“Built for Legends” collection: Just 199 units of the Specialized Tarmac SL9 LTD

Specialized can look back on an extremely successful 2026 racing season – across all cycling categories. On the road, the Tarmac SL9 secured four stage victories in the Tour de France, courtesy of Tim Merlier and Remco Evenepoel. At the Tour de France Femmes, Demi Vollering, Lorena Wiebes and Kim Le Court won a total of six out of nine stages, as well as the Yellow and Green jerseys. Specialized was also one of the dominant brands on the race courses in the mountain bike disciplines: The Epic 9 secured four World Cup victories in XC, whilst the Demo 11 claimed four World Cup wins in downhill. And then there’s the Crux 5., which swept the men’s podium at Unbound 2026.

To celebrate these achievements, the US manufacturer has launched the ‘Built for Legends LTD’ series. Visually, this special edition is characterised by a finish in which a red glaze is applied over a layer of silver dust. The result is a colour that shifts from deep crimson to a metallic-gloss red, depending on the angle of the light. The paintwork is complemented by a hand-applied ink wash and dark colour gradients along the edges. As each frame is polished and finished by hand, every one is unique. Exclusive details such as red-anodised brake calipers and blackened components underline its high-end credentials.

Only 199 copies

The top-of-the-range road model in the series is limited to exactly 199 individually numbered units worldwide. Each bike features a unique plaque on the seat tube displaying its sequential production number. The special edition is available in Europe at a price of 14,999 euros.

Compared with the standard model, the technical basis of the Tarmac SL9 remains unchanged: the high-end carbon frame, the aerodynamic design and the finely-tuned cockpit guarantee the performance the manufacturer is renowned for. The price premium of around 1,500 euros compared to the standard S-Works model is primarily due to the extremely labour-intensive paint finish, the special components and the collector’s value resulting from the strictly limited production run.