Matt Stephens rides the Specialized Tarmac SL7 road bike | Sigma Sports
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- Опубліковано 5 лют 2025
- The most complete Tarmac Specialized has ever made. Matt Stephens took the Specialized Tarmac SL7 Road Bike out for a first ride to see how it compares to its predecessor and learn more about the features that set it apart from the competition.
From a new stem and handlebar setup to improved tyre clearance and a premium FACT 12r carbon fibre construction, it is no wonder this will be the bike of choice for the likes of Peter Sagan and Julian Alaphilippe.
Watch the introductory video: • Introducing the Specia...
Learn more about the Specialized Tarmac SL7 Road Bike: sigmasports.com...
Shop the Specialized Tarmac SL7 Dura-Ace Di2 Disc Road Bike: www.sigmasport...
Shop the Specialized Tarmac SL7 range: www.sigmasport...
Shop Specialized: www.sigmasport...
Shop Road Bikes at Sigma Sports: www.sigmasport...
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Matt should definitely have his own channel. He is a legend amongst all cycling presenters. Thank you Sigma for the content!
Matt > Clarkson
Not sure if that's a compliment or insult for Matt 😂
I wouldn't denigrate him with that comparison!
Well - since the Clarkson comparison might be mistaken as an insult... Let's agree on him being a legend and outstanding personality with a natural talent to entertain.
GCN was much more fun with Matt
I must agree
Matt.. dont forget you ever ridden a 6,2 kilo bike in the high mountain of Taiwan KOM challenge alongside Si Richardson..
Loved that ep. All the carbon money could buy on a bike :)
It’s weights 7.6kg independent scales
Honestly don’t really care about a new Tarmac. But I just love Matt Stephens videos
⬆THIS⬆
following the marketing brief from specialized very well here. all the catchphrases from the launch vid repeated verbatim. chapeau!
GCN lost its vibe when Mr. Stephens left. I hope he will back someday.
Don't worry, in the future Matt, Dan, and Si will form their own show/channel in the Grand Tour style.
@@byc1013 I just got so fed up with the ads that I left - years ago. Pretty much when Matt parted ways with GCN.
then you are plain stupid. Matt is just a clown.
@@jiboo6850 if your nonsence was true, then GCN would be circus (according to your own terms).
@@TheUnrevealer it was when he was there. now it's a true channel. Dan said he always had stupid ideas.
Sigma hit the content right, Ads are in there, but they are for classic pieces of kit!
The cafe rides and the coverage of Tour de Yorkshire show true love for the sport.
More Please!!
And Matt commentating on e-racing and events would be much appreciated.
When is Matt "The Legend" Stephens coming back? More cafe rides please!!
I find myself re-watching the cafe rides for some joy!
Dear Mister Stephens,
I always love your video's and....I miss you at GCN!! I keep watching all the bloopers with YOU in it! Your laching.....OMG it keeps ma laghing every time!!
You are SOOOOOOOOOOOO funny!!!! It's a pleasure watching your video's!!
Mr. Stephens (Matt, if I may?), I love your work and I will keep on watching your GREAT video's!!!!
Yours sincerely,
Vincent Pothuizen :-)
p.s.: I love that you put a lot of humor in your work!! You are an example to everybody!!! :-)))))
Nice to see your videos Matt
That's a really beautiful beast, look real sleek and smooth. The bike kinda alright too.
Beautiful bike. Love Specialized. Though, when you´re thinking about the fact that you could almost buy three Canyon Ultimate Aero bikes for the money, which weighs only a few hundred grams more then the tarmac, it´s pretty difficult to justify a purchase like this 😅
🙌
Ride a Canyon and then ride the Specialized. There is something about the “feel.”
This weights 7.65kg independent weight testing 😂
Ive rode both and ure right... Specialized makes you feel like an wallet drained idiot who spent twice as much on the bike as for proper motorcycle. Yes...
“This old man” he says.
Oh I dreeeam of looking like that.
Hybrid between Aero and Climbing? Innovation? One bike to rule them all?
