Confusion about fastest climbing frame

Hello all,

The advice online seems to be about evenly split between claiming that the Specialized Tarmac Pro is the fastest frame for climbing, and claiming that the Cannondale Evo and Tarmac Pro are exactly equal.

Could someone please confirm which is currently correct?

I have both frames but prefer to use the Evo as it looks better and is colour-customisable.

I think it’s a dead heat between the two of them on a climb up the alpe according to the tests done by Zwift Insider

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At level 9: Cannondale EVO (213,000)

At level 11: Cannondale EVO (213,000) or Specialized Tarmac Pro (408,300)

Yup, that’s what I thought. Except this guy doesn’t mention the Cannondale Evo in this video, despite finding it to be equal fastest in his previous video! Is he just being careless or have the dynamics changed…? Maybe he is confused between the Evo and the Supersix Evo (which he does test, and is slower).

Go to Zwift Insider, he’s got some very detailed information on this.
It’s constantly updated as new bikes and wheels are added to the drop shop.
I believe it’s still the Tarmac Pro according to his graphs and charts.

Yeah, Zwift insider seems to be saying it’s a dead heat between the Tarmac Pro and the Cannondale Evo - hence my confusion about why everyone seems to think it’s just the Tarmac Pro… :wink:

The tarmac got slowed down relatively recently

For a long time it was better than the cannondale and that’s why many still think it’s the same

I always use the Tarmac Pro and the Enve wheels for The Alpe and Ven-top but the difference between the fastest frame and a good all-round frame on either climb is measured in seconds. I think the difference between the TP and the rest of the top ten frames is 10 seconds.

You’ll see more difference in the times based upon how rested you are and/or the level of hangover…

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<<<For a long time it was better than the cannondale and that’s why many still think it’s the same>>>

Ah, that explains it!