“Built for Legends” collection: Specialized sees red

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 at 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 circuits in the mountain bike disciplines: The Epic 9 secured four World Cup victories in XC, and the Demo 11 celebrated four World Cup successes 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, glossy red, depending on the angle of the light. The paintwork is complemented by a hand-applied ink wash and dark colour transitions 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.

Limited to 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 to the standard model, the technical specifications of the Tarmac SL9 remain unchanged: the high-end carbon frame, the aerodynamic design and the finely tuned cockpit guarantee the performance the manufacturer is known for. The price premium of around 1,500 euros compared with the standard S-Works model stems primarily from the extremely labour-intensive paintwork, the special components and its collector’s value due to the strictly limited production run.