Look no further:
Team Ineos - Pinarello F12
Lotto Jumbo Visma - Bianchi XR4
Both way to heavy
Matt was the only reason I watched GCN. Since he’s gone a hardly watch any video of them.
but Matt is a clown! nothing more. between this channel and GCN there's no much difference in terms of content. advertising over advertising. with few news in between. at least GCN is more complete. when Francis Cade is actually having more subs and views than Sigma itself whilst featuring Sigma in his videos... that says a lot. you likers of this channel are just plain stupid.
the moment when your Sworks SL6 is old :(
I still like the 2019 SL6 especially in the camo finish...
I have a venge
Don’t know how to react
My SL4 is obsolete beyond imagination!
@@mikew9743 scrap it! lol
@@solefreak2 seems like thats specializeds instruction
Must follow
Man I miss those lanes, specifically the one you're on at the start. Used to do the club hill sprint on that. Good memories.
Could we have more of Matt Stephens,very funny guy but also knowledgeable with it.
What James May is to top gear, is this man to the bike world
Specialized really pushing this. NorCal cycling and Matt doing reviews on this bike
Pinarello been doing this “hybrid” for years with Dogma
and they give you extra aero gains by having a rim brake option
I couldn't help but notice this one even has the "Ineos" colors. Albeit in reverse.
And not looking like same bike with those dropped seatstays.
Trek we’re doing it in the 2012 model year.
doesn't matter, cycling is getting crazy expensive. The industry needs to innovate on price.
Beautiful, even if selling my car would only cover half the price.
Cars are overrated!
Even if I magically got 15k for this bike, then later I would realise, that its seattube angle is too big and not suit my bodytype. And thanks to proprietary seatpost, I cannot correct that with setback. And because I am not someone from pro peloton riding their bikes, I cannot get custom geometry, nor fit the frame properly even for that ridiculous sum of money.
@@lacyleech7798 I wish that were more true than it is.
@@TheUnrevealer I'm sure that would apply to me as well. It's still fun to look at. :-)
That's beautiful, just gorgeous.
Not matt, obvs
Miss you Matt!
we love you Matt. Please make more UA-cam content :)
I have an SL6 S-works. The reason that I wouldn’t go for the SL7? = try travelling with that integrated bar and stem combo with a big box. Let me know how that goes!
Allan Barr I’ve been flying several times a year with a venge vias...similar system, ish. Not compatible with bike box Alan so had to purchase something else. Went for buxum ventoux. Expensive but sooo easy. Remove wheels and seat post. That’s it. Guessing this sl7 will be similar
The cockpit is a two-piece unit, not a one-piece.
A 6 minute commercial yippee 😁.
This thing is absolutely gorgeous. But...I'm sure like many regular folks that watch these, I could NEVER justify paying the insane price. The cost of high-end bikes has just gotten out of hand. 25 years ago, you could buy a nice car for 20,000 dollars. Today...you can STILL buy a pretty decent car for 20,000. While the price of top-end bicycles has increased 5X or more.
Totally agree with you I've been cycling since the 70s and it's gone nuts nowadays price wise, but I still love blasting past these mega money bikes on my £1000 Dolan.
Cycling needs to innovate on price instead of introducing gimmicks for Doctors and Lawyers, i guess China really needs to step up in terms of frame manufacturing and electronic groupsets because we are all getting scammed.
Actually, cars have got cheaper and more accessible.
Just need to win the lottery to cover the £10,500. Stunning looking bike.👍
Iooks good, I'm waiting for the non sworks...were not all lawyers and accountants 😉
Oh, they've got those ready for you already too. ;-)
I'm still taking the previous gen SL 6. Hopefully it remains available
my canyon cf slx (2018) campy super record (mechanical/rim brakes) with alloy wheels weighs in at 6,3 kg including bottle cages and pedals
assembled it myself (a relaxed day of work) € 5 500,-- and it looks great if stealthy is your thing
Matt Stephens You are my idol in cycling 🚴♀️ and I am not kidding you’re my first person to consider as idol in my whole life
And i am very interesting to see you one day
Love you man
I’m Dave by the way 🖐🤩
Matt. You are the best bits. Great review! Cheers mate.
