Awhile back, I mentioned that we are a Specialized family. Our first step came when my team got a break on Specialized frames via a sponsorship deal. Having never ridden anything but Italian road bikes, I was a little intrigued and slightly worried. It was 2006, and the frame was the S-Works E5, a half carbon, half aluminum absolute monstrosity. Suffice it to say, I wasn’t too disappointed when I discovered a crack near the bottom bracket. Given Specialized’s lifetime warrantee, I knew a new frame would be on its way. What they sent was the 2008 Specialized Tarmac Pro frameset, which is my racing bike today.
Specialized Tarmac Pro
If I had been a full-paying customer, I think I would have been a little disappointed given $1250 MSRP difference between the E5 and the Tarmac Pro, but given the sponsorship deal we received, who am I to complain? Plus the Tarmac Pro was all carbon so it had to be better by default. Truth be told, a Schwinn Varsity would have been better than the E5.
The Frame
Specialized uses their FACT 8r Carbon in the “compact race design” of the Tarmac Pro. It comes with a full monocoque carbon fork and carbon seat post with a “zertz” insert (the zertz insert is supposed to be a vibration dampening mechanism built into the seat post; I have no idea if it works, but it’s a little weird having a window in the middle of your seat tube.) The integrated headset is a 1 1/8” threadless, sealed cartridge headset also from Specialized called the Mindset. My frame came in a red/white color combo which apparently was a test color as it was not available for resale and which was a heck of a lot nicer than the black/silver/yellow eyesore you could buy.
Zertz: Vibration Dampener or Gimmick?
The Good
There’s not much to complain about in terms of performance. Though it is the entry point in Specialized’s race bikes, the Tarmac Pro is very responsive and fast. The Tarmac Pro is stiff – you put your foot down and it goes forward, just like a good bike is supposed to. It’s also farily light all things considered. I’ve raced in it all kinds of conditions – cold, hot, wet and even snowy – and I’ve always felt confident in its handling at race speed. As with most carbon frames, it’s a comfortable ride, comfortable enough to race at Floyd Bennett Field.
The Not So Good
The Tarmac Pro has got to be one of the uglier bikes I’ve ever seen. It looks cheap (I guess technically it is.) I’m not sure if it’s because of the paint job or the tubing or both. I’ve never been a huge fan of these sloping top-tubes that are curved as well, and that is what you get with Specialized. Given that I’m 6’2”, I had to get a 58cm frame even though the Tarmac Pro comes in six sizes, a vast improvement over the E5 and its four sizes which forced me onto a size 61. The large size means a large head tube; a ridiculously large head tube that could I’m sure could be a seat tube on a smaller rider’s bike. The down tube is very large in diameter adding to the bike’s cheap look.
Enormo Head Tube Isn't Pretty
While the paint job itself is nice enough, the finish leaves a little to be desired. About two months after I started riding it, I noticed a mysterious yellow stain on the down tube. I’m 95% sure I didn’t urinate on the bike at any point, so I am still mystified as to what it is, how it got there, and why it won’t come off no matter what I use to clean the bike. Mechanically, there have been no issues with the Tarmac Pro other than those that come with the normal wear and tear of racing some twenty times a year.
Mysterious Yellow Stain
The Bottom Line
The only negatives to the Specialized Tarmac Pro are purely cosmetic in nature. Although I can’t get quite the fit of my custom-built Fondriest, I get pretty close and the ride is comfortable. The bike is fast and reliable. The whole point of a race bike is to perform and that’s what the Tarmac Pro does. Sure it’s not the prettiest bike you’ve ever seen, but given its price point and its performance, it’s a worthwhile investment. I’m giving it a 3.5 out of 5.
Tarmac Pro in action at Floyd Bennett Field
For 2009, Specialized eliminated both the Tarmac SL and the Tarmac Pro models, and now have a Tarmac Pro SL model. It uses the 10r carbon which is lighter than the 8r of the Tarmac Pro and still has a low MSRP of $1900. I’ve always been a high-end bike guy (before the Fondriest, I had a custom-built Colnago C40) and was convinced that you had to spend a lot of money if you wanted a bike you could race. The Tarmac Pro has changed my mind. If you can afford it, then by all means you should get a bike that makes people’s jaws drop when they see it, but if you can’t or you don’t want to spend a small fortune, the entry point in the Specialized race bike group is a good choice. If we don’t get another sponsorship deal before I need to swap out the Tarmac Pro, I’ll be buying the Tarmac Pro SL.
S-Works E5: World's Worst Bike
And that’s today’s view from the back.
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