All-City Space Horse vs Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL8
128 facts in comparison
Based on 113 Reddit opinions. Space HorseAll-City Space Horse leads by 25 points.
113 opinions
Space Horse leads by 25pts
VS
Reddit's Pick
88%
A-
Based on
98 Redditors
Winner
All-City Space Horse
47 opinions
tldr; Steel touring classic. Comfortable, versatile, beautiful.
Check pricesVS
63%
C
Based on
113 Redditors
Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL8
~$26.99
66 opinions
tldr; The race bike. Lightweight, aero, pro-level.
Check prices⭐RID
⚡COM
🔧FRA
📐FIT
⭐VER
92
Points
79
Points
Score by Category
Ride Quality
100%—
Components
0%0%
Frame Quality
100%100%
Fit & Sizing
33%100%
Versatility
100%—
Why is S-Works Tarmac SL8 better than All-City Space Horse?
- Better fit (100% vs 33%)
- Race bike
- Ultra light
- Aero
Based on 211 Reddit opinions
Clear Winner
Reddit prefers the Space HorseAll-City Space Horse
Winning by 25 points (88% vs 63%)
Better groupset
Better value
Steel
High confidence (211 mentions)
💬Reddit Sentiment
Based on 211 Reddit mentionsOverall Rating
Space Horse
8.8/10
98 mentions
Tarmac SL8
6.3/10
113 mentions
RIDE QUALITY
Space Horse10.0/10
Tarmac SL8N/A
HANDLING
Space Horse10.0/10
Tarmac SL8N/A
COMFORT
Space Horse10.0/10
Tarmac SL8N/A
UTILITY
Space Horse10.0/10
Tarmac SL8N/A
AESTHETICS
Space Horse10.0/10
Tarmac SL8N/A
VERSATILITY
Space Horse10.0/10
Tarmac SL8N/A
⚔️
Head to Head
| Topic | Space Horse | Tarmac SL8 |
|---|---|---|
Ride Quality | 100% | N/A |
Handling | 100% | N/A |
Comfort | 100% | N/A |
Utility | 100% | N/A |
Aesthetics | 100% | N/A |
Versatility | 100% | N/A |
Handlebars | 100% | N/A |
Wheel Size | 100% | N/A |
Groupset | 100% | 50% |
Brakes | 100% | 100% |
Weight | 0% | 100% |
Fit | 33% | 100% |
Appearance | 100% | N/A |
Wheels | 100% | N/A |
Frame | 100% | 100% |
Design | 0% | N/A |
Weight Capacity | 100% | N/A |
Durability | 75% | N/A |
Size | 50% | N/A |
Upgrade Cost | 0% | N/A |
Components | 0% | 0% |
Value | 100% | 12% |
Price | 0% | 50% |
Authenticity | N/A | 0% |
Stiffness | N/A | 100% |
Age | N/A | 0% |
Tech | N/A | 0% |
Maintenance | N/A | 0% |
Cost | N/A | 0% |
Suitability | N/A | 0% |
Speed | N/A | 50% |
Riding Style | N/A | 50% |
Materials | N/A | 0% |
Aerodynamics | N/A | 33% |
Warranty | N/A | 100% |
Tire Clearance | N/A | 50% |
Drivetrain | N/A | 100% |
Equipment | N/A | 100% |
Adjustability | N/A | 0% |
Gearing | N/A | 0% |
Build Quality | N/A | 100% |
Resale Value | N/A | 100% |
Paint Job | N/A | 100% |
Support | N/A | 100% |
Category Wins
Space Horse: 15|Tarmac SL8: 15
Head to Head
Space Horse: 15|Tarmac SL8: 15
Ride QualitySpace Horse
Space Horse100%
Tarmac SL8N/A
HandlingSpace Horse
Space Horse100%
Tarmac SL8N/A
ComfortSpace Horse
Space Horse100%
Tarmac SL8N/A
UtilitySpace Horse
Space Horse100%
Tarmac SL8N/A
AestheticsSpace Horse
Space Horse100%
Tarmac SL8N/A
VersatilitySpace Horse
Space Horse100%
Tarmac SL8N/A
HandlebarsSpace Horse
Space Horse100%
Tarmac SL8N/A
Wheel SizeSpace Horse
Space Horse100%
Tarmac SL8N/A
GroupsetSpace Horse
