DWrek

I saw Hagens Berman Axeon is equipped with Specialized Allez Sprints. This is a marketing move, rather than a performance choice, correct? Specialized trying to get more pub for their alloy line of bikes?

Do other pro teams use aluminum? I realize they are not riding stock models, but is this much of a disadvantage?

Interesting move. With all these smaller companies producing steel bikes with a ton of personality and carbon having its high performance image, aluminum seems boring at the moment. Nice move by Specialized trying to get love for their Allez line. Seeming to say you can get a pro bike for under $2k.

Thoughts?

Campag4life

If you have ridden late model Al, you would know how good it is...the Allez Sprint which even has aero cues, and the Emonda ALR and no doubt others are among the best. There is a great article comparing the great CAAD12 versus the EVO out on the web, many prefer the CAAD12.


My take is, if you dress a Allez Sprint which is basically an Al Tarmac with top of the line carbon wheelset and top groupset and you can build the bike at 15 lbs for pro racing, the Sprint is as good a race bike that exists. It has a monster ball shaped BB and excellent ride quality like the CAAD12 and Emonda ALR.


Heads up difference between an Allez Sprint with all carbon fork and any race bike on the planet? Not much more than 200 grams...maybe a hint more if compared the Emonda SLR..but the Allez Sprint is arguably a bit more aero than the superb SLR.

Sy Reene

IOW, it's really the carbon bikes that constitute the marketing move.

ptempel

Sure, why not use the newer aluminum bikes? I think they can be just as competitive as anything else that the racing teams use. Its s smart move by Specialized. I bet Cannondale will probably smack themselves on th head and say "why didn't WE THINK OF THAT?" I'd have no problem riding any of the newer aluminum bikes. The Giant Contend Aluxx framset looks good as well. Maybe could use a slight fork upgrade to all carbon, but they are obviously going for the lower price point.

Edit: I dig that funky paint job that Specialized has on their website. Looks like an "organized Jackson Pollock":

Wspsux

I like that, organized Jackson Pollock lol

pesty

As an owner of an Allez Sprint, I don't believe it's a marketing move at all. According to Specialized it's more aero than the original Venge (non-ViAS) and frameset alone is plenty light. Lighter than the Propel Advanced I owned before it. I have no doubt you could keep it down near the lower end of the UCI regs with the right finishing kit and wheels. Seatpost is a direct takeoff from the Venge, fork is taken directly from the Tarmac, so those bits are race proven.

As for racing, the bottom end is supper stiff, so as it's name implies, it's going to be good for sprinters and crit racers, which is what it was originally designed for.

Where it's going to be rough is out on the open road. It's a really stiff frame. Chip-Seal roads, crappy broken up cement, and old torn up blacktop would probably be pretty brutal with regular clinchers and alloy bars. I've managed to negate some of this by running wide tubeless rims with 25c tires and switching to carbon bars, which most pro teams are probably going to spec it with tubulars and carbon bars anyway.

So yea... not marketing hype IMHO.

Hapsmo911

Do you have a link?

Sy Reene

One reference is linked below:
https://www.facebook.com/search/top/...20team%20allez

jacksonhandy

I race an Allez Sprint, on CL60s and eTap. It is super fast, with me on it is another matter. It is more than adequate to race at that level.

Specialized claims as mentioned, just as aero as venge, just as stiff as Tarmac.

I don’t find it too harsh, but it is different than my carbon frame.

Doge

Axeon being a pro-continental team races mostly under UCI requirements so the 6.8 kg min weight is something they have to meet.

Our junior team had stock pro series that were under 6.8 the s-works even further under.
So a pro team that isn't adding disc brakes has got some mass to spare. Some riders like alloy as much as the carbon for feel. The carbon tends to win for weight, but they have some things to work with.

thisisbenji

Probably saves them a tad bit of cash too? The Allez Sprint is a rad bike.

Like others have said, I don't think weight is a concern, 6.8kg is really easy to hit on these modern aluminum bikes. An Allez w/ SRAM Red Groupset, 1500g wheelset, and some carbon bars is probably right at 6.8kg w/ pedals, cages, and a computer.

My Emonda ALR is 7.1 KG ready to ride w/ Sram Force. If I switched the cassette and cranks to Red I would be at 6.8kg.

exmechanic89

On a side note the Allez' have always been nice bikes, imo.

Campag4life

And a further consideration...and I agree with Doge about some riders preferring Al which has come so far in terms of ride quality. I don't find modern Al framesets harsh but yes they feel different than carbon and certainly not in a bad way. Biggest difference between Al and carbon aside from a $1K price diff is about 200g or about 1/2 lb in weight. If this matters to anyone...maybe a dedicated climber then pay a lot more for those few grams.


But the consideration is geometry. When it comes to the Sprint, its a dedicated crit or sprint bike which it is named for. Short head tube and upright STA. Not what I prefer as a non crit rider, so I would gravitate more to the excellent Emonda ALR with H2 geometry. I can ride the race geo CAAD12 as well which is a superb bike...would just be more slammed. My next bike may very well be Al. Save on the frame...fork is still same carbon as carbon bikes...because modern Al bikes are so good and spend the money on the wheels and/or groupset.

HTupolev

I don't see why it would be. Basically any road racing frame that rides well and that the team can feasibly build into a 6.8kg bike should do the trick.

It says that you can get a bike for under $2k that uses a frameset that can be used on a pro bike.

thisisbenji

Yup... I bet the Allez the pros would ride still is somewhere in the $6,000 area. Wheels and frameset alone puts you well over $2,000.

Da Reef

The Allez frame is plenty light to give the team a choice of components and still come in close to the weight limit. Mine is setup so I’m in almost the exact position I am on my Tarmac and it is just as comfortable except on the harshest chipseal, but who enjoys that on anything.

Pics just beacause.

Campag4life

Sweet, racy bike Da Reef. May I ask what wheels and groupset?

noodle soup

The only disadvantage I can see is that if the frame gets damaged, it's not repairable. This is irrelevant to a pro team, but it might matter to someone that's paying to race out of their own pocket.

The lower cost of the aluminum frame negates some of this, but not if your bike gets damaged more than once.

Da Reef

Thanks! Roval CLX 50 tubulars and SRAM e-tap.

DWrek

Gosh dangit you guys. Now I want one...

TrojanHorse

Love the paint job on that bike, Da Reef. I'm so tired of matte black... thanks for saving my eyeballs.

topflightpro

OP, go to your local Specialized dealer and try to get an Allez Sprint. In any color.

They are all pretty much sold out. You probably get on a waiting list for the 2019s though.

Da Reef

Thanks, the purple is anodized aluminum. No paint and tubulars are the reason the bike is so light. I would love to see Specialized build another run of anodized frames.

Aubergine 

Big fat sewups on a 531 frame do a decent job. I used to ride a Holdsworth with 28mm Clement Campionato del Monde tires. That was about as good as it gets.

Campag4life

So did a Model T...lol.