SpecializedTarmac SL7
Newer generation: SL8 (2023). Specs and test results here are for this earlier bike. What changed
The previous-generation Tarmac, still sold as the entry point to the range in a single Sport build: the SL7 frame shapes and race geometry in FACT 9r carbon, which Specialized claims at 1,010 g, with mechanical 12-speed Shimano 105, DT Swiss R470 alloy wheels on 26 mm Turbo Pro tyres, an alloy Shallow Drop bar and the Tarmac stem. It lacks the SL8 and SL9's Speed Sniffer head tube and one-piece cockpit, and Specialized lists it at 8.27 kg in size 56.
- From
- €3,299$3,300€3,299
- Builds
- 1
- Sizes
- 7
- Frame weight
- 1,010 g2.23 lb
Our verdict
Overall
out of 100, average of 7 categories
An affordable way into Tarmac race geometry, but two generations old: the FACT 9r frame is heavy at a claimed 1,010 g, 105 is mechanical, and alloy wheels, 26 mm tyres and a two-piece alloy cockpit leave it well short of the SL9 on aero and weight. 32 mm tyre room and standard parts make it easy to live with.
Scored Nov 2026
- + Affordable way in
- + Wide fit adjustment
AI-drafted from the specs on this page and reviewed before publishing. Scores are relative to every bike in the catalog when they were given, so they drop as newer bikes and parts raise the bar.
- Aero
- 58/100
- Frame
- 60/100
- Components
- 55/100
- Fit
- 82/100
- Practicality
- 76/100
- Price
- 98/100
- Weight
- 71/100
Aero claims and front-end integration
Carbon grade, weight and warranty
Groupset, wheels and power meter
Sizes and adjustment range
Travel, standard parts, servicing
From the cheapest complete-bike MSRP
From the lightest claimed weight (8.27 kg, size 56)
Bike duel
Frame & platform
Frame & fork
- Frame material
- FACT 9r Carbon
- Fork material
- FACT Carbon
- Frame weight
- 1,010 g2.23 lb
- Weight measured on
- Frame 1,010 g as stated by Specialized on the Tarmac SL7 Sport product page
- Frame sizes
- 44, 49, 52, 54, 56, 58, 61
- Colours
- Gloss Oasis Tint Silver Dust, Gloss White, Gloss Black (varies by region)
- Also available as
- Tarmac SL9 (FACT 10r) and S-Works Tarmac SL9 (FACT 12r), the current generation
Compatibility & standards
- Brake type
- Hydraulic disc, flat mount
- Wheel size
- 700c
- Max tire width
- 32 mm
- Bottom bracket standard
- BSA threaded, 68 mm
- Front axle
- 12x100 mm thru-axle
- Rear axle
- 12x142 mm thru-axle
- Cable routing
- Internal (Clean Routing)
Fit & adjustability
- Seatpost type
- S-Works Tarmac Carbon seatpost, 20 mm offset, Tarmac integrated wedge
- Fit notes
- Seven sizes from 44 to 61 cm in the geometry chart; the US store offers 44-58 and the German store 44-61. Stock bar width 360 mm (44) to 440 mm (58-61), stem 70 mm (44) to 110 mm (58-61), crank 165 mm (44-49) to 175 mm (58-61).
Aerodynamics
- Tube profile
- FreeFoil-shaped tubes, dropped seatstays
Travel, maintenance & warranty
- Sold via
- Specialized retailers and specialized.com
Photos
Builds & components
Highlighted rows differ between builds. Green marks the best value.
