The ink on the Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL9 launch is barely dry, and you can already grab yourself a deal on select Tarmac SL8 models with Balfe's and Sigma Sports, here in the UK.
It should come as no surprise that once a new model has been launched, the old one is discounted. What's more surprising is the fact that Specialised only announced the arrival of the top-tier S-Works version of the all-new Tarmac SL9 this week, providing no information on how that might affect the lineup below it.
The S-Works SL9 is available in both SRAM and Shimano builds, both coming in at a whopping £12000. Typically, we'd expect the likes of Shimano Ultegra and 105 builds to follow, but at present details on lower-tier groupset offerings are yet to be released. This, however, hasn't stopped retailers slashing prices on SL8 builds.
Regardless, if Specialized decides to 'trickle down' the S-Works level SL9 tech, the stronger argument for considering the SL8 now and not waiting around for mid-level builds of the new SL9 is that Specialized was only able to find 4 watts of aerodynamic performance over 45Kph/28Mph.
Now, for mere mortals like you and me, that is likely not a speed you regularly ride at. So, in real-world terms, you may be only saving a single watt, if that.
The good news for you, regardless, is that you can now save over £1100 on the bike that CW's tech experts voted as the very best road bike available.
The Tarmac SL8, as I said, is our pick for the best aero road bike on the market, and has been for some time now. In the summer of 2024, Tech Writer Joe Baker, after riding 2000 kilometres in order to crown our Race Bike of the Year, declared the SL8 the best there was. He then followed that with a 12-month long-term review and concluded that it remained the benchmark to beat in 2025.
It's 2026 now though, I hear you say, and Tarmac SL8 is still widely considered one of the best road bikes ever made. It's a bike whose geometry hasn't really changed since we moved to disc brakes, but it's the refinement over the years that puts the Tarmac SL8 head and shoulders above the rest.
That can be seen clearly in the release information of the SL9. Whilst there have been many subtle changes, Specialized was only able to find 4 watts of improvement after 3-4 years of development at 45kph/28mph. It's a tough job to make the best better.
I have currently only found Specialized Tarmac SL8 deals in the UK, but I will report back as soon as I find some more.