SL8 questions? Drop em below 👇🏻

Honestly the only KZfaqr I feel qualified to give a real opinion on the SL8

I always appreciate how you structure your videos. So well planned and packing a ton in ~10 min.. Keep it up!

Great to have a review from someone with so much experience with the Specialized line-up. Thank you!

I saw all the reviews for this bike, I waited for yours before I pulled the trigger on buying one . Great vid thank you!

Excellent review as always. Truly love the honesty and unbiased review. Keep up the great work.

These reviews are awesome. Thanks for sharing your perspective. Looking forward to seeing it the next time I’m in the OC and see you on the coffee crew ride!

No stone left unturned. Thanks for an excellent review. NOBODY (really), nobody does it better!

Thank it was very helpful.

Thanks a lot Chris for all your great content. Much appreciated buddy 🤙

Thank you great review

Thanks for this your review is the best so far look forward to more of your content soon..Cheers I've seen the Sl8 pro in the flesh was lucky enough to take for a spin I was really impressed with it I've owned probably 20 bikes in the past from Pinarellos to Specialized Sworks 3 and 6 so if I had to money I'd buy one in a heart beat..

thank you chris! this is how a performance review should be! on point!

awesome input thank you Cris for your observations and point of view on the SL8 love it !!!!!!

Amazing review, refreshing to see a objective unbiased review. Keep doing it! Tired of all these channels doing “reviews” by simply reading a script from the brands

The way you explain things is exactly how I think. I appreciate your perspective. I have been going back and forth on saving a bit on sl7 deals and just going to sl8. $500 difference between the sl7 and sl8 pro doesn’t seem like enough to go sl7. Now, I need to decide whether I want Shimano or SRAM.

Continue to enjoy your thoughts, keep them coming.

Thanks for your review. I committed on a Dune White frame before watching your video. I’m coming from a Dogma F platform. Now I’m super excited to get mine built.. SportPlus!!

Excellent video - just bought an SL8 SWorks set up almost identically to yours and agree with all your comments. Not sure why yet, but it also seems easier to put more power into this bike than my Pinarello Dogma for example. Might just be "new bike syndrome" as I only have about 100 miles on it so faqr.

Y’all see that pothole at 9:36? I broke my rim on that pothole. Nice review on the SL8 Chris. I really enjoyed the sport mode analogy. Hearing your unbiased ride-feel view is really valuable having owned the venge, aethos, & SL7.

You review bikes like no other. Always watching and waiting for new video.

Great review, I always appreciate your thoughts. Well done and thank you!

Picked my build up today but the great British weather let me down 🌧️. Out on it tomorrow and yes it looks better in the flesh. I did not get to see the frame before the bike was built and I am not disappointed at all. Have a weight weenie build myself coming in at 6kgs on a 54cm frame with a set of 50/60 wheels. Super excited to get on it Sunday

Good information! Thanks 🙏🏻 Currently in a SL8 vs Melee conundrum

Can't wait to get my hands on this bike! Great video.

Great review, look forward to next week

I run the Rapide barstem on my bike (not a Specialized) since it was introduced a couple of months ago. It has totally transformed how it rides, handles and feels. I think you shoud compare the SL8 and SL7 with the same bar/stem combo to get a clear(er) picture.

My SL8 experience mirrors yours. My SW Aethos has sat in the garage untouched since I got my SL8. It literally does everything my Aethos does but better with the sole exception of comfort. This is saying a lot because the Aethos was formerly the best bike I've ever ridden. I do think the Roval cockpit is the star of the show.

Riding the apex on your turn at 7:43 was a thing of beauty

Literally so refreshing to have an honest review without the marketing spiel others are doing right now. I’m undecided between and aethos and sl8 and this has helped a lot

The only review ill listen to! Coming from SL6 rim brake, the venge really feels harsh but manages to hold its speed way better. I wont deny i miss the SL6's liveliness, though i cant afford the SL8 yet, great to hear the SL8 working out well for you!

Love your videos!! Top content ! Thank you

Excellent review as usual. Sums up the SL8! I pulled the trigger because of our chat and loving it more more everytime I ride it.

Another great video. I am getting my frame RTP next week. I will set it up with ultegra and new handlebar. Am also keeping the aethos. It is just a great bike. Just like the sl7

So I was on the fence on the SL8. Was weighing up an S Works 2023 SL8 at £10.5k (instead of £12k) and an S Works Aethos at £10k (instead of £12k). I wanted something different so was moving towards the Aethos… it then dropped to £8k as the new SRAM Red launched so I just had to order it. Arrives tomorrow with the savings enabling me to get a nice set of 45mm lightweight aero wheels (Vision Metron 45SL) and aero bar for the Aethos. Coming from an SL6 I’ll be curious to see the difference on a sprint or flat / rolling road but overall I’m looking forward to the hopefully comfortable 100km plus rides. Thanks for the content as always

Awesome review! Can’t wait to ride mine!

