Tarmac SL7 vs Emonda 2021
papajimbo
Posts: 61
Both great bikes I would think, I guess most people would say the S Works beats the SLR9. However at the £6K price point you get the Emonda SLR frame with UDi2 compared with the second tier frame of the Tarmac Pro with UDi2 so which of these would be the better buy?
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The sl7 is supposed to be awesome and the only difference really between the framesets is basically just weight, the sworks model is 120g lighter than the pro.
I adore my sl5 sworks tarmac but have been considering a new bike for a time and was going to go with a venge, so will be interesting to see how this compares to my current ride and the venge (which I test rode before lockdown).
Best of luck on the test ride...I think you’re in for a treat!
I went from SL5 that I loved to an S-Works SL6 and it’s a completely different beast....all in a very good way. So much fun, very comfortable, inspires confidence, climbs so well and just feels fast in general.
So all things considered, going from an SL5 to an SL7 should provide an even bigger smile!
Coming from a hi-mod supersix I reckon you’re going to be pretty underwhelmed with either considering what you have and the price you’re going to have to fork out for an “upgrade”.
That’s a belter of a bike you have already, and if none of these 2 are already pulling at your heartstrings, then what’s the point?
Maybe spoil the supersix to a DI2 groupset instead!
You make some good points though I don’t imagine you don’t think the Supersix would be better than your SL6, in which case the SL7 could be a step forward. I think the S Works frame would probably ‘pull at my heartstrings’ it’s whether the Pro version really matches it in all but weight. In an ideal world I’d get the S Works SL7 (well beyond my budget though) it’s whether the Emonda SLR or Pro offer the better alternative.
Sounds to me like you would lust after an S-Works - which makes me think you should just buy an S-Works frameset (transfer your etap onto it perhaps, keep the supersix as your second bike?). This will surely bring you in under budget while still giving you everything you want.
If you go for a Tarmac Pro, you will always think "what if" - and even though it probably isn't any faster, it gives you that feeling of knowing you have the best bike you can and something that you would be proud of and look forward to riding - thats the feeling I have with my S-Works SL6 now and although it would make zero difference to my performance I would dearly love to upgrade to electronic shifting on it at some point.
Ideally I wanted another sworks but the pro tarmac sl7 is far better value, at least on paper. The differences are just in the carbon, wheelset and groupset (roval cl wheelset, ultegra di2) but these are still brilliant pieces of kit and the bike is 4k cheaper! The only other difference is no power meter on the pro model. But I'm not bothered as i already have a set of faveros and the one which comes on the sworks is, interestingly, a dual sided pm on shimano cranks. Anyone who follows Shane Miller and threads on here and elsewhere knows the issues with such pm's, and the inaccuracies will still be there unless shimano have changed their production techniques.
Anyway, will post back after my test ride how i found it and how it compares to my sl5.
It's now common knowledge that the SL7 frame is marginally more aero than the SL6 frame. The aero gains are via the new Rapide CLX wheels and to a lesser extent the Aerofly II bars. Buy one of the SL7's without the new wheels and with the standard bar/stem combo and all you're getting is a bit of bragging rights that you have the 7 not the 6.
As mentioned on a few other forums - stick the new CLX wheels on the Venge and it'll blitz the SL7.
On the subject of the stiffer frame - feel free to pop over to weightweenies - sounds like it's now a harsher ride the the SL6.
Most of the narrative’s coming from manufacturers marketing teams is pure BS, rarely are figures quantifiable.
The best thing about the SL7 is the threaded bottom bracket but even that move comes from a failure to successfully adopt to the which at the time was lighter, less friction etc
So my SL5 had short chain stays which means better chain alignment but that I. locked into specific wheels from the Specialized. That thinking lasted for one year before reversing their thinking and retreating back to industry standards.
One aspect which Specialized is better than Trek historically is with residual values.
Desmond Tutu
Whether it actually is is another story.
This may be of interest to those considering the bikes covered in this thread and others.
As always Raoul Luescher tells it like it is!