Look what we built week-Tarmac SL4 Di2 Saxo Bank

What a joy it is to work in the bike industry when you get to help clients build up their dream bikes and you are having as much fun and enjoyment about the whole process as they are.

This Saxo Bank Build kicked off a couple of weeks ago with a phone call and a simple question asking when are they available?

Well the when was answered so we got to work. The client had a set of wheels in his soon to be posession for this build, the rest of it was still up for some discussion and recommendations.

We talked through the groupsets, crank options, pretty quick decisions here. Di2 and those popular S-Works Carbon cranks.

Bar and stem moved from Zipp Contour to Vuka Sprint, Speed stem and SL145 to the Specialized S-Works shallow and S-Works stem.

Saddle was easy - S-Works Toupe Carbon in white.

A little more bling was needed so the choice to add in some Ceramicspeed jockey wheels in the oh so out of colour Red and the White cable outer and anodized red Brake cable ends. White Bar tape just finished it off nicely.

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Pretty sure this is Tim's Favourite build this year.

The paint details on this frame is quite something, its pretty simple from some angles but intricate from others.

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This machine weighed in at 6.4kg with pedals and cages in a 56cm with the Zipp 404 Tubs on it. Cant wait to see where it ends up with those Lightweights?

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The lighter wheels, saddle, chainrings, jockey wheels all add up to be a S#%t hot looking bike. Different enough to stand out, but not to the level that in 1-2 years it looks out of date.

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He was almost convinced to get the Enve 45's as well until his other wheels showed up.

Cant wait to hear how she rides

 

Look what we built week-Tarmac SL4 Di2 Race Black

Scott wanted a Venge, like many of us fell in love with everything the Venge stands for - Speed, Power, Strength, Masculinity. It just oozes that stuff, but Scott likes to climb, he likes to cruise, he doesnt want to feel older after he gets off the bike, than before he got on it. His home turf is rough chipseal roads that meander through the hills of the Mornington Peninsula

We had several discussions about some options and recommendations and came up with what you see below.

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The reason we went for the Tarmac was for its all round capabilities, Its super stiff BB, Incredibly light and stiff, yet still compliant frame and its ability to smoke it up a hill. Whilst softening out some of the body jarring bumps on those back country roads

Tipping in at 6.6kg without pedals, (bottle cages were added after the photo) This Shimano Di2 marvel was specced almost exactly the same as the soon to be released out of the box bike. The only way that was going to happen was if we built it.

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Justin adding some finishing touches.

In the end it looks amazing, the ever popular Matt Black Frame, contrasted with different shades of black and white rather than colour keep the overall appearance clean but striking.

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Internal cables keep it clean and simple.

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Glossy Black highlights to break up all that Matt Black set the frame off.

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Clean exit point for the Di2
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2012 design Roval wheels, stiffer than before, The increasingly popular S-Works Satin Black crankset with Compact Rings for those hills this beast will be tackling. Di2 Battery kept low but accessible.

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The man meets his machine during his BG Fit where we tuned this baby to fit him like a glove. Sorted out a sore hip issue, discovered a small leg length discrepency, and allowed him for the first time to not feel like he was squashing his man bits when reaching the drops.

Look forward to hear how she rides, was a pleasure to build both from concept to reality.

2012 Specialized Carve 29er's in store now Comp $1499, Expert $1799, Pro $1999 Awesome value for 29ers

Carvecomp

Carve Comp 29 $1499

The base model Carve Comp 29 was designed to cruise fast-rolling singletrack. With an 80mm-travel RockShox XC32 fork, plus Shimano drivetrain and hydraulic disc brakes, the Carve Comp 29 is a capable and affordable cross-country machine.

Fully butted, smooth-welded M4SL alloy frame is superlight, stiff, and efficient, with 29er XC geometry, integrated, tapered head tube for front-end stiffness, plus bridge-less seatstays for compliance over bumps
80mm-travel RockShox XC32 29" fork with lockout, size-specific spring rates, and external rebound/preload adjust for quick, fine-tuning plus tapered alloy steerer for precision handling and light weight
Light and stiff, double-walled alloy rims for added stiffness; front hub has cartridge bearings and oversized dropout interface for front-end rigidity
Light and efficient 29" Specialized The Captain Control tyres are 2Bliss Ready with aramid bead for fast and predictable speed and control on the trail
Shimano Alivio crankset with forged alloy arms, Octalink-splined BB interface, and alloy outer ring means greater durability, lighter weight, and better shifting performance
Shimano hydraulic disc brakes use 180mm front rotor for increased leverage on 29" wheels, while 160mm rear rotor keeps weight low
Shimano SLX Shadow 9-speed rear derailleur for lightweight, precise shifting, and improved clearance

 

Carveexpert

Carve Expert 29 $1799

Equipped with an 80mm-travel RockShox Silver TK fork, the aluminium Carve Expert 29 is ready for action and features Shimano hydraulic disc brakes and versatile Specialized The Captain 2.0-inch tyres.

