Think most pros are against disc brakes? Think again: Alberto Contador rides a disc-equipped Specialized Tarmac during off-season training, rather than his regular rim-braked race bike. Here it is.
How do I know? I spent a weekend riding with him and his U23 development team, plus winners from a competition run by the sponsor of that team, Polartec, a couple of weeks ago. There was no Tinkoff or Specialized presence, Contador flew to Gran Canaria with his own bike, and it was interesting to see that he decided to bring a disc-equipped bike. To an island where it rarely rains.
Now, Contador could have brought any bike with him, and most people would have expected him to bring his regular Tarmac race bike in team colours with rim brakes. But he didn’t. Of course, out of the season, he can ride whatever he wants, but there was certainly no sponsorship pressure evident to suggest he was being forced to ride the disc version of the Tarmac.
– Have disc brakes really led to injuries in peloton?
– Tour Tech 2016: Alberto Contador’s Specialized S-Works Tarmac
It’s a good choice. I should know, I reviewed the exact same £8,000 S-Works Tarmac Disc in stealth black two years ago. His had the same Dura-Ace Di2 groupset with hydraulic disc brakes and Roval wheels, a sub-brand of Specialized. The only change is the fitting of some 25mm wide Continental tyres instead of the stock Specialized tyres.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get the opportunity to question him about his preference for disc brakes, both because I couldn’t keep up with him on the climbs and because he was whisked away to more important events after each ride. He’s a man in demand, there were a lot of selfies taken with locals and other cyclists. The discs certainly didn’t appear to be slowing him up much: he set the fastest times on all the big climbs we rode up. Which he would have done on any bike, even a Chopper, probably. He’s really very quick.
Contador is switching to Trek-Segafredo next year on a two-year contract, so this is the last time we’ll see him on a Specialized. Is it also the last time we’ll see him on a road bike with disc brakes? Quite possibly. Trek doesn’t produce a disc brake version of the Madone or Emondo currently, though we wouldn’t be surprised if they’ve got something up their sleeve for 2017. There’s also the tricky rollout of disc brakes by the UCI with the stop-start trial that has been taking place for the past season and a half, which has seen some curious injuries and other obstacles to overcome.
If a rider like Contador was to choose a disc brake bike in a professional race, if he was ever given the chance, could it be the turning point that disc brakes surely need in their adoption by professional racers?
14 thoughts on “Alberto Contador’s disc braked Specialized S-Works Tarmac”
Quote from article:
Quote from article:
“Unfortunately, I didn’t get the opportunity to question him about his preference for disc brakes”
Which basically means that it could well have been a last bit of test feedback for Specialized while still under contract or the like. Which kind of kills the point of the article imho.
The Cycling Podcast’s Richard
The Cycling Podcast’s Richard Moore was also there and did speak to Bertie, apparently He mentioned something about wanting to throw the bike off the cliff.
lolol wrote:
“he was riding a Specialized with disc brakes, he was taking the opportunity to try those. I don’t think he was very impressed with them actually. He did talk at one point of throwing the bike over the side of the mountain which suggests he doesn’t like them that much”
This article makes me laugh,
This article makes me laugh, sounds like he went out and bought the bike with his own money and that he wasnt possibly testing it because specialized asked him to or were nice enough to lend him an 8K bike!
A certain cycling podcast references the same trip which one of the presenters attended and they quote Alberto expressing his desire to “throw the bike off the mountain”.
Was he won over on disc
Was he won over on disc brakes by one of those safety tests where they held a raw steak against a spinning rotor?
I haven’t listened to the
I haven’t listened to the podcast in full but I gather he also expressed strong support for legislation requiring the wearing of helmets when riding a bicycle.
And road.ccs ridiculous
And road.ccs ridiculous obsession with disc brakes continues…
Cough…., splutter……,
Cough…., splutter……, overpriced Merida.
Spesh are a bullshit brand, over-hyped and bought by people who think they are buying a Sony, but are getting a re-badged Panasonic.
Shame they sold out as some of their early stuff was very good.
Just my two pence worth.
It was probably the only bike
It was probably the only bike he had without Tinkoff colours, and he brought it because he fell out with Oleg.
Yep, another non-story from
Yep, another non-story from road.cc . Too many possible explanations for his choice of bike.
Don’t worry David, I enjoyed
Don’t worry David, I enjoyed the article as I like the bike & Bertie.
“because I couldn’t keep up
“because I couldn’t keep up with him on the climbs”
Could you have kept up with him on the flat then?!
I think the Sworks Tarmac SL5
I think the Sworks Tarmac SL5 is a great bike. I have two.
It’s not the lightest, it’s not the most aero, it’s probably not the stiffest.
But it’s a very nice blend of all the above that just feels and looks right.
Here’s my Uran special edition build;
Having said all that, it’s not perfect, and has a dodgy seatpost clamp design;
Yeah I read “no Italian
Yeah I read “no Italian clients” as no clients. You’re right.