As a self proclaimed bicycle idiot (not up to date on what's new and current advancements in cycling) this SL8 seems like it might be a little more than I'd ever need. I like to ride anywhere and everywhere that I can so sometimes the wider tires lend to that, but with that said... This is an amazing looking bike. Seems like a hell of a ride for sure. Great video!

Im glad im not the only one that likes the esthetics of the SL7 more than the SL8..I like the SL8 but i prefer the SL7's seat stays, seat post, top and bottom tubes..they look more aero...i can't lie I do like the new SL8 roval one piece handlebar..but the fact that the SL8 is lighter and some what faster im sold..lol..i love my s-works SL7 so im in no rush to switch over..maybe next year when more colors come out..but its still a big "MAYBE"..LOL..

it gives it a lot of credibility and respect you do pay for your stuff and own it as we all do, instead of traditional 8 hours babbling reviews. Thanks.

Yet again, another thoughtful, detailed and objective review. Always hit every single point with different angles. Outstanding….

I started to ride 5 years ago, never rode before and my first bike I purchased was SL 6, I absolutely love my bike I would live to get a SL 8. I am just an amateur rider.

Great review as always Chris! I think you should be Head of Specialized marketing team. You are true to the brand! Cheers! :)

you got me at the props for shallow depth wheels. thumbs up.

I dropped a semi-pro dude on a sl8 against my 2021 trek madone in a all out sprint yesterday!

I really like how he puts things into real world terms and applications. Most people, in my opinion, aren’t in tune enough to feel these things so for people to hear references to cars or other bikes is great! Also most of us don’t have a wind tunnel or honestly care about the 8 watt difference, we just want to know how it rides.

Thank you for sharing your opinion with us regarding this new superbike. I admit, although Spe-head, I was a little skeptical about the equation 'Venge + SL7 + Aethos = SL8' and feedback from an experienced rider (that actually owned and put MILES on them) would be a must. Awaiting for your next comparison, SL8 Vs SL7. Well done.

You can argue about specialized marketing, prices but never about the handling. I`ve ridden several different bikes Epic, Enduro, Fatboy, Creo Evo, Tarmac, Roubaix and I can say they all handled superb.

Best Un Biased review in the bike industry hands down. Thanks for touching on statics, I know the SL7 looks much better than the SL8.

Great, excellent review. A bike for a few who can pay that amount of money without worrying about how much will remain in the bank. account. For less money, the Cannondale Super Six EVO 2 with Ultegra Di2, HollowGram R 45 wheels and Vision Trimax Carbon Aero bars.

Would really like to hear your comparison of the GP 5000 and the Corsa Pro, based on BRR's testing leaning towards the Corsa Pro for my SL8.

There are other reasons to own a bike. Aesthetics; You briefly mentioned this early in the video. For the average club rider the weight and aero benefits will never be realized (these are marginal, marginal gains). The rounded tube shapes and beluga front-end give pause to the eye. Yes one will eventually get used to it but the SL7 I believe is one of the most beautiful production bikes ever made. It is fast and light enough for 98% of riders. The 2022 SL7 with the new one piece cockpit gets you 80% of the gains of the SL8. So, congratulations to all SL7 owners: You have one of the best production bikes ever made and it looks like a Ferrari. Nice review, thanks.

I LUUUUUVVVV the ride of my S-Works SL3, Highroad version...2011 TdF bike !!!

Big man, I think it's a bit of an over reach to say most of us are "familiar with the 911 GT3RS" 😂😂😂 I wish I were "familiar" with it. Great review as always 👍🏾

Any chance you might get your hands on a Pinarello Dogma X? I’d love to get a SL8, but the reality is that at my age and fitness level, I need to be looking at the best endurance bike that will keep me riding. I mostly ride a gravel bike on pavement. But that’s due to the comfort level it brings. I’d like something faster, especially for the group rides, but with good levels of comfort.

