Our Honest Opinion On The Specialized Tarmac SL8 - The Wild Ones Podcast Ep. 9

[@mattgardner2427]

Please Water your plant 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@jd_5907]

I was just thinking this, that plant needs some TLC.

[@kautzz]

some sunlight might help... I know it's rare in UK 😂

[@glennoc8585]

Beat me to it

[@alexyounghunlee]

It's got a name "Marco!!"

[@susanmartin6193]

Should have known I wouldn't be the first to say this

[@Myles995]

This is the cycling podcast I have been searching for. Lighthearted, down to Earth, fun and still informative. Well done gents!

[@pipeperrea]

The "stop as much as you need" is such a good and responsible advise for people that are not professionals or monsters...way different from other youtubers. Nice.

[@kevinleonard6855]

Happy Birthday Francis! I hope you have a wonderful day. I was onboard for Cade Media Hotel until the clock room. Your entire concept was torturous. That room specifically is a nightmare.

[@pphaneuf]

Your answer to the e-bike question is a big reason why I like this channel so much!

[@alexyounghunlee]

For a heavy rider Chamois cream is a life saviour!!! Not because of saddle pain but for discomfort from excessive fat rubbing haha, I even use it for long walks.

[@yoavmiller216]

And add to that a whole bus load of saddle soar causes not recognised by james the bike fitter, perhaps, but still quite painful and discouraging for many. Whatever works, and no need taking over dermatology in the name of "bike science".

[@curtvaughan2836]

Best thing about mtb is the laid back culture, even with the pro-racing side of it. Who'd you want to have a couple of brews with, a roadie or a mountain biker? I pick number two. BTW, I'm not a mountain biker, but I own three mountain bikes. They're comfortable for my rides at my age, and usable in multiple terrains, less susceptible to flats. I miss road cycling, but time passes ... (I'm 71).

[@liam_c27]

Video idea: Find a product Jimmi is excited about

[@Cade_Media]

Drum kit.

[@roxstone9283]

@@Cade_Media Drum kit on a bike!

[@TrevorAnderson-v1q]

What about the electric tyre inflator!

[@nycticorax5653]

@@TrevorAnderson-v1q Yes, please. I have looked at many but can't decide.

[@zzhughesd]

Technical clothing think you’ll find !!!! Best guess. Lol. Don’t shoot me down.

[@ncc1107]

For Jimmi's comment at around 8:10. There are gearboxes in the middle of the bike (where front mechs usually go), with Pinion and Effigear being two of the players. There are also rear gear hubs similar to the classified hub, with Shimano making anywhere from 3 to 11 gears, Rohloff making 14 gears, and Enviolo making a "CVT" with a 380% range, but speaking as an owner of a Shimano hub, they are not performance oriented right now since you can't really shift under load. Should have finished the episode before commenting. That was my question about e-bikes 😂

[@jrother]

I have not tried the 11 speed Shimano Alfine internal gear hub, but I have the 8 speed model in my town bike and I love it so much. They're very durable and quiet.

[@ARJWright]

I have the 11 speed on mine… it’s wonderful. Priority Apollo… really a nice “near entry level” gravel bike… wonder if Francis/Jimmy would take a roll with that one

[@cneubert28]

HB Francis! On the note of Chamois cream. It's underrated if you are a bigger rider. The chub rub is real.

[@ff2e]

Agree with this. I'll even use it if I have to walk a bunch during a hot day. I think they've never had to do the cowboy walk because your entire upper inner thigh is rubbed raw.

[@2wheelsrbest327]

Another great one. Loved your opinion on Ebikes Aged 83 my friend was undecided whether to buy one. By the time us younger ones had finished with him he brought one & loves it. He's now 87 & still riding. If I ever sell my motorbike I will definitely be getting one as well.

[@TheImprobableIronman]

Love this podcast fellas. Happy birthday Francis and congratulations on the 250K subs.

[@maverickreevetattoo]

Great work on another awesome pod guys! Listening to the banter of some regular guys who like cycling is what we need in this world. Makes my day when a new one is uploaded. Cheers from Adelaide, Aus.

[@jmac9205]

Most vehicles designed around set regulations for sporting purposes look similar e.g F1, NASCAR, MotoGP. There’s plenty of different/innovating looking bikes being released (specialized Diverge), however they go unnoticed because consumers want what the pros are using

[@jamsxr]

Sold my SL7 and bought a £400 Planet X off Facebook when I was taking some downtime from road cycling. For day to day riding, rather depressingly, the difference was negligible. Now back to riding much more on the road and bought a used rim bike instead of shelling out 2/3 x the amount on a over hyped new bike.

