Specialized’s Tarmac SL9 S-Level is built to wreck your Zone 2 ride
I love a good Zone 2 ride. There’s nothing like getting on the bike, settling into a groove, and letting the miles (and hours) flow by. But sometimes when I hopped on the Specialized Tarmac SL9 S-Level, Zone 2 would turn into a tempo ride. It was like having a little imp—the stereotype dressed in red with the pitchfork—on my left shoulder whispering into my ear: “Go fast. This bike was built to go fast. Speed is good. You can do a Zone 2 ride tomorrow.” Normally, I'd count on the good imp—the dude with the harp and wings—on my right shoulder to restrain these urges. But the Tarmac is so seductive that he would just shrug and say “he’s got a point.” And in a moment of weakness, I would drop the hammer and head into the red, just because the SL9 makes that so rewarding.
The Tarmac SL9 is Specialized’s aero road bike, with the S-Level sitting just below the S-Works in Specialized’s top tier of carbon, aero road bikes, where it replaced the Tarmac SL8 Pro. After it got an update this year, I spent several weeks riding it, putting nearly 1,000 miles on it
Specialized offers the Tarmac SL9 in four models, all available with SRAM and Shimano drivetrains (Ars tested the SRAM version). Notably, you don't need to buy the top-of-the-line bike to get the top-of-the-line groupset. Here's the breakdown of the Tarmac SL9 lineup (note that the Shimano versions of the Expert is 20 g lighter and Comp is 70 grams heavier than the SRAM versions):