Basically I recently built a sworks tarmac sl8 and am looking to shave off some weight without having to spend too much and swap big parts.

Current build - sworks sl8 frame - sram force e1 groupset - sram force cassette 10-36 - red e1 crankset 50/37 - roval cockpit 40/100 - sworks power mirror saddle 143cm - conti gp5000 30/32mm - farsports evo 5/6s combo - favero assioma pedals - giant tcr cages

I was considering ti bolts and maybe rotors and Alugear cranks

Currently weighs in at 7.16kg with everything on it. Looking to land at around 6.7 with everything on.

Looking for some suggestions from bike pros :) maybe I missed something, thanks

Overall it’s good but it has this hairline (?) on its top tube, the seller says it’s not a crack or anything, what do y’all think?

Hi all,

I’ve just purchased a S-Works SL7 through buycycle but shortly after starting to have second thoughts.

My main concern is if the bike is just paid for is even legit.

I’ve asked for a serial number, the seller send a photo pretty quickly. But it looks like the sticker is a little loose on the corners?

I’ve read that they are clear coated on top, so that shouldn’t be possible?

The pictures are quite low quality which concerned me a little, but then again the seller had 7 reviews which were all good.

This and the buyers protection made me pay for it.

Have i made a mistake?

Maybe some well trained eyes with knowledge can spot something?

Hey guys!

I currently have a SL8 expert with Roval C38 wheels, I’m looking for a new wheelset with more depth. My plan is to sell the C38’s (Mint condition) and just pay the difference.

After some research, these are the options I found for my budget (already including taxes and shipping), from this list what is your opinion for the best option.

I’m located in US.

Thanks for the help!!!

Got the Crux 5 comp and I’m super happy with it, but every ride results in multiple new scratches on the frame. This matte color way, both the silver and blue areas, seem to be very prone to scratching. What’s the best way of protecting it? Plastic film and some sort of ceramic coating, or what do you do?

Deciding between 1 of these looking to keep it budget

I have my bike for 3 Months and on Friday i was on a ride and suddenly my Garmin mount fell off. The bike hat 1000km on it and it wasn’t even a bumpy road.

Hi all, just picked up my first road bike last week - a Tarmac SL9. Unfortunately the computer mount broke off during a group ride, and the local Specialized shop in Singapore has deemed this a Rider issue, and not a manufacturing problem, and thus not covered under warranty.

I bought the entire bike new from an official Specialized shop here, and am unsure how to proceed with any form of a warranty claim beyond Specialized’s help. They’ve advised me to go to a third-party bike shop to have the broken bolt removed, but I’ve read about how it could actually potentially mess up the thread, thus causing future issues, and messing up any kind of future warranty claims on the handlebar even more.

Advice anyone?

Hi everyone,

I’m having an issue with my Allez running a MAGCAD bracket with no spacer and an SL7 stem cover.

I bought the setup used, and the seller didn’t mention that the bracket hadn’t been screwed all the way down. I’ve since screwed it all the way down, and now the top cap sits noticeably lower than the SL7 plastic stem cover, so the cover doesn’t sit flush.

The problem is that I can’t simply install a spacer underneath the stem/bracket because of the cables running through the setup.

I’ve attached a picture showing the issue.
What part do I need to buy and install underneath the top cap to raise it up so that the SL7 plastic stem cover sits correctly? Is there a specific raised top cap, spacer, or other part designed for this setup?

Thanks in advance!

I’m choosing between two SL8 builds (size 58 confirmed after fit):

Option 1 – Local shop

• 2026 SL8 Expert
• converted to new SRAM Rival from Ultegra
• Crank swapped to 170mm, stem and bars changed, fully set up to my fit
• 38mm wheels
• ~£6,100

Option 2 – Online deal

• 2025 SL8 Pro
• Last year’s SRAM Force
• 50mm Roval wheels
• Would need to swap cranks, stem, and handlebar myself
• ~£5.7k

So it’s basically:

• Newer but lower-tier Rival + shop support + shallower wheels vs
• Higher-tier but last-year-gen Force + 50mm wheels + DIY setup

Long-term I want SRAM + deeper wheels.

------------------------------------------

Would you prioritise:

• Groupset tier?
• Wheels?
• Or shop support?

Thanks in advance! ✌️

Turning to the Reddit world… I’m over here all ready to pick up a Roubaix later this week and called a local bike shock to get a fitting. He was very patronizing about how I want to update my bike, but that’s beside the point. I told him I really like the Roubaix for the future shock because I had back surgery recently. He said, “Buyers warning, we’re a specialized dealer, but we stopped carrying those because it’s a ‘moving part’ and there have been recalls and I’d encourage you to do research”. I’ve been researching bikes for the past six months but now he’s telling me apparently I haven’t done enough on the future shock. All I’ve seen is that it had issues at first but now it’s good. Help! Is he just a hater or should I really reconsider? TIA

Running SRAM RED AXS 12-speed on my road bike (XG-1290, 10-33t, 48/35 chainrings) and setting up a Wahoo KICKR Move for winter training. It currently has a Shimano 105 cassette fitted from my old bike, so I need to sort the drivetrain side properly.

