03 Mar Our Gear: Women’s S-Works Tarmac
Road racing
and riding involves a huge variation of course features and climates in which
they are ridden, each asking different things from a bike. The only way to
accurately test the true qualities and performance of a bike, such as the
Specialized Women’s Tarmac which is claimed to be built for racing, is by doing
exactly that. Over the past few months I have put my tarmac to the test and
been truly blown away with the versatility of the bike while maintaining the
highest performance of any bike I have ridden, over all these areas.
I ride the S-works Women’s Tarmac with Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 componentry, it is
the caliper brake version of the bike. I run it on the Roval CXL 50 11 speed
wheelset which were bought with the bike.
One of the first rides on my tarmac featured two of the hardest hill climbs in New Zealand, the Remarkables and Crown Range. The weightlessness feeling of the tarmac up significant climbs like these are a standout feature and cannot be missed. A light bike gives a distinct advantage in climbing hills faster, which are often significant break points in a race, such as during the Herald Suntour which saw the field completely split apart on the category 1 hill climb. The tarmac’s weight also allows for fast acceleration in response to attacks and sudden increases in speed by other competitors. I love the feeling that the tarmac accelerates with me almost instantly, we all know that not being able to accelerate onto a wheel in a race, may be fatal!
Aerodynamics is of huge importance in cycling, especially over long distances at high racing speeds there is a significant advantage in exploiting this area. Specialized has paid attention to the frame shape to ensure the tarmac is one of the most aerodynamic frames when compared to similar lightweight road bikes. However, I was most impressed that the performance in bike handling was not compromised by a highly aerodynamic frame. I feel confident leaning over into corners at speed and in the bunch, because I know the bike will respond how I guide it to, without any extra effort or hesitation as felt riding other aerodynamic bikes. I experienced this firsthand in the Herald SunTour during the Phillips Island criterium, which was 22 laps of a 4.5km course. I was able to maintain and even gain positioning in the large bunch through fast cornering, saving a little bit of energy each lap, which contributed to a strong finish, and fresher legs for the next day.
The Roval CLX 50 wheelset also provide the aforementioned advantages in being highly aerodynamic while maintaining a very light weight. The best feature of the wheelset is the ability to ride it tube-less, which decreases the chances of puncturing in races which feature tough sections of gravel. Two of the major races I competed in this summer had gravel sections, the 2nd stage of the Herald Suntour, and the Gravel and Tar La Femme. Most of the punctures suffered were caused by pinch flats, riding tube-less completely eliminates this. The benefits of not puncturing are obvious, no time lost, and the benefits in having confidence in my tube-less wheelset, complete mental focus on the racing itself.
Overall, this bike has the perfect combination of features to help you get to the finish line as fast as possible, but also an excellent training partner. The Dura-Ace Di2 componentry adds another level of comfort and ease of operation, especially the electronic shifting. A satisfying athlete-bike relationship is where getting all these advantages out of your equipment, while you are putting in the hard pedaling to chase down that attack, crest the hill and sprint for the line, and that is exactly what I have found in this bike.