4.9KG SPECIALIZED SL9 (WORLD’S LIGHTEST)

By James Knipe News 0 Comments

4.98kg - How did we get to this weight?

We took Specialized’s brand new flagship S-Works SL9 frame, enlisted Shimano’s DURA-ACE electronic shifting, and finished it off with a selection of high performance weight-weenie parts from our website and beyond, which altogether resulted in a pretty mind-bending 4.98kg (including pedals).

The Cockpit & Seating: A GANNA Angle Pro integrated handlebar (235g) and their Aero Fin SL8 seatpost/saddle combo, which weighs a ridiculous 118.4g.

The Drivetrain: We kept the Dura-Ace Di2 shifters and derailleurs, but swapped some core components to save weight—like a featherweight CYBREI Ultra crankset and NB rings (388g) spinning inside a CYBREI BSA DUB bottom bracket. Out back, we rounded out the weight savings with a mind-boggling 90g Sixwheel cassette to keep the rotational mass as low as humanly possible.

Wheels & Rubber: Of course, we went with our own ARCARIS 8848 pro 27mm wheels wrapped in Panaracer Agileist tires and stuffed with 19g RideNow TPU inner tubes.

The Small Stuff: Stopping power comes from Hope RX2 calipers (126g) clamping down on KCNC 160mm/140mm rotors. We also swapped in some OVERFAST ultralight carbon thru-axles (30g).

For a build this audacious, every gram has to earn its place.

Any superfluous weight needs to be ditched.

It's a ruthless process but with a goal that lofty, nothing else will suffice.

Ok, let’s dive into the weeds a bit, to build a similar Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL9 (or any similar spec bike for that matter) you can use the parts list below which includes actual weights and links to available products on the Panda Podium website.

Part Type	Brand	Component Name	Weight (g)
Frame	Specialized	S-Works Tarmac SL9 FACT 12r Carbon	697.0
Fork	Specialized	S-Works FACT 12r Carbon Fork	371.3
Seatpost + clamp	GANNA	Aero Fin SL8 with saddle	118.4
Seatpost Clamp	Specialized	Tarmac Integrated Wedge	/
Headset	CeramicSpeed	Tarmac Integrated Bearings & Compression Ring	65.0
Bottom Bracket	Cybrei	Cybrei BSA DUB BB	78.0
Integrated Handlebar	GANNA	GANNA Angle Pro + Shim + topcap	268.7
Handlebar Tape	OVERFAST	19g + Ultralight bar end plugs	23.0
Saddle	/	/	/
Front Wheel	Arcaris	8848 Pro 27mm	400.0
Rear Wheel	Arcaris	8848 Pro 27mm	484.0
Front Tire	PANARACER	Agilest (700x25mm)	173.9
Rear Tire	PANARACER	Agilest (700x25mm)	173.9
Inner Tubes	RideNow	19g Tubes	39.4
Rear Derailleur	Shimano	Dura-Ace Di2 RD-R9250 12-Speed	205.6
Front Derailleur	Shimano	Dura-Ace Di2 FD-R9250 Braze-On	93.9
Shifters	Shimano	Dura-Ace Di2 ST-R9270 (Pair)	350.4
Brake Calipers	HOPE	RX2	134.0
Caliper Mount / Adapter	Ti master	/	/
Rotors	KCNC	160mm + 140mm + lockrings	162.1
Rotor Lockrings	Big Shot	/	/
Brake Hoses / Oil	Shimano	SM-DB-OIL Mineral Oil (approx. 50ml)	45
Crankset	Cybrei	Cybrei Ultra + NB Rings	387.9
Cassette	Ti master	/	81.8
Chain	YBN	Titaniumm	204.8
Di2 Battery	Shimano	BT-DN300 Internal Battery + wires	70.5
Di2 Wires	Shimano	EW-SD300 Electronic Wires (x2)	/
Thru Axles	OVERFAST	OVERFAST Thru Axles	30.2
Pedals	/	Modified Custom Pedals	149.3
Bottle Cages	Pertual	C10	18.2
Extras	/	Bolts / adaptors / washers etc.	153.7
Total Weight (g)			4980 (4.98 kg)

We were beyond chuffed when the team at Specialized decided to send over one of their brand-new, highly anticipated S-Works Tarmac SL9 frames. This bike has been spoken about for years already, and when we heard we’d be getting the chance to trick one out, the ideas immediately started flowing.

The mission was simple: To assemble the world’s lightest SL9 for launch day.

You know us here at Panda Podium… we love looking in our big toy box of high performance Asian bike parts and building up a frameset with the best of the best performance gear.

People often assume we’re “anti-big bike brands” because we’re always championing emerging brands. However, we’re bike nerds at heart, and ride all the bikes. Any real bike lover has to admire the countless examples of insane tech, engineering, and innovation that Specialized has contributed to the cycling world over the past 52 years.

Collectively, we’ve owned, ridden, and thoroughly loved Specialized bikes, both on the tarmac and out in the dirt.

The best part of this project, especially when you’re dealing with a bike this anticipated and prestigious (that wasn’t even officially out yet), was how it brought people together.

Everyone who worked on it, in any capacity, was equally stoked to be a part of it and to contribute their time, space, effort, or parts.

It’s crazy to see how this type of thing is genuinely for the love of the game. Because the SL9 is so new, a lot of proprietary bits and pieces just weren’t available to buy yet. When we hit a wall trying to source random small parts, there was always a willingness from our partners to push this build to the limits.

The crew at Ti Master pulled out all the stops and provided us a bunch of custom, ultra-light pieces, including shifter clamp rings, titanium hose screws, oil reservoir caps, and titanium brake mount screws. We even had to borrow the rear derailleur hanger and a featherweight 90g titanium cassette from Ti Master as well, simply because they don’t even retail yet.

In the end, we hit 4.98 kg. It was a fun project, but more than that, it was just cool to see what happens when all parties involved put their minds and hearts into something.

A final and a huge thanks again to Specialized for trusting us with this project and being down for getting stuck into something like this. Congratulations on the official launch of the SL9.

Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page

Wheels Tires & Tubes, Wheelsets
Arcaris 8848 Climbers Wheelset

0 out of 5

Price range: $1,599.00 through $2,499.00

Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page

Components, Seatposts
GANNA AEROFIN Seatpost

0 out of 5

$279.00