SPECIALIZED: S-Works Tarmac SL4 Red

In a group of ultrafast bikes, the Tarmac outpaced the competition—for the second year in a row. Once again, it was “simply the best in a field of transcendent bikes,” summarized one tester. Another added: “The Tarmac made me feel like a better rider: a faster climber, a smoother pedaler, a more capable descender. I could dive into corners later, with more speed, and I felt like I had every right to sprint toward whatever imaginary line had been drawn across the road.” Despite its confident performance at the limits of traction, the Tarmac is still amiable on bumpy roads—these apparently contradictory traits help explain its enviable racing pedigree, including multiple ProTour wins with Omega Pharma–­Quick-Step and other professional cycling teams. It’s a fast bike that one tester nonetheless described as “refined and gentle”—a testament to a well-damped frame that is as suited to fondos, training, or social rides as it is to races.