Great vlog Matt got me interested in this bike and i'm normally a Giant rider .
Matt is a legend. GCN should never have met him go.
Is he not on the GCN anymore? I wish we could hear his legendary laugh here.
You haven't said what it's like to ride. Compliant or not? Hard or forgiving?
3:40 the guy on they other bike: wow that's a good looking bike!
Remember when GCN was Good? Yeah, Matt was there back then…. Great Guy 👌🏻
How's the comfort? Good enough for a long ride if the tires are maybe a 30 or 32?
Matt is great, but this seems to be another infomercial. All Matt said could be found on the Specialized web site from their marketing team.
Here's a suggestion. A REAL review pointing put the good from the bad about the bike???
youtube is flooding with SL7 'first rides' and 'reviews' at the moment. Crazy how much test bikes Specialized is throwing around for their marketing
@@pjetrs Absolutely, but it would be nice to have an honest one rather than one sponcered by Specialized. By the way I ride a SL4 - so I dont hate Specialized
@@mikeypalmer3977 Yeah all those vids are definitely sponsored. You don't just get that bike to test.. It would be great to see some proper testing with different competitors as well. Of course it then would be something like comparing a Ferari to a Lambo, in this price range all bikes are exceptionally good.. But for me it would be really helpful to have a clear comparison, also about service, durability on the long run and what else you could get for this money / maybe less that is just as good.
nice man, thats a great bike!
The issue with Venge and Tarmac is that they're often too stiff for those that don't want a top class racing bike (or want something like a Madone). It's been that way for years. The rest of the info can simply be read from the marketing info. They're not lying. Just ride one and see for yourself.
@@mikeypalmer3977
The biggest difference between an SL7 and an SL4 (that isn't obvious) is how much difference the solid axles make in the handling (and obviously the braking). I'm not sponsored by Specialized and I have an SL6 disc.
Matt is fantastic but I do wonder how much specialized are paying for him to talk up this obvious unjustifiably over-priced marketing hype of a bike whilst keeping a straight face :)
Awesome bike! it's a shame it didn't get a chance to race all year long because of COVID. This S-Works is really the only paint scheme I like out of all the models. Sure wish Specialized offered more color choices for their range, even if it was by special order.
Thank you Matt
To be honest i have heard this before when they launched the SL 3 and 4 and 5 and so on. Sure it is a great bike but so are almost all bikes nowadays. Ever new bike is lighter, more compliant, stiffer, more aerodynamic. it is good and it keeps us all busy.
You changed yer helmet halfway through! Did you need a lightweight climbing helmet for the second half?
At least the new emonda was hot for a month. That SL7 is dope!
So it's not 6.7kg then, it´s more like over 7 once it's ready to ride. Maybe that's why it's called the SL7?
I heard there were SL2, too....
There is big difference between claim weight and actual weight!!! All reviewers saying 6,7kg, but nobody weights the bikes.
@@weaklegs4005 It's standard practice to just regurgitate what Speech (and others) say, without actually checking anything. Spesh's weights were well off with the SL6 so I'd imagine the same here. There own charts even have it as HEAVIER than the SL6.
>7kg
Great vid Mat.. nice bike too!
Such a nice bike!
Are there holes for rack
Another super bike, very nice color
Matt looks really fit! Goals as I mature as a cyclist.
Hi, beatiful test. May I ask you your size ? Height and distanca between bottom bracket center and top of saddle ? I want to buy it, but I have a doubt regarding the size. Thanks.
don't buy it. buy something good
@@samhardy2535 Why ? What do you suggest ? Onestly I do not see much more good choice on the market.....I was thinking to Aeroad or Wilier Filante
Why doesn’t it come in rim break ?
Wait, is this ma dude Matt?
Mate I miss you!