[@randallsmith7885]

So if you add up the cumulative claimed weight reductions of all 8 versions of this bike, would it be weightless? 😃

[@rob-c.]

15% off each time is less and less in actual mass

[@zzhughesd]

Yup. Can this Pod get on Apple or similar podcasts. Cheers. I love. Love. Love. Having an ear on a cycling pod as I drive my car stock. Cheers. If I’m not driving I’m riding.

[@BurningHorizons]

650b's are proportionally good for smaller riders, and those who need the wider tyre for chunk over speed.

[@matthewshaw3747]

My wife rides an XS and her bike should have been designed around 650b wheels. How riders that are 5 foot ride the same wheels as 6 foot is crazy to me.

[@joekawasaki]

I feel like the place for 650b is on smaller bikes not for bigger tires. On the speedplay side of things, I came from spd mountain pedals & being able to stomp in is amazing. I tried spd-sl's for 2 years before moving to speedplay & wish I did it right away!

[@Cloxxki]

Low stack pedals are nice for pedaling ergonomics first, cornering second. Imagine a very high stack pedal, cleats an inche away from the axle. You want low stack. When already low, dimninishing returns of course.

[@johnterry5409]

59:30:00 For me the only problem with ebikes are the pedestrian 15.5mph speed caps, means that whenever you’re not going up hill you’re lugging around a 15 kilo bike. Also means that you can’t really go out on a ride with someone faster than you as they’ll just have to wait on the flat and then go flat out on the hills. Then even if you de-restrict it the insurance will be invalid, the warranty and also would be illegal and would risk jail time if you crashed into someone.

[@YannickOkpara-d5l]

15kg has no impact as in NO impact on flat roads except for the initial acceleration/going hard out of a corner(inertia).

[@louhe]

⁠it does if you’re slower than them normally

[@johnterry5409]

And when you are doing over 16 you’re still accelerating and decelerating all the time. About 70 per cent of the ride ride will be over 16 mph.

[@YannickOkpara-d5l]

@@johnterry5409 That’s not the kind of acceleration where it matters, lol. The acceleration that happens between pedal strokes and Maybe 3kph difference between cornering speed and cruising speed is even more negligible than true inertial benefits. The benefit of inertia is also cancelled out by the increased momentum(flywheel effect) of a heavier system. On top of that, a heavier system has better crosswind stability. Your whole argument is null and void and has been debunked numerous times by engineers here on KZbin. These “theories” only exist on weightweenies.

[@louhe]

@@YannickOkpara-d5lit’s just wrong is it mr inertia😂

[@beckywareing3956]

Really enjoy listening to your podcasts on my commutes, especially on a dull drab morning, brightens up the ride to work. 👍

[@Fatbutnotflat]

We need a video for Jimmy's custom steel gravel bike!

[@pphaneuf]

For footwear, totally agree that it's great to have some, what I've used is some Vivobarefoot shoes. They pack smaller than trainers, but they're close to being proper shoes.

[@mikeymike1792]

My girlfriend's Canyon is on 650bs because it's so small. They make perfect sense, but she wants to upgrade them and it's a massive pain, because you have about three options to do so.

[@thomasmountain7791]

Probably too late now but look AT light bicycle or farsport. Legit chinese brand with great product and probably more choice for 650 than western brands.

[@alanhill7965]

Quite easily the best cycling podcast I download the perfect mix , head and shoulders above all others

[@wcat6928]

650b on road bikes is massively underrated for smaller riders. Canyon specs them on their smaller size bikes and it makes a huge difference in reducing geometry compromises

[@pphaneuf]

The Schlumpf Drive makes two-speed internal gears in the crankset, but the shifting under load is impossible, as you change gears by tapping the centre (where the axle is) with your foot. It's still pretty cool, though! 😂

[@TommySaucierPlourde0]

Fresh and coherent! I love that Jimmy is caling the 150g bullshit marketing. If those brands would take those investement in marketing, ads and other non sense they could really improve their bike and make them affordable.

[@Cloxxki]

Amazon's Saguaro "barefoot" run shoes are flexible, offer great grip and are COMFORTABLE. I often use mine as loafers around the house. €47 or so only.

