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Any reason not to get the S-Works Tarmac SL7?

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Road Cycling “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle.” -- Ernest Hemingway

Any reason not to get the S-Works Tarmac SL7?

Old 07-04-21, 06:04 AM
  #26  
PeteHski
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Originally Posted by colnago62
According to Cycling Tips.Com:
According to Roval, the greater (compression) force put on a rim by a tubeless tyre requires extra material, “and that extra mass would have outweighed the benefits of tubeless tires”. As a result, Roval’s decision equates to lighter wheelsets.
I can see why they did this for pro racing. But since I don't have a service vehicle following right behind me I'd rather have less flats with a fractionally slower tubeless setup. I predict Roval will eventually do a U-turn on this when they find that it loses them a fair few sales. I would never buy a wheel set that wasn't tubeless compatible and I'm not going to be alone in that regard.
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Old 07-04-21, 06:10 AM
  #27  
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One reason: because it costs as much as a used car, and its just a bicycle .

Seriously though, if this type of money is no big deal to you, just get it. Looks like a very good all round bike, the current world champion rides one, and he doesnt seem to be doing too shabby. Honestly I like the new approach of a "do it all" bike, rather than having an "aero bike" and a "climbing bike" etc.
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Old 07-04-21, 09:17 AM
  #28  
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Originally Posted by PeteHski
I can see why they did this for pro racing. But since I don't have a service vehicle following right behind me I'd rather have less flats with a fractionally slower tubeless setup. I predict Roval will eventually do a U-turn on this when they find that it loses them a fair few sales. I would never buy a wheel set that wasn't tubeless compatible and I'm not going to be alone in that regard.
You certainly wouldn't be alone with that decision, but you would probably be in the minority. Tubeless is still not that popular on road bikes, especially those used for road racing.
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Old 07-04-21, 09:26 AM
  #29  
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I think it is one of the great bikes and you can't go wrong. My (slightly older) Tarmac was amazing. It was very stiff when pedaling but never harsh and so precise on the fast twisty downhills.
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Old 07-04-21, 09:46 AM
  #30  
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Originally Posted by tomato coupe
You certainly wouldn't be alone with that decision, but you would probably be in the minority. Tubeless is still not that popular on road bikes, especially those used for road racing.
For sure. But I reckon quite a few people in the market for a high-end wheel set would want all options covered. Be interesting to see how long Roval persist with tube only wheels at this level. You say tubeless is not that popular on road bikes and I agree it is still a minority, but quite a large one and growing fast. Do any other top end road bikes ship with tube only wheels these days? I was looking at buying a Roubaix Pro next year and that also now comes with tube only wheels. It puts me off buying that build quite a lot.
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Old 07-04-21, 10:37 AM
  #31  
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Originally Posted by PeteHski
For sure. But I reckon quite a few people in the market for a high-end wheel set would want all options covered. Be interesting to see how long Roval persist with tube only wheels at this level. You say tubeless is not that popular on road bikes and I agree it is still a minority, but quite a large one and growing fast. Do any other top end road bikes ship with tube only wheels these days? I was looking at buying a Roubaix Pro next year and that also now comes with tube only wheels. It puts me off buying that build quite a lot.
I would never let wheels affect bike choice. Many dealers would be more than happy to let you exchange for whatever you want. Well they would why they still had bikes to sell.
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Old 07-04-21, 12:55 PM
  #32  
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Originally Posted by popeye
I would never let wheels affect bike choice. Many dealers would be more than happy to let you exchange for whatever you want. Well they would why they still had bikes to sell.
Possibly, but I'm more likely to buy in end of season sales (not this year for obvious reasons) when dealers are less flexible on that sort of thing. But I might still buy a Roubaix anyway as there isn't really any direct alternative to its unique front suspension. It's just a shame that the 2020 Expert or Pro spec would have suited me better with tubeless ready carbon wheels. Maybe I would get the Expert build (which now has alloy rims) and just upgrade those. First World problems hey!
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Old 07-04-21, 01:17 PM
  #33  
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Originally Posted by PeteHski
For sure. But I reckon quite a few people in the market for a high-end wheel set would want all options covered.
You would certainly think so. One thing this forum proves everyday, however, is that a lot of cyclists are very much stuck in their ways and might not care about options.
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Old 07-04-21, 11:39 PM
  #34  
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Here's a reason not too: watch from 3:23!

