2020 S-Works Tarmac SL6 Disc @ 6.05kg w/ custom wheelset

[justRideIt]

I am very happy with tubeless setup on my custom climbing wheelset. It is realiable and "just works".
However, I've been running into reliability issues running tubeless on the Roval CLX 50s with the Schwalbe Pro Ones.
Described it in the "Tubeless Tyre Experience" thread here:
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=159614&start=105#p1548326

So after trying the Schwalbe Pro Ones, Schwalbe Pro One TT, Vittoria Corsa Speed, I went full circle --> back on what Specialized ships with the S-Works Tarmac SL6: 26mm Turbo Cottons front and back.
The Specialized guys just know what they are doing
Running them with Vittoria Latex tubes and they roll, corner and accelerate beautifully.

However, spring is around the corner here in Germany so I went for summer setup:

- wheelset: off with the Roval CLX 50 w/ S-Works Turbo Cotton 26mm, latex tubes and Dura Ace 11-28 cassette. On my custom wheelset with Vittoria Corsa Speed G2.0, 25mm, tubeless setup and SRAM XG 1190 11-30 cassette ==> 390g saved
- pedals: exchanged the Shimano XTR to Dura Ace ==> 70g saved
- shoes: finally done with the heavy-a$$ winter boots Shimano MW 701 (960g per pair), time for the Shimano S-Phyres with custom soles (245g per pair) ==> 715g saved - and that with every pedal revolution!!

The whole combination feels like a 50W FTP increase
Unfortunately, FTP stayed the same , but wow, the Tarmac really comes to life .

Acceleration noticably faster and with the stiff S-Phyre shoes and custom soles the power transfer is mega.
Set some all-time PBs on 20 and 5 minute climbs on a group ride w/ mates yesterday.

Also, putting on the SRAM XX1 MTB 11-speed chain was not a good idea: it is roughly 0.5mm wider, and with the tight 11-speed tolerances, it did not run very quietly. Put on a SRAM RED PowerChain 22, which works flawlessly with the SRAM XG 1190 cassette.

Only thing I miss from the Roval CLX 50 is the looks (see comparison below)

Bike weight comes down to 6.15kg (incl. pedals, frame pump (yes, frame pump ), Garmin mount, 2x bottle cages etc.)
Now I should stop wrenching until winter and... just ride it

[justRideIt]

Here the wheelset comparison and the 390g weight savings:
- 182g front wheel
- 208g rear wheel (w/ bigger gear range to 11-30T)

Roval CLX front w/ Turbo Cotton 26mm, Vittoria Latex inner tube, Shimano XTR 140mm disc @ 1057g


Custom built front wheel w/ Vittoria Corsa Speed 2.0 Graphene, 25mm, tubeless, Hope X2 Race Disc @ 875g


Roval CLX rear w/ Turbo Cotton 26mm & Dura Ace 11-28, Vittoria Latex inner tube, Shimano XTR 140mm disc @ 1386g


Custom built rear wheel w/ Vittoria Corsa Speed 2.0 Graphene, 25mm, tubeless, Hope X2 Race Disc @ 1178g

[hannawald]

How do you like Hope rotors? I have read here that they dont have the same initial bite as dura ace rotors. I am also tempted saving some weight:)

[justRideIt]

For me riding at 65kg and applying proper disc breaking technique, they have more than enough bite, even at only ø 140mm. Top modulation, up until locking up the wheels.
They do their job just fine and stay true (w/o rubbing) even after extensive braking.

Cannot speak for a heavier rider bombing down steep gradients though.

They weigh 66g, which is quite light compared to the XTR at 95g. Dura Ace @ 105g.
So, times two it's a decent weight saving at the wheels.

[CrankAddictsRich]

Are you racing TT's on this bike? I don't follow why you keep using TT tires liek the Scwalbe and the Corsa Speed. They are NOT good handling tires. They're the ultimate in low rolling resistance, yes... but they're not the best in terms of grip. There are other tires that are very good handling tires, that aren't very far off in terms of rolling resistance that would provide a much better experience all around.

[Rich_W]

Are you racing TT's on this bike? I don't follow why you keep using TT tires liek the Scwalbe and the Corsa Speed. They are NOT good handling tires. They're the ultimate in low rolling resistance, yes... but they're not the best in terms of grip. There are other tires that are very good handling tires, that aren't very far off in terms of rolling resistance that would provide a much better experience all around.

+1 on the Corsa Speed (or maybe I should say –1?). I'm a big vittoria fan, but Corsa speed suck handling and durability wise. I'm very much in love with Corsa Graphene 2.0 28mm on the stock CLX50s. You can RAIL corners with confidence on that setup. The CLX50 is truly a perfect do all wheel. Durable AF, and light enough to change speed/attack fast. One thing I've learned over many, many years. Lightweight is worthless without durability and handling. And to that point, Spec Turbos, while light and handle OK - suck durabiklity wise. Thats a 400 mile tire if you're lucky.

[vinny]

Are you racing TT's on this bike? I don't follow why you keep using TT tires liek the Scwalbe and the Corsa Speed. They are NOT good handling tires. They're the ultimate in low rolling resistance, yes... but they're not the best in terms of grip. There are other tires that are very good handling tires, that aren't very far off in terms of rolling resistance that would provide a much better experience all around.

