# Tarmac SL3 Pro need advice



## jnbrown (Dec 9, 2009)

I have been riding a Trek 5500 since 2000 and a 5200 for 7 years before that.
Recently I am getting itch for a new bike or frame.
I have really enjoyed riding the Trek and it is really comfortable and fits me perfectly but it lacks the stiffness and responsiveness of the newer bikes. I might be fooling myself that a new bike is going make riding more enjoyable and that I will be able to go faster but that is my thinking.

Anyway I didn't even consider Specialized because I just don't like the image of the company and the way they do business so I went to a non specialized shop and rode a Cervelo R5, Parlee Z5 and Cannondale SuperSix. I liked the Supersix but because I have short legs for my height we couldn't get the seat far enough forward to get my knees over the pedals. So they suggested I come back another time and try a 50cm instead of 52 cm which I did today. Well it didn't make any difference and the top tube was going to be too short so I asked to try the 52cm again and the guy helping me asked in a not so nice way why I needed to try it again. I told him to make sure it could fit me. He told me to come back another time as it was getting late although they were open for another hour.

I decided to drive a few miles down the road to a shop that carries Specialized and a good friend of mine is the manager. When I got there my friend was leaving but somebody helped me. I was just going to ask if I could fit on a Tarmac and they ended up letting me take out an S Works in the dark after putting blinky lights on it. I didn't have much time to ride it and its hard in the dark to really push the bike but I thought it was a smoother ride than the Cannondale and had a lighter feel to it on road and was plenty stiff for my 140lbs. When I got back another sales person took me over to a computer to show me my options on models and colors. I was treated really well here instead of like dirt at the other shop.
After getting home I found the Tarmac SL3 Pro frameset which probably makes more sense than buying a complete bike since I can transfer the parts on my Trek to it.

Anyway any thoughts on Tarmac Vs SuperSix or on anything else related would be appreciated.


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

FWIW, I spend a fair amount of time in the beginner's corner of this forum, and invariably someone posts saying they're in the market for a new bike and what should they get. 

Many of us who recognize the value of a good fit tell the poster to shop for shops _along_ with bikes, and try to strike an ideal balance between finding the brand/ model you prefer at one of the more reputable shops. I'd tell you the same.

I know this being the Specialized forum you're more apt to get pro Spec opinions, but in all honesty if you had posted saying that the Spec dealer treated you shabbily and the C'dale dealer treated you right, I'd tell you to go back to the C'dale shop.- or a third bike shop, but not the sub-par shop. 

Since we weren't at your fitting, it's difficult to know why the C'dale didn't fit you right, especially considering the geo of it and the Tarmac are nearly the same, and not that far off from your Trek. I suspect the fitter didn't take the time to experiment, possibly using a seat post with a different (or no) setback, but that's just a guess.

If you like the Tarmac Pro, I suggest going back to the shop, make sure the fit is right and take the bike out again for a longer ride. That IMO/E is the best way to get a feel for the fit, ride and handling of a bike.

Other possible candidates would be the Giant TCR's, Felt F series and LOOK 566/ 585, among others. 

HTH...


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## bonz50 (Jun 10, 2010)

if you liked the Tarmac, go back during the day and verify it with a longer ride... a good shop that treats you well is like gold... if the tarmac agrees with you it is a fine machine, if the bike isn't your cup of tea, find a 3rd shop that treats you well... as PJ noted...


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## roadie01 (Apr 13, 2010)

jnbrown, 

As a ex-shop employee I fully agree with PJ start by finding a reputable shop that treats you right. It shouldn't matter if your looking for a pro tour level ride or a entry level bike. Customer service is customer service. 

Fit is of the upmost importance especially if you are going to be logging some decent miles and saddle time. It just sucks to be two hours into a ride and have knee pain, numb hands, or some other issue crop up. These types of issues typically don't manifest them self's in a typical "test ride". 

One example I have from personal experience. My first real road bike after racing mountian bikes was a Giant OCR size M. I loved this bike it was fairly light for a $1,500 bike at 16 lbs. The compact gearing was great for the mountains here in UT. After a couple months on the road I started doing longer 50+ mile rides and started to expereince numb hands and a pain in my knee. Now I knew some about road bike fitting and made sure my knees where not infront of the pedal spindal, my saddle height was close. To make a long story short I got professionally fitted and with a change to the stem length, and moving my saddle down about a centimeter and my saddle back about 5 MM all issues went away.


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## jnbrown (Dec 9, 2009)

Appreciate the feedback.
I got a call from the shop and they told me they could get the bike I wanted but would have to order it. I told them I need to get fit on the bike (by my friend the manager) before I could commit to ordering. They said no problem arrange a time and we will get it done.
I think for a while I was hung up on brands and my perception of them (Cannondale = good, Specialized = hate) but I am getting over that. I think whether it is a Tarmac SL3 or Supersix it isn't going to matter that much but getting treated right will.


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