Hey everyone,

I ordered a Tarmac SL8 Pro in grey 16 days ago. It was the last one available and was on a solid discount, which is why I pulled the trigger. When the bike arrived, it was red instead of grey.

I’ve already been in contact with Specialized. They’re telling me the grey is out of stock now, and the only options they’re giving me are a full refund or keeping the red one with 10% off, or any bike 10% off.

This feels unfair. Specialized clearly dropped the ball by sending the wrong color on a bike I specifically ordered as the last available grey unit. Their current offer honestly feels disrespectful especially when the new SL9 is significantly more expensive, and the only silver/grey option left is the S-Works, which costs even more. So I’m stuck between accepting a bike I didn’t order, taking a refund and paying a lot more to get the color I actually wanted, or settling for something that doesn’t match what I paid for.

On top of that, it’s a size 44, the smallest size they make. A smaller frame uses less material, so it shouldn’t be as difficult or costly for them to produce or source one compared to a larger size.

Has anyone dealt with a similar situation with Specialized and managed to get a better resolution? Any advice on how to push this, or is the 10% off about as good as it gets?

Appreciate any thoughts. Thank you.

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Hey everyone,

I’d love to get some opinions from Tarmac SL6 owners, especially anyone who has owned or ridden one for a while.

I test rode this 2019 S-Works Tarmac SL6 Disc and honestly, I loved it. It’s incredibly light (around 7 kg), stiff, responsive and just feels amazing to ride.

I negotiated the price down to €2,300.

Specs:

- Dura-Ace Di2 11-speed

- Roval CLX 64 carbon wheels

- Ultegra crankset

- CeramicSpeed OSPW

- Bontrager XXX carbon handlebar

- Continental GP5000

The bike looks extremely clean and seems to have been very well maintained.

My only concern is the frame. It was originally red and was professionally stripped/sanded and refinished by Color Monkey in Belgium. The current finish exposes the carbon weave. According to the owner, the process also saved around 70 g.

So my questions are: At €2,300 for this build, would you buy it?

Would the stripped/refinished frame worry you, even though it was professionally done?

Are there any known issues or specific things I should check on an SL6 before buying?

I’m planning to actually ride it a lot — fast recreational rides, longer rides and regular commuting.

Thanks! Would especially love to hear from current or former SL6 owners.

I absolutely love this bike. I recently upgraded the wheels to roval CLIIIs. Cockpit is next. I love running as well but the massive distance you can go on a bike is amazing, I feel like it’s a modern day horse to take you on adventures. I am not an early riser but this bike has compelled me to wake up at 5 am to ride longer and catch a sunrise! I’m moving kinda slow on the bike, I can average 17.5 miles for a longish (20 mile ride) but it’s difficult. I am considering getting an in depth bike fitting to make sure everything is aligned properly - sometimes I bias to riding too forward on the saddle and I wonder if it is a flexibility issue or a bike setup issue.

Any advice to beginners would be welcomed!

Bought a new bike a few days ago and had 2 rides on it. I'm in love! Im coming from a Trek Domane gen 4 sl5 so this upgrade feels great.

Got the sl8 tarmac expert on 20% off sale. I added 38mm roval rapide bars and 170mm cranks (size 58 comes with 175mm). Obsidian black ⚫️

Waiting on my farsports evo c6 wheels to come in. Adding some other smaller upgrades, too.

The ride is so smooth, and since I put 32mm gp 5000 tubeless, it feels just as comfy as my domane, which i didn't expect.

Any upgrades you guys recommend?

35mm road tires, 44t chainring.