Great review… just what I was looking forward to… real world usage… the only thing that’s slightly annoying is the one piece bar/stem… if you’re trying to tailor in that fit, I’m guessing they’ll be some compromises or a hellava expensive adjustment… 😅🍻

I have both an SL7 S-WORKS & SL8 S-WORKS, Both with the Roval Rapide CLX Aero Wheelsets 51/60 1400 gram 1st Edition Wheelsets. Also own a 3rd set . ❤ the SL7 S-WORKS. The SL8 S-WORKS is in my opinion 20/25 % better . 😅

Great job. Don't agree with all of your opinions on the 8, but the information is presented concisely and well organized. I'm on a 7 and, ironically, you might have talked me out of the 8. I can afford it, and the 30 years ago me would be all over it. But when you essentially said the harder you push the 8 the more it shines made me think it might be too focused and I might not be 'that guy' anymore. 🤔 Keep up the great work!

I'm in the market for a new bike and had settled on the Aethos but the Sl8 is giving me a headache as it seems to be an aero aethos. I'm 48 and do a 80-120 miles at the weekend with trainerroad training in the week. Ftp is 3.5 and ride with about 17mph average. Do I get the Aethos or sl8? When I ask for advice the aethos is recommended for the longer distances as its more comfortable. I'm not in races but don't get me wrong we all like faster times on strava. I should add I enjoy hill climbing and will be doing a few very hilly sportives.

Good work 👊

Color question. I can get a 58cm SL8 SWorks w/Di2 in the Viavi Cynan color but only shipped from quite a distance. My string preference would be true matte black and I am pretty unsure about the blue Cynan sheen. YT vids and online images help a bit but it seems hard to capture. $15k+ a lot to spend w/o a greater comfort level re: the color. Can you quantify how blue it is? Is it more matte black? Thx!

How much is the frame vs the crankset and wheel set in feel? Meaning, if you got a pro, but upgraded to Sram Red crank and high end wheels, are you able to feel much of a difference?

I have been gobbling up SL8 reviews online, and like many others have said, this was a great review without any marketing lingo. Question for you: I have an SWorks SL6 now that I love. How do you think the SL8 differs from the 6? I didn’t upgrade to an SL7, but I think it might be time now. What are your thoughts for someone who is a couple of generations behind and considering an upgrade?

For someone at the lower end of the market, how would the SL8 compare to something like the SL6? The older models are now discounted and it has me wondering if the 6 with Shimano 105 might be a nice bargain.

Interest to see your opinion around putting the new Roval cockpit on the SL7.

Ok….I’m sold

SL7 owner here. I’m looking to upgrade to the new Rapide one piece handlebars. How would rate the handlebars compared with the old ones. Awesome review by the way! I’m most definitely not upgrading to the new SL8, I love my SL7 to bits, it’s probably the best looking road frame-set I ever had. 👏

Looking forward your thoughts on lower profile rims. I'm planning on a Sl8 with ultegra and i'm not convinced on the stock deep profile stock wheels. I'm planning to actually ask the dealer to swap them by an equivalent (in terms of hubs) set of 33mm deep Alpinists. The benefits of such deep wheels (50mm and above) come at very high speeds that I usually never ride at. On the other hand, taking into account how windy it is where I live, and the climbs around my home... the alpinists would make more sense.

Did you ever ride the sl5? Aero aside, that was one of my favorite handling bikes. It just felt a slightly more precise than the sl6 that I've been on for the last couple of years. I'm now looking at the sl8. Assuming you've ridden the sl5 and or sl6, how would you say the sl8 handling compares to those two bikes?

So if someone is getting back in to cycling after some years off, but has no interest in racing which would you recommend; SL7 or SL8? Riding would either be solo or lively group rides on weekends.

Would you say the bb stiffness is the same between the sl7 and sl8?

Hi, Is it possible to use that plastic new - Compression ring from SL8 to SL7? Would you check and let us know. Ps I was able to get my hande on new "Venom" 😎 color combination and I have to agree SL7 looks better! Thanks

Rode the SL8 at my local bike shop. Feels incredible to ride. The only thing preventing me from pulling the trigger is that I really wish it had that extra 2-4 MM clearance to fit a 32 or 35.

With specialized putting sl7 builds on sale, is choosing the 7 over the 8 worth it for the 1000 or 2 saved? Sounds like the 8 is a more “enjoyable” ride if people enjoy the aspects of riding you highlighted

SL 6 is my 3rd Spec bike. It came after Allez and Roubaix SL4. It is very, very responsive, agile, nimble to me compared to the former ones. It comes with Di2 Ultegra, Roval C38 wheels and SWorks seat post. It feels like made-to-measure to me. IMHO it looks a touch better compared to sl7 too ( tube shapes, dropped seat stays…). It does not have a so called clean look, however, but that is the only downside that I can see.