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Old 07-05-21, 02:21 AM
  #35  
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Originally Posted by DaveSSS
I built up two bikes with Force AXS last July, after a year on Campy chorus 12 speed. I can’t say enough good things about the performance of the drivetrains. They're as quiet as you'll find. The shifting is perfect and easy to setup. I don't use SRAM cranks though. I first used my existing Campy chorus 48/32 cranks. Later I switched to Shimano grx 46/30 cranks and two new Cinelli superstar disc frames that I picked up for $1000 each, brand new. Most recently I'm using grx 48/31 cranks and longer 175mm crank arms. With a 10-36 cassette I get the same top gear as a 53/11, plus the really low 31/36. No chain drops with any of those six cranks.
What chainrings did you use when pairing the GRX crank with a 12 speed setup? Doesnt the SRAM flat-top chain require specific 12-speed chainrings?
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Old 07-05-21, 12:30 PM
  #36  
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Originally Posted by SoSmellyAir
Does this comment apply only to the Tarmac SL7 or to all bikes? And, in either case, why?
Because in the winter, bike demand falls. Also, supply/logistics constraints will likely start loosening up towards the end of this year. I believe 2022 is going to be a great year to buy a bike. I could be wrong.
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Old 07-05-21, 12:36 PM
  #37  
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Originally Posted by Hiro11
Because in the winter, bike demand falls. Also, supply/logistics constraints will likely start loosening up towards the end of this year. I believe 2022 is going to be a great year to buy a bike. I could be wrong.
I sure hope you are right. I have been (slowly) shopping.
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Old 07-05-21, 05:12 PM
  #38  
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Originally Posted by guadzilla
What chainrings did you use when pairing the GRX crank with a 12 speed setup? Doesnt the SRAM flat-top chain require specific 12-speed chainrings?
The flat top chain will work with Campy 12 speed cranks and the shimano 11 cranks. I did correct the grx +2.5mm chain line with spacing washers. I've used both 46/30 and 48/31 grx cranks to get more range. Shifting is perfect and no chain drops.
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Old 07-06-21, 08:29 AM
  #39  
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Originally Posted by SoSmellyAir
Does this comment apply only to the Tarmac SL7 or to all bikes? And, in either case, why?
Once the after summer/old model sales start, prices drop, but so does the availability of popular sizes.
Don't wait too long.

2022 model year
Shimano may finally roll out their new road group sets. DA (9200) has been apparently photographed and it’s 12sp.
At least one carbon bike manufacturer is selling a frame with a future proof replaceable FD mount (screws not rivets). This makes me wonder what they know is coming.

I’m happy on my current bike and waiting on my new bike purchase for fresh tech to roll out. So no hurry.
I’m not a must have the newest type person, I’m attracted to the longer availability of parts. Why buy 8000/9100 series now, only to forced to eBay for parts in a few years.

