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At an age when many people are hanging up their sneakers or cleats to discover the joys of happy hour and belote games, Adrian Bran took the opposite path, discovering cycling at age 48—even though he had never played sports in his life. Eleven years later, he’s become a true cycling enthusiast, passionate about both training and gear. His brand-new Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL9 is proof of that. Let’s take a closer look at it with you.
By Guillaume Judas – Photos: ©Adrian Bran / DR
His first bike was a Giant he bought secondhand online. Then came a BH. It was a brief but intense first love affair with the Spanish brand—Adrian Bran still remembers his trip to the Service Course of the Direct Energie team (which later became TotalEnergies) in the Vendée and the warm welcome he received from Jean-René Bernaudeau when he bought his first used time trial bike—also a BH. But that was before. Before he fell under the spell of a famous American brand with the iconic “S” logo. “The Venge was my first Specialized, and my first bike with disc brakes,” Adrian explains. “Many consider it the first game-changer—the bike that truly revolutionized equipment in terms of performance. “In fact, that’s the bike I won races on,” he smiles.”
Since then, he’s gone through a series of Specialized bikes, always bought at the same shop, K7 Bikes in Montlhéry. An SL7 in 2021, then an SL8 in late 2023, along with an Allez Sprint for training—though he only kept that one for a few months. “It was taking up a lot of space in the basement, especially with my time trial bike in there too. A gorgeous Shiv TT, in the Tokyo 2021 colors. My wife wanted me to make a little room.”
As soon as the imminent release of the Tarmac SL9 was announced, Adrian didn’t hesitate. He ordered it without even seeing it, just to be one of the first to ride it. A few weeks later, having sold his SL8 in the meantime, it was finally there, exactly as he’d imagined it. With a slightly customized build. Welcome to 3bikes’ Bike Check #005.
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What kind of bike do you have? How did you build it?
A Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL9. The American brand’s new flagship model, unveiled just two and a half months ago and debuted by the pros during the Tour de France.
I bought the bike with the frame kit on one side (frame, fork, seatpost, and headset) and the cockpit and Roval Rapide CLX III wheels on the other, along with a 12-speed Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 drivetrain and brakes, a Rotor power meter crankset with 165 mm cranks, solid chainrings, an oversized Ceramic Speed derailleur hanger, and Dura-Ace pedals.
“This is my second Dura-Ace groupset, and I’ve always loved how it performs. It’s a very good product—efficient and extremely durable. The groupset works very well, with good battery life and quick shifting, and I’ve never had it fail on me. As for the gear ratios, it’s 54-40 up front and 11-34 in the rear, which lets me keep my legs turning smoothly while still having plenty of power in reserve, whether on the flat or in the mountains,” explains Adrian.
A custom build with particularly well-chosen components that saved him a few hundred euros on the complete bike. And it weighs just 7 kg in size 54.
Why this bike?
“This is my fourth Specialized (actually my sixth, Editor’s Note), and I’ve always been very satisfied with this brand. I’ve never been disappointed, and in fact, I don’t think I even gave the choice a second thought. The SL9 confirms what I already loved about the SL8: it’s versatile on the climbs in the Chevreuse Valley as well as in the mountains, and on the flats, it’s a real speed machine.”
So what? How does it perform out on the road?
“When you first ride it—for the first few dozen kilometers—you feel like you’re going to fly! But then you realize you need strong legs and good training to really make the most of it. On the flat at 40 km/h with the new Roval wheels, they roll very, very smoothly. On hills, I find them a little stiff for my taste, but that might also be due to my age, since that aspect never changes—inexorably. Maybe the change in cranksets plays a small role too, even though I was already riding 165 on my time trial bike. But when you love cycling and riding with intensity, when you love spending hours in the saddle like I do, it’s a great product and I love it.”
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What if it gets stolen tomorrow? Would you buy the exact same one again?
“Stolen? I hope not, because it’s very expensive. Yes, I’d buy the same one again, because the bike shop where I buy my bikes is very knowledgeable. They always meet my expectations, and we get along great. In fact, even though I’d ordered the frame and was getting pretty impatient, they surprised me at K7 Bikes. They told me the bike wasn’t coming, but it turned out they already had the frame. All that was missing was the cockpit, and when that arrived, they still didn’t say a word. Then one day, they called me and told me to stop by. And there, I discovered my bike fully assembled. I was as happy as a kid. So I really like this brand, as well as the customer service and everything that goes with it, including bike maintenance. The Tarmac is very light—exactly 7 kg, at least mine is—and I’m happy with this purchase.”
Adrian’s Bike Check
A few words from Adrian: “The ultimate versatile sports bike.” |
Same concept. A different bike.
One bike. Four photos. Four questions. Four answers. Bike Check, the 3bikes series that focuses less on what a brand says about a bike and more on why its owner chose to ride it.
Learn more: The Specialized Tarmac SL9
=> And here, if you want to check out all our other Bike Checks: All Our Bike Checks
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