Space Horse100%
Tarmac SL850%
Brakes
Space Horse100%
Tarmac SL8100%
WeightTarmac SL8
Space Horse0%
Tarmac SL8100%
FitTarmac SL8
Space Horse33%
Tarmac SL8100%
AppearanceSpace Horse
Space Horse100%
Tarmac SL8N/A
WheelsSpace Horse
Space Horse100%
Tarmac SL8N/A
Frame
Space Horse100%
Tarmac SL8100%
Design
Space Horse0%
Tarmac SL8N/A
Weight CapacitySpace Horse
Space Horse100%
Tarmac SL8N/A
DurabilitySpace Horse
Space Horse75%
Tarmac SL8N/A
SizeSpace Horse
Space Horse50%
Tarmac SL8N/A
Upgrade Cost
Space Horse0%
Tarmac SL8N/A
Components
Space Horse0%
Tarmac SL80%
ValueSpace Horse
Space Horse100%
Tarmac SL812%
PriceTarmac SL8
Space Horse0%
Tarmac SL850%
Authenticity
Space HorseN/A
Tarmac SL80%
StiffnessTarmac SL8
Space HorseN/A
Tarmac SL8100%
Age
Space HorseN/A
Tarmac SL80%
Tech
Space HorseN/A
Tarmac SL80%
Maintenance
Space HorseN/A
Tarmac SL80%
Cost
Space HorseN/A
Tarmac SL80%
Suitability
Space HorseN/A
Tarmac SL80%
SpeedTarmac SL8
Space HorseN/A
Tarmac SL850%
Riding StyleTarmac SL8
Space HorseN/A
Tarmac SL850%
Materials
Space HorseN/A
Tarmac SL80%
AerodynamicsTarmac SL8
Space HorseN/A
Tarmac SL833%
WarrantyTarmac SL8
Space HorseN/A
Tarmac SL8100%
Tire ClearanceTarmac SL8
Space HorseN/A
Tarmac SL850%
DrivetrainTarmac SL8
Space HorseN/A
Tarmac SL8100%
EquipmentTarmac SL8
Space HorseN/A
Tarmac SL8100%
Adjustability
Space HorseN/A
Tarmac SL80%
Gearing
Space HorseN/A
Tarmac SL80%
Build QualityTarmac SL8
Space HorseN/A
Tarmac SL8100%
Resale ValueTarmac SL8
Space HorseN/A
Tarmac SL8100%
Paint JobTarmac SL8
Space HorseN/A
Tarmac SL8100%
SupportTarmac SL8
Space HorseN/A
Tarmac SL8100%
Space Horse
88%
63%
Tarmac SL8
Space Horse88%
Tarmac SL863%
Clear winner - Space Horse leads by 25 points
Key Specs
| Spec | All-City Space Horse | Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL8 |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | All-City | XOTORQ |
| Weight | 4.89 pounds | Approximately 6.62 kg (14.6 lbs) for a complete bike (size 52cm, Dura-Ace Di2 build) |
| Frame Material | — | S-Works Tarmac SL8 FACT 12r Carbon |
| Groupset | — | Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 or SRAM Red eTap AXS (with power meter) |
| Wheelset | — | Roval Rapide CLX II tubeless-ready |
Key Highlights
All-City Space HorseWinner
🔧 Steel
🎒 Touring
🎨 Beautiful
💰 Mid-range
Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL8
🏆 Race bike
🪶 Ultra light
💨 Aero
💸 Very expensive
Some users report issues (25% negative)
Topic Battles
Space Horse: 2|Tied: 2|Tarmac SL8: 1
⭐Ride Quality
Space Horse winsSpace Horse
100%
Tarmac SL8
—
⚡Components
Space Horse
0%
Tarmac SL8
0%
🔧Frame Quality
Space Horse
100%
Tarmac SL8
100%
📐Fit & Sizing
Tarmac SL8 winsSpace Horse
33%
Tarmac SL8
100%
⭐Versatility
Space Horse winsSpace Horse
100%
Tarmac SL8
—
Based on Reddit sentiment across 5 categories
📈Where They Rank
💬What Redditors Actually Say
What Redditors Say
Best praise vs top criticism for All-City Space Horse
Best Praise
+4 pts“Love my space horse. For longer rides I'd go space horse with the longer chainstays.”
