New bike day is always a good day, and yesterday’s Zwift update included a new bike frame: the Specialized Tarmac SL7! This bike has been making big waves in the “real world” bike industry since reviews began rolling out recently, trumpeting it as the “one bike to rule them all.” In fact, Specialized is discontinuing development of its aero Venge line, since the new Tarmac is nearly as fast as the Venge while climbing better.
Just how fast is the IRL Tarmac SL7? Specialized says it shaves 45 seconds off the previous Tarmac SL6’s time over 40k. (Still 9 seconds slower than the Venge, though.) And the new Tarmac is lighter than the Venge, so it should climb faster. There’s a good reason why many cyclists are lusting after the new Tarmac!
But all those real-world numbers don’t necessarily correlate to performance in Zwift. Instead, Zwift performance has everything to do with how Zwift’s programmers set the frame up in terms of CdA and weight. So everyone is asking: how fast is the Tarmac SL7 in Zwift?
Notably, the frame is available now in the Drop Shop for level 5 Zwifters and above, priced at only 674,500. At such a low level requirement and price, one would think this Tarmac SL7 wouldn’t be quite as fast as frames costing more or requiring a higher level. And you’d be right.
Here’s how the new Specialized Tarmac SL7 performs in Zwift.
Flat (Aero) Performance
The Tarmac SL7 is ranked in the 61st percentile against other Zwift road frames, meaning it’s more aero than 61% of the frames in game. What does that actually mean in terms of seconds? Well, it works out to being 12 seconds slower than the fastest bikes over a ~50-minute flat test course.
See our ranking charts for details >
Climb (Lightweight) Performance
This is where the Tarmac SL7 shines – which makes good sense. The best climber in game is the Specialized Tarmac Pro, and while the new Tarmac SL7 doesn’t unseat the Tarmac Pro, it is ranked #4 on our list of top climbers.
In terms of actual timings, the Tarmac SL7 is 8 seconds slower up the Alpe than the Tarmac Pro. See our ranking charts for details >
Conclusion
The Specialized Tarmac SL7 is a solid all-arounder, basically matching the performance of the recently-added Cannondale Supersix EVO. The Tarmac SL7 matches the Supersix EVO’s Alpe time while being 1 second faster over 50 minutes in our flat tests. (It’s worth noting that times can vary by 1s thanks to GPS rounding, so this really is a negligible difference.)
Like we said for the Supersix EVO, if you’re looking for a “do it all” bike instead of worrying about changing between aero and lightweight rigs, the Tarmac SL7 is a great choice. And at a level requirement of just 5, the Tarmac SL7 is much more attainable for new Zwifters than the Supersix EVO, which has a level requirement of 36.
Overall, we see the Tarmac SL7 becoming a popular choice in Zwift, especially for newer Zwifters. We’ve now highlighted it in our Zwift Shopping Guide since it’s the first high-performance frame Zwifters can buy.
Your Thoughts
Share your questions and comments below!
Important note: this post contains speed test results for Zwift frames or wheels. These results may change over time, and a bike’s performance relative to others may also change. We don’t always revise posts when performance rankings change, but we do keep current, master versions of our speed test results which are always available. See the frame charts, wheel charts, and Tron vs Top Performers for current performance data.
Bugger, just paid out for it to use I stead of my Venge. Reverting back now….. But how about the new wheelset?… Its got 4 stars for aero n 3 stars for weight…. They should be fast allrounders like the 454 and in effect should be better than the 808 s…. I await your wisdom on the wheels. 😋
I’ll post about the wheels soon. They ARE decent all-arounders….
Better than the enve 3.4s or Zipp 454s???
Hi Eric,
How does it compare to the Tron?
About 12s faster up the Alpe than the Tron, but about 8s slower on the ~50 minute flat test.
And these are all conducted with the 858/Super9 still correct? So just using a set of 808s it should be about ~12s down on the flats or so?
Something like that, Dylan.
I’m actually kind of disappointed about the climbing performance compared to the Tarmac Pro. Maybe I’m missing something but the weight it about the same but the frame is more aero. This is highlighted on the flats but why not the climbs as well?
My guess is the Tarmac Pro in Zwift is actually more like the S-Works Tarmac Ultralight. Rim brakes, super lightweight. So it would be lighter than the SL7 and its disc brakes…
I’m thinking it might be a better option than the Tron for a course like the Bologna TT. What do you think?
[Eric covered that][https://zwiftinsider.com/bologna-setup/]: for Bologna time trials a good-climbing time trial frame is best, with aero wheels. It’s half the time on flats, half the time climbing, so average together L’Alpe and Tempus performance tests and that gives Bologna ITT performance to high accuracy. I’m disappointed they made it a level 5 bike: clear marketing move rather than making sense for the game. But at least they didn’t buy into the Specialized “we can hit the UCI limit so that’s the best possible climbing performance” myth. Disc brakes are heavy, and that’s slower uphill. I think they should have made… Read more »
is it one of the frames that lets you pick the paint colour? if so instant buy 😀
Yes, it does!
Have you ever done the Tarmac Pro vs. the S-Works Tarmac you get from the California challenge? is there a difference?
This is 3 seconds per 50 minutes faster on the flats and climbs 2 seconds per 50 minutes faster. So basically the same: 0.08% faster generally. https://zwiftinsider.com/charts-frames/ . For climbing, it’s similar to losing 56 grams. For the flats, it’s like the added wind resistance from a small cycling computer.
Test for the new wheels DT Swiss?
Tests done, post coming soon. A good all arounder set!
How does the Tarmac SL7 compare to the Trek Madone. It seems to be fast but how fast along side the Madone
See https://zwiftinsider.com/charts-frames/
Some of the frames that are aero and weigh a ton are not good options for lightweight (female) riders. The Tron, although pretty, is a beast of a bike for a light female. Might be nice to see some frame comparisons for lighter riders.
I realize this is likely nutso, but it seems I sit up in a draft at a further distance on the SL7 than the Tron. I haven’t seen anyone else talk about this, as your frame choice should have no bearing on the in-game physics of a draft, but I have no shame and feel it’s worth posting – on the 1/1,000,000 chance it’s legit.
Well, your avatar doesn’t sit up in the draft on the Tron at all…
Hi Eric,
Is the Tarmac SL7 not better than the Canyon Aeroad 2021 in Zwift? I would have thought with the better weight ranking in Zwift that the SL7 would have been #1 Beginner Frame seeing as it is available at Level 5? Is it still worth going for the Aeroad even with the slightly worse weight rating? Obviously the price of the SL7 is a downer in comparison to Aeroad 2021.
Thanks
Aeroad 2021 is better than the SL7 on the flats, but slightly slower on the climbs. See https://zwiftinsider.com/charts-frames/
hi looking for a better race bike so I decided to look on the drop shop. saw this and I thought id give it a shot and swap it out for my venge. I’m using 808s and can’t get any better wheels from what I can work out. Any suggestions?