Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
After weeks of leaks and rumours, the new Specialized Tarmac SL9 has finally been officially launched.
Claimed to be “the fastest road bike ever made”, it’s said to be 4 watts more aerodynamic than its predecessor – the S-Works Tarmac SL8 – and as light as 6.5kg without pedals in its flagship build spec.
In this video, Simon von Bromley gives you all the details on the new bike, the story behind Specialized’s bold performance claims, and his initial impressions of how it performs out on the road.
Are the changes enough to justify the Tarmac SL9’s enormous price tag, or should Specialized have done more to push the Tarmac platform towards the future of road bike design? Tune in to find out!
00:00 intro
00:22 “The fastest road bike ever made”
02:24 Meet the new bike, same as the old bike
04:20 First ride review
08:57 Pricing
09:22 Outro
Listen to the BikeRadar Podcast
👉 bikeradar.com/bikeradar-podcast
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👉 bit.ly/3nMr3Rn
For more content like this see our latest subscription offer –
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After weeks of leaks and rumours, the new Specialized Tarmac SL9 has finally been officially launched.
Claimed to be “the fastest road bike ever made”, it’s said to be 4 watts more aerodynamic than its predecessor – the S-Works Tarmac SL8 – and as light as 6.5kg without pedals in its flagship build spec.
In this video, Simon von Bromley gives you all the details on the new bike, the story behind Specialized’s bold performance claims, and his initial impressions of how it performs out on the road.
Are the changes enough to justify the Tarmac SL9’s enormous price tag, or should Specialized have done more to push the Tarmac platform towards the future of road bike design? Tune in to find out!
00:00 intro
00:22 “The fastest road bike ever made”
02:24 Meet the new bike, same as the old bike
04:20 First ride review
08:57 Pricing
09:22 Outro
Listen to the BikeRadar Podcast
👉 bikeradar.com/bikeradar-podcast
Follow BikeRadar on our social media channels:
👉 instagram.com/bikeradar
👉 facebook.com/bikeradar
👉 twitter.com/bikeradar
BikeRadar is supported by Mountain Biking UK and Cycling Plus Magazine –For more information and to subscribe please visit
👉 bit.ly/3nMr3Rn
For more content like this see our latest subscription offer –
👉 cyclingplus.com/subscribe-today
👉 mbuk.com/subscribe-today
