Jrasero

I think lazy people are going to scoff at an aluminum race bike with 105 start at $3000 but they are kind of missing the point IMO. Yeah, you simply aren't getting anywhere near what you used to when the Allez Sprint (rim) was sub $1500 complete bike and was a wheelset and partial groupset away from being a crit monster, heck even as early as a couple years ago the previous gen was $2300 for the complete disc version. I think people have become a tad too obsessed with carbon, weight, and the nameplate on the groupset especially in regards to racing. I think all the upgrades you mentioned like the threaded BB, integrated cables, stiffness (few less welds), and now complete 105 make this a $3000 bike IMO. Is it a value anymore? Heck no, but when has Specialized ever been a value oriented bike? Personally, I ride a 2021 Allez Sprint Comp Disc I bought used as my training/spare bike and I have put a set of carbon 50mm wheels and aero carbon bars on it and frankly it's just as stiff and nearly as fast as my Canyon Ultimate and probably very similar aero wise. The frame not being carbon, I am not worried about a few scrapes or scratches and I don't baby the bike like I do with my carbon Canyon.


I think the hard part is that at $3000 you still have a lot of good options. One, if you can find a CAAD13 at $2300, that's now probably the better value especially if you want to be sub $3000 and especially if you don't want a carbon bike. On the other hand you have the Giant TCR Advanced 2 PC (rim) at $2450 which is a wheelset away from being crit worthy, Giant TCR Advanced Disc 2 PC $2900, Canyon Ultimate CF SL 8.0 (rim) $2900 probably the lightest, Cannondale SuperSix Evo Carbon 105 (rim) $2200 is the best value, and Cannondale SuperSix Evo Carbon 105 (disc) $3200.


In the end the downsides of the current gen Allez Sprint Comp Disc are defiantly the price increase, no rim version, the bike for many has these unsightly welds, and while $3K is "fair" the problem is that the competition offers bikes that are cheaper or offer betters specs. I think what Specialize saying this is the first aluminum "super bike" is the biggest load of BS ever, but there is no doubt the Allez is still a great race/crit bike but is being sold more now based on prior reputation than anything. To me the launch is reminiscent of Acura relaunching the Integra to some degree in that that car was was a cheap performance car for tuners and now they relaunched it at a significantly higher price but without the specs to match.