Specialized releases exclusive S-Works McLaren Tarmac
When Specialized debuted its new Tarmac in early May, the company mentioned that a version of its race machine built in collaboration with McLaren was in the works. On Wednesday, Specialized released details on the bike, S-Works McLaren Tarmac, that was developed with the high-performance automotive manufacturer. Only 250 of these bikes will be made, and prospective riders have only the month of July to place their orders.
When Specialized debuted its new Tarmac in early May, the company mentioned that a version of its race machine built in collaboration with McLaren was in the works. On Wednesday, Specialized released details on the bike, the S-Works McLaren Tarmac, that was developed with the high-performance automotive manufacturer. Only 250 of these bikes will be made, and prospective riders have only the month of July to place their orders.
Specialized has partnered with McLaren before: first with the Venge, then with the S-Works TT helmet. With the Tarmac, engineers had a tough time wringing out gains on a bike that had already been carefully designed to high standards. “Our design benchmark, the new S-Works Tarmac, was already a very, very efficient structure to start with. In some ways, this was a much tougher challenge than the Venge we worked on,” said Joe Marsh, composite design engineer from Mclaren Applied Technologies.
McLaren turned to its proprietary carbon layup process to shave off 9 to 11 per cent of the weight of the frame and fork, depending on the frame. Specialized says that these weight savings don’t compromise the rider-first engineered design incorporated into the new Tarmac. For Specialized, rider-first design means creating frames that address the needs of riders of different size. For example, a larger rider on a 61-cm bike needs a stiffer more responsive frame for the forces he exerts on the structure when cornering. A smaller rider, say on a 51-cm frame, needs something less stiff and more stable. Specialized says both riders will have the same experience with its Tarmac frame and fork.
The S-Works McLaren Tarmac is more than just a frame. It comes equipped with the exclusive CLX 40R tubular wheelset, which is said more than 90 g lighter than a standard set of CLX 40 wheels. The wheels, as well as the crankset and AeroFly handlebars, are built with a new carbon-fibre layup. McLaren Special Operations is behind the the custom paintwork and graphic applique.
S-Works McLaren Tarmac costs $21,399, which includes a Body Geometry fit to determine the best frame size and component sizes, such as handlebar and saddle width, stem length and crank length. The price also includes a matching pair of S-Works Road Shoes and S-Works Prevail helmet.
Update As of noon Thursday, roughly 24 hour after the bike became available, 175 of the 250 available Tarmacs had been sold.