The Big Wheel

I recently got interested in looking into getting a road bike for commuting to work and came upon a thread about the best under $1,000 bike and it mentioned the Specialized Allez. I found a TREK 5200 that a guy wanted $500 (bike was close to 20 years) so I thought why not just pay extra and got something that is new.

What are your thoughts on the Allez vs Allez Sport? What are the main differences and is it worth it? How much does each bike weigh?

Also, on flat ground, what do you think would be the max speed on both bikes as well as a comfortable speed that can be done without breaking a sweat? I currently own a Trek FX and can comfortably do 20mph on flat ground and hit 25mph for about 30 seconds before slowing down.


https://www.specialized.com/us/en/al...ext=90020-6161


https://www.specialized.com/us/en/al...ext=90020-7161

Russ Roth

The sole difference between the 2 is the drivetrain; same frame, fork, wheels, tires, and attachments. Only difference is 8sp Claris vs 9sp Sora. There's a current conversation regarding claris and its cheapness, going to 9sp Sora is probably worth the difference and that is what you're getting, an extra gear in the rear and slightly better shifting. Personally I'd go with the 5200 and put the extra 500 into minor upgrades or a nice set of wheels and still have a nice bike or I'd shop around for a deal with 10sp tiagra. I've bought 3 tiagra equipped bikes in the last 2 years for my wife and I and the most expensive was a Cannondale for 950.00 and Long Island usually isn't cheap. Personally I don't think any brand; C-dale, trek, giant, specialized or whatever makes anything particularly special below around 12-1400.00 and would look at less popular brands that can give a better value such as Fuji, Raleigh, Jamis. Often the frames are just as good and sometimes slightly better with the same equipment for a small savings.

side_FX

Can you even find an Allez to buy these days? I look on the Specialized website and everything says out of stock. I use the local retailer sealrch and it’s all out of stock or available in other colors. What’s the point of having a website tool to search product when there’s no product to be had?

puma1552

Allez is a crit bike, they are pretty aggressive FYI. Not your typical commuter road bike.

Tacoenthusiast

Allez sprint is the "crit bike" totally different bike

Allez or allez sport are just regular roadbikes between race and endurance geometry, how racy or endurancy depends on the year as it's shifted around.

InvertedMP 

You’ll like the bike. I have an Allez Elite and have been enjoying it a lot.

puma1552

My mistake, I think I got that stuck in my head because for a while I was drooling over the Sprint, and ended up lumping them all together as crit bikes.

sdmc530

same here, my daily riding bike. Super nice ride IMO.

Tacoenthusiast

The sprint is very droolworthy! I do the same!

MRT2

8 speed Claris vs. 9 speed Sora. That appears to be the main difference between otherwise identical builds. Don't know the weight, but in either case, you could lose a little bit of bike weight where it counts by switching out tires, or even wheels down the road. Is it worth an extra $100 to go from 8 speed Claris to 9 speed Sora? arguably, yes, if only from the POV of futureproofing if you plan to keep the bike for more than a couple of years. Not that Claris is bad, but Sora is a step up in performance. And looking ahead a few years, I am sure 4, 5 years from now, 9 speed will be the new entry level for road bikes, with 8 speed becoming more of a legacy thing, like old 5, 6 and 7 speed groups are now.

As far as the other part of your question, that is hard to answer. I don't generally look at how fast I can go for 30 seconds, or even how fast I can cruise on flat ground for a number of reasons. Roads are seldom completely flat, and at any given moment, it depends on lots of factors, not least of which is whether the wind is blowing and in which direction. I usually look at my average speed over the course of a ride, or the time it takes me to finish a ride. Or on hilly rides, can I get up the hills at all, and if so, do I need to use my lowest gears to do so, or do I have 3 or 4 gears left in reserve by the time I get to the top.

Bah Humbug

Neither bike will be faster than the other at a given effort level for you. Both will be faster than the FX due to aerodynamics.