Tarmac SL7 Sport - Shimano 105 | |
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Price (MSRP) | €3,299$3,300€3,299 |
| Weight | 8.27 kg18.2 lb |
| Weight measured on size | 56 |
| Type | Complete bike |
| Notes | Colours: Gloss Oasis Tint Silver Dust (US), Gloss Black (Germany), Gloss White. Not listed on Specialized's UK store. Weight of a painted production bike as pictured. |
| Drivetrain | |
| Groupset | Shimano 105 R7100 |
| Launched | 2023 · current generation |
| Speeds | 12-speed |
| Electronic | No |
| Drivetrain | 2x |
| Crankset | Shimano 105 R7100 |
| Chainrings | 52/36 |
| Crank lengths available | 165 mm (44-49), 170 mm (52), 172.5 mm (54-56), 175 mm (58-61) |
| Bottom bracket | Shimano Threaded BSA |
| Standard | BSA threaded, 68 mm |
| Front derailleur | Shimano 105 R7100 |
| Notes | Braze-on |
| Rear derailleur | Shimano 105 R7100 |
| Cassette | Shimano 105 R7100 |
| Range | 11-34 |
| Speeds | 12-speed |
| Chain | Shimano CN-M7100 |
| Notes | SLX M7100 chain |
| Brakes | |
| Brake calipers | Shimano 105 |
| Type | Hydraulic disc |
| Wheels & tires | |
| Wheelset | DT Swiss R470 |
| Internal rim width | 20 mm |
| Material | Aluminium |
| Tubeless ready | Yes |
| Hubs | Specialized sealed-bearing thru-axle hubs, Centerlock, 24H |
| Spokes | DT Swiss Champion 14G stainless steel, brass nipples |
| Tires | Specialized Turbo Pro |
| Tire width | 26 mm |
| Cockpit | |
| Handlebar | Specialized Shallow Drop |
| Type | Drop bar |
| Widths available | 360 mm (44), 380 mm (49), 400 mm (52), 420 mm (54-56), 440 mm (58-61) as fitted by size |
| Bar reach | 70 mm |
| Bar drop | 125 mm |
| Material | 6061 alloy |
| Notes | 31.8 mm clamp |
| Stem | Specialized Tarmac integrated stem |
| Stem length | 70 mm (44), 80 mm (49), 90 mm (52), 100 mm (54-56), 110 mm (58-61) |
| Notes | 6 degrees |
| Saddle & seatpost | |
| Saddle | Specialized Power Sport |
| Widths available | 155 mm (44-52), 143 mm (54-61) |
| Rails | Steel |
| Seatpost | Specialized S-Works Tarmac Carbon Seatpost |
| Offset / setback | 20 mm |
| Material | FACT carbon |
| Notes | 300 mm long (44-52), 380 mm (54-61); Tarmac integrated wedge binder |
| Bar tape | Supacaz Super Sticky Kush |
Tarmac SL7 price & value
Where it's cheapest
MSRPs converted at ECB reference rates of 2026-10-05 (1 EUR = 1.1204 USD = 0.8472 GBP). US prices exclude sales tax, so add your state's rate before comparing.
| Build | Market | MSRP | In EUR | vs cheapest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tarmac SL7 Sport - Shimano 105 | USA (USD, excl. sales tax) | $3,300 | €2,945 | cheapest |
| Europe (EUR, incl. VAT) | €3,299 | €3,299 | +12% |
Ownership checklist
2 of 2 known checks pass, 2 not published by Specialized. Why these checks
- ✓
Threaded bottom bracket
BSA threaded, 68 mm
- ?
UDH derailleur hanger
- ✓
Standard 12×142 mm rear axle
12x142 mm thru-axle
- ?
Works with mechanical shifting
Tarmac SL7 geometry
| 44 | 49 | 52 | 54 | 56 | 58 | 61 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stack | 501 mm19.7″ | 514 mm20.2″ | 527 mm20.7″ | 544 mm21.4″ | 565 mm22.2″ | 591 mm23.3″ | 612 mm24.1″ |
| Reach | 366 mm14.4″ | 375 mm14.8″ | 380 mm15″ | 384 mm15.1″ | 395 mm15.6″ | 402 mm15.8″ | 408 mm16.1″ |
| Seat tube angle | 75.5° | 75.5° | 74° | 74° | 73.5° | 73.5° | 73° |
| Head tube angle | 70.5° | 71.8° | 72.5° | 73° | 73.5° | 73.5° | 74° |
| Head tube length | 99 mm3.9″ | 109 mm4.3″ | 120 mm4.7″ | 137 mm5.4″ | 157 mm6.2″ | 184 mm7.2″ | 204 mm8″ |
| Effective top tube | 496 mm19.5″ | 509 mm20″ | 531 mm20.9″ | 541 mm21.3″ | 563 mm22.2″ | 577 mm22.7″ | 595 mm23.4″ |
