New Sworks Tarmac SL 5 ? Build

bernithebiker

Just received the 2015 Sworks Tarmac frameset in Omega Pharma QuickStep colours.

Size 52, down one from my old Sworks (54).

Weighs 1625g with Alien seatpost, uncut steerer, headset, and BB in place.

Fork is 380 which should go down to 330 ish.

Frame works out at 920g. So not superlight but hopefully a good combo of weight vs. stiffness.

Just waiting on some bits now to start the build, hopefully sub 6kg.

AshW92

Wowww 2015 frame looks sick mate, can't wait to see it built up!

metronome

Lovely.

Great colour combo.

Identical to my company branding

Colinthecop

Nice, I'm very jealous already....

mallorcajeff

Now that is going to be such a nice bike. Really need a new bike when i move back to england this winter

declan1

AshW92 wrote:

Wowww 2015 frame looks sick mate, can't wait to see it built up!

Mmm.

Lovely looking frame though - as above, hurry up with the build!

Devastazione

What ?? No haters ?? Aw cmon,i'll play.

Oh man,not another cookie cutter Specialized man,what a rip off bike man,oh man did you really pay that much money to have a 2015 frame ? Don't you know the 2014 is the same ? Not worth it man,you should have gotten a Giant or a Canyon,or 50% off 2014 frame man,Specialized is evil man...

bernithebiker

Devastazione wrote:

What ?? No haters ?? Aw cmon,i'll play.

Oh man,not another cookie cutter Specialized man,what a rip off bike man,oh man did you really pay that much money to have a 2015 frame ? Don't you know the 2014 is the same ? Not worth it man,you should have gotten a Giant or a Canyon,or 50% off 2014 frame man,Specialized is evil man...

LOL!

Yeah I'm kind of a Specialized fanboy. Was Trek but that was 8 years ago.

They really have got their sh*t together these days. The packaging, instructions, extras, etc. are all very slick, and the paint finish is top notch.

Coming from the SL4 Sworks (2012) it'll be interesting to see what differences I notice, (apart from the smaller frame).

It'll have Syntace CDR bars, Zipp SL stem, DA (either 9000 or 9070 not sure yet), Lightweights, AX saddle and Use post, Sworks crankset, Q rings, and Look Keo Blade 2 pedals.

Now I just have to start finding some light blue tops......

lawrences

That's a hell of a spec sheet.

Looking forward to seeing pictures of this.

bernithebiker

I'm kind of gutted that noone mentioned the nicely mown lawn......


..took me hours!

Flâneur

I was thinking, brave man putting it beside the bed wall, imagine if the frame fell over and hit it

russyh

This is going to be an amazing build.. Hurry up please

Cheshire Cat

bernithebiker wrote:

Frame works out at 920g. So not superlight but hopefully a good combo of weight vs. stiffness.

How peoples perception of what is acceptable has changed...nice frame all the same, even though it is a bit of a lard arse.

tlw1

nice lawn (happy now)?

arran77

There's a few dead looking patches in that lawn, looks like it needs a bit a post cut feed and water to me

Smart looking frame by the way

snakedoc

Lovely frame Bernie - look forward to seeing it built up (go with Di2 9070 - I have that on my Venge and it's great)
Seeing the pics of yours will certainly persuade me to change my S Works SL4 Tarmac for the new tarmac - would be interested to hear you views on the bike once it's built up and you can make a comparison

bernithebiker

snakedoc wrote:

Lovely frame Bernie - look forward to seeing it built up (go with Di2 9070 - I have that on my Venge and it's great)
Seeing the pics of yours will certainly persuade me to change my S Works SL4 Tarmac for the new tarmac - would be interested to hear you views on the bike once it's built up and you can make a comparison

I like the idea of 9070, and I have tried it before, but it's still pricey at £1300 (best deal I can find on the shifter set), and the 9000 I have now works very well.

Also, as it came out in Spring 2013, it could well be replaced this autumn, so might just build with 9000 (9001 in fact) and wait…..

sloppyschleckonds

Stick with the 9070 if a good deal turns up in the next few days, I'm thinking of red 22 but wondering if its better to wait

bernithebiker

SloppySchleckonds wrote:

Stick with the 9070 if a good deal turns up in the next few days, I'm thinking of red 22 but wondering if its better to wait

I haven't seen anything better than £1300, which is still too pricey to my mind for a product that may well be nearing the end of it's life cycle. I've started transferring the 9000 across from the old SL4!

Dick Scruttock

Very nice.

I think 9070 will be around for a while yet. Look how long da7970 was around for.

bernithebiker

Recabling the new bike is taking longer than expected; each housing needs trimming down due to smaller frame and bars, and the new DA cables 'fluff' up as the PTFE coating wears off, which makes it harder to get them down the guide sheathing.

Oh well, no pain no gain!

bernithebiker

Well, build's finished for now.

Have a new Zipp stem to pick up that isn't so negative, (-6 instead of -17'), and 10mm longer, (up to 130mm).

Then I can ditch the spacers. (and another 10g of steerer!)

5.9kg ready to roll. Need to buy some more name stickers for it.

sloppyschleckonds

Nice work BB, black saddle and white bar tape though!?

bernithebiker

SloppySchleckonds wrote:

Nice work BB, black saddle and white bar tape though!?

yeah, not too keen on the bar tape anyway, as it's got Fizik written all over it, so might go black....!

1st ride today, feels very taut and snappy, hard to say if that's the drop in size or the new design. Need more miles to be sure!

MountainMonster

Looks like a really nice build. The OPQS colour scheme is really nice!

kingstonian

Nice bike, mate. Def needs black bar tape though.

Iamnot Wiggins

I've heard that ride difference between the SL4 & 5 is not even noticeable and that the 5 is heavier? Confirm/deny?

bernithebiker

Iamnot Wiggins wrote:

I've heard that ride difference between the SL4 & 5 is not even noticeable and that the 5 is heavier? Confirm/deny?

Differences in ride / feel between two frames are notoriously difficult to spot; you need to be riding the same road, into the same wind, same tyre pressures, etc. etc.

And it's even harder for me to say, as I've dropped a size, so it's to be expected that the new frame feels even tauter, snappier, quick to react etc. Possibly a touch smoother/comfier, hard to say.

My old SL4 in 54 was about 970g, this is 920. It is said that the 56's and above are a touch heavier as they have been proportionally beefed up.

Even as a hardened weight weenie, I'd rather be on a 900g frame that handles and accelerates beautifully, than a 650g frame that does not.

Matthewfalle

Nice piano/floor combo. Very, very nice. Chapeau.

Iamnot Wiggins

bernithebiker wrote:

Even as a hardened weight weenie, I'd rather be on a 900g frame that handles and accelerates beautifully, than a 650g frame that does not.

Cannot agree more - the exact reason I went for my SL4!

Giraffoto

SloppySchleckonds wrote:

Nice work BB, black saddle and white bar tape though!?

You should get both in giraffe pattern to match the piano stool. There's no reason not to. I also notice that it says "Specialized" under the top tube. Does it fly?