4D ended up sealing the deal. The colorway was too beautiful and unique to give up. Paired it with a Supacaz celeste saddle, eTap red AXS, and Zipp 454 NSW and it truly is a dream build. .... and then the F12 came out when i bought the Oltre.. lol.

America! I too am an American who is looking into getting a Tarmac Sport, stumbled upon this video, and dropped a sub and like. I appreciate the content - hoping to get my Tarmac Sport soon!

Thank you for this explanation. I just got a 2020 Specialized Roubaix Comp and love it.

Great video cam Nicholls . My best suggestion is if your loaded or you race go s-works tarmac pro . My twin brother has one and it’s like driving a Ferrari . If you are on a budget and you want new get the Specialized and if you want top end go 2-3 years old second hand and u will get a full Dura-Ace with top end zips or equivalent wheels tarmac pro barely used from first owner accountant on marketplace or bike sales. It’s a buyers market for high end second hand bikes.

Great video Cam, I agree, upgrading the wheels gives the biggest bang for your buck!

As you conclude, it's all about how you want to ride. But it's also about where you came from. I'm absolutely loving my new £2,500 bike. OK, it's 1kg heavier than the S-Works with a quarter of that in the wheels, but ... it's 2kg lighter than my previous 2nd hand bike (originally £1,000) with better groupset and at nearly 60, I'm not racing anyone. I'm just loving the cycling.

Unless I've won the lotto. it's $2500 all the way. My first bike cost below that and I am happy with it. Great Idea about the bike giveaway. good luck with pulling it off. Keep up the great reports Cam

Riding with one of my friends, he on his new Trek Madone, me on my trusty LeMond 853 Steel frame. My bike weighs in less than 19# his bike less than 16# and he has 88mm deep dish carbon wheels. Me, I have a Campy Zonda wheelset. On a 40 mile training ride with him pulling 97% of the time I averaged 10 watts more just to keep up! That says something! Thanks for your review.

Great review. Any content about BMC bikes? Would love to see it. Cheers from Malaysia

Hey Cam, in the last few weeks I went from a Fact 8r Roubaix SL4 to a S-works Roubaix SL4 and the difference is amazing. Far more compliant on the bumps and we shed a 1 kilogram in weight.

Its always been the rider not the technology , yes technology helps but its mainly the rider

Clear concise video. Your content is even better than GCN despite the over the top production value.

Awesome video! i'm buying a tarmac pro carbon frame set this week! hope to build my dream bike!

Yessir. My conclusions exactly. Buy a good frame with a good group set and upgrade the wheels as needed,

Fair comparison. I used similar approach few years back with the Emonda SL6, where I paid $3500 for the bike and upgraded the wheels. On a side note, wheel + Tire upgrade is the best change you can make based on my experience. Next would be drive train, and with that, I mean move over to lighter chain and go WAX'd chains. On the wheel front, there is not need to drop thousands on high end wheels (unless you are $$$ or sponsored) . I bought some carbon hoops, high end hubs (eg white industries) and built the wheels up myself. All in I was $1300 CDN and recent comparison to the Mavic Comete 64mm, the cheaper ones are stiffer and more agile. With these mods, I was able to get the bike in the mid 16 lb range. (decent). Cam , your comments are accurate. well done.

The other thing I want to mention is that the Sport and Comp are both highly upgradable. In theor you can't get the R9 up to R whatever, of course, but the point is that the only thing that really matters other than a few grams (that you can save elsewhere when you upgrade) is the bottom bracket and seat post interfaces. On the Expert, Pro and S-Works you are stuck with the S-Works seat post. Which is great but you're boxed in. The lower models are slightly heavier but at least you can upgrade the seat posts if you find something lighter or better for your needs. So, I think that the Di2 models are all overpriced as sold. But eventually I might want to upgrade to Di2 if I like the bike full time (I have many bikes but I'm looking at my first Tarmac SL6). I'm looking at the lowest 3 models just to use as sold on some extended rides in all conditions. I want "race" performance but this isn't a top "race" bike for me. However, if I decide to live with the disks I will end up with top wheels and maybe DI2 or even Campy EPS. What I'm suggesting is that if you look at the lower models and decide that you're OK with the BB and seat post interfaces then you already have a great choice for all around riding and training. Even if you end up racing on an S-Works these are still perfectly good training bikes. And yeah, you can race on them if set up properly. I even prefer the color scheme of the Sport (silver with neon font)! Don't feel bad about compromising if you've worked out the smart economics. If I can find a Tarmac Pro in stock, then that might be the one for me. I actually prefer the Giant TCR frame (but the Tarmacs come with better wheels). The Tarmac Sport is the easiest to find in stock and it's a fine starting point. If I end up with a Tarmac Sport and a spare set of wheels when I buy a pair of carbon Rovals I don't think I'll end up regretting a thing. I'm not averse in general to buying S-Works at the right price. I still have one at home right now. The Tarmac S-Works are just overpriced for me. I'd have to run in to a really sweet deal to even consider it. Getting top wheels is more important than getting a top frame because the "trickle down" frames are so good these days.