r/whichbike
ViewTop Criticism
+5 pts“I'm also a larger rider. If looking at All-City, I'd look at the Gorilla Monsoon. 650b wheels can handle our weight a little better. And it doesn't have the problematic (but cool looking) integrated seat post clamp of the Space Horse. Like u/Djamalfna , I also want to suggest getting a bike with thru-axels instead of QR skewers. When slamming on the brakes, I've had wheels shift too much on me with quick release to trust it. I'd be looking at the Grappler with Surly as it's one of their few drop bar bikes with thru-axels. Breezer is another option for steel gravel bikes. They've got more than a couple drop bar Gravel bikes (with thru-axels). * The Radar X and Radar X Pro lean on the Adventure side of Gravel with huge tire clearance and clutched 1x drivetrains. * The Doppler Pro+ And Doppler Team+ lean on the commuter side with built in dynamo hub to always power the lights. They also use slightly more road focused 2x drivetrains. * The Inversion Pro and Inversion Team lean heavily towards road with 35mm stock tires and 45mm max tire clearance, but have premium gravel bike drivetrain so that it won't skip a beat, even when things get rough. These also get some high-end Japanese steel with Carbon forks. * The Inversion X Comp. Similar to the non-X Inversions, this is a little road focused, but comes stock with wider 40mm tires. The comp doesn't use the fancy Japanese steel, and has a steel fork with plenty of cargo mounts, instead of a carbon fork. Steel fork is arguably a good thing for our weight. It still uses a premium gravel drivetrain, just a lower tier than the Pro or Team models.”
r/whichbike
View3 more quotes available below
What Redditors Say
Best praise vs top criticism for Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL8
Best Praise
+6 pts“My god, a lot of low ballers here. Someone said that’s a 1000$ bike. Hahahahahaha. Anyway, that’s close to 2k$ value. Regardless if it’s “old”, it’s still a modern frame, S-Works at that and it has Di2. ”
r/whichbike
ViewTop Criticism
+5 pts“This is a bike from the mid late 2000s, hard to say exactly which year. Even as an S-Works, this is an old ass triathlon bike and is worth nowhere near $1200. Seller must have a great dealer. I concur with the other poster, around $300 is probably reasonable.”
r/whichbike
View3 more quotes available below
Sentiment Over Time
All-City Space Horse
Tarmac SL8
📈Historical Price Data
All-City Space Horse
Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL8
All-City Space Horse
Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL8
All-time low!
Which is Better?
All-City Space Horse Wins
88%
Horse
vs
63%
SL8
All-City Space Horse leads by 25 points based on 211 Reddit opinions.
Why Space HorseWinner
- Better Value for Money (100% vs 12%)
Why Tarmac SL8
- 🏆 Race bike
- 🪶 Ultra light
❤️The Love/Hate Breakdown
Sentiment Breakdown
46%Positive
Positive
46%Neutral
52%Negative
2%Based on 98 Reddit opinions
Sentiment Breakdown
34%Positive
Positive
34%Neutral
41%Negative
25%Based on 113 Reddit opinions
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better, All-City Space Horse or Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL8?
Based on 211 Reddit comments, All-City Space Horse is the preferred choice with 88% positive sentiment vs Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL8's 63%. All-City Space Horse leads by 25 percentage points.
Should I buy All-City Space Horse or Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL8?
If you want the safer choice based on community sentiment, All-City Space Horse has stronger approval ratings (88% vs 63%). However, Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL8 may still be better depending on your specific needs, budget, or use case.
What do Redditors love about All-City Space Horse?
Reddit users highlight: Steel. Touring. Beautiful. With 98 mentions and 88% approval, it's a well-regarded choice in the community.
What do Redditors say about Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL8?
Reddit users highlight: Race bike. Ultra light. Aero. With 113 mentions and 63% approval, it remains a popular alternative.
How many Reddit reviews were analyzed?
This comparison analyzed 211 Reddit comments: 98 about All-City Space Horse and 113 about Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL8. Data was sourced from Which Bike community discussions.
How accurate are these ratings?
Our sentiment analysis is approximately 80-85% accurate compared to manual review. Well-discussed products with many mentions tend to have more reliable scores than niche items with fewer data points.
Why trust Reddit over professional reviews?
Reddit users bought products with their own money and have no incentive to mislead. You're seeing hundreds of real opinions across different use cases, not just one reviewer's take. This crowdsourced approach surfaces both common praise and recurring complaints.
113 Reddit opinions analyzed · Last updated 7/27/2026