I was going to buy an SL8 but decided to get two 5 year old cars for myself and wife instead.

Hey man, I like the video, just one video production feedback point: it seems like there is quite a lot of unwanted fuzzy noise in your audio - not sure if it was present previously :)

Did you have any visibility issues with your bike computer when using the one piece cockpit? Great video by the way.

just wondering if you sold your Aethos. I recently built mine up as climbing aero bike with SRAM Red 46/33 crank with ceramic BB, Red rear derailleur max 36T, 10-36 Force cassette, Force D2 lighter and more slender levers/calipers/Red rotors, Force D2 front derailleur (new cage shifts best) with wireless blips, Zipp 303 Firecrest, Roval Rapide Cockpit... fast on flats and uphill with aero focus, descends with the best, with all day comfort

you should be working for Specialized… great review… Stay good

My question - given the bikes you’ve ridden. If someone is looking to add a road bike to their stable. Say if one has a Cervelo Caledonia and wants to add a faster sharper bike. Would you recommend the Tarmac SL8 pro or S works? Would you recommend anything from cervelo? What’s your thinking pattern here? I realize fit is important too. Thx bro and great review by the way.

As a Venge owner, I'm sold.

Beautiful gravelbike

Yesss...love those tires as well. Great review. You need to try the new BMC Masterpiece...would love your review on that!!

Curious as to how you feel is compares to the Enve Melee?

Man I'm torn for me it will be sl8 expert as what can offord or aethos or BMC slr01 four.

They need to bring back rim brake bikes.

How does it compare to the Enve Melee?

A review dogma F vs sl8 would be awesome!

If you had neither SL7 nor SL8, and were on the market for a fast group ride & racing bike to buy in the next couple of months, which would you actually choose?

I watched this video to buy a Tarmac SL8 but I ended up buying a Porsche 911 GT3 RS instead. Joking aside, I saw a SL8 in person and was impressed with numbers and features as always but the paint quality and finish around some edges left me sceptical. Did you notice this as well?

I currently ride a Tarmac SL7, i love the bike, but was wondering if jumping over to a S Works SL8 was worth it. Can’t wait to see your comparison video! Also 100% on the aesthetics vs the SL7.

So much debate on how much better, if at all, the SL8 is than the SL7. The SL7 was good enough (its still very competitive and an industry standard as an all-round road race bike), that even with only a few tweaks over the SL7 the marginal gains of the SL8 makes one of the best bikes even better. It's lighter, the steerer issue was addressed and apparently is more responsive due to reinforcement at the BB. Maybe its slightly more aero but even if its exactly the same, if they made it a special edition SL7 with those tweaks (even just lighter than the SL7 S-Works, without the other changes) the demand would still be insane. In Canada, its been impossible to get a Tarmac (in 49cm in a spec I wanted anyway) for over 2 years now, the only way I got an SL8 was because I saw the leaks, my LBS then spoke to the Specialized rep, who said none are available (1 week before the weekend announcement) and then came back a few days later with one that another shop had cancelled and became available. I was pretty close to missing out on another Tarmac release (would have been the 4th in 2 1/2 years). If there had been an Expert with 105 Di2 I would have went for that but other than the saddle and tires (maybe the cockpit down the line) there isn't much I feel I need to upgrade on the SL8 Pro Ultegra. Gonna Ride Wrap the frame and fork, degrease and wax the chain, swap the saddle for a SLR Boost (the 49 comes with a 155mm Power), get a fit and enjoy it.

Chris, I’m currently on an S-Works SL5 and looking for a new bike ( it’s about time). Love the ride of my SL5. How does the SL8 compare. Is it just as comfortable? Or would you look at the Aethos or the ENVE Melee? I cycle 4 time per week and average 70-75 miles per ride during the summer. Winter time I cut it down to 200 miles per week. I do group rides and no racing. Your thoughts are appreciated.

It’s good to know that you paid full pop for the bike. Do you have any other relationship with specialized?

SL8 sure... is it so better than SL6 ? (2x times better?) is it way better than SL7 or is it better cuz it costs way more ?

What cycling computer is that?

why is the video pixelated in some sections?

hey man, nice vid.

Good video but a lot of us don't have extra wheels etc be nice to review bikes on stock performance

So you like how it feels, how it rides, you like most of how it performs , you just don’t like how it looks compare to sl7… I get it, feeling is the same. :) By the way, if you look in the back and you compare your Enve melee to sl8, I must say they look very similar.