[@petertreadway]

Regards bikes in hotel rooms, I always try to at least hose the bike down (there’s usually some kind of hose around the back of a hotel) and wiping most of the muck off if it’s really dirty before go in. Otherwise, if I’ve been riding somewhere dry, I’ll simply explain that my wheels are infinitely cleaner than any pair of shoes I’ll be walking around the room in and that usually works. Failing that, I have a big bike sock that I throw the bike into. Never had an issue with taking a bike up to a top. With those methods.

[@derekhobbs1102]

Sturmey Archer already had an internally geared hub that accepted cassettes, and Sram also did it with dual drive.

[@MTBScotland]

From the specialized own bumpf the gains are from the handlebar while doing 28mph.

[@gregmcnicoll5520]

UK hotel top tip: Premier Inn and Travelodge both let you take a bike into your rooms

[@Mclovinthedank]

Would love to see how the bikes are 10% faster every new model for the past 20 years. At this point they should finish the TT in negative time becasue the bikes are so much faster...

[@salzhaltigersalzhaufen586]

Whats also really good for bikepacking is if you are taking normal clothing with you and you have like sport jersy etc. that you are willing to wear in your off time take those cuz normally they dry much quicker incase they get wet or you wash them so thats good. Also take some electrical tape (warap it around your pump, lighter watever), zipties and maybe a cheap plastic bag with you good for reapairs and waterproofing something if you cycle alone dont listen to music the whole way keep it for hard parts maybe the end of a trip or whatever as a potential mood boster (podcast can also help against lonlieness, also just talk to people) maybe download a movie so you have something to do in your basecamp incase you get increadibly bored make sure you have some space left in your bags (good when you dont get everything as tightly packed as you did the first time) and look for options to strap extra stuff on your bike for example for food, drinks etc. And last but not least dont spend to much money on your equipment rather safe some and make sure you have money to go on actual trips and adventures nothings worse than having equipment but not enough time or money left to go and actually use it just go outside and have fun with what you got I personally did my first bikepacking trip with a blanket instead of a sleeping bag because I didnt own a summer sleeping bag was it cold some times yes did waring sock while sleeping sorta fix that yes did I have fun absolutley freaking yes

[@echtogammut]

Happy Birthday Francis, we share the best month for being born. 650b for smaller rider bikes should be more available and/or offered by shops, because they would fit a lot more petite riders. Speedplay is massively overrated, Time is underrated.

[@pphaneuf]

Premier Inn accept bikes in all of their hotels (except their tiny "hubs"), as a matter of policy, which is great when cycling around the UK!

[@rob-c.]

Heard the other day that the CEO is apparently a keen cyclist

[@christopherhood9241]

Happy Birthday Francis! I have found that carrying my bike into reception has yielded more successes when taking it into a hotel room. I was challenged 5 weeks ago in Bristol and I argued that by bike does not cry or poo (like babies/dogs) does not smell (like dogs) and the receptionist gave up and let me in.

[@NoahStephens]

Such good cycling conversations. Love the advice to not compare yourself to a cycling monster. Keep it up, you all.

[@jonathanhoward5663]

It’s funny, I just bought a Specialized Roubaix Sport to replace my 2010 Trek Madone 5.1. Huge difference, it’s faster, has more gears, but the biggest think is it’s super smooth on rough desert roads. Yay, for mid-range!

[@grahambell9831]

August Leo the lion birthday Francis, happy birthday 🎂 sunna! You're in good company 😉👍. My SL 7 is now officially old hat! 😅. Congratulations on 250,000 suscribers 👏👏

[@paulgrimshaw8334]

The next big thing… mixed use of composite and metal (titanium or magnesium alloy)… taking bonding techniques from the automotive world. Proper threaded bottom brackets with cast in spiders… exploiting cast-machined or 3D printed frame tube joints… simplifying carbon lay-ups for main tubes according to load requirements.

[@JamesSocialCycling]

Can confirm the hotel Bathrooms you showed did have Hansgrohe Showers and Taps😁👍

[@tomreingold4024]

Baselayers: mine is a merino wool t-shirt. I wear the same one every day for a week or two. Wool transfers my sweat odor out, so it doesn’t need frequent washing.

[@hhansen3551]

The Giro room color is the sprint jersey

[@Fango925]

I think the marginal gains for each new release aren't something that most people care about as they're not buying new bikes every year - but it is cool to see how much has changed over ten years. Maybe you know you'll buy the new specialized road bike in 5 years time and now you're watching them incrementally upgrade

[@MrScrofulous]

Totally. 10% doesn't sound much, but dod that every year for 20 yrs. That's what's happened wiht motorbikes. Ducati super bikes have gone from 80hp to 200hp over a few decades, just a few hp/yr.

