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, 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.