{"id":250935,"date":"2026-07-01T13:00:31","date_gmt":"2026-07-01T13:00:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/07\/01\/what-a-croc\/"},"modified":"2026-07-01T13:00:31","modified_gmt":"2026-07-01T13:00:31","slug":"what-a-croc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/07\/01\/what-a-croc\/","title":{"rendered":"What A Croc!"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Oh, hey, look at that, there\u2019s a new Specialized Tramac<\/a>!<\/p>\n

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After reading the review, I can\u2019t decide which is more ludicrous: Specialized claiming this is \u201cthe fastest road bike ever made\u201d\u2026<\/p>\n

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After weeks of leaks and rumours, the new Specialized Tarmac SL9 has finally been officially launched.<\/em><\/p>\n

Claimed to be \u201cthe fastest road bike ever made\u201d, it\u2019s said to be a grand total of 4 watts more aerodynamic than its predecessor \u2013 the\u00a0S-Works Tarmac SL8\u00a0\u2013 and as light as 6.5kg without pedals in this flagship build spec.<\/em><\/p>\n

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\u2026or a bike reviewer thinking he\u2019d be able to tell on a three-hour press ride:<\/p>\n

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Unfortunately, I\u2019m just not convinced the changes add up to a tangible performance improvement. The margins are simply too small.<\/em><\/p>\n

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I mean come on:<\/p>\n

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It\u2019s light, fast, handles brilliantly, accelerates quickly and so on, but I couldn\u2019t help thinking that if you blindfolded me, there\u2019s no way I\u2019d have been able to tell the difference between an SL9 and an SL8.<\/em><\/p>\n

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If you blindfolded him he\u2019d barely be able to tell the difference between an SL9 and an Allez, let alone an SL8:<\/p>\n

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And if you moved the wheels and drivetrain from the Tarmac over to the Allez our blindfolded bike reviewer would find them completely indistinguishable.<\/p>\n

But while the latest Tarmac may or may not be the fastest road bike, the fastest gravel bike is undoubtedly the new Giant Revolt Advanced SL. Just watch this video!<\/p>\n

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