This Limited-Edition Bike Is a Replica of Team Red Bull’s Tour de France Ride
Amateur cyclists can now get a feel for what it’s like to compete in one of the world’s most famous races.
The pros at Specialized have released a limited-edition replicas of the bikes the Red Bull–Bora–Hansgrohe team is riding during this year’s Tour de France. Just 500 units of the $16,500 S-Works Tarmac SL8 are being sold. And alongside the high-level specs, the “sticker slap” design brings some fun to the bike.
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“The design was inspired by youth culture and ‘90s skateboarding aesthetics,” Tom Briggs, the lead concept graphic designer at Specialized, said in a statement. “It’s a new look, a new day for the peloton, and Specialized is bringing together something that feels unique in a world that all too often can look the same.”
As for its road-ready bona fides, the S-Works Tarmac SL8 features a full SRAM RED AXS groupset, the lightest electronic group in the world, according to Specialized. There’s also a power meter and a Roval Rapide CLX II Team wheelset that complements the record-setting frame—the Tarmac is the world’s fastest race bike, and the winningest in the modern era.
The SL8 version also improves upon Specialized’s SL7 model. Debuting last year, it’s 16.6 seconds faster over 25 miles when compared with the SL7. And the frameset is 15 percent lighter than that of the SL7: At just about 1.5 pounds, it’s lighter than any other bike on the World Tour.
It’s all of that incomparableness that gearheads love about Specialized’s bikes. And it’s what sets the brand apart when it comes to professional cyclists, too.
“I’m incredibly excited to be entering this new partnership with Red Bull, especially considering the relationship with Specialized is only getting stronger,” the team member Primož Roglič said in a statement. “It’s no secret cycling is a sport of fine margins and Specialized sets the performance benchmark in cycling. Having the very best bikes and equipment is critical for success. With Specialized we know we have that and it’s a key reason I signed on with this project.”
If it’s good enough for Roglič …
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