[@invalice123]

I don't use chamois cream regulary. However, if I have some sore skin due to friction (giggity) then chamois cream helps a lot if you want to keep riding.

[@jimb0brew]

I use an ebike / pedal assist to commute, too. It's 40 miles round trip. I also do it on my road bike every so often. Sometimes I'll ride one way with the motor and the other without sometimes the whole way motorin'. My work is physical labor and the ebike allows me to commute multiple times a week whereas I'd be absolutely exhausted doing 40mi plus work multiple times a week. Using the ebike also allows me me to not spend all of my biking energy on commuting and get rides or runs in throughout the week that are more enjoyable. Those e-bike haters are a bunch of nozzles.

[@dibqip]

I know it’s tired to say it but just compare what specialized will give you for 12k vs what BMW will then attempt to justify it in terms of engineering. Conclusion SNAKE OIL.

[@LordTechnopants]

I don't crave an e-bike, but the idea I might decry someone else owning or wanting one. People can really be d*cks. Ride what you love. Me, I have a ball-burnished Zaskar with a rigid fork. It's lush.

[@DragonM3D]

Plus 5 points for the lovely podcast Plus 100 points of Francis' Zelda mug!! :D

[@M3GRSD]

Happy birthday 🎉 The new Madone SLR with the hole is different, and not in a bad way (depending who you ask) But otherwise yes, the SL8 looks like every other bike right now, and it's hard to get excited about that.

[@jonpoon3896]

I believe a certain Mr Hall talked about the best first bikepacking trip is to ride to a mate’s house and camp in their back garden. If you realized you’ve made a bad mistake and you hate it, go in the house

[@durianriders]

I went out and bought one of the only S-Works SL8 in Australia and yeah...its NOT as fast, stiff or light as my 10 year old tarmac.

[@ivannagy6427]

You are getting payed for hating sworkd and you do it pretty well.but it is very obvious mate.yes you are right companies actually going backward😀who can believe you?

[@Nikitaspaziani]

About the specialized , i think it is hard to innovate, but small improvements over various generations add up , but more than this, we need pop road bikes, something alloy , solid but playful to get people into road cycling, good fun, no stress.

[@spurbot]

Great video have you seen the base layers with pockets from rubber side down ? I don't always ride with a bike jersey sometimes a cool t-shirt is enough.

[@wordup0719]

i love how the conversation is set up 😂 its just like me and my cycling friends in a pub drinking and talking bike stuff 😂❤

[@florenceetalexismartel8365]

Nice podcast, well done. On the last subject of the planning beaks. I have the experience of riding every year with my children and my wife for a bike tour (hotel or B&B for us !). I'm cycling a lot , they are not. I found out that 1 h riding is "enough" before a stop for a non experienced cyclist.

[@rivnuts7398]

Since you mentioned your ride across America in this video, how about an update on how Justin is doing or what he is up to these days and how the proceeds of your fund raiser were eventually employed. Justin was a cool chap.

[@chrisbrewitt]

Not sure that plants gonna make it to the next episode. Great content lads, keep it coming.

[@anthonylovell2271]

27:04 the imaginatively named Strava segment Urgh part of my Sunday rides down the coast

[@mdstevens8989]

Happy shared B-day Francis!!!

[@martinhudobivnik5895]

I've got that Velosock thing to cover my bike as I have it stored in my apartment. Surely if you put that on before checking in (EU hotels), there would be no problems at the reception? You can only move bike by carrying it, no chance of floor getting dirty.. and packed away it takes almost no space.

[@MarlonJosephdelaCruz]

Wow is this new(podcast)? This is a good one!

[@Through_Sams_cam]

i'm glad you talked about chamois cream. never used it never needed it

[@deadpool8340]

Been watching since you bummed some parts and rebulit a Cinelli well done on the 250.000 👏

[@49tkscott]

Happy birthday FC, it's my birthday this week too 🤪

[@zmuzzy101]

Decathlon make a "water bottle holder" which makes a perfect feed bag for under a tenner.

[@petertreadway]

Can’t believe Francis didn’t pick up Jimmi’s Zelda ‘Link’ link at 21:37! 😂

[@zzhughesd]

That Sag Hotel. Nice idea. Don’t mind idea. Think you both nailed it. Is the delivery there of the hotel furnishings. Still. I’d prob go. And if I was Sagan. I’d have opened a hotel. Definitely. Good move. Cheesy or not. It’s still worthy.

