Specialised today launches the S-Works Tarmac SL8 Artist Series, a limited collection of 500 hand-painted and numbered frame sets. Three artists, Pieter ‘Parra’ Janssen, Yoon Hyup and Lucas Beaufort, each designed their own design based on the racing frame. Price per frame set: €5.499.
Under the paintwork, nothing changes. The platform is the familiar FACT 12r-carbon with a frame weight of approximately 685 grams (size 56), the Speed Sniffer nose cone and tyre clearance to 32 mm. The same frame that WorldTour teams race with.
Three artists, three editions
The distribution among the three drafts is uneven:
- Parra (Amsterdam): 200 frames
- Yoon Hyup (New York/Seoul): 150 frames
- Lucas Beaufort (France): 150 frames
All three artists are active cyclists themselves, something Specialized made a condition for the collaboration.
Parra took inspiration from the colourful cycling culture of the 1990s. His design includes a “colour blast” effect with hidden typography and his signature hand-drawn curves. “The inspiration comes after the ride. That cycling high is everything,” Parra said.
Yoon Hyup translated his experience of night city driving into a sleek design with lines and dots, inspired by streetlights that fade into light stripes at high speed.
Lucas Beaufort chose pink lines on a black base, featuring his famous character GusGus. His theme: connection and community.
Technical basis
For those who want to check the specs, here are the core details of the SL8 platform:
- Carbon: FACT 12r (highest quality within Specialized)
- Frame weight: approx. 685 g (size 56)
- Bottom bracket: 68 mm thread
- Brakes: flat-mount disc
- Ashes: 12×100 mm (before) / 12×142 mm (back)
- Tyre clearance: up to 32 mm
- Aero: Speed Sniffer nose cone
The interfaces and geometry are identical to the regular S-Works Tarmac SL8. You build this frame like any other SL8 frameset.
But will you actually drive this?
That is the question on €5.499 for a frameset inevitably looms. The regular S-Works Tarmac SL8 frameset costs less. Because each frame is hand-painted, no two are identical. Each frame is hand-painted and numbered.
Despite its exclusive nature, it remains technically a fully-fledged racing frame. Anyone who wants to can turn this into a complete race-worthy build project. The practical implications of hand-painted carbon (think transport protection, paint protection film, insurance) are something to sort out beforehand, though.
Availability
Specialized operates a “once they're gone, they're gone” model. The 500 framesets are available through Specialized dealers and online. Specialized does not produce additional frames after this run of 500.
More info at specialised.com.
