Tarmac SL7 vs Emonda 2021

redvision

slowmart said:

Thanks for sharing and your conclusion reinforces my belief that the real world benefits are not tangible enough to drop £6k on a pro disc. My heart still says buy but I think the smart money will go on a second hand SL6 s works rim brake.

Unfortunately my SL5 is the short chain stay version which means the wheels aren’t transferable for a frameset only purchase .

No worries.

I've thought about it ever since I left the store and whilst the test ride was awesome and I will probably end up with the sl7 at some point, for the time being I'm going to stick with my sl5 and enjoy the rim brakes before I move on to discs. (I'm thinking the longer I hold off the greater the chances the bike industry may reverse their thinking, as they seem to have with pressfit bb's, and rim brake may be revived. Unlikely but fingers crossed).

This said, it has been pointed out to me that if I'm going to sell my sworks now is probably the best time due to the boom in cycling popularity - which appears to be starting to tail off...

shortfall said:

I can't get my head around dropping >5k on a bike. I could afford it I suppose (although convincing the wife is another matter) but I just don't see the value in it. About 6 years ago I spent a smidge over 3k on my current titanium bike which was bespoke and kitted out with Record. At the time I remember thinking it was an obscene amount of money to spu.nk on a bike but spread over many years of use it would be justifiable. And so it's turned out. Being bare metal finish it's not got any rust or paint blemishes and so basically looks as good as the day I wheeled it out of the shop, even after being smashed into a wall at 30 mph after a skirmish with a twin axle Ifor Williams cattle trailer. Everyone has their own justifications for making a purchase and I'm not into knocking people who put a different value on things to me, but the price of new bikes these days is just getting mental. I don't know what the profit margins are on top of the range Treks and Specialised etc but they must be absolutely huge. Youd think then that they could engineer a bottom bracket shell accurately enough that it didn't immediately creak, and let's not mention the quality of the carbon fibre layup on some top brands which is embarrassingly bad. Does anyone else think that they're really taking the p1ss with these prices? Or is it just a case of letting the market decide?

I know some people who spend upwards of 5k on a year's membership at a golf course. I know people who spend tens of thousands a year on rally cross. Hobbies can be expensive but everyone earns their own money and spends it on what makes them happy. Spending a few grand on a bike is a massive investment but if it's the bike you want, the bike you love, and you can afford it then why not? Life is too short.

Manufacturers will price their product with profit margins in mind first and foremost, but at a figure which sells.

darkhairedlord

Bike shortages mean full retail.
On top of that you have volatile exchange rates, value of the pound, brexit uncertainty, inflation.

papajimbo

redvision said:

So just an update from me following my test ride.

I only had an hour with the bike so took it on a 20mile loop i know well, and one which i rode on my sl5 tarmac immediately after the test ride, for a comparison of sorts.

First impressions when i saw the bike was mixed because of the colour scheme. I think you are either going to love or hate the available paint jobs because Spesh seemed to have decided to be pretty bold with their choices. The model i test rode was the pro di2 in blue with silver/grey. The one bit which just looks weird and wrong is the seat post where it is a zebra like pattern and in my opinion just looks wrong.

Anyway, colour scheme aside, the bike is stunning and some how just looks fast.

Tbh it wasn't the nicest day for a test ride, was sunny but with quite a strong northerly wind, which made the first half a bit of a battle. First thing i noticed, as i worked my way over the cr@p roads and out of town, was the ride is no firmer than my sl5. I have read reviews and there are comments on here suggesting otherwise, but in all honesty it felt just as comfortable with no noticeable vibration coming through the bars and no skipping or harshness from the rear. Yet the frame feels very stiff, particularly when sprinting on short climbs, and just feels fast.
Descending was fun! Even with the wind the front end felt planted and composed and can just be thrown in to corners - grip from the turbo tyres was awesome btw.

Anyway, it really was great fun to ride and made a big impression...BUT, couple of things which have made me hold fire on buying one. First, i rode the same course on my sl5 when i left the shop and to my surprise the times were identical - i was 32seconds slower on my sl5 but i had to stop at a set of lights which were green when on the test ride. Not a scientific comparison by any means, but i have to admit it did surprise me.

The main thing which is making me question whether or not to upgrade is something which divides opinion and that's disc brakes. I just don't like them. I felt far more comfortable on my rim brakes on my tarmac. If the sl7 was available in rim brake version i would probably go for it, as it is though i'm going to give it more thought.

Oh, one other thing to consider, as i was on my way home i started thinking about the cost of the bike and how the ride feel was compared to my sworks. I didn't notice any difference between the dura ace di2 on my bike and the ultegra di2 on the test bike, so getting the lower spec on the pro model wouldn't put me off - tbh i didn't notice any difference in the wheels as well - my roval rapide clx 40 's felt equally as fast and stiff as the 50mm CL's on the SL7 - but the more i thought about it the more i realised that the s-works model is stupidly overpriced. The frameset is available for £3700 and, from a bit of web browsing this morning, if you find the right deals you can spec it pretty much identically for under £8500 (without the power meter). Just something to consider.

Thanks for the detailed review, I agree it’s a lot of money for a 2nd tier frame. I’d be interested in the same sort of feedback on the Emonda SLR which looks, on paper at least, like better value.

The Orbea OMX is looking like a tempting alternative too at £1K less for UDi2.

brundonbianchi

Some of it comes down to the whole ‘casting pearls before swine’ thing. If the ‘engine’ is only so-so, it matters not a jot how good the rig is, however, if you can exploit the improvements, they are palpable ( generally speaking ).

webboo

brundonbianchi said:

Some of it comes down to the whole ‘casting pearls before swine’ thing. If the ‘engine’ is only so-so, it matters not a jot how good the rig is, however, if you can exploit the improvements, they are palpable ( generally speaking ).

The Bianchi will be wasted on you then.

FreddieVonRost

webboo said:

brundonbianchi said:

Some of it comes down to the whole ‘casting pearls before swine’ thing. If the ‘engine’ is only so-so, it matters not a jot how good the rig is, however, if you can exploit the improvements, they are palpable ( generally speaking ).

The Bianchi will be wasted on you then.

Ouch.

brundonbianchi

webboo said:

brundonbianchi said:

Some of it comes down to the whole ‘casting pearls before swine’ thing. If the ‘engine’ is only so-so, it matters not a jot how good the rig is, however, if you can exploit the improvements, they are palpable ( generally speaking ).

The Bianchi will be wasted on you then.

Lol.

slowmart

Specialized have upped the price on Tarmac Pro disc from £6k to £6250, yes they’ve sold out on certain models with new stock coming through but it seems Specialized are ripping the backside out of the situation.

So unless the price hike creates an uplift in value I can’t see myself staying with the brand but I perception had already been negatively impacted by their dubious marketing on the Tarmac.

No doubt this short sighted commercialisation will have long term impact.

redvision

Not sure where you saw it priced at 6k. All the adverts and info I've seen (online and instore) since launch have had the pro priced at £6250, and the etap at £6500.

redvision

Slowmart you need to buy a lottery ticket or something as you can clearly see the future! Specialized increased the price of the new sl7 in the USA yesterday and apparently prices here are to be raised shortly.