Which Specialized frame is stiffer?
10-09-12 | 07:05 PM
#5
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 1,272
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From: Austin
I was looking at both last year and ended up getting a Tarmac SL4.
For BB flex and front-end stiffness, they were both plenty stiff and I couldn't tell the difference. Keep in mind that I'm not a big powerful sprinter, so YMMV.
The thing I immediately noticed was that the Tarmac isn't near as jarring or rough over chip seal, etc. The Venge rides like a brick. It's the roughest riding carbon frame I've ever ridden. The Tarmac isn't a Cadillac (I've got a roubaix for that kind of riding), but I have no problem doing 100 mile rides on the Tarmac.
For BB flex and front-end stiffness, they were both plenty stiff and I couldn't tell the difference. Keep in mind that I'm not a big powerful sprinter, so YMMV.
The thing I immediately noticed was that the Tarmac isn't near as jarring or rough over chip seal, etc. The Venge rides like a brick. It's the roughest riding carbon frame I've ever ridden. The Tarmac isn't a Cadillac (I've got a roubaix for that kind of riding), but I have no problem doing 100 mile rides on the Tarmac.