A really nice and detailed review. Well done mate!

Great contents, awesome as always! Oh, and that bike stand is gorgeous, it looks like a Viking ship.✨🌟

Great vid!! its unbelievable how much these bikes can go for...this video might actually save someone from spending 10,000 usd and get the cheaper bike and still drive quality..ive been looking for a road bike myself and could never imagine spending over 1000 usd..

Nice review. I am new to road bikes this year. I have been on box in the 80s and mountain bikes since 1989. I can say I wish I would have gotten a road bike sooner.

Cam, your reviews helped me to decide on Allez, but alas only Tarmac SL4 Sport was available in my size. No regrets, fits my needs, also for instance top speed is lower 2-3kmh vs more expensive bikes. Carbon and my clumsiness combo are my only worry. Racing hill climbs, rr, tt and triathlons, finishing among last, unfazed no regrets - 99% is the engine. As its recreational, this is way more then I needed and way more fun then expected. I understand why ppl get caught up in buying 10k bikes&kits, but that is def not my thing.

2015 @ Hamburg cyclassics 55km ride, i rode up the köstgerberg at 8% over 2km and dropped a lot of guys that had the biggest bling bling bikes, with 35mm tires, 12kg flatbar Alu-Bomber and 8-Speed alfine. it was a lot of fun and the bike was less than 1k € worth. 2019 i rode a Bergamont Prime RS (2016 Model in black/white/lime) and raced against guys with specialized s-works bikes. for me the gain of the 10k bike is marginal.

Im a filipino subscriber! I think in American dollars! Great video!

I drive a 2003 Ford Ranger which I bought new in 2003 for S18000 and still drive. It does not drive as good as it did the first ten years. But it has paid for itself and I have got usage out of it. I do not know if $30000 Mercedes would have been better. I bought a Windsor Wellington 3.0 from Bike Direct in Jacksonville in 2015 for under $400 which I still ride . At one time I rode 400 miles a month 2015-2017 and now 300 miles a month. Am I the fastest bike on the road, No, but I am the slowest, No and I enjoy myself.

The Expert and Pro are the sweet spot buys if you want raceable Tarmacs and you're paying for your own. There's a huge difference when you move up to (quality) carbon fiber rims. If you're only going to do "sport" riding and entry level racing then the Sport and Comp are fine. S-Works over the Pro on the Venge or Tarmac? No way. Unless they're free or heavily discounted.

How good is cycling? - love the videos mate

This draw is going to be the only way I will ever own a bike at this level... good luck everyone and thank you Cam!

If you're a big guy like me, the weight of the bike doesnt matter. I think possibly groupset (shimano 105 m ik minimum) and wheels would matter most since I'm about 200 lbs (90kg).

I would love to feel both frames weight difference. The sport has carbon9r the s-works has 12r Then do a test ride to see if there is a big stiff difference for acceleration. I ride a 49frame so a lot of shops dont have that in stock.

I love the patronisation. Keep it up 👍 😀

You want a high-performance bike for not too much money ($2000+)? Get either the more basic carbon frame or even a modern alloy one (Sagan made a stunt racing on an alloy Allez Sprint frame earlier this year at the Tour Down Under, so there almost no difference in performance there, caad12 is another option), get a pair of around 1200 grams 50mm carbon tubular wheels from quality Chinese origin for less than $1000 for top notch responsiveness and aerodynamics, get Shimano 105 with rim brakes (same weight as Dura Ace Di2 Disk and about 1/10th of the cost). The only thing missing to complete the picture for high performance is your ability to output 300 to 400W for several hours...

I bought a sub $200 bike. As originally supplied it did not roll adequately. I took the cheap tyres off and replaced them with quality tyres and it rolled just fine. At this level the riding position was the most important thing but this is the same on the cheapest and the most expensive bike. The tyres were the second most important factor. After this I have found that a person with the legs and the training on the cheapest of bikes can outclass a person without the training on the most expensive of bikes.