Looks like Ribbles Endurance SLR with their level 5 handle bars.
Next thing youll be saying is they could be made in the same factory
@@markrushton1516 I have no idea who makes the ribble frames.
Actually Pinarello has had that "one bike only" for years now... Only specialized could claim ownership of something someone else already did. That said, I've seen the bike live, its super sexy.
£10500!!! Stunning bike but would you ever actually feel relaxed riding it knowing what it cost? There’d be no cafe stops that’s for sure 😬
Wow! I want one, except my SL6, which is great by the way, is only 6 months old!
That is the coolest bike I will never ever buy
Would have been cooler to put a mic on Matt and just let him talk about the bike while or after riding it
p.p.s.: we miss you @ the GCN channel!!! :-)
Love you Matt
beautiful bike!
What camera mount does he have on the stem? I’m trying to buy something like that so I can use my go pro.
Hi, the mount is the integrated Barfly computer mount that comes with the bike. Adaptors are also provided to allow a wide range of computer brands as well as lights and a GoPro to be fitted. Thanks, Dan
Matt Bro, eventually they will come looking for you--even in the cornfield--and want you to give the bike back...
Do you also have problem with toe overlap on this frame ?
No toe overlap was reported by Matt.
Love this sl7 😍.
Mid ride helmet switch?
Woah they finally ditched the crappy BB30! Just after I swore off Specialized and upgraded to Scott...
man i miss matt when watching gcn
Di2 only or does it take mechanical?
The Tarmac SL7 can take both mechanical or electronic gearing 🙂
I built one with Dura-Ace R9120 back in Sept 2020, it's on my IG (@ngyongling53).
Matt, when are you doing a Cafe ride with Chris Opie? 😉
Ride a bike with rims like these on a windy day across Mont Ventoux and you’ll learn a lot about aerodynamics. You might end up walking down the mountain (at least till you reach the trees). Ride it on a Frisian dijk in autumn or spring and you might end up walking, too. All this “Aero makes you faster”-blabla only works properly in a wind tunnel. In reality it quite often turns out to be nothing but bs.
I'm amazed that a bike over 11k does not have tubeless compatible wheels - wake up Specialized !
I've got a Tarmac SL4 with some cheap carbon wheels, any recommendation on wheel upgrades for less than a grand..?
Hi, the Mavic Cosmic Pro Carbon UST Wheelset is a great upgrade. More information on it can be found here > www.sigmasports.com/item/Mavic/Cosmic-Pro-Carbon-UST-No-Tyre-Wheelset/MZHO Thanks, Dan
Want to take a look at Hunt Wheels?
Flo wheels! Without a doubt. Great wells, and very fast!🤟😜🚴🏻♂️🚴🏻♂️🚴🏻♂️
Matt, when are you doing same with The new Emonda SLR 9... would be great to do a head to head with the Tarmac SL7 💪. Which is Best Buy? And don’t forget, them aero gains are most likely at speeds above 40km/h and most of us aren’t consistently pushing them speeds on each outing!
The colour or the filter feels abit off...abit too bright?
Is Mat no longer with gcn?
No sir now with sigma sport
How is the computer mounted?
Tarmac SL7s come with a stem faceplate-mounted out-front mount, in collaboration with Bar Fly. This is the same mount used on the 3rd-gen Venge.
Big gap between seat tube and rear wheel.
Where's Hambini going over the areo stats
Did he really say that one of the features of the frame was the ability to remove the front derailleur?! 4:30
Yes, the braze-on mount is detachable. Framesets are supplied with a silicone cover to give it a complete 1x look.
Why does your left knee turn in toward the top tube like that? Is it a stance issue?
Matt has had that issue since forever, yet still British champ.
Imagine Matt and Manon.... Soberb channel
I'll stick with my SL6 rim brake that's a pound lighter than that SL7 disc, for mountains, and my agressive mean looking Venge for flats and rollers.
@Eric Plankton - Pssh gtfoh, you don't know me. 30km/h, lol. if that's fast to you, ok.
