Specialized Tarmac Expert: Best High-end road-racing bike

drbob — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 22:04:57 +0000

Best High-end road-racing bike
Specialized Tarmac Expert
*Est. $3,700

ConsumerSearch.com synthesized multiple reviews of road bike and concluded the Specialized Tarmac Expert is the top of the line for serious road racers. A great bike for experienced cyclists who want to move to the upper echelons of racing. Below is what they concluded.

For serious racers, reviews indicate that it's hard to beat the Specialized Tarmac Expert in this price range. It sports a lightweight carbon frame that is based on the top-end S-Works Tarmac SL2 (MSRP: $8,500) --although not as light -- and it offers crisp shifting thanks to Shimano Ultegra SL components. The steering gets rave reviews, with multiple experts calling it "stable" and "precise." Overall, reviewers say this road bike is designed for racing, even though the ride can't really compare to the SL2. Still, you'll save thousands of dollars and get plenty of performance.

For pure racing performance, reviewers say it's hard to beat the Specialized Tarmac Expert in this price range. With a carbon frame and Shimano Ultegra SL components, testers say this road bike offers stable handling, crisp shifting and a responsive ride quality. This road bike also gets exceptionally high marks from multiple reviewers for extremely precise steering, and there is a general consensus among experts that the Specialized Tarmac Expert is ready to race. Although most reviewers have nothing but good things to say about the Specialized Tarmac Expert, several owners say the seat clamp can loosen pretty easily while riding. Other than that, most owners have few complaints. If you prefer a more comfort-oriented road bike, the Giant Defy Advanced 1 (MSRP: $3,500) also gets good reviews in this category, but a taller head tube provides more comfortable positioning for long miles.

We found a number of excellent reviews of the Specialized Tarmac Expert, especially from CyclingNews.com. Their review is exceptionally detailed and provides an overview of each of the bike's components. TestRider.com also offers a video review, and Bicycling magazine rounds out the coverage. There are also a good number of owner-written reviews on RoadBikeReview.com.