Amazing and Informative vid!!! Thx!!! I wanna be like you when I grow up-Thx for sharing!!! 😎🤙🏽

Agreed aero wheels are the best improvement. However there is a big difference in frame carbon. 5 years ago I went to buy a Focus Cayo, I test road it and it was rubbish, the frame felt like it was made of soft wood. I bought the Alzaco pro instead, a much stiffer and responsive frame. The Alzaco was £2k more expensive but worth it.

Great video 👌 I am sure you have opened a few eyes.

honestly for my type of riding, not racing just advanced recreational riding I would rather chose some nice alloy frame mixed with full 105 groupset but with a bling deep section wheels like the zipp or enve, I think the wheels make up most of the bike look and subjective feel

@Cam Nicholls Wasnt sure if you would get my tag from a reply that I sent below, so I'm sending this one straight to you. This was the part that I was most interested in. The "Closing the Gap" part. Not everyone, as you said, has $10,000 to throw at a bike. We all know that you pay more for the better materials, geometry and intricate tuning/R&D BUT, if you were looking for a bike that you could upgrade in the future, where would you start and what component would you swap out... And I appreciate that answer at the tail end, instead of leaving us in the penny pincher section, idolizing a bike that we could never get. 🤣🤣🤣 Yes, the S-Works frame is lighter and stronger, but it also cost $5000! That's more than a Sprint Disc complete bike! Surely there is a better way to upgrade your bike and be more cost effective also. So I definitely agree that the wheels are the best way forward and maybe lighten up other components as you go. Plus you can likely take your upgraded wheels to another bike later on. Then maybe, you might be looking in a groupset change next. Either way, great video and great information. Maybe you should do a segment on your channel called : "Closing the Gap", where you either debut a new product for doing just that, or do a full build where you put a high end bike up against a entry level or mid level bike that has some components added to it to close the distance. Or, because its more cost effective, start a build series where you build just one bike and constantly upgraded it for a while to make it more comparable to a high end bike, but to a limit/budget. Just to see how close you can get. Then you can use that as a give away bike in the future. Just an idea. Anyway, you have a new sub regardless. Keep em' coming! 😁👍

Great video. One of your best.

Super Video. Danke.

The answer is 90% marketing, 10% materials and technology.

I would love to see the two bikes compared over the same course with timings and then swap the wheels only and rerun the course with the same riders.

WTF abt the Aussie viewers?!? USD ain’t gonna do any good for us in Syd..! Should stick to one currency then during editing put the respective USD/AUD conversion. Great insights on the differences of the 2 bikes.. Good on ya for gettin someone from Specialized in.

Thanks for comparison. The differences should be quite noticeable. I would be even more interested to know what makes the real differences between $6000-$7000 vs $10000-$12000 super bike. Even lighter frame, oversize pulleys, ceramic bearings?

Constructive feedback - I don’t quite get why the 45deg camera angle is needed for short grabs when you are framed well and looking down the camera to the front? (I know nothing about video producing it just seems odd). Enjoyed the comparison content 👍

Hey Cam, that green Sworks frame on the wall to the left at 2:31, do you know if it's a custom paintjob or do you have more info about it?

Hey! Thanks for the information, very complete video. I was wandering about the difference between the two frames in terms of vibration reduction. Does the s-works give you a "smoother" ride because of it's capacity to better reduce vibrations or is there any noticeable difference between the two frames? Thank you !

Good video but I would say that tubes and tires are highly underrated. The entire wheel system itself will make the greatest difference... More than just wheels alone.

USD.. god almighty. Do you live in Noosa or not !? Good riding last weekend. Pretty quick up that kom.

Hey Cam, does that bike giveaway apply to U.S. residents? (I'd be happy with a $1000 road bike at this point. Light, durable, and comfortable is all I need. No crit racer here.) ;)

Great vid, gained a subscriber! I had a question re fit as I’m stuck in a country with just one 54cm in stock. I’m 177cm and not very flexible. I know specialized sizing guide, but know most size down. Would you think a 54 works for a stiff 177cm male?

Great video once again. Besides wheels, what’s the next upgrade. Have my own theories but interested in always hearing different perspectives. Also for the non US crowd, we know METRIC. The entire bike industry is engineered around it. I just prefer to ride miles, as we still have mile sign posts. So, 20th century... and 21st century here I know. Keep up the work Cam. Appreciated.