Eric Plankton - dude.. how’s 30kmh average fast? 🤣
Flat Earthers 4 Trump - lol nah... you can’t be...
To get a disc bike with that weight and deep rims is a great achievement. Is that weight for a 56cm with pedals?
Hi Glenn, this weight is based on a 54cm size without pedals. Thanks, Dan
So, all the "aero gains" are actually down to the bars and wheels...
sounds like watching topgear with bikes
I think in reality sales of the Venge has been low and the majority of riders on the teams choose the Tarmac over the Venge even on flat stages, so Specialized is covering up their failed Venge by discontinuing it and creating more hype around the Tarnac because the bike industry has run out of ideas to get people to keep buying road bikes. The disc brake transition was all they had left.
You could be right. What happens to the Venge? A lot of high end roadbikes are become very expensive and to justify that amount of money there is not much left. A lot of people can't afford this high- end bikes and the people who can are not the profit makers for the company. Aero and Carbon are at the limits, I think. Disc brakes are introduced. Next phase will be a electric (mild hybrid?) Tarmac that is identical from the outside to the non-electric versions. I have a Tarmac Sl6 Pro disc etap and I love the bike. The Sl7 is nice but I like the cockpit of my Sl6 better. The handlebar on the sl7 was on my Tarmac sl6 once, but I did not like it. The marketing talk about the fact that the sl7 is faster will probably be right, but in real life people are not going to notice it. Training and a lower body weight makes you faster not the bike and a Pro rider will be faster on an sl3 than humans on a Sl7. ;-) Just my two cents.
Love matt!
I have a S works sl6 disc and the only difference I can see is the new handlebar and seatpost thats about it. Anybody?
Aha. But it's not just about the differences you can see, isn't it?
TheDanrae Seat tube is definitely more venge like
@@pahouseholder I was meaning visually
Headtube is different front on, more tapered. Forks looks narrower front on esp at the top and of course the integrated hoses. I’ve got an SL6 rim and never really thought the SL6 disc cables were that tidy.
There are a handful of them:
Full internal routing
Detachable front derailleur braze-on mount
Venge-esque profile
The best bit? A BSA-threaded BB.
Love that about how cyclists havevasked for a threaded bb. We never said give us press fit.
But can you get it in a bike bag?
It does depend on the bike bag but yes you can! You can view the range here > www.sigmasports.com/accessories/bike-bags and drop our Customer Care Team an email if you have any further questions > customercare@sigmasports.com Thanks, Lucy
@@sigmasports I'm yet to find a bike bag where I do not have to either remove the bars from the stem, or the stem from the forks. With internal cable routes is there enough slack to do this?
@@colinsmith8908 Scicon does manufacture a bag or two like that. There's enough slack for the handlebars to move around to be strapped because the hydraulic hoses are clamped underneath the stem, it's not fully internally routed. Specialized went for a good balance between aerodynamics and ease of use.
is that staple lane? :-)
oh yeah..it must be
Crazy how you can get the new Émonda with carbon wheels (non di2) for 3800 usd. I was really hoping for the tarmac to come under at least 4.5k usd to be competitive. We will have to wait and see what canyon drops with the aeroad, but it looks like Trek will win my wallet for my next bike.
And what about the new Giant TCR? A little competition between the major brands should benefit us as consumers, right?
Aaron Householder For sure! I think the TCR with Ultegra and carbon wheels is still more expensive than the new Émonda SL6 Pro. I’ll have to look at the trims again.
just checked, you can get a TCR that has ultegra and carbon wheels for 3200 I believe. So that is the cheapest so far. My LBS is a trek and specialized dealer, so I would probably still go emonda, but the TCR is cheaper.
RIP Venge.
Nice enough bike but not likely for most at the price.
Not really a review though
Watched it anyway because it was Matt
Canyon Aeroad all the way. But if its Matt.hmmmm....illcheck on it.
GCN lost its fun without Matt
I feel for Matt here tbh having to chat bollocks about this bike he’s better than this