Specialized Tarmac SL9 Remco Limited Edition: The Belgian superstar loves the US bicycle manufacturer and says he'll never ride anything else. He rewards his bike sponsor with victories, and now Remco is making all the Olympic champion's fans happy: with a stunningly beautiful bike that is very exclusive, but doesn't cost extra.
How do you make something really good even better? Specialized recently demonstrated this in the cycling industry with the Tarmac SL9. Its predecessor had three years to make a name for itself in the peloton, proving particularly successful under the star athlete Remco Evenepoel. The Belgian, who has since signed a "lifetime" contract with Specialized, was certainly perfectly happy with his bike – except for one thing: Naturally, the Olympic champion always demanded to ride an aerodynamically perfect model.
Specialized Tarmac SL9 Remco Limited Edition: Dream racer in Olympic style
And so, at the beginning of the waning summer, the US bicycle manufacturer unveiled the Specialized Tarmac SL9, delivering exactly what the superstar had requested: The new generation retains everything that professional cyclists and other users appreciate about the Tarmac, but is even more aerodynamic at race pace. An optimized transition between the fork crown and downtube, slightly inward-turned fork legs, and the more pronounced seat tube curve save a respectable 4 watts at 45 km/h.
Super lightweight frame with proven geometry
What makes a racing bike stand out at any speed, however, remains untouched by Specialized: The proven geometry is unchanged; riding position and size range are also the same. The developers also refrained from increasing tire clearance – tires wider than 32 mm simply don't fit the concept of a thoroughbred racing machine. A weight close to the UCI limit, on the other hand, is a given; at just under 700 grams for a 56 cm frame, complete bikes around 6,5 kg are possible.
Those who prioritize weight over professional cyclists don't have to spend a fortune on a Specialized Tarmac SL9: The Comp-level model with SRAM Rival AXS or Shimano 105 Di2 is available for €4.499, based on a frame that weighs a mere 800 grams. To get the absolute top-of-the-line model, however, you'll have to add a hefty ten thousand euros to that price. A small consolation: Now you can ride the exact same bike as Remco Evenepoel. Specialized has dedicated a "Remco LTD Edition" of the top model to the Belgian (or rather, his fans), who just became time trial world champion for the fourth time in a row, and it's available for purchase now.
The eye-catcher is, of course, the special white and gold paint scheme, reserved for Olympic champions, adorned with the logos of team sponsors Red Bull, Bora, and Hansgrohe. What's particularly unusual is that Specialized managed to wrest the "Red AXS" groupset in the team version from component supplier SRAM. These components with their oversized logos are not normally available for retail sale and are therefore highly sought after.
No extra charge for the special edition.
And there's one more thing that distinguishes the Specialized Tarmac SL9 Remco Limited Edition: it doesn't cost extra, it's the same 14.999 The price is the same as a "normal" SL9 with top-of-the-line components. This makes it twice as desirable and likely to sell out very quickly, as Specialized is only offering 100 units worldwide in the Remco style. Anyone seriously interested should check their bank balance now and make a quick decision – especially since some appreciation in value is not out of the question.