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Old 07-06-21, 11:36 AM
  #40  
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Originally Posted by Barry2
I’m happy on my current bike and waiting on my new bike purchase for fresh tech to roll out. So no hurry.
I’m not a must have the newest type person, I’m attracted to the longer availability of parts. Why buy 8000/9100 series now, only to forced to eBay for parts in a few years.
I am more or less in the same boat. I am happy with my current bike, which has a 105-5800 groupset that is cross-compatible with newer Shimano 11s components. As for parts availability, I figure if I keep my bike long enough this will eventually become an issue.
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Old 07-08-21, 08:18 AM
  #41  
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Originally Posted by DaveSSS
The flat top chain will work with Campy 12 speed cranks and the shimano 11 cranks. I did correct the grx +2.5mm chain line with spacing washers. I've used both 46/30 and 48/31 grx cranks to get more range. Shifting is perfect and no chain drops.
Ah cool, thanks - I did not know that. If I use a regular road crankset, do i need to any chainline adjustments?
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Old 07-08-21, 08:37 AM
  #42  
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Originally Posted by PeteHski
I can see why they did this for pro racing. But since I don't have a service vehicle following right behind me I'd rather have less flats with a fractionally slower tubeless setup. I predict Roval will eventually do a U-turn on this when they find that it loses them a fair few sales. I would never buy a wheel set that wasn't tubeless compatible and I'm not going to be alone in that regard.
your assumption is that they built these for recreational market. I believe these are were built for the competitive market.
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Old 07-08-21, 08:50 AM
  #43  
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I agree- I would also never buy a rim or wheelset that was not tubeless compatible. I am building up some CKs + R90 Sls, and just ordered some Zipp 303s. I WOULD buy a bike without that but not if it were a high end build with carbon wheels that were not tubeless compatible. I usually replace the wheels but if I spent 8K+ on a nice bike, I'd absolutely want good tubeless compatible wheels. I have generally been using tubeless since 2004 though, so I am am very enthusiastic about tubeless in general. I want that choice on my road bikes.
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Old 07-08-21, 11:09 AM
  #44  
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racing bike. you race, great choice. if no, other frames may be a bit more compliant, better match over the years for a non-racer. would say the same w/ S5. at this price tier, I'd be buying a "ten-year bike."
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Old 07-08-21, 12:50 PM
  #45  
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Originally Posted by colnago62
your assumption is that they built these for recreational market. I believe these are were built for the competitive market.
They built them for both markets, which is why they fit them on the higher end Aethos builds too. Like I said, I understand their reasoning (at least in the short term), but it doesn't make a lot of commercial sense when pretty much all of their competitors are making tubeless compatible rims. It's not a big deal, I'm just curious how long they will stick to this concept, which seems totally at odds with what Specialized have been doing in recent years. Their pro team riders have been regularly chopping and changing between tubed and tubeless tyres depending on road conditions, favouring tubed for outright speed and tubeless for better puncture resistance. Specialized themselves still appear to view tubeless as the end-game, so these rims could well end up becoming obsolete in the near future.
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Old 07-08-21, 12:58 PM
  #46  
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Originally Posted by blacknbluebikes
racing bike. you race, great choice. if no, other frames may be a bit more compliant, better match over the years for a non-racer. would say the same w/ S5. at this price tier, I'd be buying a "ten-year bike."
Very good point and probably the most valid reason not to get an SL7 (if not actually racing).
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Old 07-09-21, 11:22 AM
  #47  
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Reminds me of my tri-bike after I quit doing triathlons. Really cool bike, fun to take out, aerobars are a trip. But not a "daily driver" solution. It's gone now. I like (and will pay for) great engineering, way past any personal capabilities -- I'll never need "more" bike, but they are friggin awesome unto themselves and I appreciate everything that went into making an extraordinary machine. I'm just saying "get one that really matches what you do all the time." That will have the kind of longevity that ensures purchase satisfaction.
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Old 07-09-21, 11:26 AM
  #48  
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I'm starting to look around and research my next carbon bike and it is amazing how many of the manufacturers I like, have done away completely with any rim-brake models unless they have one low-spec model. So that leaves me with no choices I like and discs it will be, but I'm surprised by how quickly this happened. I figured it would be another year or two before they made the choice to just do discs on the higher-end models.
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Old 07-09-21, 12:16 PM
  #49  
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The thing that puts me off the SL7 is all the integrated and unique parts: I prefer a bit of flexibility with component choice, particularly if the bike is a long term purchase. The Aethos seems better in this regard, and its one thing I love about my SL6.
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Old 07-09-21, 12:20 PM
  #50  
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Yeah, the proprietary stems just kill it for me. I can handle the seat post being D-shaped (still dislike that due to slippage) but the stem kills my fit. I guess most buyers don't mind them as-is but I can't be that aero for long rides. This Sun, I have a 60-mile ride with maybe 7K of climbing. I'm not bendy enough to be aero for 5 hours. An hour or two- sure, but I want to be comfortable and with a shorter torso, I can't be comfy enough on most stock setups when it comes to racier bikes.
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