Paolo Bettini Riding in California: I Yam Still Specialized

For a chance to see Paolo Bettini riding his Tarmac SL2 again, but this time in California, where there are apparently no sun-dappled villages or cheering children, check it out here.

Specialized Tarmac SL2 and Paolo Bettini

Although as a devoted Tarmac rider I might be a bit prejudiced, I really like this ad from Specialized featuring Paolo "the Cricket" Bettini riding really fast at home in Tuscany, wearing the whole rainbow ensemble of the World Champion. The sun is shining, the villages are beautiful, the kids worshipful. There is even an accordion playing.

Paolo looks great. Sometimes it is just a question of La Bella Figura and I think this ad captures it. I even like it when he says, in the only English he speaks in the ad, "I yam Specialized" at the end.

A Lightweight Tarmac from Germany

In Staufen, next to the hotel where Dr. Faustus was summoned by the Devil,
Frank Siebenhuener stands with his devilishly light Tarmac SL


I thought that my Specialized Tarmac E5 was lightweight but I hadn't seen anything until I lifted up this bike. My friend Frank, who lives in the Harz Mountains of Germany and is shown here in action in the Kaiserstuhl wine district in Baden, is a big fan of Specialized and has a Stumpjumper and a Tarmac. He is an equipment enthusiast and his Tarmac, when fitted with lightweight carbon wheels, clocks in at 5.9 kg (13 pounds), with pedals and bottle holders included. This is so astonishingly light that my Tarmac E5 feels bloated in comparison when you pick it up. The goal in building up this bike was not to spend limitless money but to build a serious roadgoing bicycle with reliable parts and excellent manners. In this he has succeeded but where can he go from here?

Specifications of Frank's Wonderbike:

Frame/Fork: Specialized S-Works Tarmac, all carbon
Bar/Stem: FSA Plasma one-piece unit
Crankset: Stronglight Pulsion, 52/36
BB: xx.light
Pedals: Time RXS Ultime (ti)
Brakes: Zero Gravity ti
Cables: Nokon
Shifters: SRAM Force
Front Derailleur: Campagnolo Record
Rear Derailleur: SRAM Force
Jockey wheels: Diesel
Saddle: Selle San Marco carbon
Cassette: TISO 11-27 ti/al
Chain: KMC X-10SL (gold)
Bottle holders: Bontrager XX light
Bar Tape: Specialized
Wheelset: with Mavic Kysrium ES (6.5 kg)
with Lew VC-1 carbon wheels, Tune hubs (5.9 kg)

And a custom-labelled seatpost!