Fully butted, smooth-welded M4SL alloy frame is superlight, stiff, and efficient, with 29er XC geometry, integrated, tapered head tube for front-end stiffness, plus bridge-less seatstays for compliance over bumps
80mm-travel RockShox Recon Silver 29" air-sprung fork with alloy, tapered steerer, external rebound adjust, and lockout delivers light weight plus more versatility and tunability over varying terrain
Light and stiff, double-walled alloy rims for added stiffness; front hub has cartridge bearings and oversized dropout interface for front-end rigidity
Light and efficient 29" Specialized The Captain Control tyres are 2Bliss Ready with aramid bead for fast and predictable speed and control on the trail
Shimano forged alloy, 10-speed triple crankset with Hollowtech arms and Octalink-splined BB interface is stiff and light for precision shifting performance
Shimano hydraulic disc brakes use 180mm front rotor for increased leverage on 29" wheels, while 160mm rear rotor keeps weight low

Shimano Deore XT Shadow 10-speed rear derailleur for lightweight, pro-level shifting, and improved clearance

 

Carvepro

Carve Pro 29 $1999

The all-new Carve Pro 29 is a competition-inspired aluminium hardtail 29er with an 80mm-travel RockShox Recon Gold 29 SL fork, Shimano Deore hydraulic disc brakes, and Shimano SLX shift levers.

Fully butted, smooth-welded M4SL alloy frame is superlight, stiff, and efficient, with 29er XC geometry, integrated, tapered head tube for front-end stiffness, plus bridge-less seatstays for compliance over bumps
80mm-travel RockShox Recon Gold 29" air-sprung fork features aluminium stanchions and steerer for even lighter weight, plus remote lockout for additional efficiency when climbing
Light and stiff, double-walled alloy rims for added stiffness; front and rear hubs have cartridge bearings and oversized dropout interface for front-end rigidity
Light and efficient 29" Specialized The Captain Control tyres are 2Bliss Ready with aramid bead for fast and predictable speed and control on the trail
Two-piece 10-speed Shimano crankset with outboard-bearing BB features oversized spindle for increased power transfer and lighter weight
Shimano Deore hydraulic disc brakes feature Servo Wave technology for more pad clearance with light weight XT 6-bolt rotors (180mm front, 160mm rear)
Shimano Deore XT Shadow 10-speed rear derailleur for lightweight, pro-level shifting, and improved clearance

 

2012 Specialized Dealer Launch

Whilst Damo is over in sunny Monterey, California just near the famous Pebble Beach Golf Course. Testing out the latest and Greatest from the Big "S", I have been doing my net searching to see if I could find some pics of what he was talking about. Sometimes the iPhone just doesnt cut it for quality imagery.

The US Specialized site has a few bikes that will be avilable early release over there. Some are the same as this years models, others have had a bit of a change.

Here are a couple of highlight bikes for me and the changes from 2011.

 

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The all new Girls Myka, Womens specific geometry and instantly distinguishable from the HardRock.

 

9626

The Crux Expert, Hope this bad boy makes its way over here. Perfect for the Dirty Deeds Cyclocross series if you want to look and be a little more serious than slapping some knobbies and some V Brakes on your old roadie.

 

9040

The New Carve Pro 29 is a competition-inspired aluminum hardtail 29er with an 80mm-travel RockShox Recon Gold 29 SL fork, Shimano Deore hydraulic disc brakes, and Shimano SLX shift levers.

 

9499
S-Works Shiv TT Module - We already have these instore


Stiff, light, and incredibly aerodynamic, the Shiv TT has won World Championships in both Time Trial and Ironman Triathlon: It's the perfect choice for any race against that clock, and is completely UCI- and triathlon-legal.

 

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And what Beach Rd loving weekend warrior, cafe racer or crit legend wouldn't have their eye on the "free speed" machine.

Everyone has seen the S-Works Venge rolling around, in store or on the web, what most haven't seen is the Venge Pro, which will be a slightly heavier, cheaper lower specced version of the S-Works version just like their Tarmac & Roubaix Pro bikes.

Here is a link to Canadian Cycling Magazines quick overview of the Pro version

 

Will update with some more 2012 info when it comes to hand