# Anyone riding a Tarmac? Feedback please!



## Karyn (Jul 29, 2007)

I am deciding between a Tarmac and the new Amira. Is anyone riding/racing on one of these? Any feedback is appreciated. I'm 5'4" and looking at a 49cm Tarmac or 51cm Amira...they are pretty much the same geometry-wise so it may just come down to color choice.


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## NealH (May 2, 2004)

The Tarmac is stiff and handles nicely - very direct and confident. You point it and it goes there without hesitation and stays right on track. No vagueness, no wandering. 

Most of the ride comfort comes from the seat post and clamp - which is not a bad thing. It actually is more comfortable than one might think - though I run DA 7850 24CL wheels with 25mm tires which no doubt helps in the comfort venue. 

It climbs really well. It responds very well, especially on out of the saddle efforts. 

Fast descents on less than perfect pavement can lead it to feel a bit skiddish. I am a little more at ease on my Roubaix when barreling down a hill at 40-50 MPH. But both descent well, the Roubaix just a little more at ease doing it. One reason I ride 25mm tires (Conti 4000) is to help it stay planted on those fast descents. 

Both my bikes are the SL2 iteration. I have reason to believe that the new SL3 mitigates this skiddish behavior on less than perfect pavement. In any event, its not a problem but its there. It just requires a bit more attention on fast descents.

I think the two best bikes on the market today are the Tarmac and Madone. The Madone will provide a little more comfort, the Tarmac a little more stiffness - though both are plenty stiff enough.

Edit: Sorry about posting in a women's forum. I just noticed the "Tarmac" while scanning down the list then started typing.


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## Bluffplace (Jul 30, 2008)

Your best bet is to test ride both of them and see which one fits better. 

Just a heads up. I ordered a Tarmac SL-3 frameset about a month ago and I'm still waiting for it to come in. I was in my LBS last week and they were looking at Specialized inventory. There was only 1 49cm SL-3 available in the Northeast.

Depending on where your located, it may be kinda hard to find a shop that has one.


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## cyclequip (Oct 20, 2004)

My GF has both these bikes in these same sizes. The geometry of the 49 Tarmac and 51 Amira are similar but not the same. Head tube on the Amira is taller and the top tube is shorter. She has the S-Works Tarmac SL (07) with 7801 DA and the Amira Expert with Ultegra 6700. She rides and races quite seriously. She loves the Amira. She loves the Tarmac. She does have some fit issues on the Tarmac she doesn't have on the Amira because of her shape. If you are typically female with longer legs and a correspondingly shorter torso, Amira will probably suit better. If you have short legs, go with Tarmac. GF now rides the Amira exclusively. Poor Tarmac is on the ergotrainer.....


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