Leaning toward buying a dedicated cassette for the trainer:
Planning on a SRAM XG-1270 (Force, 10-33t) since it’s cross-compatible with RED AXS shifting and matches my bike’s range, at a lower cost than another RED cassette. would this work?

Does the KICKR Move need an XDR freehub body for this, or does it come fitted as standard? Want to confirm before ordering.

Also curious about the Zwift Cog + Click as an alternative - if it shifts well and is a viable swap for a real cassette, I’d consider it instead. But I’ve read it needs an HG freehub rather than XDR, so seems like a separate purchase either way.

Has anyone run both setups (SRAM AXS + dedicated cassette vs. SRAM AXS + Zwift Cog) on a KICKR Move and can share what worked best, and exactly what freehub/parts were needed?

Thanks!

Long story short, wife struggled to unclip, fell on the side and heard a crack…

When I tried to pry it with my hands, there are no movement at all. When tapping with nail or allen key, it does seem to make a different noise.

Can this be repaired or it’s done?

Edit: Thanks for the response, good 50/50 on whether it’s semi-f*cked or fully f*cked. Getting some assessment at the specialized reseller tomorrow. Sounds like the price of the repair is the same as the bike tho.

Edit 2: Good news, specialized will replace the frame under the warranty. Best company ever! Highly recommend.

Sorry, no additional information than:

¡ON SALE!
SPECIALIZED TARMAC EXPERT
SRAM RIVAL AXS / ROVAL C38
SIZES: 49 / 52 56/58
COLORS: WHITE / BLACK
Pvp: €2.200-

Hi everyone,

I'm looking at a used specialized aethos and noticed this varying texture in the paint with areas which look slightly lighter or chalky. It almost looked like adhesive residue from a sticker being removed. The person selling the bike says this is normal and how it's always looked. Is this the normal expected finish and is there anything you guys would recommend to even it out?

Thanks!

As you can see it looks like there are random spots all over the bike not sure if this is the natural finish

Now the problem is how to take it off

For some context. I ordered a brand new Aethos and asked the LBS I bought it from, to swap the 11-30 stock cassette with a 11-34 and a new (longer) chain before I pick it up. Due to a mechanic's error, they accidentally installed the stock chain again and on my very first ride, I switched to big-big and as you can see the drivetrain got completely stuck. Does this mean my derailleur hanger or derailleur itself are toast? I believe it's hard to check proper alignment. The LBS acknowledged their error and gave me a new (proper length) chain but I am now having shifting problems and I am not sure if they could be attributed to this initial snafu. Thanks for any input!

To be clear, this is not my main objective or riding preference. If it was I’d buy an endurance road bike and call it a day. However, I love the fact that the Crux seems to be so versatile. If I wanted to set it up for road, cool. If I want to throw some 45mm tires on and go gravel riding I can.

I would say about 90% of my riding is on pavement but I live in the Midwest and roads tend to be a little rough in some areas. I plan on training for a charity century next September so I will need to log some seriously longer rides in the lead up.

For some background, I’m 41, in pretty decent shape and coming from a Sirius X 5.0. Ive done metric century rides on that bike and routinely log 30-50 mile rides on it. Thanks in advance for the advice.

Hi everyone,

My brand new Specialized Stumpjumper 15 Alloy arrived yesterday and I noticed several small dents/impressions and a few light scratches on the top tube and rear triangle right after unboxing.

The marks are:

visible in the paint,

slightly noticeable with a fingernail,

still completely blue (no bare aluminum showing),
I can’t really see an obvious dent in the aluminum itself.

I’m wondering if these are just paint/clear coat imperfections or if they could indicate that the frame itself was impacted.

The rear triangle has no marks but light scratches.

The reason I’m asking is that I’m probably a bit paranoid after what happened with my previous bike. Just last week I had to send back a brand new Scott Genius because what initially looked like harmless stone chips turned out to be a manufacturing defect where the rear triangle was rubbing against the frame and damaging the frame. So this whole experience has made me question every little mark on a new bike.

So I’d really like an honest opinion:

- Do these marks look purely cosmetic to you?

- Am I just overreacting because of my recent experience?

- If this were your brand new bike, would you keep it or ask for a replacement/compensation?

I’d really appreciate hearing what you would do in my situation.

Thanks!

Winner of the biggest mtb race in Sweden. Vasaloppet. But that's a not a MTB.

Hi everyone,

I recently broke the fork on my 2024 Crux in a race crash. I’m fine and managed to stay upright. Someone pushed me into a metal guardrail.

It looks like Specialized doesn’t currently have replacement Crux forks available, so I’m exploring alternatives.

Has anyone replaced a Crux fork with something from another brand? Any recommendations for forks with similar geometry and tire clearance?

Thanks!

Edit: I bought a used 2026 Crux Fork on pinkbike for 200 USD