Rennräder: Specialized spart am Carbon
Der kalifornische Fahrradhersteller baut sein Sortiment teurer Rennräder um eine neue Kategorie aus – und schließt damit eine Preislücke zwischen Einstiegsmodellen und dem Spitzensegment.
Specialized has introduced a new category of high-performance road bikes called "S-Level" that sits between their entry-level Tarmac SL9 models and their top-of-the-line S-Works models. The S-Level bikes will cost around $10,500, bridging the price gap between the $4,500 SL9 and the $14,000 S-Works models. The key difference between the S-Level and S-Works lies in the carbon fiber material used for the frame.
The S-Level frames are made from Specialized's proprietary "10r" carbon, which is lighter and stiffer than standard carbon fiber, but not as premium as the "12r" material used in the S-Works frames. As a result, the S-Level frame weighs 822 grams, while the S-Works frame weighs just 687 grams. When fully assembled with wheels, handlebars, drivetrain, and saddle, the S-Level bike weighs 7.1 kilograms, compared to 6.5 kilograms for the S-Works.
The drivetrain of the S-Level bike can be sourced from either SRAM or Shimano, both offering top-tier electronic shifting systems. SRAM's RED AXS system is fully wireless, while Shimano's Dura-Ace Di2 is semi-wireless, with a wireless connection between the shifters and the system. With this change, the Tarmac SL9 lineup will now range from around $4,500 (Comp model, weighing 8.1 kilograms) to $14,000 (S-Works model).
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