| Seat tube length | 433 mm17″ | 445 mm17.5″ | 456 mm18″ | 473 mm18.6″ | 494 mm19.4″ | 515 mm20.3″ | 545 mm21.5″ |
| Chainstay | 410 mm16.1″ | 410 mm16.1″ | 410 mm16.1″ | 410 mm16.1″ | 410 mm16.1″ | 410 mm16.1″ | 410 mm16.1″ |
| Wheelbase | 970 mm38.2″ | 973 mm38.3″ | 975 mm38.4″ | 978 mm38.5″ | 991 mm39″ | 1,006 mm39.6″ | 1,013 mm39.9″ |
| BB drop | 74 mm2.9″ | 74 mm2.9″ | 74 mm2.9″ | 72 mm2.8″ | 72 mm2.8″ | 72 mm2.8″ | 72 mm2.8″ |
| BB height | 266 mm10.5″ | 266 mm10.5″ | 266 mm10.5″ | 268 mm10.6″ | 268 mm10.6″ | 268 mm10.6″ | 268 mm10.6″ |
| Fork length | 370 mm14.6″ | 370 mm14.6″ | 370 mm14.6″ | 370 mm14.6″ | 370 mm14.6″ | 370 mm14.6″ | 370 mm14.6″ |
| Fork offset | 47 mm1.9″ | 47 mm1.9″ | 47 mm1.9″ | 44 mm1.7″ | 44 mm1.7″ | 44 mm1.7″ | 44 mm1.7″ |
| Trail | 71 mm2.8″ | 63 mm2.5″ | 58 mm2.3″ | 58 mm2.3″ | 55 mm2.2″ | 55 mm2.2″ | 52 mm2″ |
| Front centre | 572 mm22.5″ | 574 mm22.6″ | 577 mm22.7″ | 579 mm22.8″ | 592 mm23.3″ | 606 mm23.9″ | 613 mm24.1″ |
| Standover | 723 mm28.5″ | 735 mm28.9″ | 746 mm29.4″ | 768 mm30.2″ | 786 mm30.9″ | 808 mm31.8″ | 834 mm32.8″ |
| Wheel size | 700c | 700c | 700c | 700c | 700c | 700c | 700c |
| Crank length | 165 mm6.5″ | 165 mm6.5″ | 170 mm6.7″ | 172.5 mm6.8″ | 172.5 mm6.8″ | 175 mm6.9″ | 175 mm6.9″ |
| Stem length | 70 mm2.8″ | 80 mm3.1″ | 90 mm3.5″ | 100 mm3.9″ | 100 mm3.9″ | 110 mm4.3″ | 110 mm4.3″ |
| Handlebar width | 360 mm14.2″ | 380 mm15″ | 400 mm15.7″ | 420 mm16.5″ | 420 mm16.5″ | 440 mm17.3″ | 440 mm17.3″ |
Side view
Drawn to scale (how to read it).
How the geometry rides
The Tarmac SL7 in size 54 against the middle size of 29 other bikes: tendencies from geometry, not a ride review (how to read this).
- Trail58 mm2.3″
shortestlonger than 28% of 29 bikeslongest
- Wheelbase978 mm38.5″
shortestlonger than 15% of 65 bikeslongest
Short wheelbase: tends to feel more agile in corners and less planted on long straights.
- Front centre579 mm22.8″
shortestlonger than 9% of 29 bikeslongest
Short front centre: more weight on the front wheel, which can make the front feel lighter to steer.
- Chainstay410 mm16.1″
shortestlonger than 63% of 73 bikeslongest
Good to know
Versions
The SL7 launched in July 2020 as Specialized's single race bike, replacing both the Tarmac SL6 and the Venge. It has since been followed by the SL8 (2023) and SL9 (2026); this FACT 9r Sport build is the only SL7 Specialized still lists.
Source
Tarmac SL7 FAQ
How much does the Specialized Tarmac SL7 cost?+
Manufacturer prices (MSRP): €3,299 / $3,300 across 1 listed build: Tarmac SL7 Sport - Shimano 105.
How much does the Specialized Tarmac SL7 weigh?+
The lightest complete build listed (Tarmac SL7 Sport - Shimano 105) weighs 8.27 kg (18.2 lb) in size 56. The frame weighs 1,010 g (2.23 lb) (Frame 1,010 g as stated by Specialized on the Tarmac SL7 Sport product page).
What sizes does the Specialized Tarmac SL7 come in?+
7 sizes: 44, 49, 52, 54, 56, 58 and 61.
What is the tire clearance of the Specialized Tarmac SL7?+
Up to 32 mm tires on 700c wheels.
Which groupsets are compatible with the Specialized Tarmac SL7?+
Bottom bracket: BSA threaded, 68 mm.
What builds of the Specialized Tarmac SL7 are available?+
Tarmac SL7 Sport - Shimano 105: Shimano 105 R7100.
Sources
- https://www.specialized.com/us/en/tarmac-sl7-sport-shimano-105/p/4221579
- https://www.specialized.com/de/de/tarmac-sl7-sport-shimano-105/p/4221579
- https://www.specialized.com/us/en/shop/bikes/road-bikes/performance-road-bikes/tarmac
- https://media.specialized.com/support/collateral/2021_TARMAC_SL7_USER_MANUAL_ENGLISH.pdf
- https://www.bikeradar.com/news/2021-specialized-tarmac/
Specialized Tarmac SL7 data last updated · How the data is checked ·