lsberrios1 

Hey guys,

While the agonizing wait without my built up Tarmac continues my excitement keeps building up. I go to the shop every other day to spend some time with her before I get to go home. I have to say this is pretty much one of the most special things I'll ever own.

While the Tarmac seems to be a fairly common race bike, I do consider it a sexy bicycle with palmares that top most charts and performance to outmatch the best of bikes. It is somewhat understated and simple, yet elegant and smooth looking. To me it is the Porsche of bicycles. While other bikes like Pinarello may be considered more exotic and symbolic of a Ferrari, the tarmac holds it's own very well through grand tours, cobbles and everything else, just like a Porsche would do in a circuit against its Italian rivals.

Not everybody feels the same way about their bicycles, but to me, there is basically a life before cycling and a life after it. My bicycles have been a vehicle of transition between childish, selfish and unhealthy ways to a more social, cleaner and motivating environment.

So to make it short... Show me your Tarmacs. I will post a good amount of pics once mine comes home

Cheers,
Luis

rpenmanparker 

Luis, what happened to the recent Giant? Is the honeymoon over? Have you fallen out of love with it?

lsberrios1 

Hey Robert! Nah, still here but it's the team bike. It gets raced pretty hard nowadays and it looks the part . I love the bike but this new tarmac is more of a leisure rider. I just wanted to have a custom build with all campy and the livery of the Astana team makes it look classy too!

Hope you are doing well and riding over in TX.

2702

My Porsche

lsberrios1 

HA! Good one. how do you like that FSA crank? I went all FSA on seatpost, stem and bars. FSA wasn't terribly big in cranks but I am sure they have come a long way in their new design.

rpenmanparker 

You bet.

Doge

https://www.bikeforums.net/road-cycli...l#post18638838

woodcraft

Bakery stop during ~120 miles a couple of months ago.

REALLY good scones there...

Campag4life

Hi Luis,
Agree with you about the Tarmac. Really the gold standard of race bikes...or top three for sure. I have been thinking more about building one lately...also with Campy Record mechanical.

Any more pics of yours?

CNC2204

Capo72

That monster green on black is one of my favorite color combos. I like how you matched the bar tape!

Vicegrip

Agree on the Porsche line of thinking. I guess I have one more Porsche than I thought. The Tarmac is a study in clean lines and straightforward function design. No wiggly chainstays or forks, no tip of the hat to "This is-a how we have always done it" Found a funny photo of the Mac getting charged up before a long overnight ride. Garmin, headlight, DI2 and built in tail and side light system all plugged in. This "Porsche" is a daily driver and my go to bike for all but snow and dirt. Powered by a 230 watt motor

One of my other Porsches is a weekend only kind of ride that is powered by a 230,000 watt motor.

2702

Never thought about it, I only notice wheels and how they good or bad they are on a bike.

Chandne

I will post a completed picture soon. This is all I have right now. I did build it up...finally!

lsberrios1 

Wow that is one heck of a good looking Porsche! Race ready. Good stuff.

Beautiful frame. Any idea what you are going to build it up with? There is that same frame at my local bike shop built with Red 22, Roval CLX40s, S Works Aerofly Bars, Romin saddle (special edition with ti rails) and it weighs around 13.8 pounds on a 54. It's a classy looking chain for real. Also has a gold KMC chain that goes very well with the theme.

brian416

My SL4 and SL3


Old team geometry SL2

Campag4life

Love that color scheme. Just beautiful.

Campag4life

Brian,
Can you tell us what you perceive in performance difference between the SL3 and SL4?
Congrats on owning two great bikes!

fietsbob

Tarmac you want to see the Pavement?

brian416

@Campag4life there isn't much of a difference,the only thing I can feel is that I can't feel flex in the rear end with standing up 600+ watt surges that the SL3 has. Outside of sprinting, I cant tell them apart.

grwoolf

+1, really like that color scheme.

CNC2204

Thread Winnar .... !!!

Chandne

I suck at coordinating colors and all that. I wish I had done that. A friend just built up a Pinarello Dogma Think 2 and it looks absolutely phenomenal. he coordinated the build well. I simply did not think about that. My basic build is as follows (it is built now):

NOX asym carbon rims, black CX Ray spokes, DT 24 disc hubs (28x28)
Dura Ace di2 11 speed group set (hydraulic disc)
Zipp SL70 Aero carbon bars

I'll post a picture tomorrow, posing it against the garage door, of course.

Chandne

Here it is:

lsberrios1 

Finally home. here are my two specialized bikes. My mule and my new baby tarmac.