+1 on the Corsa Speed (or maybe I should say –1?). I'm a big vittoria fan, but Corsa speed suck handling and durability wise. I'm very much in love with Corsa Graphene 2.0 28mm on the stock CLX50s. You can RAIL corners with confidence on that setup. The CLX50 is truly a perfect do all wheel. Durable AF, and light enough to change speed/attack fast. One thing I've learned over many, many years. Lightweight is worthless without durability and handling. And to that point, Spec Turbos, while light and handle OK - suck durabiklity wise. Thats a 400 mile tire if you're lucky.

i got 1,500 miles out of my spec turbos. but i totally agree really expensive, and to be honest they never seemed very confidence inspiring

[Imaking20]

Holy crap that's light.

Also, those rotors are 6 bolt - so not really apples to apples weight comparison with the shimano CL rotors (since it's not actually a swap you could make).

[justRideIt]

@Imaking:
I could've specced centerlock on the Tune hubs, since they were custom made for me with 24 spoke holes front and rear… but went for 6-hole since there are more brake disc options on the market.
6 hole Tune hubs are a few grams heavier than centerlock version, but the 6-hole brake disc options are lighter.
I do prefer the clean look, better aerodynamics and easy installation of centerlock though.

Interesting you guys takes on tire choices, thanks for your feedback.
I've been running the S-Works Turbo Cottons on my Canyon Aeroad for 6.000 kilometers with latex tubes at 65-70 psi (yes, even on rim brake wheelset against manufacturer's recommendation, but no issues).
Very plush, comfortable, fast-rolling.
Cannot complain about the S-Works Turbo Cotton's durability or punctures. Haven’t had a single puncture, the rear tire lasted 3.000 km until tread wear indicator suggested replacement, the front tire 4.500 km.

The kind of riding I do on the Tarmac is often longer group rides, mostly at endurance pace while chatting away, but putting the hammer down on the climbs and railing the descents. For this I like a supple=comfortable, lightweight and quick-rolling tire.
That it comes at a higher cost (earlier replacing, higher price tag)... those are €€€s I happily spend for that lightning-fast feeling on the #1 bike

I don't have the feeling of riding these quick-rolling tires on the edge of grip, nor do I ride crits with dive bombing into corners…
even descending in the wet I haven't had problems on the Corsa Speed. I just always try to keep a 10% safety margin.

I also run “all-round” tires, e.g. Pirelli P Zero 4S on my commuter bike, been running the GP 4000 S2 for thousands of kilometers and recently switched to Conti 5000 + Conti Race butyl tubes on the Aeroad… and every time I switch back to the lower rolling resistance tires, I just love it

[CrankAddictsRich]

+1 on the Corsa Speed (or maybe I should say –1?). I'm a big vittoria fan, but Corsa speed suck handling and durability wise. I'm very much in love with Corsa Graphene 2.0 28mm on the stock CLX50s. You can RAIL corners with confidence on that setup. The CLX50 is truly a perfect do all wheel. Durable AF, and light enough to change speed/attack fast.

Definitely agree... I've been using the Corsa Speed's for TT racing the last 3 seasons and the Corsa G+ and Corsa G2.0 as my daily tires last 4 years?

One thing I've learned over many, many years. Lightweight is worthless without durability and handling. And to that point, Spec Turbos, while light and handle OK - suck durabiklity wise. Thats a 400 mile tire if you're lucky.

I don't totally agree with this cmmmentary of the Turbo Cottons... they are for sure, a race tire, a touch faster than the Corsa G+, 2.0's, but I've been pretty surrprised with the durability.

The kind of riding I do on the Tarmac is often longer group rides, mostly at endurance pace while chatting away, but putting the hammer down on the climbs and railing the descents. For this I like a supple=comfortable, lightweight and quick-rolling tire.
That it comes at a higher cost (earlier replacing, higher price tag)... those are €€€s I happily spend for that lightning-fast feeling on the #1 bike

I don't have the feeling of riding these quick-rolling tires on the edge of grip, nor do I ride crits with dive bombing into corners…
even descending in the wet I haven't had problems on the Corsa Speed. I just always try to keep a 10% safety margin.

I honestly think you could switch to the Corsa 2.0's and you'd find them better for your purposes.... except for the few grams you'd be giving back.

[bilwit]

Personally I would also only use it as a trophy/specialty wheelset, but if justRideIt wants to ride bling ass TT tires all the time, more power to them. They've already stated that they don't mind replacing them whenever the time comes.

[justRideIt]

I test rode the new Mcfk saddle with cutout for 110 km on my Tarmac.

Since each bum is anatomically different, I cannot comment on whether it fits your bum or not.

But what made me return the saddle was: my bibshorts got stuck in the cutout, i.e. each time I got out of the saddle, the cutout was gripping on the bibs.
This sounds as annoying as it is, and never happens for me with the S-Works Romin Evo saddle (which also has a cutout).

This might be a non-issue for others with different anatomy, but for me it was unacceptable.

Build quality and finish was nice though.

Having tried the saddles Berk Lupina Padded, Mcfk and Selle Italia SLR Boost Kit Carbonio... it makes me appreciate the S-Works Romin Evo even more.
The best saddle is the one you do not think about

[justRideIt]

Latest weigh-in at 6.05 kg... such a joy to ride, smashing Personal Bests all over the place... and snatching one or the other Strava KOM

[Imaking20]

What shall we attribute the last 100g weight loss to?

[justRideIt]

What shall we attribute the last 100g weight loss to?

Great question.

Three factors weighing in (pun intended)
1) tubeless sealant - since the older picture above, I've mounted fresh front and rear Vittoria Corsa tyres and used a syringe to measure the amount of sealant to 30ml. The first wheelset was set up with recommended 60ml per tyre. (approx. -60g)
2) in the first picture my Barbieri Nana air pump was still attached to frame (-30g)
3) remark: the scale I'm using only resolves to 0.05 kg