[@LuffLab]

I’ve never even thought to ask if it’s okay to bring my bike into the hotel room. It’s not even a question to me. I’m bringing it in.

[@gregor9921]

Happy birthday mate ☺️

[@JWH.Design]

Sturney archer already made a 3 speed hub with a cassette body. Obviously very much touring focussed and not for racing.

[@reloadbaggage]

for years i also believed chamois cream was overrated. then i started zwifting. now i just put it on whether im riding inside or outside.

[@paulcompany8760]

Happy Birthday Francis !

[@braveheart0731]

Happy birthday Francis! Cheers 🍻

[@hippo71124]

Regarding 650b wheels though, for the more vertically challenged (I"m 1.68m), I cannot help but think a road bike with 650b wheels and road tyres (28~32mm) would make things quite a bit easier. Frame sizes vary yes, but the wheel size is another factor. That being said, haven't had a chance to test my theory out...

[@jirdesteva]

First time bike packing. Setup your campsite gear and tear it down and pack it up at home a couple of times before you do your trip.

[@MrMattie725]

"I try to wait 90min after waking up for my coffee", sounds like someone listens to the Huberman Lab Podcast :D

[@wpalmer5547]

Hotel rooms remind me of the communal areas of a hostel or supported housing 😆

[@volkervoit]

Hey guys, love the show/pod, may i ask which clip mics you guys are using?

[@benhur5826]

regarding weight we are talking about s-works version, right? Because regular version of Tramac SL8 won't be much lighter?

[@markreams3192]

Happy birthday Francis! 🎂🎁🎈 I like the idea of a performance oriented gravel bike with two sets of wheels. Probably because that’s what I have!😂 Jimmy is spot on. Clock room!? That’s a bit creepy. Sounds like something from an Alfred Hitchcock movie or a Twilight Zone episode. My advice is to bring your credit card and stay in hotels, preferably next to a very good restaurant. A hot shower and a good meal at the end of the day makes for a very pleasant trip. Setting up a tent when you’re exhausted is a pain. When I rode the California coast I brought my flip flops only and just lashed them to my pack. They worked out fine.

[@descending_dudu]

Happy birthday Francis!!

[@balosahan6990]

Happy 46th birthday Francis!!!

[@RadekDrozdalski]

Chamois cream - life / skin saver for those who do not ride in a kit or bibs.

[@rellupnikserof]

When will we get to see Jimmy's made by Billy the 650b steel gravel bike?

[@kool_thing]

No idea how coffee can provide clarity and concentration to some people. I only get anxiety and tachycardia from it lol

[@Xarx42]

Speaking about the aerodynamics of the tarmac: if you compare the frame to a proclaimed aero bike or maybe better to a TT bike you see immediatly vast differences. So underlining aerodynamics as a big feature of the new tarmac is hilarious, well, and just silly. About the chamois creme: I totally agree, a bike fit and a fitting saddle is surely more important. However, for some reason my ass is quite unique somehow and I still didnt find a saddle that perfectly fits me unfortunately. So excuse me, until that point hopefully comes in the near future, I am happy to keep using my damn chamois creme ;P.

[@mattpitkin7195]

They’re back!

[@MazingerZX]

What is the best gravel/road bike travel case when traveling internationally, in your real world experience? Bike Box Alan? (Does it fit in regular 4 door sedan with rear seat down?)

[@84imreplica]

Happy birthday! Oh, to be 31 again. I'm 71 and will be 72 in September. Funny that I no longer look forward to birthdays. 😄

[@Through_Sams_cam]

happy birthday Francis

[@mikeymike1792]

I feel like Trek took that 'all bikes look the same' comment personally when they released the latest Madone.

[@universe-juice]

The next huge leap will be nano thech. Hope i live long enough for that. Where the layup will be at an atomic level. Btw, are you sure you guys aren't designing a torture chamber?

[@DaveCM]

If you think all bikes look the same now, I'm glad you didn't come up in the 70's and 80's like I did. All bikes literally looked the same back then. The only thing that distinguished them was the lugs and paint jobs. Some pros even had non sponsor builders build them frames and they put sponsor logos on it. Nobody knew the difference.

[@SR-fm1ft]

Hope Sagan implemented a clock room after watching this.

[@jonpoon3896]

Can you do some cheap mountain bike reviews? In the past, you’ve discussed some pretty good road options for $1000. Seems at that price, they’re mostly just mountain bike shaped objects.