2006 specialized tarmac gerolsteiner



wegel1958

New Member
Jun 20, 2014
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Hi I am new here and need some HELP!! I am looking to buy a used 2006 specialized tarmac gerolsteiner for $1800.
I believe this bike new was about $6000 +. This bike has less then 500 miles on it {I know the owner so it is not BS}.
http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bikes/archive/2006/tarmac/s-workstarmac#specs
Is this a good deal???
 
It's eight years old but it's a Specialized and you know where it's been. Unless it needs obvious replacements like cables and housings and tires, $1800 sounds pretty good.
 
What's your experience level? Are you fit enough to handle a standard crank with an 11-23 cassette on the rear? That's pretty high level gearing. The short cage RD may limit how big a cassette you can run on the rear. If you have some substantial hills, you may not love riding it. On the other hand, if you can run a 12-27, for example, on the rear it might work for you if you're even an intermediate level rider. A lot depends on your riding area.
 
Hi thanks for the comment. I am a new rider but I can easily ride 60 km so I am fairly fit but far from a beast. I am riding a trek fx 3.5 performance hybrid now and average only 20 kn per hr. on mt 60 km ride. I think I am working hard but can't keep up to the road bikes out there. This is why i am looking for a road bike and thought getting an old ferrari is better then a new toyota!
 
I don't know the terrain where you are, but unless it's relatively flat, you're going to be working a lot harder with the gearing on that Tarmac.

Your Trek hybrid probably has a wide range cassette on the back, and either a triple chain ring, or a compact double ring, on the front. A wide range cassette usually has the biggest gear cog in the back with somewhere between 28 and 32 teeth, sometimes as many as 34 or 36. More teeth in the back, the easier it is to turn that gear. The opposite is true of the front rings. The smaller one is easier to turn. Your small (or smallest for a triple) front/biggest rear is what's called your "granny" or bail out gear. Let's say that your Trek has a 50/34 compact double, the big ring with 50 teeth, and the small ring with 34. And that your cassette has a 32 tooth largest gear. The gear ratio of your small front/big rear is 34 divided by 32. 1.06 gear ratio. On the Tarmac, your small front/rear big is 39 divided by 23. That's 1.77. You'd be working almost twice as hard to climb a steep hill.

The good news about all of this is that it takes a bike shop about 5 minutes to change a cassette, and it's easy to learn how to do this yourself. If you were to buy a new 10 speed cassette (and 10 speed Ultegra cassettes are almost as good as Dura Ace and way cheaper) that had a 12-27 range, you'd probably work a lot less hard and be able to go just as fast. I'm not saying, don't buy the bike. Just think about swapping out the rear gears. Pros ride 53/39 cranks with an 11-21 cassette on flat stages of the Tour de France. An 11-23 is the next step up, and some would ride a bigger one than that on climbing stages.
 
Thanks for the info mpre53! I have found this bike as well it is new and don't have to worry about shipping as it is from a local shop.It would cost me the same as the Gerol... There is something to say about new. What are your thoughts
http://www.specialized.com/ca/en/bikes/archive/2012/tarmac/tarmaccompmid-compact#specs
 
What's the price on that one? The gearing is certainly a lot more realistic for an average rider with the semi-compact crank and 11-28 cassette. Definitely a very nice bike. Obviously not on par with the full Dura-Ace of the original bike, but you certainly won't go wrong with a 105/Ultegra mix. I'd lean towards the second one if the price is right simply because it's six years newer, although at only $1,800 for the S-Works and you knowing the history on it, that's still a tough call...
 
If it's "new/old stock" you should get a decent discount on it from the shop. Don't look at it as 6 years newer. While that's true in model years, with the 2015 model year about to begin, as a new bike from an old model year, it's 9 years newer in use. The frame isn't S-works level, but you probably wouldn't be able to see any real difference for you. You'll get a full warranty, too. Warranties aren't transferable, and it certainly is risky to buy a 9 year old carbon frame unless you know the owner very well. It's a mix of 5700 105 and 6700 Ultegra. The 52/36 and wide range 11-28 cassette will cover you over a wide variety of terrain.

I'm guessing that new, in 2012, MSRP on that bike with the Ultegra/105 mixed components, Axis 3.0 wheels, and the full carbon fork was in the neighborhood of $2500-$3000. $1800 now sounds good. Throw in a new bike warranty, and it's the one I'd get.
 
Hi and thanks for the help. They bike sold here in Canada for $3099.00 now reduced to $1999,00. Our bike prices are higher than in the USA. It is a serious consideration. I am 6'1" and i am worried with a 56cm tarmac, a 58cm may be more suited for my height and long legs and arms.