Well, they've never been ones to rest on their laurels which is why they're constantly hunting for even the smallest of improvements. In other words 'innovate or die'. And for this exact reason the new S-Works Tarmac breaks all the traditions of race bike design to create the fastest bike for all conditions.
For the construction they utilized advanced aerospace composite optimization software to revolutionize the construction and layup of the new FACT 12r carbon. It's the most advanced material and schedule they've ever made and this allowed them to shed nearly 200 grams. That's right a 20% reduction in frame weight, the perfect recipe for your next hill climb pr.
They also took major steps to improving their rider-first engineered technology to ensure that the new Tarmac is stiff and compliant in exactly the right places all while shedding some serious weight. From different layup schedules and materials to visibly different forks they scrutinized every single aspect of the new Tarmac to ensure you're getting the perfect ride. With this revamp they also updated the geometry basing it on countless RETL data points and professional rider input. This enabled them to develop a performance road geometry that perfects the combination of a responsive front-end and short wheelbase which delivers instantaneous response and optimal power transfer.
And while stiffness aids in the aforementioned, compliance must also be utilized for an optimal ride quality. That's why they designed a seatpost that builds compliance into the upper 120mm where clamping doesn't happen, dropped the seatstays and altered the seat tube shape. They also added tyre clearance up to 30mm which translates to a 28mm turbo cotton on a Roval CLX 50 wheel. This allows lower pressures for decreased rolling resistance increased traction and more comfort. Altogether these additions still have the Tarmac riding like a true race-machine but it also takes a bit of the sting out of road imperfections.
They also know, however, that aerodynamic improvements are the most important thing they could do to make you faster. The Bora-hansgrohe and Quick-step floors Pro tour riders after all are demanding aero improvements on every bike. With this the aero goal was to discover where they could essentially "add aero for free" by not taking anything away from the hallmarks of the Tarmac design. During the six-month iterative process three areas were discovered where they could do this; a new fork shape, dropped seatstays with aero tubes and a d-shaped seatpost and seat tube. The result? A bike that's approximately 45 seconds faster over 40km compared to other lightweight bikes in the same category.