When Specialized launched the S-Works Tarmac SL9 ahead of the Tour de France, it proclaimed it “the fastest road bike ever made.” While Remco Evenepoel couldn’t prevent Tadej Pogačar from securing his fifth win at the race, his second-place showing, achieved largely aboard the SL9, did no harm to the US brand’s bold claims.
And now it’s time for the Tarmac SL9 S-Level, a more affordable version of the WorldTour-proven machine with an equally persuasive moniker: "the second fastest bike ever made".