So the more expensive frame will give you ONE EXTRA SECOND every 2.67kms. Wow!

i'm going to be honest here, this video popped up in my suggestions and i'm a first time viewer. this video just felt like a huge ad for specialized s-works bike range and why you would spend stupid money on them.

it would be interested of you could take two bikes with the same braking system, one super expensive bike and one semi-budget maybe even the bikes that were in this video and just swap the wheels on both bikes to see how wheels affect riding quality

I ride a venge pro and I went from the CLX50 to the 64 love them

Quality Video Cam. Any chance of a Merida comparison👍🇦🇺

I'm nit understand cus i from malaysia... i want know with better bike in this comparision ?

how is the tarmac sport stiffness/ acceleration compared to its alloy counterpart Allez?

Really helpful !!

Lon Haldeman used an Allez for his first win in the RAAM back in 83.

Great stuff. I have been hoping for this very video. I have a question for you, Cam. You've mentioned in past videos that you had an original Venge and didn't like it because it was uncomfortable. Now you have an Allez Sprint. From what I can tell the two bikes have very similar geometries and components so what about the Venge did you not like? I ask because my Venge Elite is I think very similar to the one you probably had only yours might have had fact 9r and mine has the fact 10r and a power saddle. It's my first real road bike and I'm still constantly fiddling with the saddle and my bibs to make it comfortable on 2 hour rides and was wondering what you've done on your arguably stiffer Allez in this department. Sorry long question.

Well said Cam I am getting refund or exchange at my lbs now.

What 2015 version of the Tarmac had 105 groupset, FSA cranks and Kysrium wheels??? I'm just about to buy a 2015 version so I need to get my facts right...

Nice video!!!

Hi, Cam, Here Guilherme From Brazil! First and foremost, nice video. When it comes to stifness and put all the whats on the ground, Sl6 Tarmac it is better than Allez sprint? Sl6 it is a faster bike? Hope you can answer this question. it will help me to buy a new bike. Greats from Bauru-São Paulo-Brazil.

I always get nervous watching someone ride one handed whilst looking at a camera. Mark Ferguson takes it to the next level going no hands in some of his vids.

The problem is the clx50 wheel set will probably cost just as much as the whole Specialized comp tarmac bike 🤪

I own a $9,000 S-Works bike from 2014. Fast forward to today, with 2020 models coming out, and if you patiently look around you can likely find a used version of mine in good shape for about $3,000. But who wants a used bike?! Agree wheels make the biggest difference. Here in America at least. ;-)

Why did you degrade the guest's audio?

How does the Tarmac Sport compare to the Allez Sprint?

Hi Cam, and you wont like what I'm going to say here, as its a well known fact that MERIDA make Specialized bikes. So I'm pretty sure you'd be aware of this, so at what point does this change with Sworks as the frame has already been made? Id be very interested to know. At the end of the day, I feel much better value from GIANT.

Does having a U.S. audience mean narrowing your vocal range from 3 octaves down to 1 octave? They don't tend to hear the high pitches or mid-syllable glissandos of a typical Aussie speaker.

Swap over the heels and Aerofly handlebars. Save the rest for an epic cycling holiday

What's your view on OEM frames from China ? Companies like TanTan or Light Carbon ... I see most frames are made in Taiwan and China ... Thanx @cam

Hey Cam, great video which made a lot of sense. I do have one small gripe however. Since your channel is watched so much internationally now could you please pronounce Australia as Australia and not sound like a complete bogan and pronounce it with a “y”, as in “Austraya”! Sorry mate, but it bothers me. Otherwise keep up the good work! I hope I didn’t just cost myself a chance at winning a bike!

i ride a specialized epic love it! 10k for a road bike is quite a lot

As an American, please keep using the metric system exclusively.

Any stuff coming up about Trek bikes?

Yes, you buy that 11,000 dollar bike for crit racing. while i race my chinese $1,500 full carbon bike and not have to worry about crashing and selling my house to buy another bike.

I wouldn't even buy the Roval wheels for the less expensive bike, I might go for Yoeleo since it seems like they have solid customer service and a solid warranty and per the Hambini aero test they have good aero numbers. But as a supporter from the US I appreciate you using dollars but I've kinda adapted to using grams for weight, but I also watch a lot of European racing series/have taken a lot of science classes where we have used the gram instead of pounds. The only place I get tripped up is for the weight of a person, I can't tell if 80kg is a small person or a big person haha

I've ridden carbon and aluminum for years. Cycling has always been gimmicky. Give me a fit rider a good aluminum frame with good components and most of all a great wheel set. A great wheel set on any mid-range carbon or aluminum frame will transform the performance.

the best way to look at this is energy transfer , thats all a bike is , what ever bike captures the most energy , and at the same time wastes the lease energy , to perform the work , wins , then apply aerodynamics to it and you should have the best bike !!!!