But the SL9 is their out and out race bike, it’s the equivalent of the Aeroad in the Canyon lineup, not the Endurace. If you want a Specialized with more tire clearance you can get a Roubaix, or an Aethos, or even a Crux.
Just for context, despite the name the new Endurace CFR has an aggressive geometry (only the top-end version) essentially identical to an Aeroad. The Escape Collective covered it e. g. on their podcast.
That’s the bike I was referring to.
I have an old Tarmac SL 7. Possibly the best bike Ive riden in 40 years. Now, I’ve not had the opportunity to ride any anything newer in last couple years, but the the SL9 looks like a contender.
I have a 2019 Venge and an SL8. I’ve been very happy with both but I never liked the profile of the SL8. I think that the Venge and SL9 are much better looking. I never liked the look of the backwards dish at the top of the fork on the SL8.
I don’t think that there is the slightest chance that I would notice a difference riding the SL8 vs SL9 and I can’t afford an upgrade right now…but I want the SL9 purely for the improved looks.